Georgia Tech Pulls Away From Duke To Improve To 7-0

Another Saturday, another heart-stopping performance from the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. For a while there in Durham, it looked like the magic might finally run out. Duke came out swinging, dominating the first half in every way imaginable—except on the scoreboard. But when the dust settled, the No. 12-ranked Yellow Jackets walked off the field 7-0 after a gutsy 27-18 victory, proving once again they are the cardiac kids of college football.

Let’s be honest: the first half was a horror show for the Georgia Tech offense. It was sluggish, predictable, and frankly, a bit painful to watch. The Jackets were tied 7-7 at halftime, and that felt like a gift from the football gods. Duke Quarterback Darian Mensah was carving up the field, and if not for some truly spectacular blunders by the Blue Devils, like a 95-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Omar Daniels that felt like divine intervention, this game could have been over before it even started. But this is Brent Key’s Georgia Tech. They live for the second half.

A Tale Of Two Halves For Georgia Tech

Whatever Coach Key said in that locker room at halftime should be bottled and sold. The Yellow Jackets emerged as a completely different team. The defense, which had bent but not completely broken, tightened up and started getting crucial stops. They gave the offense the breathing room it desperately needed to finally wake up. And wake up, it did.

Haynes King, who looked pedestrian for the first 30 minutes, started finding his rhythm. He connected on a huge 49-yard pass to Tight End Josh Beetham that set up a game-tying field goal. You could feel the momentum shifting, like a slow tide turning. The offense started imposing its will, grinding down the clock and wearing out a Duke defense that had been so dominant.

King Seals the Deal

The fourth quarter was all Georgia Tech. After taking a 13-10 lead, the Jackets methodically marched down the field, with Running Back Malachi Hosley punching it in from 10 yards out to make it 20-10. You could see the life drain from the Blue Devils.

The nail in the coffin came with just over two minutes left. On a play that will be replayed on highlight reels all week, King broke free for a 28-yard touchdown run, sealing Duke’s fate and sending the traveling Tech fans into a frenzy. It was a signature moment for a quarterback who has shown time and again that he has the clutch gene.

With this win, Georgia Tech is now 7-0 for the first time since 1966—a season that, for those who know their history, ended with a national championship. While it’s too early for that kind of talk, one thing is clear: this team knows how to win, even when they’re not at their best. They’ll head back home to face Syracuse, still undefeated and sitting firmly in the ACC driver’s seat.