Opponent Breakdown: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Defense

Brent Key was in the unenviable position this offseason of having to replace coordinators on both sides of the ball. Heading into November, it looks like he may have to at least consider replacing one of those coaches. Georgia Tech’s defense has underperformed for much of the season, and it is getting worse as the season progresses. This staff has to wonder just how much effort the defense will give down the stretch with nothing to play for.

Former Card Tawfiq Thomas is the top player up front for Tech at defensive tackle. Thomas has 21 run stuffs on the season to go along with 10 pressures. Thomas is the one player up front who is consistently disruptive, and he looks like he has finally reached the potential he showed as a recruit. I would expect him to play with a little more effort against his former team after not getting much of a chance to see the field here.

Noah Carter and Taje McCoy have been the most consistent defensive linemen other than Thomas up front, though Carter has missed a lot of time and is now reportedly no longer with the team. The defensive line as a whole has not done a great job of creating pressure on the quarterback or being disruptive in general. But these guys have talent, and they will make plays if the Louisville offensive line continues to allow penetration up front.

Georgia Tech lost their leader on defense a few weeks ago when Kyle Efford decided to medically retire from football. Efford made a lot of plays for this defense, while also being a guy you could trust to get everyone lined up correctly. E.J. Lightsey has taken the baton as the leader of the defense, as he has been around for a long time in Atlanta. He and Cayman Spaulding have both had solid seasons in the middle of this defense.

Spaulding is the play maker on this defense with 7 tackles for loss on the year. He pops when you watch their games because he is always around the football and he gets downhill very well to make plays in the backfield. While Lightsey is the steady veteran, Spaulding is the player most likely to cause problems for Louisville. However, this defense has not played well this year, so the Cards should not allow these guys to take over the game.

Tech’s secondary isn’t tested very much because they are so poor against the run, but when they are tested, they don’t get a very good grade. Tech is 19th in the country in passes attempted against them, but they are 84th in passer rating. Teams are getting what they want against them when they have to throw the ball and this secondary isn’t providing much resistance. On top of the numbers above, they are ranked 129th in passes defended. An average pass rush mixed with a secondary that isn’t playing very tight in coverage, is a bad combination. The Cards will have to run the ball well this weekend, but they should also have success through the air when needed.