Notre Dame vs. Georgia Tech: Top-12 Fighting Irish aim to maintain winning streak

(AP) — No. 12 Notre Dame, which must overcome the loss of star cornerback Benjamin Morrison to a season-ending hip injury, will put a four-game winning streak on the line at Georgia Tech.

The status of Yellow Jackets starting quarterback Haynes King is uncertain after he left last week’s win at North Carolina with a right arm or shoulder injury. If King is limited or is held out, Zach Pyron would move up to lead the Georgia Tech offense. The Yellow Jackets, led by running back Jamal Haynes, lead the ACC in rushing but King has played a big role.

What’s at stake?

Notre Dame is looking to protect its College Football Playoff hopes. The No. 12 spot in The AP Top 25 shows the Fighting Irish have little margin for error if they hope to make the newly expanded 12-team field with a home loss to Northern Illinois marring their record. Georgia Tech is looking for its first three-game winning streak of the season and its second win over a Top 25 team after beating then-No. 10 Florida State to open the season.

Key matchup

Georgia Tech RB Jamal Haynes vs. Notre Dame’s run defense. Led by Haynes, the Yellow Jackets have moved to the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference in rushing offense by running for 616 yards the last two games. Haynes has rushed for 536 yards and seven touchdowns. The Fighting Irish rank only 52nd in the nation allowing 125.2 rushing yards per game.

Players to watch

Notre Dame: Freshmen Leonard Moore and Karson Hobbs could move up at cornerback after the Fighting Irish lost one of its top defensive players, Benjamin Morrison, to a season-ending hip injury in last week’s 49-7 win over Stanford. Coach Marcus Freeman said nickel back Jordan Clark also could help at cornerback.

Georgia Tech: With QB Haynes King’s status uncertain after he left last week’s 41-34 win at North Carolina with an apparent right arm or shoulder injury, the spotlight could be on backup Zach Pyron. Pyron has played in every game this season and has rushed for 60 yards and four touchdowns but has thrown only seven passes. A Pyron-led attack might lean more heavily on Haynes.

Fighting Irish facts & figures

• The Fighting Irish won the last three games in the series, including a 55-0 rout at home in 2021.
• Notre Dame’s dominant series lead includes a 13-2-1 record in games played in Atlanta.
• Notre Dame’s defense held Stanford to 87 passing yards and 200 total yards last week.
• Notre Dame senior Riley Leonard has rushed for eight TDs this season.