WHAT TO KNOW

What’s at stake

The winner will avoid a two-game losing streak and will claim an early upper hand in the Coastal Division race. Then again, so might the loser: oddly enough, in each of the past two years, the team that lost this matchup went on to win the Coastal and reach the ACC championship game.

Key matchup

Duke’s run defense vs. Georgia Tech’s triple- option offense. The Yellow Jackets routinely rank among the nation’s top rushing teams — they’re No. 2 in the FBS this season, averaging 377 yards on the ground. But coach Paul Johnson calls this Duke defense the best he’s seen in eight years from the Blue Devils, who are tied for 15th nationally against the run, allowing 93 yards per game.

Players to watch

Georgia Tech: RB Patrick Skov scored all three touchdowns in a 30-23 loss to Notre Dame last week. He leads the ACC in scoring with seven touchdowns — the most by a Georgia Tech player through three games since 2002.

Duke: S Jeremy Cash will play a big role in defending the triple option. Cash is coming off an 11-tackle game last week against Northwestern — his 11th career double-figure performance — and has 25 tackles for losses during his career.

Facts & figures

Duke snapped a 10-game losing streak in the series last year by knocking off the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta. ... That was also Duke’s last win against a nationally ranked opponent. ... The Blue Devils have not beaten Georgia Tech in Durham since 2003, when Ted Roof was the coach. Roof is now Tech’s defensive coordinator. ... The winning team has scored at least 30 points in six straight meetings.

Betting line

Georgia Tech by 9 ½