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Florida State football game predictions: Season opener vs. Georgia Tech a unique challenge

liam rooney, tallahassee democrat
·7 min read

Florida State football is set to kick off the 2024 regular season in Dublin, Ireland.

The No. 10 Seminoles open the year against Georgia Tech in a week-zero Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) matchup against a Yellow Jackets program that is on the rise.

Led by head coach Brent Key, Georgia Tech finished last season 7-6, winning the Gasparilla Bowl bowl with a 30-17 victory over UCF.

Key has gone 11-10 since being named head coach of the program, and the Yellow Jackets look to be one of the surprises in the ACC this season.

So what kind of threat do they pose to FSU?

Here is an analysis of Georgia Tech, including new Yellow Jacket defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci's schemes that made Duke one of the best defenses in the nation last season.

For this article, we watched Georgia vs. Georgia Tech in November 2023, and FSU vs. Duke in October 2023.

Pre-snap motion, option plays a key in Georgia Tech's offense

The Seminoles match up well against the Yellow Jackets, with the speed of the skill position players on both teams the key to victory.

Both the FSU and Georgia Tech wide receivers possess high-level speed, with the Yellow Jackets Eric Singleton the biggest threat to the Seminoles' secondary.

Singleton reached a top-end speed of 21.7 miles per hour (MPH) during last season's game against Virginia, and he plays a key role in how Georiga Tech wants to run its offense. Quarterback Haynes King is a speed threat himself, reaching speeds as high as 21 MPH last season.

King is at the heart of the offense, transforming Georgia Tech in his first year under center with the program. He spent three seasons at Texas A&M, coming in highly recruited, but he never truly got going with the Aggies.

Last season he posted 2,842 passing yards, throwing 26 touchdowns and 16 interceptions while adding 648 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.

The challenge that Georgia Tech will give the Seminoles is with pre-snap motion as the Yellow Jackets tend to move around wide receivers and tight ends before snapping the ball, forcing quick and attentive adjustments from the defense.

Singleton sees a lot of action pre-snap, and at times his movement results in quick passing plays or jet sweeps that pickup decent yardage for the Yellow Jackets. He hauled in six touchdowns and 706 receiving yards last season, pairing well with Malik Rutherford who posted 462 yards and three touchdowns.

Georgia Tech tends to run a lot of options, giving King the chance to tuck and run or allowing running back Jamal Haynes an opportunity to run.

Haynes is a threat out of the backfield as the former wide receiver has turned into a premier running back in the ACC. He posted 931 rushing yards last season, scoring seven touchdowns.

Players like Azareye'h Thomas, Fentrell Cypress and Cam Riley, among others, all have the speed and toughness to keep up with the Yellow Jacket skill position players. Their ability to read through the movements and motions of the Georgia Tech offense will be crucial in limiting yardage.

Riley could be a key factor in containing King, who isn't afraid to get out of the pocket. The Auburn transfer has the speed to track down the mobile quarterback and he could force some quick decisions out of King.

The big question mark for FSU's defense revolves around turnovers, can the unit force King into some tough throws and take advantage? Last season, King threw 16 interceptions, tied for second-most in the nation, and if the Seminoles can get pressure home, there could be some opportunities for the defense to force a turnover.

Kyle Morlock, Lawrance Toafili key's to facing a new Yellow Jacket defense?

The Duke Blue Devils lead the Florida State Seminoles 20-17 at the half on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023.
The Duke Blue Devils lead the Florida State Seminoles 20-17 at the half on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023.

The hiring of Santucci could change the Yellow Jackets' fortunes on defense, as the defensive coordinator is tasked with turning last season's 97th-ranked defense into one of the top in the conference.

Running a base 4-2-5 scheme, four defensive linemen, two linebackers and five defensive backs, Santucci's defense is a quick and aggressive one that forces opposing quarterbacks to make quick reads and choices.

When Duke came to Tallahassee last season, the Blue Devils defense was able to disrupt the Seminoles' offense for much of the first half. Grabbing a pick-six and blowing up two fourth-down conversion attempts and forcing a couple of three-and-outs, Santucci's defense presented a unique challenge.

The Seminoles made halftime adjustments, slowing down the offense and running quick plays for short yardage that tired out the Blue Devils defense en route to the 38-20 victory over the Blue Devils. The lack of linebacker presence allowed the tight ends to leak out for some quick gains, opening the offensive playbook.

There is a healthy balance of man-to-man coverage and zone coverage in Santucci's defense, so quarterback DJ Uiagalelei will look to players like Malik Benson and Ja'khi Douglas to provide a spark. The running back room led by Lawrance Toafili and Roydell Williams could give the Georgia Tech defensive line a tough test.

Toafili saw limited action in both the run and passing game against Duke last year, but he was able to make some nice plays and could be a key contributor on Saturday. He caught a touchdown, posted 40 receiving yards on four catches and added 23 yards on three carries last season against the Blue Devils.

The tight end room was the difference for FSU against Santucci's defense, with Jaheim Bell opening up the Seminoles' offense. Morlock was used, mostly in pass blocking, but he did come up with one 22-yard reception and could be in for a nice game against the Yellow Jackets after a strong fall camp.

Uiagalelei will have to look out for defensive back Ahmari Harvey, a Tallahassee native and Florida High grad, as he was second on the team in interceptions, and could be in for a big year with All-American Jaylon King graduated.

The Seminoles could look to Toafili and Morlock early on to exploit the gaps in the defense, allowing the playbook to open up for Uiagalelei and maybe let him take some deep shots to his speedy receivers later on.

Game prediction: FSU 27, Georgia Tech 17 | Seminoles pull away late to secure first win of 2024

Uiagalelei gets his first win as FSU's quarterback, leading a consistent display from the Seminoles as the team comes home from Ireland with a 10-point victory over Georgia Tech.

The defense is able to frustrate King and force at least one turnover. The Yellow Jackets will still have some success, scoring an early touchdown to take the lead, but adjustments and some disruptive play from the defensive line keep things quiet for the remainder of the game.

The offense finds its stride in the second half to claim victory. Uiagalelei throws a pair of touchdowns and Toafili gets one on the ground as a second-half surge leads to a season-opening win.

How to watch FSU vs. Georgia Tech

  • Date: Saturday, August 24

  • Time: Noon ET

  • Where: Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland

  • TV: ESPN

  • Streaming: ESPN+ ($10.99 per month), WatchESPN and the ESPN app (TV provider subscription needed), fuboTV (7-day free trial), YouTube TV (2-week free trial), Hulu + Live TV (7-day free trial)

FSU football 2024 schedule

Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU football game prediction: Breaking down Georgia Tech 2024 opener