Week 0 college football winners and losers: GT QB Haynes King stars as FSU's DJ Uiagalelei wilts

Here are our winners and losers from the marquee game of Week 0.

Winner: Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key

All Brent Key does is win big conference games. With the upset, the Yellow Jackets improved to 5-0 against ranked ACC opponents under Key. Georgia Tech not only held its own in the trenches, but it also looked like the faster team.

Key has closed the talent gap, and Georgia Tech is ready to make noise.

Loser: Florida State head coach Mike Norvell

Norvell was aggressive early, going for two after a touchdown on the opening drive, and also late, keeping his offense on the field for two successful fourth-down conversions in a tying fourth-quarter drive.

The Seminoles offense sputtered in between as Norvell failed to respond to the Yellow Jackets' defense, which successfully bottled Florida State's rushing offense.

Norvell should be a stabilizing force for a team that lost several key contributors to the NFL during the offseason. Instead, his inconsistencies led to Florida State's 0-1 start.

Winner: Georgia Tech kicker Aidan Birr

Birr went from goat to hero in the second half. Before drilling the 44-yard winning kick, Birr missed from 51 yards on Georgia Tech's opening drive of the third quarter.

After Florida State kicker Ryan Fitzgerald hit a 59-yarder at the end of the first half, the Seminoles appeared to have a clear edge on special teams. With his kick at the end of regulation, Birr wiped out everything that came before it.

Loser: Jimbo Fisher

The former Florida State and Texas A&M head coach might not be on the sidelines this fall, but he's feeling the heat after Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King's solid game.

The fifth-year junior was the best quarterback on the field on Saturday. The former Fisher recruit at Texas A&M finished 11-of-16 for 146 yards and added 15 carries for 54 yards.

He was poised in leading Georgia Tech on its winning field goal drive, marching the Jackets 49 yards in six minutes and 33 seconds to set up the attempt.

The difference between King at Georgia Tech and during his first three seasons at Texas A&M was stark.

On social media, ESPN's Dan Orlovsky wrote, "Haynes King has gotten so much better than his early years at Texas A&M."

King's change at head coach isn't the only reason he's a better quarterback in 2024 than from 2020-22, but anyone who watched the aimless Aggies over the past few seasons knows it certainly helped.

Winner: ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit

The longtime ESPN college football analyst spent all of "College GameDay" being drowned out by boos from Florida State fans angry over his support of 12-1 Alabama over 13-0 Florida State in last year's contentious College Football Playoff debate.

If Herbstreit wants to campaign against the Seminoles making the 12-team playoff this season, he already has a stronger case.

Loser: Florida State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei throwing downfield

The former Clemson and Oregon State quarterback showed why he's on his third team in three years with an unimpressive first start for Florida State.

He took "dink-and-dunk" to a new level in the first half, finishing with negative-0.1 air yards per pass attempt on 12-of-14 passing.

It's too early to bury the Seminoles, but they won't live up to preseason expectations with Uiagalelei unable to push the ball downfield.

Winner: Clemson and Miami

Florida State's main competition for the ACC crown should feel better about their prospects to win the conference and earn a crucial first-round CFP bye.

Clemson travels to Tallahassee to play Florida State on Oct. 5, and Miami hosts the Seminoles on Oct. 26. Of the two, the Hurricanes might have the most to celebrate.

While Clemson still has games against Associated Press preseason No. 1 Georgia and No. 24 NC State, Miami's game against Florida State is its only against a preseason top-25 team — although that Nov. 9 road game at Georgia Tech just became a lot more challenging.

Loser: Florida State's rush defense

Just as concerning as FSU's lethargic passing attack was its porous rush defense. Georgia Tech averaged 5.3 yards per carry, gaining 190 yards on 36 rushing attempts.

Per data from Game On Paper, Georgia Tech gained at least four yards on 58 percent of their carries. The Seminoles held the Yellow Jackets to zero yards or less on only 14 percent of their rush attempts.

If others duplicate Georgia Tech's production, Florida State will be an afterthought come playoff time.