Georgia Tech found just enough late to survive Duke 28-25 on a wet, rainy day at Bobby Dodd Stadium, finally breaking through for its first Power 4 win since the Boston College game on November 15, 2025.
The Jackets moved to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in ACC play, and they did it with a frantic finish after Duke had grabbed its first lead of the afternoon with 2:40 left in the fourth quarter. Georgia Tech answered immediately, leaning on big catches from Jordan Allen and Dalen Penson to drive deep into Duke territory before Trelain Maddox finished the march with his third touchdown of the game from the 1-yard line. That score put Tech ahead 28-25 with one minute remaining.
Duke still had one last shot. Nate Sheppard helped push the Blue Devils to Tech’s 23-yard line, but freshman Gavin Strange missed a 34-yard field goal wide left, ending Duke’s chance to force overtime and sealing the win for the Jackets.
Georgia Tech also had a notable shift on the sideline, with offensive coordinator George Godsey calling the game from the coaches box for the first time in Tech’s first four games.
Statistically, the quarterbacks were close but Duke’s Walker Eget finished with more passing yards than Georgia Tech’s Alberto Mendoza, 259 to 218. Both quarterbacks threw a touchdown. Sheppard was a major factor for Duke all afternoon, finishing with 190 all-purpose yards and coming up just 1 yard short of 100 rushing yards.
Tech will hit the road next week to face Virginia Tech.
Georgia Tech opened the game with a strong first drive after its two-week break, going 12 plays and 78 yards before Jordan Allen slipped free for a 5-yard touchdown catch. The Jackets mixed in direct snaps to running backs, including one to Trelain Maddox on 4th-and-1 and another to Justice Haynes that helped set up a red-zone trip. On third down, a defensive pass interference call gave Tech first and goal from the 5, and Allen scored on the next play for a 7-0 lead.
Duke’s first possession stalled under the weight of penalties, and the Blue Devils were forced to punt. Tech’s next drive also ran into trouble after a holding penalty, and Mendoza missed on two throws on third downs, handing the ball back to Duke at its own 36.
The Blue Devils got on the board on their next possession. Jeremiah Hasley picked up a key third down along the left sideline, then Duke benefited from a defensive pass interference call on Jaylen Mbakwe and a long run by Nate Sheppard. That set up Sheppard’s 5-yard direct-snap touchdown to tie the game.
After a punt from both sides, Georgia Tech appeared stuck deep in its own territory, but a roughing-the-passer call breathed life into the drive. On the next snap, Allen caught a pass and Duke added a late-hit penalty, giving Tech 30 free penalty yards in two plays. The Jackets kept rolling with first downs from Debron Gatling and Gavin Harris before Maddox scored from 5 yards out to make it 14-7.
Duke responded quickly. Sheppard ripped off another explosive run, then a facemask penalty helped move the Blue Devils into field-goal range for a 35-yard kick that cut the margin to 14-10.
Tech punted again, and Duke got a double-possession chance with two minutes left after deferring the coin toss. The Blue Devils opened with two straight runs without using a timeout, then threw three passes downfield to reach midfield before ending up with an underneath throw to Jayden Moore that went for 42 yards.
Coming out of halftime, Duke managed only one first down on its opening series. Georgia Tech, meanwhile, put together its biggest burst of the game, grinding out 78 yards on the ground through Justice Haynes and Maddox. Maddox capped it with a 60-yard run that stretched the lead to 21-10, Tech’s largest against a Power 4 opponent this season.
But Duke settled in as the rain intensified. A long run and a late-hit penalty on Tech moved the Blue Devils to midfield, and they converted a 4th-and-4 with a pass to Jeremiah Hasley.
Duke then kept extending the drive, including a Sheppard third-down run and a Walker Eget scramble that should have ended in a sack multiple times. That sequence led to a first-and-goal situation, and Duke eventually cashed in with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Jared Richardson.
Jonah Burton added the two-point conversion, trimming Tech’s lead to 21-18 with 3:18 left in the third.
The fourth quarter turned into a third-down battle. Duke pieced together another scoring drive, again finding success when it needed conversions most. Burton hauled in a catch to move the Blue Devils to the 10, and Sheppard finished the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run to put Duke in front 25-21 with 2:40 remaining.
That set up Georgia Tech’s response, and the Jackets delivered their sharpest sequence of the day. Allen got the drive moving with a catch to Duke’s 40, Penson’s only reception of the game moved Tech into the red zone, and Allen’s final catch placed the ball at the 1. Maddox handled the rest.
Duke’s final push had enough life to make Tech sweat. Sheppard broke free for a 42-yard catch and run to get Duke into field-goal range, but Tech’s defense held on the end zone shot, and the Blue Devils lost valuable time waiting to spike the ball. Strange’s 34-yard try on 4th-and-3 hooked wide left, and Georgia Tech escaped with the win.
In Other News...
Georgia Tech Finally Got The Kind Of Win Fans Needed
Georgia Tech finally had the kind of afternoon its fans have been waiting on, edging Duke 25-21 for its first FBS win since November. It was the sort of game the Yellow Jackets had to survive more than style their way through, with the offense keeping them in range and the defense spending much of the second half trying to find a stop when it mattered most.
Trelain Maddox gave Georgia Tech the spark it needed, and the late scoring drive helped put the Jackets in position to escape with a much-needed victory. Duke still had one last chance to turn the game around, and for a few tense moments in the closing seconds it looked like the result could swing the other way before the final decision in the kicking game settled it. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Tech Faces A Dangerous Problem Up Front Against Duke
Georgia Tech heads into the Duke game with a final availability report that gives the Yellow Jackets a better feel for some spots while leaving others unsettled. Jameson Riggs, Kyle Efford, and Vincent Carroll-Jackson are expected back in the lineup, and Jaiven Plummer along with Trae Stevenson Jr. are listed as game-time decisions, giving the staff a little flexibility as it sorts through the late-week roster picture.
Up front, though, the concern is harder to miss. Georgia Tech will be without defensive ends Jordan Walker, Noah Carter and A.J. Hoffler, and left tackle Ethan Mackenny is also out, forcing backups into significant roles on a line that has to hold up against Duke. The availability report at least narrows the mystery before kickoff, but it still leaves the Yellow Jackets carrying real risk where depth is usually tested most. [Read more 🡒]
Pat McAfee Turned Georgia Alabama Hype Into A Pregame Sideshow
Saturdays Georgia-Alabama buildup on ESPNs College GameDay had the kind of feel that usually gets a primetime game even more oxygen. Nick Saban, Bryce Young and Desmond Howard all leaned Alabama in their public predictions, while Pat McAfee went the other direction and backed Georgia, turning the morning set into a louder, looser showcase than the usual standard fare. The matchup itself is set to kick off after ABCs broadcast begins at 7:30 p.m. EST, so the stage was already big before anyone started trying to one-up the picks.
McAfees Georgia support quickly became part of the show, with the pregame banter spilling into a playful physical bit that had the whole crew leaning into the moment. For fans of either side, it was a reminder that this rivalry still brings out the kind of theater that travels beyond the field and into the studio, where every prediction can become part of the spectacle long before the first snap. [Read more 🡒]