The Yellow Jackets rewrote a ridiculous nine school records on offense last year, but QB Justin Thomas is the lone returning skill man in 2015. He’s a proven producer and will be kept upright by a line that returns four starters (and allowed just 11 sacks in 2014), but matching last year’s 11 wins is a reach.

Offense

How the Yellow Jackets beat you: Number of Georgia Tech carries that gained 10 or more yards last year: 149 (No. 1 in the FBS). The team’s 47 TDs on the ground? Also tops. And the 13 times the Ramblin’ Wreck ran for 250-plus yards in a game was—you guessed it—more than any other team in 2014. Georgia Tech’s triple-option was all kinds of productive last season, and it works like clockwork with a deft signal-caller as its maestro and with running backs who can skillfully execute the dive play. QB Thomas, a junior, conducts with ease: 9.2 ypa, 5.7 ypc and 26 total TDs. The RBs are more of a work in progress. Last year’s top four backs are gone, and C.J. Leggett, who redshirted last year, will miss the entire 2015 season after tearing his ACL in April.

How you beat the Yellow Jackets: Georgia Tech converted 57.9 percent of third downs—the highest such mark since the NCAA began recording third-down efficiency in 2005. But if the Yellow Jackets find themselves forced to throw on downs with 7-plus yards to go, potential trouble awaits: They completed just 48.8 percent of such attempts last year (No. 121 in the FBS). And losing WR duo DeAndre Smelter and Darren Waller (13 of the team’s 19 receiving.

Defense

How the Yellow Jackets beat you: “We had a play where D.J. White ran down a guy from Pitt and punched the ball out,” says defensive coordinator Ted Roof. “That play turned our year. We played faster and more aggressive, and as a result, the takeaways happened.” In fact, 29 takeaways happened— on 18.7 percent of opponents’ possessions, third best in the FBS— including 6 defensive TDs. Defenders responsible for 20 of those turnovers return, including senior White (4 INTs) and junior LB P.J. Davis (3 forced fumbles), so Georgia Tech expects a return to ball-hawking form this fall.

How you beat the Yellow Jackets: The takeaways, plentiful and productive though they were, masked critical deficiencies up front for Georgia Tech. The defensive line struggled all season to make plays in the backfield: 61 TFL, No. 105 in the FBS; 20 sacks, No. 95 … and by no coincidence, it struggled to slow down the run (5.1 ypc allowed, No. 102). “I’m excited because we can be so much better,” Roof says of his entire D. And while the D-line in particular is not without promise—All-ACC candidate NT Adam Gotsis returns, along with freshman All-American DE KeShun Freeman and senior DT Jabari Hunt-Days (7 TFL in ’13)—it’ll need to provide more disruption this year.