North Carolina @ Georgia Tech preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 10, 2012 ) Georgia Tech 68, North Carolina 50

North Carolina travels to Georgia Tech on Saturday, and both teams will be hard-pressed to duplicate last season’s offensive fireworks. The Yellow Jackets outlasted the Tar Heels 68-50 in the highest-scoring game in ACC history last November in Chapel Hill when the two teams combining for 1,085 yards of total offense and 16 touchdowns. Georgia Tech scored 38 points in winning its ACC opener at Duke last week, while the Tar Heels scored 40 points against Middle Tennessee two Saturdays ago.

Georgia Tech is known for churning out rushing yards in its triple-option offense, ranking third in the nation at 356 per contests through two games, but sophomore quarterback Vad Lee fired four touchdown passes in the victory over Duke. North Carolina senior quarterback Bryn Renner topped 300 yards passing against Middle Tennessee for the fifth time in his past six games. The Tar Heels have scored 40 or more points seven times in head coach Larry Fedora’s 14 games at the helm.

TV: Noon ET, ESPN. LINE: Georgia Tech -6 1/2.

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA (1-1, 0-0 ACC): Fedora seeks improvement from a defense that got worn down in a season-opening loss at sixth-ranked South Carolina, but the Tar Heels never were threatened last week in building a 23-0 lead. Sophomore tailback Romar Morris scored his first two touchdowns of the season last week, but North Carolina has rushed for just 233 yards in two games. Renner is two touchdown passes away from tying T.J. Yates for second most in school history.

ABOUT GEORGIA TECH (2-0, 1-0 ACC): Lee, named the ACC offensive back of the week, is responsible for eight of the Yellow Jackets’ 15 touchdowns and has looked polished in his first season as the full-time starter. Junior receiver DeAndre Smelter caught two touchdown passes last week – his first two collegiate receptions – and senior running back Robert Godhigh picked up first downs on six different occasions against the Blue Devils. The Yellow Jackets have allowed 14 points in two games, holding opponents to 253.5 yards per contest.

EXTRA POINTS

1. North Carolina is 1-9 in ACC openers since 2001.

2. The Yellow Jackets are the only FBS team to not allow a sack.

3. Georgia Tech has won the past three meetings and leads the series 27-18-3.

PREDICTION: Georgia Tech 34, North Carolina 30