Miami (FL) at Ga. Tech
Time: 6 PM CT
Spread: GATC -2.5
Total: 53.5
Odds c/o Bovada
The 5-4 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have won two straight and will host conference rival Miami (FL) at 6 PM Saturday on ESPN2. Georgia Tech is slight 2.5-point favorites in the game, which has an over/under set at 53.5 points according to NCAA football oddsmakers at Bovada.
GA TECH
Georgia Tech has posted a 3-3 record in ACC play this year, while its opponent is 2-3 in ACC play. The Yellow Jackets have a strong offense, ranked No. 14 at 38.8 points per game. It is getting it done with the nation’s top rush attack, averaging 377.0 yards per game on the ground.
The Yellow Jackets have three rushers (including quarterback TaQuon Marshall) with 600 or more yards on the season. Tobias Oliver leads the way with 780 yards on 132 attempts and a team-high 12 rushing TDs. Marshall has not been great throwing the ball with just 47.4 percent for completion and four INTs to his three TDs, but he has 659 rushing yards and nine rushing TDs. Jordan Mason rounds it out with 604 yards on 94 attempts and seven TDs. But beyond that trio, the Yellow Jackets also get big contributions from Jerry Howard (423 yards, four TDs), Qua Search (293 yards, two TDs), and Nathan Cottrell (242 yards, three TDs).
The Yellow Jackets average 6.2 yards-per-attempt as a team and have 41 total rushing TDs on the year. It has allowed the passing game to be an infrequent option, though Searcy does his work there, too. Searcy has run seven option plays for 196 yards and a touchdown, while No. 1 receiver Clinton Lynch leads the way with 209 yards also on seven catches, and two touchdowns. Georgia Tech has just five receiving TDs on the season. It has managed to get great production from its kickers, as Wesley Wells is 32 of 32 on PATs and 2 of 2 on field goal attempts. Brenton King has missed 3 of his 4 field goal attempts, but two of those three misses have come from beyond the 50-yard line.
MIA
The Miami Hurricanes have lost three straight games, with falls to Virginia, Boston College, and Duke. It is trying to get back on track after starting the season 5-1. Miami has a strong defense that ranks No. 19 at 19.3 points allowed, but the last three weeks it has given up 16, 27, and 20. All the while, it struggled to score despite having few issues in Weeks 1 through 6.
Malik Rosier has thrown for 1,007 yards but averages just 53.5 percent for completion and he has five interceptions to his six touchdowns, while also averaging under seven yards per attempt. The backfield has tried to make up for it, with Travis Homer averaging 5.7 yards-per-carry on his 123 attempts (702 total yards). The Hurricanes have scored 18 rushing TDs this season, with Rosier leading the way from the pocket with six. Rosier has rushed 54 times for 210 yards, including a 37-yard TD run.
Backup quarterback N’Kosi Perry is in the same mold with 701 passing yards and 37 rush attempts for an ineffective 58 yards. Rosier threw just 12 times in the loss to Duke last week, completing eight, while rushing eight times for 32 yards. Miami really must balance its offense better in upcoming seasons, because teams come in ready and prepared for the Hurricanes’ rush attack. While it has been plenty effective, it has become less so as the 2018 season has worn on.
