The Duke Blue Devils hit the road for the third time in five weeks on Saturday, traveling down to the Peach State to face off with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
On paper, first-year head coach [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] and his roster have all the momentum in this battle. The Blue Devils are undefeated through five games for the first time in 30 years after their massive comeback against the North Carolina Tar Heels, and the Yellow Jackets have lost each of their last two conference games.
However, the Georgia Tech offense poses a different kind of threat. While UNC started three different quarterbacks in its first four games, Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King leads the ACC in completion percentage while averaging more than nine yards per attempt.
The last time Duke played a Power Four team on the road, the Blue Devils needed a last-minute field goal to force overtime against Northwestern in Week 2 before two touchdowns in extra time gave them the win. Will this road trip be just as successful?
Here are our predictions for the Week 6 matchup.
Ryan Haley, Duke Wire site editor
The Duke defense passed a huge test against North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton. Even with linebacker Alex Howard shaken up early in the game, the Blue Devils held the conference’s leading rusher to 103 yards on 29 attempts.
Now, they go from the ACC’s best individual runner to one of the ACC’s most potent rushing attacks. King and running back Jamal Haynes both have more than 200 rushing yards already this season, and the Yellow Jackets have 15 rushing touchdowns as a team through five games.
Part of why Duke found success against the Tar Heels came from defensive adjustments in the second half, but quarterback Jacolby Criswell didn’t make them pay for changing their scheme. He completed 53.8% of his passes for 6.4 yards per attempt, and while that might be the best game against the Duke secondary so far this season, King has been exceptionally more efficient in 2024.
If any team has the discipline and experience to limit King and wide receivers Malik Rutherford and Eric Singleton Jr., however, it’s this Duke roster. Georgia Tech’s secondary hasn’t been exceptional or even very good this season, and running back Star Thomas looks unstoppable. I still think the Yellow Jackets emerge victorious, but there’s a much more realistic path to a Blue Devils victory than people admit.
Georgia Tech 27, Duke 24
Bryant Crews, Staff Writer
The vives have been immaculate in the 919 after Duke beat Tobacco Road rival UNC 21-20 in one of the most incredible comebacks in program history. Duke was down 20 early in the third quarter but reeled off 21 unanswered points to beat the Tar Heels and reclaim the Victory Bell for the first time in six years.
Duke is 5-0, and now the Blue Devils must manage their emotions while attempting to travel to Atlanta to take on Brent Key and his Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The Yellow Jackets, fresh off a loss to the ranked Louisville Cardinals, are 3-2 on the year. Their season started on such a high note after stunning the Florida State Seminoles in Ireland, but now that win looks far from impressive, given how bad FSU has looked the rest of the season.
Nonetheless, Georgia Tech will be up and ready for this game, and Duke will have its hands full with the football that the Yellow Jackets play.
I’ll be honest: I had this penciled in as a loss before the season, mainly because I expected a hangover from the UNC game. Add in Georgia Tech’s style of football and the situational spot with Duke going on the road in the ACC for the first time this season.
I am not a coward and won’t renege on my previous decision. I’m unsure if Duke will be able to match what is likely another fast start from another desperate team in Georgia Tech.
Duke has lost its last three against Georgia Tech, and Saturday will make it a fourth.
Georgia Tech 26, Duke 20