Georgia Tech’s defense looking to get back on track at Boston College

No. 16 Georgia Tech has spent the last two weeks trying to repair the defensive dam that burst open Nov. 1 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Tech allowed 583 yards and 48 points to North Carolina State on that day. The defensive disaster, in which the Wolfpack gained 8.7 yards per play and had 13 plays of 11 yards or more, resulted in a 12-point loss and the end of the Yellow Jackets’ undefeated season.

“I mean, we definitely had that stank on us for a couple of days, so I mean, really getting back into the building, getting back to work, that’s the only thing that was really making us feel better,” Tech linebacker Kyle Efford said Wednesday. “We definitely want to get out there and get back right this upcoming Saturday.”

Efford and the Tech defense will need a much better showing at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Boston College — and for the rest of the regular season, with showdowns against No. 22 Pittsburgh (Nov. 22) and No. 5 Georgia (Nov. 28) looming. The Jackets can’t afford another rough outing if they want to keep ACC championship game and playoff hopes alive.

Tech coach Brent Key said Thursday he felt the Tech defense had improved in a multitude of areas leading up to the N.C. State loss, but those improvements did not continue at Carter-Finley Stadium.

“We had a poor game. We owned it. I owned it. It’s on me,” Key added. “But at the same time, we’ve been working to get those things fixed. I’m not going to get into what all they are, but everything is evaluated every day, whether it be from players to schemes to whatever it is. We’re constantly trying to make ourselves better because you’re either getting better or worse.”

The Jackets will face a Boston College offense that is led by a face familiar to some.

Quarterback Dylan Lonergan, who has completed 66.7% of his throws for 1,655 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, starred at Brookwood High School where he was a four-star recruit, according to the 247Sports Composite. Tech recruited Lonergan to not only play at Bobby Dodd Stadium but to also pitch for the Tech baseball team.

Efford spoke Wednesday about competing against Lonergan for much of his own youth football career, and definitely remembered the 2020 season-opener that Lonergan’s Brookwood won 40-34 after four overtimes over Efford’s Dacula. Lonergan enrolled at Alabama in 2023, where he appeared in one game in 2023 then in two in 2024.

Ahead of the 2025 season, Lonergan transferred to play at BC and for coach Bill O’Brien. O’Brien was the Alabama offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2021-22.

“(Lonergan) was a really good player coming out of high school that we recruited here in my first year,” Key said. “A really good arm. He’s had some (bad) breaks with the ball on the ground or a turnover, but he’s got the arm talent, he’s got the feet to hurt you in scrambling or designed quarterback runs that they will run.”

The Eagles (1-9, 0-6 ACC) have showcased a stellar passing attack through 10 games, one ranked sixth in the ACC at 270.4 passing yards per game. But they’re 15th in the league in rushing (92.7 yards per game), 96th nationally in scoring (23.7 points per game) and have 21 turnovers (only Nevada has more with 24).

Those outputs would seem to indicate Tech’s defense has a prime opportunity to get right and regain some confidence ahead of the final two games of the month.

Injury update

Tech’s defense should be gaining some personnel help Saturday.

On Thursday, Key said only long snapper Will Benton, who hasn’t played since Sept. 27 at Wake Forest, will miss the Boston College contest.

“There’s no questionable, there’s no probable, everyone is ready to rock and roll,” Key said.