GEORGIA, — Georgia Tech (7-4) at No. 6 Georgia (9-2, No. 7 CFP), Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Georgia by 19 1/2.
Series record: Georgia leads 71-39-5.
What’s at stake?
Georgia will look to protect its College Football Playoff ranking and extend its six-game winning streak in the state rivalry called Clean Old-Fashioned Hate. The Bulldogs also will try to extend their 30-game home winning streak that began in 2019 and is the longest active streak among FBS teams. Georgia Tech will try to claim its first win over the Bulldogs since a 28-27 victory in Athens in 2016.
Key matchup
Georgia Tech RB Jamal Haynes vs. Georgia run defense. Despite being limited to 36 yards on 13 carries in the Yellow Jackets' 30-29 win over N.C. State on Nov. 21, Haynes leads the team with 717 rushing yards. The Bulldogs allowed a season-high 226 yards on 40 carries in a 59-21 win over Massachusetts on Saturday. Georgia Tech QB Haynes King has rushed for 468 yards and eight touchdowns, making it more difficult for run defenses to focus on Haynes. King has shared time with freshman Aaron Philo, who passed for a career-high 265 yards against N.C. State. Philo added the go-ahead 18-yard scoring run with 22 seconds to prove he also can serve as a complement to Haynes in the diverse running game.
Players to watch
Georgia Tech: While King has been very efficient while completing 72.5% of his passes (145 of 200) with only one interception, Philo has emerged late in the season to earn a larger share of playing time. Philo's running skills may not be as established as King's, but he proved against UMass he is effective as a passer and could receive a significant share of the snaps.
Georgia: Freshman RB Nate Frazier set career highs by rushing for 136 yards and three touchdowns against UMass. Frazier could have more help if Trevor Etienne (ribs), Branson Robinson (knee) or Roderick Robinson (toe) return from injuries this week.
Facts & figures
This is only the second time the state rivalry game has been played on Friday, following the 1994 game in Athens won by Georgia 48-10. ... Georgia is 7-1 in the rivalry under Smart. ... Georgia Tech is 2-0 against top 10 teams this season (Florida State, Miami). ... The Yellow Jackets have clinched back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2013-14. They finished 7-6 in 2023, Brent Key's first full season as coach. ... Georgia is 5-0 at home this season. ... The Bulldogs are 16-0 in home night games under Smart and will be playing to complete their fifth straight unbeaten home schedule and seventh in nine seasons under Smart. ... QB Carson Beck threw a combined six touchdown passes with no interceptions in the last two games. ... The Bulldogs will play Texas or Texas A&M in the Dec. 7 Southeastern Conference championship game in Atlanta.
