2015 record: 3-9, 1-7 in the ACC (last in the Coastal Division)
Head coach: Paul Johnson (9th season)
After a breakout season in his first year running the triple option, quarterback Justin Thomas went through a junior slump last year.
Despite winning their first two games by at least 55 points, the Yellow Jackets were done in by injuries to their key contributors in the backfield. Georgia Tech lost five straight games in the middle of the season before upsetting conference heavyweight Florida State in improbable fashion. With limited options in the backfield and an inconsistent offensive line, Thomas struggled and averaged a mere 3.4 yards per carry despite running the vaunted triple option.
With another year at quarterback under his belt, Thomas should rebound from his dismal performance in 2015 with a strong senior year. Despite losing three of five starters on his offensive line, Thomas will be alongside sophomore running back Marcus Marshall, who led the Yellow Jackets in yards per game and averaged 7.6 yards per carry on the ground last season.
Defensively, Georgia Tech put up very similar numbers in 2015 to what it put up in 2014, allowing 25.8 points per game after allowing 25.7 per game in 2014. Despite generating only 14 sacks last season, the Yellow Jackets’ linebackers held strong and come into the season as a strength once again for an overall mediocre defense. Unless it forces turnovers, Georgia Tech may have trouble keeping its opposition off the scoreboard.
The Yellow Jackets have yet another tough schedule ahead of them, including back-to-back games against Clemson and Miami, a road contest against North Carolina and the annual matchup against Georgia. The Blue Devils travel to Atlanta looking for their third consecutive victory against the Yellow Jackets Oct. 29.
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