Blue and Gold Illustrated

GAME PREVIEW: GEORGIA TECH ing yards in the season opener, despite the loss of leading rusher Tarean Folston after just three carries. Notre Dame will throw an offensive line at Georgia Tech that is on average 6-5½ and 313.2 pounds, giv- ing the Irish a size advantage of 39.2 pounds. Advantage: Notre Dame NOTRE DAME PASSING GAME VS. GEORGIA TECH PASS DEFENSE Georgia Tech's pass defense was hit and miss in 2014, giving up 258.2 yards per game against FBS opponents. The Yellow Jackets ranked in the bottom half of the national standings (87th) and allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 62.9 percent of their passes. On a positive note, Georgia Tech picked off 18 passes and returns three talented secondary start- ers. The Yellow Jackets should be improved against the pass this season. Sophomore quarterback DeShone Kizer came through in the clutch when junior starter Malik Zaire went down with a season-ending ankle fracture at Virginia. Kizer connected on 8 of 12 throws for 92 yards with two touchdowns. Kizer may be inexperienced, but his talent and the weapons at his disposal are abundant. Speedy junior wideout Will Fuller, who hauled in the 39-yard game- winner from Kizer at Virginia, leads the way for an Irish receiving corps that is deep, fast, talented and tall, which presents significant matchup concerns for Georgia Tech. Advantage: Notre Dame SPECIAL TEAMS From a statistical standpoint the comparison be- tween the two teams is a push. Georgia Tech aver- aged 21.8 yards per kick return in 2014, while Notre Dame averaged 20.5 yards per runback. The Yellow Jackets allowed 22.6 yards per return, while the Irish allowed 23.4 yards per runback. In the punt game, Notre Dame averaged 8.5 yards per return and allowed just 5.3 yards per return. Georgia Tech averaged 8.1 yards per return and held opponents to just 6.6 yards per return. Both teams blocked six kicks and allowed at least two to be blocked. It all boils down to which unit plays best on game day, but neither holds much of an edge heading into the contest. Advantage: Even COACHING Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly and John- son both turned back-to-back lower level national championships into opportunities at the FBS level. Success at mid-major programs then vaunted both to where they are now, head coaches of Power Five programs currently ranked in the top 15 and with playoff aspirations. Johnson has compiled a career record of 165-74 (.690 winning percentage), includ- ing 59-35 at Georgia Tech (.628). Kelly has compiled a 216-77-2 record (.736), including 46-20 at Notre Dame (.697). Kelly and Johnson built careers developing potent offenses and 2015 is no exception. Ultimately, suc- cess in this match up will revolve around which defensive coordinator can best devise a plan to slow down the opposing offense. Can Notre Dame's Brian VanGorder figure out a way to slow down the triple- option offense? Can Georgia Tech's Ted Roof come up with a plan to stop Notre Dame's explosive and balanced attack? The winner of that matchup will have the greatest impact on the outcome of this game. Advantage: Notre Dame INTANGIBLES Notre Dame will not be caught off guard when it faces Georgia Tech's triple option, thanks to its yearly matchup against Navy. That experience should help the Irish and so will its overall team speed. Notre Dame has the best combination of offense and defense, has more experience and the Irish are at home. All those factors point to an edge for the Irish. Advantage: Notre Dame

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