Ed Note: Apologies for the tardiness of this post, busy-ish week for me.
Well, last week kinda sucked. The defense just decided not to show up. This week, the Yellow Jackets will be looking to get back on track and hopefully have the defense actually play a game. So, let's look at a few key factors for this week's game.
1. James Conner
This guy is pretty much a beast. I'm actually happy that we are playing Pitt, just so that the defense can get a taste of James Conner and the power-running game before uga. Conner already has 959 yards on the season to go along with 11 touchdowns.
Let's take a look into the past for a moment. The night was Nov. 2, 2013. These two teams were at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field. Does anyone care to take a guess at how many rushing yards Conner had that night? 100? Nope. More? Nope. 75? Lower. 50? You're still ice cold. He had a grand total of three yards rushing in eight total carries.
Now, we're not gonna get that lucky this time. Conner's a very good running back, and one I really wish we had. He'd be phenomenal at B-Back. Anyway, Tech's defense is going to have to find some way to stop, or at the very least slow down, James Conner.
2. C.J. Leggett
CJ Leggett has not played a single snap this season. So, you ask, why then is he a key factor? Well, last week, Zach Laskey went down with a shoulder injury last week. This means that Synjyn Days will be the starter this week, and according to the depth chart, either Leggett or Matt Connors will be the backup.
CPJ has not yet decided whether CJ Leggett will play or not, but I think it's entirely possible he will. I'm just gonna leave the following video here.
3. The Defense
This one's pretty obvious. Last week against UNC, Tech racked up over 600 yards of offense and 43 points, yet still lost. If something similar happens this week, the entire Tech fanbase will be calling for Ted Roof's head.
Simply put, the defense is going to need to be more than just opportunistic. They are going to have to put on their big-boy pants and make a stop. If they can do that, they shouldn't have a problem winning this game.
Those are my three things to watch for this week? What are y'all keeping an eye out for?