Georgia Tech turns the page this week with a new opponent coming to the Flats. The Yellow Jackets will face the Mercer Bears on Saturday at Noon and are desperately looking for their first win of the season. Today, we look at the early storylines for the Yellow Jackets and things to watch heading into this matchup. 

How does Georgia Tech Deal With all the injuries? 

One concerning area for Georgia Tech this young season is the number of injuries they have suffered so far. The offensive line has seen the worst of it, having to rotate guys in because of injuries to Jameson Riggs, Ethan MacKenny, and Malachi Carney, who have all been banged up. That makes it extremely hard for the unit to gel and play at a high level with so many changes. The Yellow Jackets have already had immense trouble on the offensive line early in the season and need to figure it out fast, or it could be a long year.

There were also some injuries to Jordan Walker and Jaylen Mbakwe on Saturday night vs. Tennessee. There is good news about Jaylen Mbakwe: he is okay and recovering after a scary sight. The status of Walker is still unknown at this point for the Yellow Jackets. On Saturday against Mercer, we could see some young players and guys who haven’t played much get some time on the field because of all the injuries. 

Can The Yellow Jackets Improve Their Run Defense? 

Last year, Georgia Tech ranked No. 88 in run defense in college football. It was one of the team's main weaknesses heading into the offseason. Georgia Tech addressed the issues through recruiting and the transfer portal, but somehow it has gotten worse than the previous season. Right now, Georgia Tech has the No.134 rush defense in college football, giving up 241 rushing yards per game.

The Yellow Jackets also give up an average of 5.13 rushing yards per carry. Last week, Tennessee gashed them for 299 rushing yards, and they gave up 147 rushing yards to DeSean Bishop and two touchdowns. This is a clear issue that's holding the defense back. Head Coach Brent Key addressed the issue in his post-game press conference. 

"It was almost, you're right, like 299, like right there. Two of them are those big ones at the end. I mean, what, 35-40, something like that. It was similar, but with some differences from last week. I thought we made some good plays inside. I thought the D-line made some good plays. They did. I mean, I thought we had good production there.

But then some of those ones where they start in, everybody sucks in, and they bounce out, and now your support element's not there. I mean, they... Start clipping off, you know, 12, 10, 8, 14 yards, those add up fast. And there's a couple of them on third down again, which is something we've got to address. You know, get off the field on those down distances,” said Key.

Will Malachi Hosley Get More Touches? 

Hosley has just 12 touches through two games so far for the Yellow Jackets. After having a breakout season for Georgia Tech last year, averaging 7.1 yards per carry and rushing for 697 yards and a touchdown, his role has diminished this season.

I am not sure of the reasoning. Yes, the offensive line has not been as good as in previous years, but Hosley is dynamic with the ball in his hands and can make plays. On Saturday vs Tennessee, he only had six rushes. However, he still was able to get 40 yards and averaged 6.6 yards per carry. Hosley’s role in the offense definitely needs to expand if they are going to get the season back on track and start picking up some wins.