ATLANTA -- Georgia playing at Georgia Tech on Tuesday night has implications beyond in-state rivalry. It means the winner will have finally earned a victory over a team from a major conference.

Georgia Tech enters this game having lost two of its past three, the losses coming to California (in Anaheim) and at Illinois. The stretch followed a 3-0 start to the season.

Georgia, on the other hand, is in much more desperate shape. Not only have the Bulldogs dropped games to Indiana, UCLA and South Florida, but they’re 2-5 overall, with home losses to Youngstown State and Southern Miss.

“It’s easy to be frustrated, in any endeavor that you have,” Georgia head coach Mark Fox said. “It’s your reaction to frustration that’s really critical. I think we are improving, I think we’re getting better in certain areas. I want it to be faster than it has, but we are where we are. We’ve gotta keep focusing on it and get better.”

The main problem for Georgia is offense. Fox specifically pointed to the inability to get to the foul line, which is a product of struggles by low-post players.

Star guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is holding up his end of it. The problem is the supporting cast.

“Kentavious is doing all that he can. We need somebody else to finish the plays,” Fox said. “I feel that our front line -- Nemi (Djurisic) and Donte’ (Williams) -- have got to be more effective. … We’ve gotta find some other guys that can score. We can’t put it on one person’s shoulders. That’s probably our No. 1 issue right now.”

Forward Marcus Thornton, shooting guard Sherrard Brantley and the trio of freshman could also contribute more, Fox added.