Georgia Tech’s upset of Duke bought the Yellow Jackets a little breathing room, but it didn’t buy them any comfort heading into next Saturday’s trip to Blacksburg.
The Jackets will go on the road to face Virginia Tech after the Hokies dropped consecutive games to Pittsburgh and California. It’s also the first head-to-head meeting between Brent Key and James Franklin as head coaches, and both teams enter the week needing a win.
Oddsmakers aren’t giving Georgia Tech much credit for the Duke result. FanDuel Sportsbook opened Virginia Tech as an 8.5-point favorite, with the over/under set at 54.5.
That doesn’t erase what Georgia Tech did on Saturday, though. The win came with real signs of progress, especially up front.
It was the Yellow Jackets’ best showing of the season from the offensive line. Alberto Mendoza was not sacked, and Duke - one of the ACC’s better defenses - managed only four tackles for loss.
The backfield tandem of Justice Haynes and Trelain Maddox also found enough room to make an impact against the Blue Devils.
The defense was less clean, particularly on third and fourth down, but it kept Nate Sheppard from taking over the game.
Now comes a much tougher assignment. Even with the recent losses, Virginia Tech is still viewed as a better team right now under Franklin.
Ethan Grunkemeyer gives the Hokies one of the ACC’s most talented quarterbacks, while Jeffrey Overton and Marcellous Hawkins form a strong running back duo. Virginia Tech also has a tight end who projects as a potential first-round pick.
On defense, Brent Pry’s group has been inconsistent the past two weeks, but it has shown disruption this season and ranks among the ACC’s best at pressuring quarterbacks.
Georgia Tech’s win over Duke kept alive a thin shot at a fourth straight bowl appearance. A loss would have made that path nearly impossible. The climb is still steep, but the schedule looks a little more manageable than it did a week ago, and Virginia Tech is not untouchable despite being the more complete team so far.
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET next Saturday, and the game will be televised on ACC Network.
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Georgia Tech Finally Got The Win Fans Desperately Needed
Georgia Tech finally has the kind of win it had been hunting for, and it came in a tense finish at Bobby Dodd Stadium. The Yellow Jackets edged Duke 28-25 to snap a long drought against a Power 4 opponent, a result that gave the home crowd something tangible to hold onto after a shaky start to the season. At 2-3 overall and 1-1 in ACC play, Tech at least has a foothold now, along with a result that should steady things a bit heading into the next stretch.
The game had the feel of one Georgia Tech could not let slip away, with momentum swinging late and every possession carrying extra weight. Trelain Maddox delivered the final push on the ground after Techs closing drive, and the Blue Devils still had one last chance to answer before the decisive kick drifted away and left the Jackets celebrating. For a team and fan base that had been waiting on a breakthrough, the bigger question now is whether this can become a turning point or just a much-needed one-night release. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Tech Finally Got The Kind Of Win Fans Needed
Georgia Tech finally got the kind of result its fans had been waiting on, edging Duke 25-21 for its first FBS win since November. It was the sort of game the Yellow Jackets needed more than they could have said before kickoff, with the offense finding enough rhythm to stay alive and a late scoring drive giving the home side a chance to finish what had been a tense afternoon.
Trelain Maddox was the spark throughout, doing damage both on the ground and through the air against Dukes defense, while Georgia Techs own defense spent much of the second half trying to find a stop it could trust. The Blue Devils still had one last opening to flip the result in the final seconds, keeping the finish in doubt until the clock nearly expired. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Fans Have A New AP Poll Problem After USC's Statement Win
USCs win over Penn State gave the Trojans a much-needed jolt in the AP Top 25 race, and it also helped reshape the crowded middle of the rankings after a weekend that already saw Georgia knock off Alabama and Texas fall to Oklahoma. For teams watching the poll from the outside, that kind of shakeup matters, because every movement at the top changes how the rest of the board settles in behind it.
For USC, the bigger story is still the road ahead. The Trojans have put themselves back in the conversation around the College Football Playoff bubble, but the margin for error remains thin with a demanding stretch still to come. How far this latest win moves them will matter, but what happens next will matter even more. [Read more 🡒]