Key Takeaways From Georgia Tech's 27-20 Road Victory Over Colorado

A phenomenal performance tonight from Haynes King. He will probably have to ice up and recover after all the hits he took, but he was special for the Yellow Jackets on Friday night. Despite the two early turnovers, King was masterful in the run game for the Yellow Jackets as he carved up the Colorado defense for three rushing touchdowns. King rushed for a career-high 156 yards and helped give the Yellow Jackets their final score of the night on a 45-yard scamper. King became just the second quarterback in the past 20 years to pass for 100 yards, rush for 100 yards, and have three rushing touchdowns in a season opener in the ACC. King showed that his mental fortitude can never be questioned and that he is always willing to put his body on the line for his teammates. His performance in the second half was spectacular, and he proved to the nation that the Yellow Jackets have a chance in any game he plays.

2. Georgia Tech has to do better at taking care of the football and have fewer penalties

If you turn over the football three times against anybody, you are asking to lose the game the majority of the time, especially in your first three drives. It is a recipe for disaster, especially on the road. Fortunately, the defense did its part and stepped up, keeping the Yellow Jackets in the game. The Yellow Jackets also had a lot of presnap penalties in the game. On one drive, they were forced to punt after facing a convertible 3rd and 8. Georgia Tech had an early snap from Tana Alo-Tupuola that drew a five-yard penalty. On 3rd and 13, the Yellow Jackets moved early, drawing another flag that set up the Yellow Jackets in 3rd and forever. As a team, Georgia Tech had eight penalties for 65 yards, which is very uncharacteristic of a Brent Key squad. At the end of the day, they should be fine and be able to clean these areas up, but they can’t allow a performance like that to happen again if they want to reach their goals.

3. Georgia Tech running game doesn’t miss a beat.

 Despite replacing three offensive linemen from a season ago, the Yellow Jackets are still an elite team on the ground. The Yellow Jackets rushed for 182 yards in the first half. It was a nice balance with everyone touching the ball for the Yellow Jackets. That was probably the most impressive part, with four different players having two or more rushes in the first half. Hayes King was the leading rusher with 54 yards and a touchdown, including a four-yard rushing touchdown. King finished with 156 yards and three touchdowns on Friday night. Hosley was a breath of fresh air when he came into the game and provided great burst and runs when he was in the game showcasing his physicality. Hosley rushed for 47 yards on just seven carries and showed he can be a great complement to Jamal Haynes out of the backfield. Haynes also had a productive outing, finishing with 92 all-purpose yards and gashing the defense for big runs throughout the game. The Yellow Jackets rushed for 320 yards, and the Colorado defense had no answers for the rushing attack. The running game will be a factor again in 2025.

4. This Georgia Tech defense has a chance to be good-

When your offense puts you in inopportune situations and you still hold firm, it says a lot about the potential of your defense. Despite three early turnovers, the Yellow Jackets' defense didn’t allow things to get out of hand and limited Colorado to just seven points while the offense tried to figure things out. The pass defense was also pretty good, especially in the first half, allowing just 48 yards through the air. The Yellow Jackets' defense also allowed only five first downs in the first half. The perimeter tackling on the outside was on full display in the game, and the Yellow Jackets did a good job of wrapping up and tackling in space. This was on display by senior safety Omar Daniels, who led the team with five tackles. He also added a tackle for loss. Jy Gilmore was another impressive player on defense for the Yellow Jackets. The Georgia State transfer was elite in his open field tackling and made a lot of big hits on QB Kaidon Salter and the running backs. He played all over the field on Friday night and showed how valuable he can be on the backend of the defense vs Colorado.

5. WR Bailey Stockton stepped up big-

It wasn’t a big passing performance tonight for the Yellow Jackets as much of their damage came from the run game, but when they threw the ball, Stockton was consistent. Georgia Tech’s slot wide receiver Malik Rutherford left the game early due to injury, but Stockton came in and was a reliable weapon for the Yellow Jackets throughout the first half. He did a lot of his work in the first half, finishing with four catches for 48 yards, and showed a part of his game that has improved a lot, which is picking up yards after the catch. He showed on screens or even short routes that he has enough speed to separate from defenders and make plays consistently. Stockton is just a testament to how much depth the Yellow Jackets have at the position and how consistently they will be able to produce out of the wide receiver room. Although he has had limited opportunities in his career, Stockton has continued to take advantage when his opportunities come along.

​6. The left side of the offensive line is a concern- This may get overlooked by national media or other reporters, but the left side of the offensive line has a lot to figure out. Colorado generated a lot of pressure through the first half of the game and got a lot of hits on Haynes King. It was a struggle throughout, whether it was Harrison Moore, Joe Fusile, or Tana Alo-Tupuola. Throughout the game, the pressure was constant, and the defense was able to generate a good amount of shots on King. Despite giving up just a sack in the first half, the pressure was imminent and affected King throughout the game. Georgia Tech was platoon swapping at the offensive line spot throughout the game, looking to find different combinations that would help them protect King. It isn’t going to show in the box score, but far too often, King was getting hit on throws that he was making down the field. I think that is why you saw a switch in the offensive philosophy and the game plan for Georgia Tech. In the second half, the Yellow Jackets leaned more heavily on the run and decided to attack in between the tackles and on the perimeter with the run instead of airing the ball out. It worked to perfection, but the left side of the offensive line has to play better if Georgia Tech wants a chance to make some noise this season.