Georgia Tech needed this one, and they got it in dramatic fashion.
The Yellow Jackets held off Duke 25-21 on a late finish that featured a clutch response from Alberto Mendoza and the offense, then one last stand when the Blue Devils got a 42-yard catch-and-run from Nate Sheppard to move into Georgia Tech territory. Duke had a chance to steal it with a 33-yard field goal, but the kick sailed wide left and Georgia Tech walked away with a much-needed victory.
It was the program’s first FBS win since beating Boston College last November, and for Brent Key, it came at the right time. After taking heat early in the season following losses to Colorado and Stanford, Key finally got the kind of result that quiets the noise. This was not a clean performance, but it was the kind of win Georgia Tech had to have, especially against the defending ACC champions as they saw their unbeaten run end.
The defense had its moments, but the second half got messy in the wrong spots. Georgia Tech kept Duke from running away with the game overall, yet it couldn’t consistently get off the field when it mattered most.
The Blue Devils converted on 3rd and 9, 3rd and 7, 3rd and 9, 4th and 3, 3rd and goal, 3rd and 3, and 3rd and 9, finishing 10-for-17 on third down. That kept Georgia Tech from putting the game away earlier.
Still, the numbers weren’t ugly. Duke was held to 5.4 yards per play and 4.5 yards per rush as a team, and Nate Sheppard was kept under 100 yards rushing. The issue was less about overall resistance and more about the critical snap-by-snap stops that never quite came in the second half.
One of the biggest bright spots came from Trelain Maddox, who stepped out of the shadows in a backfield that had drawn most of the preseason attention toward Justice Haynes and Malachi Hosley. Maddox looked every bit like the captain Georgia Tech named him to be.
He finished with 10 carries for 81 yards, ripped off a 60-yard touchdown run, and added two catches for two more touchdowns. By the end of the night, he may have been the most dangerous offensive player on the field for either team.
Georgia Tech’s offensive line also gave the staff something to build on. That group had been a mess to open the season, but against a Manny Diaz defense, the Jackets held up.
Duke didn’t record a sack and had only four tackles for loss, which mattered against a front like that. Even with injuries up front, Georgia Tech protected Mendoza and opened enough space for Maddox and Justice Haynes to produce.
The Jackets finished with 165 rushing yards on 27 carries, a 6.1-yard average that stood out as a major positive. It wasn’t perfect, but it was enough to fuel a win that Georgia Tech can carry into next Saturday’s trip to Virginia Tech.
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