Georgia
Film Room: Analysis of FSU football’s week 0 opponent Georgia Tech | Game predictions
FSU head coach Mike Norvell talks Georgia Tech, trip to Ireland
FSU head coach Mike Norvell talks Georgia Tech, trip to Ireland
Florida State football is set to kick off the 2024 regular season in Dublin, Ireland.
The No. 10 Seminoles open the year against Georiga Tech in a week-zero Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) matchup against a Yellow Jackets program that is on the rise.
Led by head coach Brent Key, Georiga Tech finished last season 7-6, winning the Gasparilla Bowl bowl with a 30-17 victory over UCF.
Key has gone 11-10 since being named head coach of the program, and the Yellow Jackets look to be one of the surprises in the ACC this season.
So what kind of threat do they pose to FSU?
Here is an analysis of Georgia Tech, including new Yellow Jacket defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci’s schemes that made Duke one of the best defenses in the nation last season.
For this article, we watched Georgia vs. Georgia Tech in November 2023, and FSU vs. Duke in October 2023.
Pre-snap motion, option plays a key in Georgia Tech’s offense
The Seminoles match up well against the Yellow Jackets, with the speed of the skill position players on both teams the key to victory.
Both the FSU and Georgia Tech wide receivers possess high-level speed, with the Yellow Jackets Eric Singleton the biggest threat to the Seminoles’ secondary.
Singleton reached a top-end speed of 21.7 miles per hour (MPH) during last season’s game against Virginia, and he plays a key role in how Georiga Tech wants to run its offense. Quarterback Haynes King is a speed threat himself, reaching speeds as high as 21 MPH last season.
King is at the heart of the offense, transforming Georgia Tech in his first year under center with the program. He spent three seasons at Texas A&M, coming in highly recruited, but he never truly got going with the Aggies.
Last season he posted 2,842 passing yards, throwing 26 touchdowns and 16 interceptions while adding 648 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.
The challenge that Georgia Tech will give the Seminoles is with pre-snap motion as the Yellow Jackets tend to move around wide receivers and tight ends before snapping the ball, forcing quick and attentive adjustments from the defense.
Singleton sees a lot of action pre-snap, and at times his movement results in quick passing plays or jet sweeps that pickup decent yardage for the Yellow Jackets. He hauled in six touchdowns and 706 receiving yards last season, pairing well with Malik Rutherford who posted 462 yards and three touchdowns.
Georgia Tech tends to run a lot of options, giving King the chance to tuck and run or allowing running back Jamal Haynes an opportunity to run.
Haynes is a threat out of the backfield as the former wide receiver has turned into a premier running back in the ACC. He posted 931 rushing yards last season, scoring seven touchdowns.
Players like Azareye’h Thomas, Fentrell Cypress and Cam Riley, among others, all have the speed and toughness to keep up with the Yellow Jacket skill position players. Their ability to read through the movements and motions of the Georgia Tech offense will be crucial in limiting yardage.
Riley could be a key factor in containing King, who isn’t afraid to get out of the pocket. The Auburn transfer has the speed to track down the mobile quarterback and he could force some quick decisions out of King.
The big question mark for FSU’s defense revolves around turnovers, can the unit force King into some tough throws and take advantage? Last season, King threw 16 interceptions, tied for second-most in the nation, and if the Seminoles can get pressure home, there could be some opportunities for the defense to force a turnover.
Kyle Morlock, Lawrance Toafili key’s to facing a new Yellow Jacket defense?
The hiring of Santucci could change the Yellow Jackets’ fortunes on defense, as the defensive coordinator is tasked with turning last season’s 97th-ranked defense into one of the top in the conference.
Running a base 4-2-5 scheme, four defensive linemen, two linebackers and five defensive backs, Santucci’s defense is a quick and aggressive one that forces opposing quarterbacks to make quick reads and choices.
When Duke came to Tallahassee last season, the Blue Devils defense was able to disrupt the Seminoles’ offense for much of the first half. Grabbing a pick-six and blowing up two fourth-down conversion attempts and forcing a couple of three-and-outs, Santucci’s defense presented a unique challenge.
The Seminoles made halftime adjustments, slowing down the offense and running quick plays for short yardage that tired out the Blue Devils defense en route to the 38-20 victory over the Blue Devils. The lack of linebacker presence allowed the tight ends to leak out for some quick gains, opening the offensive playbook.
There is a healthy balance of man-to-man coverage and zone coverage in Santucci’s defense, so quarterback DJ Uiagalelei will look to players like Malik Benson and Ja’khi Douglas to provide a spark. The running back room led by Lawrance Toafili and Roydell Williams could give the Georgia Tech defensive line a tough test.
Toafili saw limited action in both the run and passing game against Duke last year, but he was able to make some nice plays and could be a key contributor on Saturday. He caught a touchdown, posted 40 receiving yards on four catches and added 23 yards on three carries last season against the Blue Devils.
The tight end room was the difference for FSU against Santucci’s defense, with Jaheim Bell opening up the Seminoles’ offense. Morlock was used, mostly in pass blocking, but he did come up with one 22-yard reception and could be in for a nice game against the Yellow Jackets after a strong fall camp.
Uiagalelei will have to look out for defensive back Ahmari Harvey, a Tallahassee native and Florida High grad, as he was second on the team in interceptions, and could be in for a big year with All-American Jaylon King graduated.
The Seminoles could look to Toafili and Morlock early on to exploit the gaps in the defense, allowing the playbook to open up for Uiagalelei and maybe let him take some deep shots to his speedy receivers later on.
Game prediction: FSU 27, Georgia Tech 17 | Seminoles pull away late to secure first win of 2024
Uiagalelei gets his first win as FSU’s quarterback, leading a consistent display from the Seminoles as the team comes home from Ireland with a 10-point victory over Georgia Tech.
The defense is able to frustrate King and force at least one turnover. The Yellow Jackets will still have some success, scoring an early touchdown to take the lead, but adjustments and some disruptive play from the defensive line keep things quiet for the remainder of the game.
The offense finds its stride in the second half to claim victory. Uiagalelei throws a pair of touchdowns and Toafili gets one on the ground as a second-half surge leads to a season-opening win.
How to watch FSU vs. Georgia Tech
Aviva Stadium history, location ahead of Florida State football game
Florida State and Georgia Tech play in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic on August 24, 2024 in Dublin, Ireland.
- Date: Saturday, August 24
- Time: Noon ET
- Where: Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
- TV: ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN+ ($10.99 per month), WatchESPN and the ESPN app (TV provider subscription needed), fuboTV (7-day free trial), YouTube TV (2-week free trial), Hulu + Live TV (7-day free trial)
FSU football 2024 schedule
Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney
After months of campaigning, the 2026 primary elections in Georgia are on Tuesday, with hundreds of contests for statewide and local office taking place across the Peach State.
Voters in every precinct will have a distinct ballot, depending on what races are in play where they live.
With the number of candidates and hotly contested races up for grabs this year, many voters have said the primary ballot is one of the longest they’ve seen.
How to tell which races will be on your local Georgia ballot
So how do you know what races will be on your ballot before you head to your local polling place? It’s easier than you might think.
One way is to use the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page. Once logged in with your name, county, and date of birth, you can click a link to see your sample ballot and update your voter information. You can also see where you can cast your vote and your voter registration info.
You can also check your county election department, which will have links to see the Democratic, nonpartisan, and Republican sample ballots.
Statewide races will be on every voter’s ballot, like the primaries for governor, lieutenant governor, and U.S. senator. Most other races are dependent on the county or legislative district.
The different races included in the Georgia primary election
- U.S. Senate
- U.S. House of Representatives
- Governor
- Lieutenant Governor
- Secretary of State
- Attorney General
- Commissioner of Agriculture
- Commissioner of Insurance
- State School Superintendent
- Commissioner of Labor
- Public Service Commissioner District 3 and 5
- State Senate
- State House
- Countywide officers
- Georgia Supreme Court (two seats)
- State and county courts
Georgia U.S. Senate primaries
Incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff is running unopposed and will face one of five challengers aiming to bring the seat back into Republican hands: Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter, Rep. Mike Collins, John F. Coyne III, Derek Dooley, and Jonathan “Jon” McColumn.
Georgia Congressional primaries
All 14 of Georgia’s U.S. House districts are on the ballot this year. Here are some of the metro Atlanta races CBS News Atlanta will be watching closely.
Primaries for Georgia governor
Primaries for Georgia lieutenant governor
- Democratic primary for Georgia lieutenant governor
- Republican primary for Georgia lieutenant governor
Primaries for Georgia secretary of state
- Democratic primary for Georgia secretary of state
- Republican primary for Georgia secretary of state
Primaries for Georgia attorney general
- Democratic primary for Georgia attorney general
- Republican primary for Georgia attorney general
Other statewide primaries in Georgia
Here are some other contested statewide primaries we are watching:
- Democratic primary for Georgia insurance commissioner
- Democratic primary for Georgia agriculture commissioner
- Republican primary for Georgia state school superintendent
- Democratic primary for Georgia state school superintendent
- Democratic primary for Georgia labor commissioner
- Republican primary for Georgia Public Service commissioner Districts 3 and 5
- Democratic primary for Georgia Public Service commissioner Districts 3 and 5
Georgia State Senate and State House primaries
All 56 of the Georgia State Senate districts and all 180 seats of the Georgia State House of Representatives are up for election in 2026.
Primaries for Georgia courts
Primaries for both statewide and county courts are on the ballot this year. These elections are nonpartisan and all candidates will appear on both ballots
- Three Georgia Supreme Court judges
- Five Court of Appeals judges
- County superior court judges
- State court judges
Political party ballot questions
Both the Georgia Republican and Democratic parties include ballot questions in their primary elections. The questions are non-binding, but advise the parties on what to include in their platforms. This year, the Republicans have eight questions and the Democrats have two.
As an example, Question 1 on the Republican ballot asks: “Should Georgia enact the strongest election integrity measures possible, which may include hand marked paper ballots, fines for counties that refuse to maintain current voter rolls, and restrictions on no-excuse absentee voting to restore trust in elections?”
Question 1 on the Democratic ballot asks: “Should the State of Georgia raise the sales tax on everyday items like clothing, food, and school supplies to pay for an income tax cut that would make millionaires and billionaires richer?”
Voters mark yes or no on each question.
As temperatures rise across Georgia, cooling costs are also expected to climb this summer. The Georgia Public Service Commission is set to hear one of Georgia Power’s proposed agreements aimed at saving customers money on their power bills.
Georgia Power says its proposed agreements could save the typical customer about $4 a month if approved by the commission.
The proposals involve two separate cases before the PSC. One focuses on fuel costs used to operate power plants, while the second deals with storm recovery costs tied to Hurricane Helene.
Georgia Power and the PSC’s Public Interest Advocacy Staff recently reached agreements in both cases. If approved, the company says the typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month could save about $4.04 per month or nearly $50 per year beginning in June.
The proposal comes as a new national report from the National Energy Assistance Directors Association and the Center for Energy Poverty and Climate projects cooling costs could rise about 8.5% nationwide this year. The report says hotter temperatures and increased energy demand are helping drive costs higher.
Reliable Heating and Air said it is already seeing an increase in service calls across metro Atlanta as more people start using their air conditioning systems.
HVAC experts said homeowners should watch for warning signs, including strange noises, weak airflow, homes cooling slowly or higher-than-normal power bills.
“Biggest mistake they make is not getting a system maintenance,” said Joshua Kelly with Reliable Heating and Air. “A lot of people feel like, ‘Oh no, I don’t have to get maintenance,’ but you most definitely do.”
Experts recommend changing air filters regularly, scheduling maintenance checks, keeping thermostats between 74 and 77 degrees on hot days and addressing airflow problems early.
Resources for Georgia families needing help with cooling costs:
- Georgia LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) — Helps eligible low-income households pay heating and cooling bills and may assist during energy emergencies.
- United Way 211 — Connects families with local resources, including utility assistance programs, emergency financial help and community services.
- Partnership for Community Action — Offers utility assistance, energy support programs and other services for eligible families in metro Atlanta.
- Local Community Action Agencies — Many agencies across Georgia provide emergency utility assistance, payment support and additional family resources during extreme heat and high energy demand periods.
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