Georgia Tech is going to be facing their second-ranked team of the season when No. 20 Ole Miss comes to Bobby Dodd Stadium this Saturday.
These two programs have not met since the 2013 Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl and have only met four times in history. The series is tied at 2-2 and the winner will take the lead this weekend. In three of the four matchups previously, this game was played as a bowl game, and these two programs have not met in the regular season since 1946.
Ole Miss has not had to do too much in these first couple of weeks, beating Troy 28-10 and Central Arkansas 59-3, so this will be their first game against a power-five conference opponent this season.
So how do these two teams match up ahead of this game? Let’s take a closer look at the Rebels on both sides of the ball.
Offense
Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart has looked sharp through two games.
Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
The Ole Miss offense had plenty to replace this season, but so far, they have looked formidable on that side of the ball.
Both quarterbacks, USC transfer Jaxson Dart and Luke Altmeyer, have had good starts to the season, with Dart being better from a statistical standpoint. Dart has thrown for 336 yards and three touchdowns while completing 66% of his passes so far and Altmeyer has thrown for 103 yards and two touchdowns while completing 46% of his passes.
It is unclear as of Monday which quarterback is going to get the start, with Altmeyer being injured in the win over Central Arkansas, but either quarterback will present challenges for a Georgia Tech defense that struggled last week.
Former five-star recruit and TCU running back Zach Evans leads the way for the Rebels running backs, but this is a deep group and one of the best that Georgia Tech will see this season.
The guy that led the way for the Rebels last week was Quinshon Judkins, who had 10 carries for 104 yards against Central Arkansas. Ulysses Bentley IV, an SMU transfer, is also a very talented player that Tech fans should expect to see, despite him only having six carries so far this season.
The wide receivers are led by Jonathan Mingo, who had a 100-yard game last week. Mingo had 103 yards and is going to be a tough guy to stop and is a deep threat, averaging 21.5 yards per catch. Dayton Wade, Malik Heath, and USC transfer tight end Michael Trigg are the other receiving threats. Trigg has already caught three touchdowns this season.
The offensive line returns experience up front and it will be a challenge for the Georgia Tech pass rush.
Defense
Ole Miss linebacker Troy Brown is one of the best players on the Rebel’s defense
Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
The Ole Miss defense was not very good last season, finishing 97th in total defense, but has been better through the first couple of weeks of the 2022 season. The caliber of opponents that they have faced is not spectacular by any means but impressive nonetheless.
A name that will be plenty familiar to Tech fans is Jared Ivey. Ivey transferred to Oxford after spending time at Georgia Tech and he already has 1.5 sacks this season. Other defensive linemen to know are Cedric Johnson, KD Hill, JJ Pegues, and Tavius Robinson. None of those guys have put up eye-popping stats, but are talented players. The Georgia Tech offensive line has been shaky so far this year and this is a big test for them.
Linebackers Troy Brown and Khari Coleman are guys to watch and Brown is the second-leading tackler on the team. Brown also has two pass deflections so far this season.
The Rebel’s secondary is going to be a test for what has been a struggling Georgia Tech passing game. Guys like Tysheem Johnson, the leading tackler on the team, Otis Reese, Deantre Prince, AJ Finley, and Miles Battle are good players. Iowa State transfer Isheem Young and Auburn transfer Ladarius Tennison will also factor in.
This defense is starting a lot of transfers this season and this will be their first game against a power five opponent. We will see if the Yellow Jackets can find any weaknesses and exploit them.
Overall
Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is one of the top offensive minds in the sport
Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
This is going to be a massive challenge for the Georgia Tech football team. The Rebels have playmakers on each side of the ball and are the most talented team in this game. Forcing turnovers and playing keep away from the Ole Miss offense is likely the best chance at success for Georgia Tech.
The offensive line and the running game are going to have to be a factor in this game. Quarterback Jeff Sims did not look very good against Western Carolina and will need to have a major bounce-back performance.
The passing defense can’t allow the kind of big plays they did in the first quarter against Western Carolina. The pass rush is going to be a major factor in this game and getting stops on third down. The Yellow Jackets struggled to get off the field on third down against Western Carolina and could not have a repeat performance against a very talented Ole Miss team.
Georgia Tech and Ole Miss kick off on Saturday at 3:30 at Bobby Dodd Stadium. The game will be televised on ABC.
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