Tulane @ Georgia Tech preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 6, 2014 ) Georgia Tech 38, Tulane 21

Georgia Tech has not adopted the recent college trends of spread offenses and passing all over the field, but that doesn’t mean they’re not putting up points. The 16th-ranked Yellow Jackets will try to follow up an impressive debut when they host Tulane on Saturday.

Georgia Tech is one of a few teams running a triple-option rushing attack and attempted only five passes en route to a 69-6 victory over FCS Alcon State last week, but managed 476 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. “All in all it was a good way to start,” Yellow Jackets coach Paul Johnson told reporters. “We’ve got a lot of improvements to make and we need to get ready for next week.” The Green Wave were crushed 37-7 by another ACC team (Duke) last weekend and coach Curtis Johnson is trying to ensure that doesn’t happen twice in a row. “(Georgia Tech is a) very good football team,” Curtis Johnson told reporters. “Again, the one thing we need to do is tackle, move the ball on them, and get a lead and try to make them throw the ball and become one-dimensional. That’s how you beat the option.”

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network, RSN, ESPN3. LINE: Georgia Tech -28.5

ABOUT TULANE (0-1): The Green Wave will need to improve a run defense that surrendered 206 yards on the ground to the Blue Devils in Week 1 but is more concerned about the offense. Tulane went 2-for-14 on third down and ran for only 25 yards in the loss, numbers that have to improve in order to keep the Yellow Jackets’ offense off the field. “The one thing you have to do when you’re playing a team like (Georgia Tech), a really good football team, is work on your own mistakes,” Curtis Johnson told reporters. “If we concentrate on ourselves, and not worry about the (scoring) line, and be more concerned with getting this team to work, we’ll be fine for that game.”

ABOUT GEORGIA TECH (1-0): The Yellow Jackets helped the Green Wave open their new stadium last season with a 38-21 win, and ran for 344 yards while converting 10-of-12 third downs in that meeting. “You can see Tulane, they are playing a little different defense than they played against us (last season) against Duke,” Paul Johnson told reporters. “We will get ready for all of it. That's one of the good things about what we do, it's kind of built in. There's only a few ways you can play.” Georgia Tech won’t have a problem against many defenses if freshman Marcus Marshall continues to rush for 184 yards on eight carries as he did against Alcorn State.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Yellow Jackets have scored a touchdown on the opening possession in seven of their last eight games.

2. Tulane has not upset a ranked opponent on the road since toppling LSU on Nov. 27, 1982.

3. Georgia Tech has rushed for at least 200 yards in 15 straight games.

PREDICTION: Georgia Tech 41, Tulane 17