Northern Illinois at Georgia Tech Week 1 College Football Matchup Northern Illinois at Georgia Tech Matchup - Week 1
Sat, Sep 4 2021 · Week 1 · 🏟 Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field Atlanta, GA · Turf · 55,000 cap
Northern Illinois✈ 612 mi+1 hr TZ
22 21
Final
📊 Punt & Rally Projection
Northern Illinois
28
NIU +19
Georgia Tech
31
P&R Line Georgia Tech -3
P&R Total O/U 59.5
Confidence 86 High
Vegas Georgia Tech -19 · O/U 57.0
Matchup Prediction
Toss-up — no clear edge
Neither metric shows a meaningful pre-game edge in this matchup.
Momentum Control
58.4%
Lean
Game Control
50.6%
Toss-up
Vegas Spread
Georgia Tech -19
O/U 57.0
teamrankings
Advanced Stats
PPA + Success Rate agree → Northern Illinois · 73.9% ATS historically
↓ See full breakdown
Northern Illinois 2021 Schedule
Northern Illinois's 2021 Schedule
DateMatchupSpreadTotalResultO/UCover
Sat 9/4Northern Illinois at Georgia Tech+19.0W22–2157.0W22–21UY
Sat 9/11Northern Illinois vs Wyoming+7.0L43–5044.0L43–50OY
Sat 9/18Northern Illinois at Michigan+27.5L10–6354.5L10–63ON
Sat 9/25Northern Illinois vs Maine-21.5W41–1462.0W41–14UY
Sat 10/2Northern Illinois vs Eastern Michigan+0.0W27–2062.5W27–20UY
Sat 10/9Northern Illinois at Toledo+13.0W22–2051.5W22–20UY
Sat 10/16Northern Illinois vs Bowling Green-9.0W34–2644.5W34–26ON
Sat 10/23Northern Illinois at Central Michigan+6.0W39–3856.0W39–38OY
— Bye Week —
Wed 11/3Northern Illinois at Kent State+3.5L47–5272.0L47–52ON
Wed 11/10Northern Illinois vs Ball State+3.0W30–2959.5W30–29UY
Wed 11/17Northern Illinois at Buffalo-2.0W33–2759.5W33–27OY
Tue 11/23Northern Illinois vs Western Michigan+6.5L21–4260.0L21–42ON
Sat 12/4Northern Illinois vs Kent State+3.5W41–2375.5W41–23UY
Fri 12/17Northern Illinois vs Coastal Carolina+11.0L41–4763.0L41–47OY
Georgia Tech 2021 Schedule
Georgia Tech's 2021 Schedule
DateMatchupSpreadTotalResultO/UCover
Sat 9/4Georgia Tech vs Northern Illinois-19.0L21–2257.0L21–22UN
Sat 9/11Georgia Tech vs Kennesaw State-20.0W45–1753.0W45–17OY
Sat 9/18Georgia Tech at Clemson+27.5L8–1452.5L8–14UY
Sat 9/25Georgia Tech vs North Carolina+14.5W45–2266.0W45–22OY
Sat 10/2Georgia Tech vs Pittsburgh+3.0L21–5257.5L21–52ON
Sat 10/9Georgia Tech at Duke-4.5W31–2760.5W31–27UN
— Bye Week —
Sat 10/23Georgia Tech at Virginia+6.5L40–4866.0L40–48ON
Sat 10/30Georgia Tech vs Virginia Tech-3.0L17–2655.0L17–26UN
Sat 11/6Georgia Tech at Miami+10.0L30–3363.0L30–33UY
Sat 11/13Georgia Tech vs Boston College+2.0L30–4155.0L30–41ON
Sat 11/20Georgia Tech at Notre Dame+18.0L0–5557.5L0–55UN
Sat 11/27Georgia Tech vs Georgia+35.5L0–4554.5L0–45UN
Advanced Stats
Advanced Analytics Matchup
Matchup-adjusted (offense vs opponent defense) · 2021 season
Northern Illinois PPA Edge
Agreement Signals — When All Metrics Agree
Elite · 83.1% ATS
PPA + PPO + SR + Havoc
Split
Metrics disagree
Elite · 82.4% ATS
PPA + PPO + Havoc
Split
Metrics disagree
Elite · 73.9% ATS
PPA + Success Rate
Both Agree
→ Northern Illinois
Individual Factors — Ranked by Predictive Strength
PPA Overall
Points added per play · Elite predictor
Northern Illinois
+0.622
Georgia Tech
+0.510
Northern Illinois Edge
PPA Passing
Pass efficiency edge · Strong predictor
Northern Illinois
+0.984
Georgia Tech
+0.531
Northern Illinois Edge
Havoc Total
Def. disruption rate · Strong predictor
Northern Illinois
0.134
Georgia Tech
0.140
TFLs, sacks, PBUs, forced fumbles — higher is better
Georgia Tech Edge
Points Per Opp
Drive-finishing edge · Strong predictor
Northern Illinois
+8.404
Georgia Tech
+7.606
Northern Illinois Edge
Success Rate
Play consistency edge · Solid predictor
Northern Illinois
+0.949
Georgia Tech
+0.897
Northern Illinois Edge
Field Position
Avg start (lower=better) · Solid predictor
Northern Illinois
70.9
Georgia Tech
70.7
Avg yards from own endzone to average start — lower is better · longer bar = better field position
Georgia Tech Edge
Advanced stats sourced from CFBD · 2021 season · Edges are matchup-adjusted (offense vs opponent defense)
Power Ratings
Team Power Ratings
Overall · Offense · Defense ratings · Updated as season progresses
Georgia Tech Rated Higher
Overall Power Rating
Northern Illinois
-17.9
Georgia Tech
1.1
Offense Rating
Northern Illinois
8.5
Georgia Tech
14.2
Defense Rating (lower = better defense)
Northern Illinois
26.4
Georgia Tech
13.1
Power ratings updated throughout the season as results accumulate
Momentum Control (CSS)
Consecutive Scoring Sequences Who builds scoring momentum? Northern Illinois Edge
Avg sequences created per game
Northern Illinois #47
0.00
Georgia Tech #94
0.00
Avg sequences allowed per game (lower is better)
Northern Illinois #134
0.00
Georgia Tech #136
0.00
Northern Illinois +0.00
CSS Edge (season-to-date)
Teams with this edge win 58.4% of games historically
Based on 0 games this season
Game Control (GC)
Win Probability Dominance Who controls games start to finish? Northern Illinois Edge
Avg GC score per game (offense)
Northern Illinois #1
0.0
Georgia Tech #1
0.0
Avg GC score allowed per game (lower is better)
Northern Illinois #82
0.0
Georgia Tech #107
0.0
Northern Illinois +0.0
GC Edge (season-to-date)
Teams with this edge win 50.6% of games historically
Based on 0 games this season
Actual Result
CSS Battle
Tie
1 — 1 sequences
✗ Predicted incorrectly
GC Battle
Georgia Tech
40.5 — 31.8 GC score
✗ Predicted incorrectly
Game Result
Northern Illinois won by 1
Spread Context
ATS Historical Context
Based on 2021–2025 backtest · FBS vs FBS · Regular season

Both metrics agree on Georgia Tech, but the GC edge is small. When metrics agree but GC is near-neutral, the agreed-upon team has covered only 46.7% of the time historically (n=224) — potentially a fade signal.

ATS data is informational only. Past cover rates do not guarantee future results.

Coaching Matchup
Northern Illinois
Thomas Hammock #1
6–15 (29%) · Yr 3 at school
OC Eric Eidsness Yr 1 #1
DC Derrick Jackson Yr 1 #1
Staff Rating
0.00 #1
Georgia Tech
Geoff Collins #1
7–18 (28%) · Yr 3 at school
OC Dave Patenaude Yr 1 #1
DC Nathan Burton Yr 1 #1
Staff Rating
0.00 #1
About these metrics
Advanced Stats shows matchup-adjusted factor edges (offense vs opponent defense). Combination signals — when PPA, PPO, Success Rate, and Havoc all point the same direction — have historically predicted the SU winner in 95–97% of games and the ATS winner in 82–83% of games (2021–2025, FBS vs FBS, regular season).
Impact: Advanced Stats are the best performance based metric used to predict the outcome of games.

Momentum Control (CSS) measures consecutive scoring sequences — when a team scores, holds the opponent scoreless, then scores again. Teams entering a game with a CSS edge of +1.0 or more have won 71–78% of games historically (2021–2025, FBS vs FBS).
Impact: Momentum Control is a great measure for predicting game outcome but NOT an ATS advantage, data shows this is already considered when lines are set.

Game Control (GC) measures win probability dominance — how thoroughly a team controlled the game from start to finish. Teams with a GC edge of +12 or more have won 67–76% of games historically. When both metrics agree, combined confidence is higher. When they split, treat as a lean at best.
Impact: Game Control is another great measure for predicting game outcome but NOT an ATS advantage, data shows this is already considered when lines are set.

Power Ratings are a custom-built composite of a Teams Talent, Experience & Production, Coaching & Performance Metrics. These are updated constantly with roster changes, performance once the games start for the 2026 season, injuries the team is dealing with and scheduling situations.
Impact: There are a wide range of power ratings available, we think ours is the best, you can decide for yourself