Another tough task awaits North Carolina on Saturday, as Georgia Tech visits Kenan Stadium for a noon kickoff.

The Tar Heels enter the game having lost three consecutive games, while the Yellow Jackets are coming of win over Duke, which handed the Blue Devils their first loss of the season.

And to learn more about Brent Key’s team, we reached out to Kelly Quinlan from JacketsOnline.com.

UNC is 3-3 overall and 0-2 in the ACC. Tech is 4-2 and 2-2.

Here are 5 Questions About Georgia Tech:

Q: Haynes King is off to an outstanding start to the season, running, throwing, and hitting on big plays. How is he better than he was a year ago?

QUINLAN: He is protecting the ball right now, which is a big thing for him. They've tweaked the offense a little bit and put more of a focus on the short and intermediate passing game and being more selective with vertical shots and that has helped him a lot. The Tech offensive line is protecting really well allowing just one sack in six games this season and that was a shot loss so he is comfortable in the pocket and getting the ball out.

The other thing helping King has been the comfort level of his skill players and his maturation as a quarterback. I think a lot of people look at his age and classification but don't realize he only played about six games in his first three years in college before the 2023 season. He is basically in his second season as a starter, and that is when you should see a jump in his performance.

Q: The Yellow Jackets are No. 2 in the nation in allowing the fewest number of sacks. I figure this is part of the Brent Key effect, so why is this unit doing so well in pass protection?

QUINLAN: King's legs and his run threat really limits the amount of times that teams are going to pin their ears back and blitz because if you miss it can turn into an explosive in the run game or the pass game. At top speed, he runs as fast as many running backs or receivers so that becomes a problem.

The other factor is the scheme that Buster Faulkner is using is designed to get the ball out quickly and take shots when they can take one. When they do deep drops, King has done a good job of throwing the ball away if the first look isn't there or just getting the ball out.

Q: One thing that is very noticeable about Tech this year is how improved the defense is across the board. What aspect of it has impressed you the most and why?

QUINLAN: The run defense has been very solid throughout the season forcing teams to be more one-dimensional. The defensive line has played the run well and really flat-walled the gaps forcing action where they want it in the run game. Star Thomas was rolling coming into Tech last week and he had 3.4 yards per carry last week and 52 yards.

The other aspect that has helped has been the third-down defense. Tech is 30th in the country in allowing the fewest third-down conversions at 32.43 percent through the first six games. A lot of that is not allowing teams to get into short yardage situations by stopping the run in early downs

The Syracuse game Tech looked very flat to me and Kyle McCord got red hot early and was rolling in the passing game. The Louisville game was all about miscues as Tech had a fumble that could've been a 94-yard touchdown for Malik Rutherford but was instead a defensive touchdown because of a great play by a defender on an option play out of the end zone. They also had a blocked field goal for a touchdown spotting Louisville 14 points there and missed a field goal as well from the right hash.

The only similarity between both games is kicker Aidan Birr missed field goals from the right hash.

Q: With the FSU game at a neutral site, Tech has played two true road games and lost both, at Syracuse and at Louisville. Was there a common thread in the two losses that might flare up Saturday in Chapel Hill, or were they isolated situations and happen to be against solid opponents?

QUINLAN: This is a hard game to handicap because UNC's defense has been so wildly inconsistent (something Tech fans know all too well from Geoff Collins' tenure here). On paper, Georgia Tech should win this one 34-17 or something like that. UNC has not played very well this season on either side of the ball with consistency and Tech has played better competition like FSU (before they were broken), Syracuse, Louisville and Duke with each of those games in winnable spots with Tech splitting them. Even Georgia State who Tech played week two upset Vanderbilt who just upset Alabama, so it has been a weird season in CFB.

I think that Brent Key has done a good job of keeping it about the game and not making this game about Collins who probably 25 kids or so are left from his tenure or were guys he recruited before he was fired.

What I like is Tech's run defense against UNC and they know that Omarion Hampton will get his, but they will make him earn it and make the QB beat them. That is the recipe I expect teams to use against the Heels until Jacolby Criswell shows he can do that.

Q: What is your prediction for that game and what key areas will lead to that result?

He did not answer this question.