Georgia Tech finally got the result it needed on Saturday, and it did it in style. The Yellow Jackets rolled past Mercer 44-11 for their first win of the season, while also posting their highest point total of the year. Now they sit at 1-2 with Stanford coming up next week in their first ACC game of the season.
The night belonged to Haynes. After a two-touchdown outing against Tennessee, he backed it up with another huge performance on the ground and through the air. He finished with 22 carries for 141 yards and two scores, and he added two receptions for 26 yards and a touchdown.
His receiving touchdown opened the scoring for Georgia Tech and set the tone early. Later, he broke loose for a 31-yard run, getting to the edge and outrunning the defense to the end zone. He has been one of the few steady bright spots for the Yellow Jackets as they try to sort out the rest of the offense.
That said, the offensive line still has plenty to clean up. Several starters were unavailable, including Ethan MacKenny and Jameson Riggs, and Georgia Tech never looked fully comfortable against Mercer’s front early on. The most glaring stretch came just before halftime, when a holding penalty, a false start and a lack of push wiped out a promising drive and forced the Yellow Jackets to settle for a field goal.
The run game did wake up after halftime, but the first half was rough. Georgia Tech managed only 54 rushing yards before the break, and that kind of slow start won’t fly once ACC play begins. The line has shown flashes, but the consistency just isn’t there yet.
Georgia Tech’s passing game had more life. Mendoza completed 15 of 21 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns, and he connected on several explosive plays.
Jaiven Plummer, the former California transfer, hauled in a 37-yard touchdown before halftime. Dalen Penson also chipped in with two 20-yard catches early.
Debron Gatling, who has not seen much playing time, added a 33-yard touchdown grab.
The Jackets finished with 410 total yards, but the bigger question is whether they can replicate that kind of production next week against Stanford.
Defensively, Georgia Tech still had issues against the run. Mercer piled up 165 rushing yards, with Zahmari Paldode-Gary leading the way with 71 yards on 15 carries.
JD Pickles did most of his damage in the third quarter, when he ran for 52 yards and consistently found room up the middle. Georgia Tech has struggled to slow the run all season, and Saturday was no different.
The Jackets have now allowed 181 rushing yards to Colorado and 299 to Tennessee, and the pattern is clear: this remains one of the weakest run defenses around, no matter the opponent.
There were some encouraging signs on that side of the ball, though. Melvin Jordan was active throughout and finished with five tackles and a tackle for loss.
True freshman CJ Gamble picked off his first career pass after reading a screen beautifully, and true freshman Braylon Outlaw added three tackles and a tackle for loss. Those younger defenders made their presence felt and could earn even bigger roles if they keep producing.
Georgia Tech’s new-look defense under Jason Semore has been built around aggression and turnovers, but that hadn’t shown up in the first two games. It did on Saturday.
Tawfiq Thomas forced a strip that Christian Speakman recovered, and Gamble added the interception. Noah Carter nearly made it three takeaways in the fourth quarter when he broke free, hit the quarterback and jarred the ball loose.
That turnover production was a welcome change. The next step is making sure it carries over when the competition gets tougher.
In Other News...
Georgia Tech Got The Win But One Concern Lingers Before Stanford
Georgia Tech got the kind of season-opening result it wanted, rolling past Mercer 44-11 to start 2026 on a high note. Alberto Mendoza delivered an efficient debut at quarterback with 249 passing yards and three touchdowns, while Justice Haynes gave the ground game a spark with 141 rushing yards and two scores, helping the Yellow Jackets build control early and keep it.
But the bigger takeaway for Brent Keys team may have been how the game played out behind the headline score. Several starters were unavailable, which pushed backups into meaningful action and offered a glimpse of the next layer of depth before the schedule tightens up, starting with Stanford next week. The win was comfortable enough, but Georgia Tech still has work to do in sorting out who it can count on when the roster gets tested a little more seriously. [Read more 🡒]
Kirby Smart Still Found A Georgia Problem After Another Blowout
Georgia kept rolling with a 45-17 win over Arkansas, and Kirby Smart still found plenty to clean up afterward. The Bulldogs were efficient enough to stay in control, but the head coach kept his focus on the details of a performance that had enough good moments to make the margin look comfortable and enough misses to leave room for concern.
Nate Fraziers exit in the third quarter added another layer to monitor, even if he could have returned if needed. Gunner Stockton continued to give Georgia a steady presence, completing 10 of 13 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown while adding 97 rushing yards, but Smarts postgame tone suggested the larger issue was less about the scoreboard than about keeping the standard where Georgia wants it heading into the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Deion Sanders Is Testing Colorado's Receivers After The 2-0 Start
Colorados 2-0 start has brought the expected boost in confidence, but Deion Sanders made sure the mood after the win over Georgia Tech stayed pointed toward what comes next. The Buffaloes have already taken care of Weber State and the Yellow Jackets, and Sanders used the postgame moment to stress that early success is only useful if it is paired with continued focus and improvement.
The message has clearly carried into the locker room, with DeAndre Moore Jr. and Ernest Campbell echoing the same theme about not getting comfortable. For Georgia Tech, its another reminder that the loss was part of a broader test Colorado intends to keep applying as it chases bigger goals, including a National Championship. [Read more 🡒]