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Jackets Dominate in Death ValleyJackets Dominate in Death Valley
Danny Karnik

Justice Haynes' 53-yard touchdown run at the beginning of the second half was the dagger in Georgia Tech's 20-6 win at Clemson

Football

Jackets Dominate in Death Valley

Georgia Tech stifles Clemson in 20-6 triumph

Box Score

CLEMSON, S.C. – Displaying the brand of football that lifted Georgia Tech to among the Atlantic Coast Conference’s most successful programs over the previous three seasons, the Yellow Jackets dominated in the trenches in a 20-6 victory at Clemson on Saturday afternoon.

Georgia Tech outgained Clemson by a commanding 407-228 margin, including a whopping 269-86 advantage on the ground, in its first victory at CU’s Memorial Stadium since 2008. The triumph snapped a string of eight-straight losses at Clemson’s famed “Death Valley” and, combined with last season’s 24-21 win over the Tigers, gave the Yellow Jackets back-to-back wins over CU for the first time since 2008-09.

Clemson managed just two field goals against Georgia Tech’s defense, which recorded four sacks, six tackles for loss and five pass breakups under first-time play-caller Vinnie Sunseri, and held an NCAA Division I FBS opponent without a touchdown for the first time since Clemson also failed to find the end zone against the Jackets in 2014.

Offensively, Georgia Tech kept Clemson off-balance all afternoon with a two-quarterback attack that saw Alberto Mendoza throw for 138 yards (17.2 yards per completion) and Grady Adamson run 19 times for a career-high 87 yards.

Running back Justice Haynes paced the Yellow Jackets’ bruising rushing attack with 116 yards on the ground, good for his third 100-yard game of the season but first since September.

Linebacker Cayman Spaulding headlined the dominant defensive performance for the Jackets, amassing 11 tackles (nearly doubling his previous career high of six), and stuffing the stat sheet with a sack, two tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a pass breakup.

With the win, Georgia Tech snapped its first four-game overall skid since 2021 and earned its first road victory since last season’s road finale at Boston College.

The Yellow Jackets will look to ride the momentum into next Saturday’s home finale versus No. 11 Wake Forest. Game time for the Senior Day showdown at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field will be announced following the conclusion of Saturday’s college football action.

Tickets for Senior Day vs. Wake Forest are still available. Visit the links at the top of the page for ticket specials ($10 for upper level seats) and to purchase online.

Georgia Tech's defense stifled Clemson, limiting the Tigers to 3.4 yards per play, and holding an FBS opponent out of the end zone for the first time since the Jackets also kept Clemson without a touchdown in 2014.Georgia Tech's defense stifled Clemson, limiting the Tigers to 3.4 yards per play, and holding an FBS opponent out of the end zone for the first time since the Jackets also kept Clemson without a touchdown in 2014.

Postgame Notes

Team Notes

  • Georgia Tech conquered Death Valley for the first time in 18 years, defeating Clemson, 20-6, on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C.
  • The win was Georgia Tech’s first at Clemson since a 21-17 win at Memorial Stadium – CU’s famed “Death Valley” – on Oct. 18, 2008. Saturday’s victory snapped an eight-game losing streak for the Yellow Jackets at Clemson.
  • Combined with last season’s 24-21 home win over Clemson, Georgia Tech has won consecutive games over the Tigers for the first time since 2008 and 2009 (a 30-27 victory in Atlanta on Sept. 10, 2009).
  • Georgia Tech moved to 52-36-2 all-time against Clemson, but won for only the seventh time in 24 games at CU.
  • The 14-point margin of victory was Georgia Tech’s second-largest ever at Clemson, and its largest since a 30-14 win at Memorial Stadium on Oct. 14, 1989.
  • With its first win since Oct. 10 vs. Duke, Georgia Tech snapped a four-game skid, which had been its longest since it lost its final six games of the 2021 season.
  • The road win was Georgia Tech’s first of the season and snapped a five-game skid in games played away from Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field, dating back to a 36-34 win at Boston College on Nov. 15, 2025.
  • Georgia Tech held an opponent without a touchdown for the second time this season (prev.: Sept. 19 vs. Mercer).
  • However, Saturday’s game marked the first time in 12 years that Georgia Tech held an NCAA Division I FBS opponent out of the end zone, dating back to a 28-6 win over Clemson on Nov. 15, 2014 in Atlanta.

GEORGIA TECH’S LAST FOUR GAMES HOLDING AN OPPONENT WITHOUT A TOUCHDOWN

Nov. 14, 2026 – W, 20-6 at Clemson

Sept. 19, 2026 – W, 44-11 vs. Mercer

Sept. 1, 2018 – W, 41-0 vs. Alcorn State

Nov. 15, 2014 – W, 28-6 vs. Clemson

  • Georgia Tech held Clemson out of the end zone for the first time, at Clemson, since a 14-3 win at Memorial Stadium on Sept. 29, 1985.
  • Georgia Tech held Clemson to six points, 86 rushing yards and 228 yards of total offense. The six points and 228 yards allowed were both season lows for the Yellow Jackets (prev.: 11 pts. and 290 yds. vs. Mercer – Sept. 19) and the 86 rushing yards matched the lowest allowed by the Jackets this season (prev.: 86 at Stanford – Sept. 26).
  • Georgia Tech surrendered just six points after allowing an average of 40.3 points per game during its four-game skid.
  • Georgia Tech surrendered just 86 rushing yards after allowing an average of 272.5 rushing yards per game during its four-game skid.
  • Clemson’s seven fumbles were the most in a game by a Georgia Tech opponent since Tulsa also had seven in 2004 Humanitarian Bowl (Jan. 4, 2004 – 52-10 GT win).
  • Clemson’s seven fumbles were the most by a Georgia Tech opponent in a regular-season game since Tennessee also had seven on Oct. 8, 1977 (a 24-8 GT win).
  • Offensively, Georgia Tech rushed for 269 yards, eclipsing the 200-yard mark for the first time this season.
  • The 269 yards on the ground were Georgia Tech’s most since it ran for 307 yards in a 45-24 win over Temple on Sept. 20, 2025.
  • Georgia Tech rushed for 200 yards for the 23rd time in its last 41 wins.
  • Georgia Tech won despite having 20 players out due to injuries.
  • The win was Brent Key’s 30th win as Georgia Tech’s head coach.

 

Individual Notes

  • Sr. RB Justice Haynes ran for 116 yards on 13 carries (8.9 avg.). The 100-yard rushing game was Haynes’ third of the season, but his first since Sept. 26 at Stanford. It was the 10th 100-yard rushing game of Haynes’ collegiate career, which includes two seasons at Alabama (2023-24) and one at Michigan (2025).
  • Haynes’ 53-yard touchdown run in the third quarter was his longest run as a Yellow Jacket (prev.: 46 vs. Mercer – Sept. 19).
  • Georgia Tech utilized a two-quarterback system on offense, with Jr. Alberto Mendoza throwing for 138 yards and So. Grady Adamson rushing for a career-high 87 yards (prev.: 63 at Pitt – Oct. 31) and a touchdown.
  • Fifth-year TE Chris Corbo’s 54 receiving yards were his most as a Yellow Jacket (prev.: 35 at Virginia Tech – Oct. 17).
  • Corbo’s 50-yard reception to set up a Georgia Tech field goal in the final minute of the first half was his longest as a Yellow Jacket (prev.: 18 at Virginia Tech – Oct. 17).
  • Sr. LB Cayman Spaulding led Georgia Tech with 11 tackles, nearly doubling his previous career high of six, which he did five times (most recently: at Virginia Tech – Oct. 17).
  • Spaulding matched a career high with two tackles for loss (prev.: vs. Pitt – Nov. 22, 2025).
  • Spaulding forced a fumble for the second time in his career (prev.: vs. Pitt – Nov. 22, 2025).
  • Fifth-year DT Tawfiq Thomas matched a career high with seven tackles (prev.: three times, most recently vs. Duke – Oct. 10).
  • Sr. NIC Jonas Duclona had two pass breakups, matching his most in his first season at Georgia Tech (prev.: at Pitt – Oct. 31).
  • Fr. S Kealan Jones had the first interception of his career in the fourth quarter.
  • Sr. P Joshua Taylor, who had just one career punt coming into Saturday’s game, punted five times for an average of 41.8 yards.
  • Taylor’s first punt of the game – his first since Sept. 16, 2023 at Ole Miss – traveled 50 yards.
Grady Adamson crosses the goal line on his 3-yard touchdown run that opened the scoring for the Yellow Jackets (Glenn Ingram photo)Grady Adamson crosses the goal line on his 3-yard touchdown run that opened the scoring for the Yellow Jackets (Glenn Ingram photo)

Multimedia

Head Coach Brent Key Postgame Press Conference (Video)

Head Coach Brent Key Postgame Press Conference (Audio)

Student-Athletes Postgame Press Conference (Video)

ACC Digital Network Highlights

ACC Digital Network Condensed Game

Around Social Media

Full Steam Ahead

Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.

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