Tag: Georgia Tech

No. 4 Georgia caps 11-1 regular season, outlasts No. 23 Georgia Tech

Posted on | by Field Level Media

ATLANTA — Nate Frazier ran for 108 yards, Gunner Stockton threw a 7-yard pass to Zachariah Branch for the game’s only touchdown and No. 4 Georgia beat rival No. 23 Georgia Tech 16-9 on Saturday.

Stockton completed just 11 of 21 passes for 70 yards and threw an interception, but Georgia (11-1) held Georgia Tech to just 69 rushing yards in its eighth straight win in the series.

Haynes King threw for 181 yards and an interception for Georgia Tech (9-3), which dropped three of its last four games to finish the regular season.

After punting on its opening drive of the second half, Georgia posted its only takeaway as Ellis Robinson IV intercepted King’s deep ball at the Bulldogs’ 4-yard line.

Georgia Tech then forced a punt and cut its deficit to 13-6 on Aidan Birr’s 44-yard field goal with 4:33 left in the third.

Peyton Woodring’s 50-yard field goal on the second play of the fourth quarter pushed the lead back to 10 points.

Each team then traded punts, before Georgia Tech’s ensuing drive was extended by Christen Miller’s roughing-the-passer penalty and Joenel Aguero’s pass interference, pushing the drive to Georgia’s 24-yard line.

From there, Georgia Tech settled for Birr’s 41-yarder at the 3:30 mark.

Georgia was able to drain the clock until Brett Thorson’s 61-yard punt sailed into the end zone with 14 seconds left.

King’s 27-yard pass to Isiah Canion gave the Yellow Jackets the ball at Georgia’s 44 with one second left, but King’s Haily Mary attempt was batted down in the end zone as time expired.

Georgia Tech punted on its opening drive, but the Yellow Jackets regained possession as Tah’j Butler intercepted Stockton and returned it to the Bulldogs’ 37.

Georgia Tech then grabbed a 3-0 lead on Birr’s 30-yard field goal with 1:20 remaining in the first quarter.

Georgia answered with a 13-play, 71-yard drive, tying the score on Woodring’s 22-yard field goal at the 9:42 mark of the second quarter.

After Georgia Tech’s Marshall Nichols shanked a 22-yard punt, Stockton connected with Branch for 24 yards to the Yellow Jackets’ 12-yard line. Three plays later, Stockton hit Branch for a 7-yard touchdown pass, giving Georgia a 10-3 edge with 4:35 remaining in the first half.

Following Nichols’ third punt, Georgia tacked on with Woodring’s 29-yarder, sending the Bulldogs into halftime with a 13-3 lead.

–Jack Batten, Field Level Media

CFP stakes likely gone for No. 23 Ga. Tech, rivalry stakes linger vs. No. 4 Georgia

Posted on | by Field Level Media

This year’s version of Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate was trending to be one of the most important Georgia-Georgia Tech games in the series’ long history.

That was before No. 23 Georgia Tech (9-2) likely squandered its chances of making its first College Football Playoff and No. 4 Georgia (10-1) all but clinched its fifth CFP appearance.

Nonetheless, Friday afternoon in Atlanta will determine bragging rights for 365 days — rights that Georgia has owned for seven straight years.

“This is a game that means a lot to a lot of people,” Georgia Tech coach Brent Key said. “A lot of people that have gone to school here, played here, have been fans of this place. But it doesn’t mean more to them than it does to the players on this football team. And that’s what rivalries are. I’ve said this before, we’ve got to do our part in it.”

Georgia Tech needed to beat Pitt last week to clinch a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game, which would have served as a catapult to the CFP. The Yellow Jackets fell behind 28-0 en route to a 42-28 loss.

For Key’s team to slip into the ACC final, it needs to beat Georgia and get an abundance of help from teams throughout the conference.

In the likely event that Georgia Tech will miss out on playing in Charlotte in the title game, the Yellow Jackets still have all the needed motivation for Friday.

“Probably the only good thing is the fact that we have a short week this week,” Key said. “You’ve got to flip the script fast, turn it around.”

Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King entered last week as a potential Heisman finalist but had his first multi-interception game of the season.

“He’ll sit there and take responsibility for it all,” Key said. “But we had protection breakdowns. We had drops. We had everything. Let’s not for a second put all that on Haynes.”

Georgia enters as one of the nation’s most confident teams, winners in seven straight games. The Bulldogs are primed for another return to the CFP, with a chance to appear in their fifth straight SEC title game. Georgia will make it if Auburn beats No. 10 Alabama, or No. 16 Texas beats No. 3 Texas A&M.

Georgia nearly had its postseason situation altered against Georgia Tech last year before it rallied for a 44-42 eight-overtime win against the Yellow Jackets.
Smart dismissed the notion of any carryover from last season’s battle.

“The teams are trying to win the game, regardless of what happened last year,” Smart said. “I don’t know why eight overtimes would make people want to win more or less this year. I assure you, they want to win the game just as much as we did, regardless of the outcome last year.”

The Bulldogs are led by the steady play of quarterback Gunner Stockton, who’s thrown for 2,465 yards and 19 touchdowns, adding a team-high eight scores on the ground. Smart sees similarities in Stockton and King as hard-nosed leaders of their teams.

“The play (King) puts out and the production he’s put out, has really been incredible for what he’s been able to do and the toughness, and the durability he’s done it with has been similar for Gunner,” Smart said. “He just hasn’t done it as long as Haynes has.”
Georgia leads the all-time series 72-39-5 and hasn’t lost to Georgia Tech since Smart’s first season in 2016.

–Field Level Media

Pitt jumps out to 28-0 lead, holds off No. 16 Georgia Tech

Posted on | by Field Level Media

ATLANTA — Mason Heintschel completed 20 of 27 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday as visiting Pittsburgh pulled off a massive 42-28 victory over Georgia Tech in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

Freshman Ja’Kyrian Turner ran for a career-high 201 yards — including a game-sealing 56-yard rush — as Pitt (8-3, 6-1) built a 28-0 lead and held on. The Panthers have to beat Miami next Saturday to clinch a spot in the conference title game.

Georgia Tech (9-2, 6-2) would have clinched a spot in the ACC Championship Game with a win. Haynes King threw for 257 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions in the loss. King also rushed for 76 yards and a score for the Yellow Jackets, who face No. 4 Georgia on Friday.

Trailing by 14, Georgia Tech threatened to cut its deficit to a touchdown, but King was picked off by Braylan Lovelace, who returned it 100 yards to push Pittsburgh’s lead to 35-14 with 5:55 left in the third.

The Yellow Jackets pulled within 14 again at the 8:26 mark of the fourth, as Jamal Haynes’ 4-yard rush cut the deficit to 35-21.

Georgia Tech then forced a Panther turnover on downs, before King connected with Isiah Canion for a 5-yard touchdown pass with 4:51 left, trimming Pitt’s lead to seven.

Turner then iced the game with a 56-yard rushing score with 2:41 left.

Heintschel began the scoring with a 31-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Johnson with 7:49 left in the first quarter.

After Pitt stuffed Georgia Tech on fourth down, the Panthers doubled the lead on Heintschel’s 19-yard pass to Justin Holmes.

Kavir Bains-Marquez then picked off King in Yellow Jackets’ territory, before Juelz Goff’s 1-yard rushing score gave Pittsburgh a 21-0 advantage with 39 seconds left in the opening quarter.

The onslaught continued after Georgia Tech’s three-and-out, as Heintschel’s 3-yard rushing score stamped an eight-play, 69-yard drive with 11:47 remaining in the first half.

Georgia Tech finally found the end zone at the 4:45 mark of the second quarter, as King’s 5-yard rush pulled the Yellow Jackets within 21.

After a Pitt punt, Georgia Tech trimmed its deficit in half on King’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Canion with 1:08 left.

Pitt’s Sam Carpenter missed a 47-yard field goal as time expired, leaving the Panthers’ halftime-lead at 14.

Georgia Tech was 4 of 18 on third and fourth downs in the contest.

–Field Level Media

No. 16 Georgia Tech survives Boston College upset bid on last-minute FG

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Aidan Birr’s 23-yard field goal with 14 seconds left lifted No. 16 Georgia Tech to a 36-34 win over host Boston College in Saturday’s Atlantic Coast Conference game at Chestnut Hilll, Mass.

After Turbo Richard’s 43-yard touchdown run flipped the score back Boston College’s way with 4:09 left, the Yellow Jackets (9-1, 6-1) put together a 13-play, 69-yard drive in the next 3:58 to win the game.

Haynes King was 26-of-34 for 371 yards and a touchdown while leading Tech, which had a 628-537 advantage in total yardage. Eric Rivers (119 yards) and Malik Rutherford (121 yards, one touchdown) were his top targets, while Malachi Hosley rushed for 107 yards and a score.

Dylan Lonergan threw for 362 yards for Boston College (1-10, 0-7), including 142 to Reed Harris. Turbo Richard rushed for 141 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.

Lewis Bond finished with eight catches for 106 yards, becoming Boston College’s single-season and career receptions leader during the game.

Georgia Tech had erased a 28-17 deficit with three consecutive third-quarter scores, beginning with a 26-yard Burr field goal. After forcing a 3rd-and-9 incompletion to get the ball back, Eric Rivers caught King’s 35-yard ball to set up a Jamal Haynes 2-yard rushing score, but a 2-point attempt to tie failed.

Following a 3-and-out, the visitors needed one score — Jordan Allen’s 54-yard scamper up the sideline and a PAT — to take a 33-28 lead with 6:14 left.

The Eagles were not done. After Lonergan found Jeremiah Franklin on a 3rd-and-19 play to extend the drive, Richard broke off a 43-yard touchdown run with 4:09 left to flip the score again. The 2-point attempt failed.

Georgia Tech scored first on Hosley’s 27-yard touchdown with 4:59 left in the first quarter.

Boston College then logged an 11-play, 75-yard drive over 5:40, tying the game after Richard’s 1-yard touchdown on 4th down in the opening minute of the second quarter. He also broke free for a 42-yard run earlier in the drive.

After King aired out a 48-yard pass during the ensuing series, the Eagles were unable to turn Bryce Steele’s fumble recovery into points. However, Rutherford broke a tackle for a 71-yard touchdown run to flip the score back Georgia Tech’s way with 9:44 left in the second.

Lonergan led a 10-play, 93-yard drive — including Bond’s career milestone grab — in just 1:04 to tie the game at 14-14 late in the first half. The Alabama transfer connected with Harris three times before Kaelan Chudzinski’s 3-yard touchdown.

Early in the third, a big run into the red zone by Richard helped set up Jordan McDonald’s 14-yard run to give Boston College a 21-14 lead.

Redeeming himself for a 49-yard miss at the end of the first half, Birr kicked a 34-yarder to cap a 14-play drive with 4:35 left in the third.

The Eagles extended their lead as Harris broke multiple tackles on a 32-yard catch-and-run before the third quarter expired. On the other side of the break, a red-zone stand forced Birr to come on for a 26-yard field goal.

–Field Level Media

No. 16 Georgia Tech, ready to put first loss behind it, takes on BC

Posted on | by Field Level Media

No. 16 Georgia Tech wasted no time moving past its first loss of the season.

With their second bye week in the rear view, the Atlantic Coast Conference-leading Yellow Jackets (8-1, 5-1) are ready to bounce back when they visit Boston College (1-9, 0-6) for the first time since 2020 on Saturday afternoon in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

“We’ve got to use those emotions and feelings (of a 48-36 loss to NC State on Nov. 1) to continue to push us forward,” coach Brent Key said. “I talked to the team on Sunday about this. I said, you work from January when we first organized workouts and weight training…you do all that in hopes of playing meaningful games in November, and here we are.”

The loss came despite quarterback Haynes King racking up a school-record 511 total yards and four touchdowns. The redshirt senior accounted for 408 yards through the air, helping to up his ACC-best total yardage to 330.3 per game.

Conversely, NC State’s six touchdowns in 10 possessions and 583 total yards did in the Yellow Jackets. Playing without injured starting nickelback Jy Gilmore and cornerback Ahmari Harvey did not help, but they could be closer to returning to game action after practicing last week.

“(Their possible return) changes some of the coverages you can play, it changes how you look to protect a certain guy,” Key said. “At the end of the day, we’ve got to perform and play good defense. We’ve got to be able to stop the run and keep the explosives from going over our heads.”

Their status will become clearer later in the week, but Key is excited about where the team stands following the bye.

“Time is the best cure-all. It is,” Key said. “They’re all out there right now. … I thought Sunday’s practice, we came out and it was as fast and crisp and as much energy as we’ve had.”

Boston College coach Bill O’Brien was an assistant at Georgia Tech from 1995-02, a stint during which Key was a team captain. O’Brien knows that his Eagles will have to defend an ultimate weapon in order to have success against his former player’s team and earn their first FBS win of the season in the home finale.

“This guy has a ton of their production. The way they use him is incredible to me,” O’Brien said of King. “(Key and coordinator Buster Faulkner) do a good job with their offense, and he is the leader of it. He is a competitive, tough player.”

The quarterback position has been uncertain for the Eagles of late, with both Alabama transfer Dylan Lonergan and incumbent starter Grayson James seeing significant action. O’Brien has not confirmed a starter for Saturday’s game.

In last week’s 45-13 loss to SMU, James attempted just two passes and got sacked three times before Lonergan — who started the previous game against Notre Dame — entered in relief and went 25-for-37 passing for 232 yards and a touchdown.

“They have to give us confidence. It’s important for us to have confidence in them,” O’Brien said. “They’ve each played a lot, and they’ve done some good things and some not so good things.”

Senior receiver Lewis Bond enters the game needing just three catches to break Zay Flowers’ all-time receptions record of 200. His 7.3 receptions per game rank fifth nationally.

“For him to have a chance to break the record is really a testament to him, his work ethic, his toughness, his competitiveness,” O’Brien said.

–Field Level Media

Oct 25, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key on the sideline against the Syracuse Orange in the fourth quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

No. 8 Georgia Tech visits NC State, seeking ninth straight win

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Closing in on more program history, No. 8 Georgia Tech will take its unbeaten record into Raleigh, N.C., against North Carolina State in Atlantic Coast Conference play on Saturday night.

A victory for Georgia Tech (8-0, 5-0) would match the program’s longest single-season winning streak since beginning 9-0 in 1966. The Yellow Jackets are 5-0 in the ACC for the first time since joining the conference in 1983.

But the records mean little to head coach Brent Key, who just wants to go 1-0 this week.

“I view it like this, to go where we want to go, and where everybody wants to go, we’re only to the halfway point,” Key said. “You want to be in a position to be able to play games in November that mean something. Challenging games against good competition, and that’s what we have in front of us.”

Fresh off a 41-16 win over Syracuse last week, the Yellow Jackets’ attack is led by Haynes King, who threw for three touchdowns and ran for a pair of scores in the victory. Leading a historic start to the season, King has thrown for 1,480 yards, seven touchdowns and just one interception while leading the ACC with 12 rushing scores on 651 rushing yards.

Although King is an outsider at the moment, Key said he believes the sixth-year quarterback should be in New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony in December.

“Find me somebody else that brings more value to a team (than King),” Key said. “I’m glad he’s on my team. I don’t have a vote, but it would be a shame if he’s not in New York, and I think he will be there.”

North Carolina State (4-4, 1-3) is playing for bowl eligibility ahead of a difficult two-week stretch. The Wolfpack have dropped four of their past five games, and the road will get tougher for head coach Dave Doeren’s group, which will host the Yellow Jackets before heading to No. 10 Miami on Nov. 15.

“Nobody’s given up. We’ve just got to play better, and it starts with me,” Doeren said. “It’s about trying to get these guys in these last four weeks, one game at a time, to play the best football they can play. They’re frustrated, they’re mad, and they want to do something about it. One thing about this sport, you put the ball down, anything can happen.”

North Carolina State’s only win since Sept. 11 was over FCS-member Campbell on Oct. 4. Last week, the Wolfpack allowed 529 yards in a 53-34 loss at Pitts. The quarterback play hasn’t been the issue in Raleigh, as sophomore CJ Bailey’s 2,071 passing yards rank third in the ACC.

“I think CJ continues to lead our football team really well,” Doeren said. “Proud of him.”

Doeren, the conference’s second-longest tenured coach behind Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, is having to address rumors of his time at North Carolina State ending as the Wolfpack try to avoid a second straight losing season.

“Wins and losses matter a lot. I understand all that,” Doeren said. “I understand the profession. It’s not pressure. It’s a privilege to get to do what I do, and at some point, if they want someone else to do it, then God bless them. But I’m going to take advantage of my opportunities, as long as I get them, and fight for these kids, because they’re going to fight for me.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 25, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) on the field before a game against the Syracuse Orange at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Haynes King scores 5 TDs, No. 7 Georgia Tech beats Syracuse

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Haynes King recorded three passing touchdowns and two rushing scores to guide No. 7 Georgia Tech to a resounding 41-16 triumph over Syracuse in Atlantic Coast Conference play Saturday in Atlanta.

King authored a crisp 25-of-31 passing performance for 304 yards, while adding 91 yards on 12 carries to help the Yellow Jackets (8-0, 5-0 ACC) stay perfect on the season. Jordan Allen caught a team-high six balls for 67 yards, while Josh Beetham had two receiving touchdowns.

Rickie Collins was 17-of-29 passing for 224 yards with a touchdown for Syracuse (3-5, 1-4), which dropped its fourth straight game. Darrell Gill Jr. had five catches for 79 yards and a score to pace the Orange receivers.

An early Georgia Tech fumble led to Tripp Woody’s 27-yard field goal that gave Syracuse a 3-0 lead. However, Aidan Birr responded with a field goal of his own, a 20-yard chip shot that tied it at 3-3.

Following a series of punts, the Yellow Jackets scored the game’s first touchdown early in the second quarter. They went for it on fourth-and-1, and King found Beetham wide open for a 21-yard catch-and-run touchdown.

The Orange punted on their ensuing trip before the Yellow Jackets marched down for another touchdown. King found an open Beetham once again, giving the big tight end room to rumble for a 13-yard score.

On its final possession of the first half, Syracuse turned the ball over on downs at the Georgia Tech 39. E.J. Lightsey made a clutch tackle on Will Nixon just short of the sticks, and the Yellow Jackets took the ensuing possession and cashed in on Birr’s 22-yard field goal, making it 20-3 at the half.

The Orange burst out of the gates in the third quarter, opening with Collins’ 41-yard pass to Johntay Cook II followed by a 34-yard TD pass to Gill on the next play. However, Georgia Tech only needed seven plays to find the opposite end zone, this time on a 37-yard screen pass from King to Dean Patterson.

King’s 2-yard TD run late in the third quarter made it 34-10, and his 4-yard rushing score with 3:47 left in the fourth put an exclamation point on the convincing win.

–Field Level Media

Oct 18, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets linebacker Tah'J Butler (15) celebrates with defensive back Jy Gilmore (14) during the second half of the game against Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

No. 12 Georgia Tech stifles Duke behind record fumble return TD

Posted on | by Field Level Media

No. 12 Georgia Tech’s defense kept host Duke off track and the Yellow Jackets produced their only touchdown drives in the fourth quarter for a 27-18 victory Saturday afternoon at Durham, N.C.

Omar Daniels had a 95-yard return of a fumble for a touchdown in the first quarter, marking the longest fumble return in Georgia Tech history. Haynes King threw for 205 yards and rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown.

Georgia Tech (7-0, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) has its first 7-0 record since 1966.

Duke (4-3, 3-1) had a three-game winning streak snapped. Darian Mensah threw for 373 yards on 32-for-44 passing and two touchdowns.

Georgia Tech’s first touchdown drive consumed more than five minutes in the fourth quarter, with Malachi Hosley running 10 yards for the score. The Yellow Jackets went up 20-10 with 4:57 to play.

When Todd Pelino’s 46-yard field goal attempt for Duke was wide right with 2:52 left, that increased the Blue Devils’ plight. King subsequently added a 28-yard touchdown run.

Duke went ahead on the first possession of the second half, though it was stopped three plays from the 1-yard line and the Blue Devils settled for Pelino’s 23-yard field goal and a 10-7 edge.

Georgia Tech matched it with Aidan Birr’s 40-yarder on the ensuing possession.

Duke outgained the Yellow Jackets 238-110 in the first half but never led. Receiver Cooper Barkate racked up 118 first-half receiving yards.

Duke drove 96 yards on its first possession to the Georgia Tech 1, but Mensah fumbled on a failed handoff and Daniels scooped and sprinted 95 yards in a stunning change of fortunes as the Yellow Jackets scored first.

Duke then drove 68 yards before stalling. A botched hold in field-goal formation resulted in no points rather than a 29-yard kick.

The Blue Devils didn’t pull even until 27 seconds left in the first half on Mensah’s 20-yard pass to Landen King to wrap up an 11-play, 80-yard drive.

Duke also got some garbage-time points as Mensah got his second TD pass of the day to Sahmir Hagans from 19 yards out with 1:13 remaining in the game.

–Field Level Media

Oct 11, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key runs on the field before a game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

No. 12 Georgia Tech, Duke collide with rising ACC stakes

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No. 12 Georgia Tech and Duke will meet in a midseason game that could have significant ramifications for the Atlantic Coast Conference pecking order.

The game Saturday afternoon in Durham, N.C., has become more important as both teams enter on winning streaks.

Georgia Tech (6-0, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) will begin the second half of its regular-season schedule with so many possibilities still ahead.

The Yellow Jackets are 6-0 for the second time since joining the ACC in 1979.

“It’s a big deal for Georgia Tech,” coach Brent Key said. “It’s a big deal for everyone who has ever played here. It’s a big deal for the alumni and the fan base.”

Duke (4-2, 3-0), riding a three-game winning streak, was off last weekend following back-to-back road victories at Syracuse and California.

Although the two teams have not faced a common opponent in league play so far, Georgia Tech’s combined score in ACC games is 89-70 compared to Duke’s 128-57 advantage.

Quarterbacks for both teams have huge impacts, but in different ways.

Quarterback Haynes King has led Georgia Tech in various ways. He’s third in the ACC in rushing yards at 88 per game, while he has thrown for 194.2 yards per game.

“He checks every box when it comes to leadership and how he affects others,” Key said. “When the game is taking place, how Haynes can affect the game and people around him.”

The Blue Devils are expecting the unexpected, coach Manny Diaz said.

“The way that they dress up plays that they run, and one certainty is how they did it last week (vs. Virginia Tech) is not the way they’re going to present it to you this week,” Diaz said. “Whether you’re a young linebacker, an older linebacker, safety or whatever, it’s just very jarring that what you practice against all week, you’re really not going to see.”

Duke’s Darian Mensah leads the ACC with 306.3 passing yards per game and has thrown 15 touchdowns.

“They do a good job of getting the ball in space to their guys,” Key said. “Taking their shots when they’re there. The quarterback is really smart with the ball.”

Georgia Tech’s passing numbers aren’t as impressive, but the Yellow Jackets can’t be ignored in the air.

“(Georgia Tech’s) yards per completion are one of the highest in the country, which makes sense because when they do throw, they can throw for big shots because you’re so worried about stopping the run,” Diaz said.

Both Key and Diaz were bombarded with questions this week about job openings in college football, but they’ll definitely have their hands full this weekend.

“You’d rather have your name talked about in a positive way than a negative way, for sure,” Key said. “So it comes with the territory. … I’m pretty sure everybody on that football team knows exactly where I stand.”

Key said those things don’t have to be distractions if they are managed properly.

“All of that ‘noise,’ it comes with success,” Key said. “Would you rather not have it and be 3-3? Not at all. It’s part of it. True competitors get motivated by that stuff.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 27, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) drops the ball back for a pass in the first quarter against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

No. 13 Georgia Tech embraces unbeaten record as Virginia Tech visits

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Georgia Tech hasn’t sniffed the College Football Playoff since the tournament’s inception in 2014.

Nearing the midway point of the regular season, the No. 13 Yellow Jackets will meet Virginia Tech on Saturday afternoon in Atlanta in hopes of bolstering their odds of making their first CFP appearance.

Georgia Tech (5-0, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) has won its first five games of the season for the first time since 2014, which was the last time the Yellow Jackets made the ACC championship game.

As it stands now, Georgia Tech won’t play another ranked opponent until its regular-season finale against rival Georgia. Enjoying the return to national relevance, head coach Brent Key’s team can’t afford to overlook the Hokies on Saturday.

“It’s an exciting time, and I want the guys to be excited, but also understand that this part of the season now is to protect what we’ve already done,” Key said. “(Virginia Tech) has talent on their roster. The teams they have lost to are a combined 15-6, good football teams, and some of them were very close games, especially going into the fourth quarter.”

Prior to its bye last week, Georgia Tech escaped Wake Forest 30-29 in overtime, rallying from a 17-point second-half deficit. As the Yellow Jackets learn how to stack victories, Key is taking one week at a time.

“You’d love to play every game and have to lead the whole time, but I don’t think that’s ever happened in the history of football,” Key said. “Not to give coach-speak, but we’re worried about one thing — that’s the day we’re in. You can’t look behind, you can’t look forward. We have to understand how fragile this is.”

Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King is averaging just 189.5 passing yards a game this season, but the dual-threat, sixth-year senior’s seven rushing touchdowns and 380 yards on the ground rank second and seventh in the ACC, respectively.

Virginia Tech (2-4, 1-1) had as bad a start to the season as any power conference team. After dropping games to then-No. 13 South Carolina and Vanderbilt, the Hokies were blown out at home by Old Dominion, prompting the firing of head coach Brent Pry.

Interim coach Philip Montgomery has won two of three games since taking over, but the road will get harder on Saturday.

“Obviously, this week we have a really tough opponent,” Montgomery said. “Georgia Tech is playing really well right now. They’ve had a bye, so they’re going to be fresh. It’ll be a great test for us, but we’re looking forward to going on the road and getting an opportunity to go to work.”

Virginia Tech was held without a second-half touchdown in a 30-23 loss to Wake Forest last week — just another speed bump the Hokies will have to overcome in a difficult season.

“This team has faced a lot of adversity throughout the season, but they’re resilient,” Montgomery said. “We have to move forward, continue to grow, learn from our mistakes, and get better as a football team, because we’ve got a tough game this week.”

Looking to help turn the season around, Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones will need to stay upright, as the third-year starter has been sacked 14 times this season, tied with Stanford’s Ben Gulbranson for most in the ACC.

–Field Level Media