THE FLATS – Quarterback Haynes King threw for two touchdowns and ran for another that sealed Georgia Tech’s postseason-clinching sixth victory of the season, a 31-22 triumph over Syracuse on Saturday night at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field.
Georgia Tech (6-5) became eligible to play in a bowl game for the first time since the 2018 season on a night when Tech celebrated the 25th anniversary of its 1998 team that won a share of the ACC championship and defeated Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl to finish 10-2. This year’s Yellow Jackets completed their conference schedule at 5-3 (its first winning ACC record since ’18) and can finish as high as a tie for third place depending on the results of next week’s games.
King led the Jackets to the postseason with an ultra-efficient evening, completing a season-best 80% of his passes (16-of-20) for 138 yards and two touchdowns, and running for a team-high-tying 82 yards on 11 carries (7.5 avg.) and a score.
King set the tone on the first series of the game, accounting for 67 yards (53 passing, 14 rushing) on a 75-yard touchdown drive that gave the Yellow Jackets a 7-0 lead. He was a perfect 5-of-5 passing on the opening possession and capped the 10-play, 75-yard drive with a 15-yard scoring toss to Jamal Haynes to give the Jackets a lead they would not relinquish.
King’s second touchdown pass came midway through the second period when he connected with Dominick Blaylock on a 53-yard scoring toss to give Tech a 14-3 lead.
After taking a 17-3 lead into halftime thanks to a 22-yard field goal by Aidan Burr with 13 seconds remaining in the second quarter, Georgia Tech appeared to take full control of the game when Paul Moala forced a fumble that was recovered by Jacob Cruz on the opening kickoff of the second half. One play later, Haynes burst through a huge hole a ran 30 yards untouched to paydirt to extend the Jackets’ advantage to 24-3 just 17 seconds into the third quarter.
However, Syracuse would not roll over, as it scored three touchdowns on its next five possessions and pulled within 24-22 with 7:41 left in the game. A pass breakup by Clayton Powell-Lee on a two-point conversion attempt following the Orange’s third touchdown of the second-half rally kept the Jackets’ lead intact.
Needing a long drive to seal the win on their next possession, King guided the Jackets to just that – a nine-play, 75-yard masterpiece that ran 5:19 off the game clock and culminated with the redshirt-sophomore signal-caller scoring on a 19-yard run that gave Tech a commanding 31-22 lead with 2:22 to go.
Redshirt-freshman linebacker Kyle Efford, who led all players with a career-high 11 tackles, ended any chance of a Syracuse comeback with his first-career interception at the Orange 31-yard line with 2:18 to go, setting off a raucous celebration on the Yellow Jackets’ sideline and in the stands as Tech ran out the clock.
LeQuint Allen had 120 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries and Dan Villari – a tight end forced into action at quarterback due to an injury to starting signal-caller Garrett Shrader – completed 14-for-14 passing for 59 yards to lead Syracuse (5-6, 1-6 ACC), who can clinch a bowl berth of its own with a home win over Wake Forest next Saturday.
Georgia Tech closes the regular season next Saturday versus archrival and No. 1-ranked Georgia at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. The 117th edition of Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate kicks off at 7:30 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ABC. A limited number of tickets remain and can be purchased HERE.