University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Georgia Tech
Football Looks To Bounce Back In Atlanta
October 27, 2023 | Football
Who:
No. 17 North Carolina (6-1, 3-1 ACC) vs. Georgia Tech (3-4, 2-2 ACC)
Where:
Bobby Dodd Stadium – Atlanta, Ga.
When:
Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023 – 8:00 p.m. – ACCN
The Lead: After its first loss of the season last week, North Carolina will look to rebound in Atlanta against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The matchup against Georgia Tech will be UNC's second true road test of the season. In 2022, the Yellow Jackets defeated the Tar Heels 21-17 in Kenan Stadium.
Storylines:
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North Carolina is 56-23 as a ranked team in 15 seasons under head coach Mack Brown.
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The Tar Heels have won 14 of their last 15 games when gaining at least 400 yards of offense.
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North Carolina is averaging 499.7 yards in total offense per game this season. UNC ranks 5th in the FBS.
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Through seven games, the Tar Heel offense is averaging 35.9 points per game.
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Entering the week, Drake Maye is averaging 321.3 passing yards per game. He currently ranks 4th in the FBS.
From The Notes:
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Since Mack Brown's return in 2019, Tar Heel quarterbacks have thrown 42 touchdowns to tight ends or running backs, which is the most in the ACC.
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The Tar Heels have tallied five scoring drives of 90+ yards in the last four games.
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For the first time since 2021, the Tar Heels have had a 100-yard receiver and a 100-yard rusher in back-to-back games. Tez Walker had 132 and 103 yards receiving, while Omarion Hampton had 197 and 108 yards rushing the past two weeks.
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Cedric Gray is 10 tackles away from tying Cole Holcomb (2015-18) for the 10th-most tackles in school history (328).
Switching Sides:
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Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King is one of only three NCAA Division I FBS players with at least 1,800 passing yards, 350 rushing yards and 17 touchdown passes this season (joining LSU's Jayden Daniels) and only the fourth ACC player since 2000 to accomplish the feat in his team's first seven games of the season (joining North Carolina's Drake Maye-2022, UNC's Sam Howell-2021 and Louisville's Lamar Jackson-2016).
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Georgia Tech has forced five turnovers in a game twice this season (Sept. 23 at Wake Forest and Oct. 7 at Miami), which marks the first time since 1996 that the Yellow Jackets have forced at least five turnovers in a game twice in a season (Oct. 5 at Virginia and Oct. 26 vs. UCF).
- The Yellow Jackets have the sixth-most improved offense in NCAA Division I FBS this season, averaging 108.9 yards per game more in 2023 (434.1 ypg) than it did in 2022 (325.2 ypg).
Mack's Weekly Press Conference
