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GAME NOTES: The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets were granted the final spot in the most recent AP poll, and they need to beat the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday night to avoid falling out of the rankings.

Georgia Tech owns a 3-1 record thus far, including a 2-1 mark against ACC competition. Last weekend, the Yellow Jackets treated the home crowd to a 24-7 victory over North Carolina, and they have now held three of their four opponents this season to 17 or fewer points.

"It was a great win for our program," said Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson after his team's outstanding showing against UNC. "I am really proud of our guys I think a lot of people had written them off and us off. We came out and played with intensity and focus, we didn't do everything right but we played hard."

First-year head coach Dan Mullen has breathed some life into the Mississippi State football program, and the team is 2-2 after four games. Last weekend, the Bulldogs put forth a valiant effort against a seemingly superior LSU squad, and while the result was a 30-26 defeat, the narrow margin of defeat could serve as a source of confidence for Mullen's troops moving forward.

"There is nothing good in losing and there never will be," said Mullen after the loss. "But I am really proud of the way our kids battled for four quarters."

All three previous meetings between Georgia Tech and Mississippi State have been won by the Yellow Jackets, including a 38-7 romp over the Bulldogs last season.

Georgia Tech has been a solid offensive team through four games, as it is averaging 27.0 ppg and 387.2 ypg thus far. Johnson, the former coach at Navy, brought the option to Atlanta, and the Yellow Jackets are running for 262.0 ypg at a clip of 5.1 ypc. Jonathan Dwyer has rushed for 326 yards at a clip of 6.7 ypc, and the fact that he has only carried the ball 49 times in four games is a bit surprising. Quarterback Josh Nesbitt has rushed for 310 yards, and Anthony Allen has provided 217 rushing yards.

"It helps everybody stay fresh, and it helps the offense to have the defense running around not knowing who was going to get it," says Dwyer of the three- headed rushing attack. "You can't key on just one person anymore."

Defensively, Tech is allowing 21.0 ppg and 321.2 total ypg, solid numbers for a unit that can still improve in certain aspects. The run defense has been solid, limiting foes to 3.4 yards per carry while permitting only one rushing touchdown. The pass defense, by contrast, has yielded nine scores, so big plays are there to be made against the Yellow Jackets' secondary. Jerrard Tarrant leads coach Johnson's team with 23 total tackles, Morgan Burnett has three interceptions, and Derrick Morgan has recorded 5.5 sacks.

In the romp over North Carolina, Georgia Tech earned a 24-8 edge in first downs and a 24-minute advantage in time of possession. The Yellow Jackets finished with 406 total yards, compared to just 154 yards for the Tar Heels, and 317 yards were gained on the ground. Nesbitt had a pair of rushing scores.

Mississippi State scored a pair of touchdowns in the first quarter last week, both on runs by Anthony Dixon, to take a 14-13 lead on LSU after one frame. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs only managed 12 points the rest of the way. They did rack up 374 yards while limiting the Tigers to a mere 263 yards, but four costly turnovers prevented MSU from scoring the upset. Dixon's 106-yard rushing effort was overshadowed by the three interceptions thrown by Tyson Lee. Marcus Green led the receivers with five grabs for 100 yards and a score.

"We held them to 30 yards rushing and 263 yards of total offense, just an amazing job by our defense," said Mullen of his defense after the LSU game. "Those kids played their hearts out."

The Bulldogs are averaging 27.5 ppg this season, and they are posting 355.5 total ypg. Lee has completed 50 percent of his passes for 388 yards and two touchdowns. Surprisingly, the three picks against LSU were his first three interceptions of the season. Chris Relf has also seen significant time under center, and he isn't a big-time performer either. Dixon has rushed for 321 yards and three touchdowns, while Green has 166 receiving yards to his credit.

Defensively, opponents are scoring 22.2 ppg against Mississippi State, which is allowing 300.8 total ypg. The Bulldogs have been solid against the run, as they are permitting just 3.4 yards per rushing attempt despite the fact that foes have scored six touchdowns on the ground. As for the pass defense, there have been mixed results to date. First for the good news, as MSU has allowed less than half of the passes it has faced to be completed and has as many interceptions (three) as touchdowns passes permitted. On a down note, the passes that are completed average 15.0 yards per connection, and that figure must be improved.

Mullen is a good coach who served on the staff at Florida before getting hired at Mississippi State. Unfortunately, his team will struggle against the option. Expect the Yellow Jackets to win a close one in Starkville.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Georgia Tech 23, Mississippi State 20