Three things to watch when Georgia Tech (4-3, 1-3 ACC) hosts Duke (3-4, 0-3) on Saturday afternoon at Bobby Dodd Stadium:
Tech's run defense. Duke is averaging 147.3 rushing yards per game this season and 3.6 yards per carry. Neither number is phenomenal. However, the past two seasons, the Blue Devils have had great success running against Tech in posting consecutive wins. In 2014, Duke rushed for 242 yards in a 31-25 victory in Atlanta. Last season, the Blue Devils rushed for 165 yards in a 34-20 in rainy Durham. Tech is allowing averages of 140 rushing yards and 4.0 yards per carry this season.
Tech's third-down defense. The Yellow Jackets rank 125th of 128 FBS on third downs, with opponents converting 50 percent of their chances. Tech coach Paul Johnson has said many times that the defense has to get off the field on third downs. Not stopping teams on third downs has resulted in opponents running 37 more plays that Tech this season and holding the ball almost as long as the Jackets typically do. Duke is converting 40 percent of its third downs.
Tech's offense on third down. If the Jackets want to stay on the field, they need to improve their conversion rate on third down from its current 44 percent. Johnson said that the offense isn't executing with the efficiency that he has come to expect, which is one of the reasons why the team has been successful less than 50 percent of the time this season against just one of the five teams it has faced from the Power Five conferences.
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