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Aug 29, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key following the game winning touchdown by quarterback Haynes King (10) (not pictured) in the fourth quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

One Big Area of Improvement Georgia Tech Needs To See Against Gardner-Webb On Saturday

Originally posted on Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on SI
By Najeh Wilkins | Last updated Sep 1, 2025 7:38 AM ET

PFF Grades came out on Sunday at the conclusion of the Yellow Jackets' game against Colorado. An area where Georgia Tech really struggled was in the interior of their offensive line. Star quarterback Haynes King was getting hit a bunch on drop-back passes and even in the shotgun when the Yellow Jackets tried to push the ball down the field, which is why they reverted to running the football more instead of their usual passing attack. It worked, and the offensive line did damage against Colorado, opening up gaping holes and showcasing its physicality by wearing down the defense.

Needed improvement

However, the interior of the line did not grade well in the win over Colorado. At the center position, Harrison Moore and Tana Alo-Tupuola shared snaps at the role, especially with the early mishap of a botched snap that resulted in one of the three turnovers by Moore. He played 71 snaps and registered a 45.9 grade. It ranked 20th of 22 among all the offensive players on Friday. Alo-Tupuola ranked dead last with a grade of 40.6 on 48 snaps. Nobody has clearly separated themselves for the starting role yet at the center position.

Even the Yellow Jackets veteran Joe Fusile had some struggles on Friday night against the Colorado defense, getting pushed back into the quarterback a few times. His PFF grade was a 55.8 on 27 snaps. That ranked No. 16 of the 22 players on the Yellow Jackets. The highest graded was on the right side of the offensive line by All-American Keylan Rutledge, a 69.6 grade on 67 snaps, and Malachi Carney, a 70.8 grade on 65 snaps.

I mentioned it as one of my key takeaways from the win on Friday: the left side and interior of the offensive line not playing well.

“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.”

It simply has to be better. PFF seconds that notion with the grades that were assessed from the Week 1 performance. It will be a storyline heading into the Yellow Jackets Week 2 matchup against Gardner Webb and especially in two weeks when it hosts Clemson at home. As the competition stiffens and gets better as the season wears on, the interior of the offensive line will have to play better.