Georgia Tech @ Tulane preview

Georgia Tech displayed a surprising balance on offense in its season-opening victory over Wofford, considering how the Yellow Jackets traditionally rely on the run and that quarterback Justin Thomas made his first career start. The Yellow Jackets, who play Saturday at Tulane, averaged only 130.4 passing yards a season ago but accumulated 282 through the air in a 38-19 victory over Wofford. Thomas passed for two touchdowns and led the Yellow Jackets with 71 yards rushing.

The Green Wave lost a 28-20 fourth-quarter lead in a 38-31 double-overtime defeat at Tulsa in their first contest. There will be plenty of excitement for Tulane on Saturday as the Green Wave opens Yulman Stadium, hosting its first on-campus game since 1974. A pair of redshirt freshmen – running back Sherman Badie (215 yards rushing) and quarterback Tanner Lee (262 yards passing, three touchdowns) – were impressive in their debuts.

TV: 4 p.m. ET, ESPNews. LINE: Georgia Tech -10

ABOUT GEORGIA TECH (1-0): Thomas misfired on five of his first eight passes before completing his final eight attempts for 250 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Yellow Jackets, who averaged an ACC-best 299.7 yards rushing a year ago, received 70 yards on the ground and two scores from Zach Laskey, and particularly in the second half Georgia Tech looked comfortable in both the running game and passing attack. DeAndre Smelter caught two touchdown strikes and finished with 132 receiving yards, catching a career-best five passes.

ABOUT TULANE (0-1): Badie’s total marked the highest rushing output by a Green Wave player since Andre Anderson gained 255 yards against Texas-El Paso in 2008, and Lee’s three scoring passes are the most by a Tulane freshman since Ryan Griffin in 2009. Tulane intercepted two passes in the opener, the seventh time in the past 13 games the Green Wave have intercepted the opposition at least twice. Tulane marched to the Tulsa 4 in the closing minutes of regulation, but Andrew DiRocco missed a 21-yard field goal with 1:46 to play.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Construction on the 30,000-seat, $73-million Yulman Stadium began in January 2013.

2. Georgia Tech leads the all-time series 35-13 but the two schools – who have been conference foes in the SIAA, Southern, SEC and Metro conferences – have not played since 1982.

3. Badie fell one yard shy of Matt Forte’s school record for rushing yards by a freshman, set Nov. 16, 2004 against Army.

PREDICTION: Georgia Tech 24, Tulane 21