Georgia Tech (3-1, 2-0 ACC) at No. 11 Miami (4-0, 2-0), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN)
Line: Miami by 5 ½.
Series record: Tied, 11-11.
WHAT’S AT STAKE
The winner gets outright possession of first place in the ACC’s Coastal Division, plus the head-to-head tiebreaker. Georgia Tech would likely return to the AP Top 25 with a win, and Miami would figure to have a shot at moving into the top 10.
KEY MATCHUP
Georgia Tech offensive line vs. Miami defensive line. It’s always the same when facing the Yellow Jackets: How a defense does against the Georgia Tech, triple-option, cut-blocking scheme will essentially decide which team wins. Miami has seemed to figure out ways in recent years to handle the Yellow Jackets, and this defensive front will have to do so again Saturday.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Georgia Tech: RB KirVonte Benson is sizzling right now, with 47 carries for 326 yards and three touchdowns in the last two games alone. He’s lost yardage on only one of those 47 carries - and that was just a 1-yard loss.
Miami: RB Travis Homer takes over as the featured back for Miami, now that leading rusher Mark Walton is out for the season with an ankle injury. Homer had two big first-down runs to help set up the game-winning, final-drive touchdown against Florida State last weekend.
FACTS & FIGURES
The line for this game started with Miami favored by 10 ½, then went down dramatically after Walton’s injury was announced. … Both teams are playing an 11-game schedule, since each had a game cancelled by the effects of Hurricane Irma (Miami at Arkansas State, Georgia Tech at UCF). … Georgia Tech is averaging 396 rushing yards per game, second-best in the nation. … The Yellow Jackets are the only FBS team to not play a road game yet this season. All four of Georgia Tech’s games so far have been in Atlanta (three at home, one a neutral-site matchup at the new Mercedes Benz Stadium). … Miami has won nine straight games, and Georgia Tech has won seven of its last eight. … Hurricanes coach Mark Richt is 14-2 against Georgia Tech.
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AP college football website: https://collegefootball.ap.org
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