FSU football: Top 5 things FSU defense must do to limit Georgia Tech offense
By Kelvin Hunt
Success on First Down
Georgia Tech had the majority of its success running the ball on first down in 2023. The Yellow Jackets saw 84 percent of their running plays take place on first or second down. The reason for that is they often stayed ahead of the chains, averaging over five yards per rush on first down. The FSU defense must get them off schedule and put them in predictable passing situations. However, Georgia Tech isn't afraid to run it if they get stopped for a one-yard gain on first down.
They'll line it up and run it again hoping to get six yards to force a third and three. They averaged 5.61 yards per rush on second down last year. However, Georgia Tech was highly ineffective when in third and 7+ situations. They only completed 45.5 percent of their passes and were even worse in third and 10+. In the simplest terms, Georgia Tech wants to stay ahead of the chains, and if you can limit their production on early downs? It takes a lot of power away from their punches.