Jackets Erupt for 499 Yards in 35-12 Win

THE FLATS – Quarterback Haynes King threw for 275 yards and accounted for three of Georgia Tech’s five touchdowns as the Yellow Jackets won their home opener, 35-12, over Georgia State Saturday night at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field.

Georgia Tech (2-0, 1-0 ACC) rebounded from a relatively slow start on offense to blast Georgia State (0-1) in the first-ever meeting between the two programs, whose campuses are separated by less than two miles. With the win, Tech moved to 2-0 for the first time since 2016.

With 3:49 to go in the first half, the Yellow Jackets had 79 yards of offense, including only 8 rushing yards, and led just 7-3. However, they erupted for 420 yards, including 217 on the ground, and 28 points the rest of the way to cruise to the win. The Jackets finished with a whopping 499 yards of offense – 274 passing and 225 rushing.

Before Tech’s offense got revved up, it was dominance in goal-line situations on both sides of the ball staked the Yellow Jackets to a 14-3 halftime lead.

Georgia State had first-and-goal twice in first half but managed just three points, with Tech stopping GSU on four-straight plays after the Panthers had first-and-goal from the 1 yard line on their first possession, then holding GSU to a field goal after it had first-and-goal from the 3 in the second quarter.

Conversely, the Yellow Jackets faced fourth-and-goal twice in the first half and came away with 14 points on a 1-yard touchdown run by Jamal Haynes and a 2-yard plunge by King.

After leading by 11 at the half, Tech was never threatened after the break, thanks to a 35-yard touchdown run on a reverse by wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr., scoring strikes from King to Malik Rutherford (52 yards) and tight end Avery Boyd (22 yards), and a defense that limited Georgia State to just nine second-half points.

King led the Yellow Jackets’ 499-yard output on offense, as he connected with 10 different receivers while completing 82.8% of his passes, good for the second-highest single-game completion percentage in Georgia Tech history (min. 20 attempts). He also ran five times for 27 yards and a score.

Rutherford set career highs with seven receptions for 131 yards while Haynes turned in another stellar effort on the ground, picking up 84 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown.

Linebacker Kyle Efford led the Jackets defensively with a career-high 13 tackles. Linebacker Trenilyas Tatum and defensive back Rodney Shelley had 2.5 and 2.0 of the Yellow Jackets’ eight tackles for loss, respectively.

The Yellow Jackets hit the road for their next game, visiting ACC foe Syracuse for a noon kickoff next Saturday, Sept. 7, at the JMA Wireless Dome. The game will be televised on the ACC Network.

Haynes King completed 24-of-29 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns, good for the second-highest completion percentage (.828) in Georgia Tech history (min. 20 attempts). (Danny Karnik photo)

Postgame Notes

Team Notes

• Georgia Tech moved to 2-0 on the season, while Georgia State fell to 0-1.
• Georgia Tech is 2-0 for the first time since 2016.
• The game was the first between Georgia Tech and Georgia State, whose campuses are separated by less than two miles. The teams will play again at Georgia State in 2026.
• Georgia Tech moved to 40-4-2 all-time against in-state opponents besides archrival Georgia. The Yellow Jackets haven’t lost to an in-state opponent besides UGA since a 7-6 loss to Oglethorpe on Sept. 25, 1926. Tech’s other three losses to in-state opponents besides UGA came in the 19^th century.
• Georgia Tech moved to 97-29-4 (.762) all-time in home openers.
• The win was Tech’s first in a home opener since 2019, but was its third-straight victory in its first game of the season at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. The Yellow Jackets’ 2022 and 2023 home openers were played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
• Georgia Tech had only 79 total yards, including just 8 rushing yards, with 3:49 to go in the first half. The Yellow Jackets amassed 420 yards, including 217 on the ground, over the final 33:49 of the game.

Individual Notes

• With a 12-yard completion to So. WR Eric Singleton Jr. on Georgia Tech’s opening possession, r-Jr. Haynes King became the 13^th player in school history with 3,000 passing yards as a Yellow Jacket. King reached the 3,000-yard plateau in his 15^th game at Georgia Tech.
• King completed 24-of-29 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns. His .828 completion percentage is a career high (prev.: .800 (16-for-20) vs. Syracuse – Nov. 18, 2023) and ranks second in school history (min. 20 attempts) behind Joe Hamilton’s .880 completion percentage vs. Florida State on Sept. 11, 1999.
• r-Jr. WR Malik Rutherford finished with seven receptions for 131 yards, both career highs (prev.: 6 receptions vs. North Carolina – Oct. 28, 2023 and 85 receiving yards vs. Louisville – Sept. 1, 2023). The 100-yard receiving game was the first by a Yellow Jacket since Singleton had 117 against UNC on Oct. 28, 2023.
• Rutherford’s 131 receiving yards were the most by a Yellow Jacket since Dominick Blaylock also had 131 vs. Bowling Green on Sept. 30, 2023.
• Singleton’s 35-yard touchdown rush in the third quarter was his first touchdown of the season and the first rushing touchdown of his career. He had six touchdown receptions as a true freshman in 2023.
• Sr. TE Avery Boyd’s four receptions were a career high. Prior to Saturday’s game, Boyd had never had more than one reception in a game (which he had done four times previously).
• r-So. LB Kyle Efford had a career-high 13 tackles (prev.: 11 vs. Syracuse – Nov. 18, 2023) and finished with double-digit tackles for the fourth time in the last seven games,
• DL Zeek Biggers’ fumble recovery in the first quarter was the second of his career (prev.: at Wake Forest – Sept. 23, 2023).

Kyle Efford set a career high with 13 tackles in Saturday’s win over Georgia State. (Danny Karnik photo)

Multimedia

Coach Key Postgame Press Conference (Video)

Coach Key Postgame Press Conference (Audio)

Student-Athletes Postgame Press Conference (Video)

ACC Digital Network Highlights

ACC Digital Network Condensed Game

ACC Digital Network Full Game Replay

Around Social Media

STUNG 'EM 😤🐝 pic.twitter.com/iaRICE4Pt3

— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) September 1, 2024

Malik Rutherford wears his mom's name on his eye black ❤️@GeorgiaTechFB pic.twitter.com/Rr3EkiPMp1

— ACC Network (@accnetwork) September 1, 2024

First 2 chances ✔️✔️#StingEm 🐝 pic.twitter.com/Ab35NW8ErQ

— Georgia Tech Football (@GeorgiaTechFB) September 1, 2024

Handled business by the numbers 📊 @InvescoUS#StingEm 🐝 pic.twitter.com/EMZmDsIaD4

— Georgia Tech Football (@GeorgiaTechFB) September 1, 2024

WE’RE RIDIN’ WITH SHEAMUS, FELLA! 🚙@WWESheamus is having too much fun in the @GTAthletics’ car at the @GeorgiaTechFB game! 😂🐝 pic.twitter.com/nhoKP34FFJ

— WWE (@WWE) September 1, 2024

Put on 🫡#StingEm 🐝 pic.twitter.com/AuR1WqJQB8

— Georgia Tech Football (@GeorgiaTechFB) September 1, 2024

Old Dominion doesn’t disappoint 🥳#StingEm 🐝 pic.twitter.com/NGO23JXRRK

— Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (@GTAthletics) August 31, 2024

.@WWESheamus ready for a banger 🫡#StingEm 🐝 pic.twitter.com/I29tmKrEBQ

— Georgia Tech Football (@GeorgiaTechFB) August 31, 2024