Georgia Tech picked up a 24-14 win against rival Duke on Saturday and moved to 4-2 on the season. It was a great all-around effort on all sides of the ball. Let’s dive into some key takeaways from the game. 

1. Defense had one of its best games of the year- The Yellow Jackets gave up their third-lowest point total this season, and held Duke to a season-low 14 points. I think what I was most impressed with was when the offense hit a lull and the Yellow Jackets were clinging to a slim lead, the defense kept making plays and forcing punts. Yes, there were some big plays given up in the game to Sahmir Hagans and Eli Pancol but Georgia Tech bottled up the Duke offense for most of the night. They held Duke running back Star Thomas to just 48 rushing yards after he carved up North Carolina for 166 rushing yards the week prior. As a team, Duke only had 74 rushing yards. It says a lot about this defense slowing down a potent rushing attack and the identity of the Blue Devils’ offense. Georgia Tech also got an interception late that helped seal the game. The defense played complementary football on Saturday and constantly made plays until the offense got it going. 

2. Jordan van den Berg, Ahmari Harvey, and Taye Seymore had standout performances – Jordan van den Berg was all over the field on Saturday night and had an impact performance. He was massive in the first half clogging up lanes and making plays in the backfield. He finished with 3 tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack. It was his best game as a Yellow Jacket as he consistently made plays for his team and helped slow down Star Thomas. 

Ahmari Harvey led the team in tackles and was all over the field on Saturday making plays and providing juice for the defense. He also caught the lone interception for the Yellow Jackets this season and wrapped up the win for Georgia Tech. It’s been a breakout year for Harvey as he continues to make plays in each game. 

Taye Seymore brought his chinstrap on Saturday and made big hits all night long. He was the second-leading tackler with five tackles and a half tackle for loss. He also had a crucial pass breakup over the middle of the field when Duke was driving and was threatening to score. Seymore is another player who is beginning to come into his own and make a big impact for the Yellow Jackets as the season goes on. 

3. Jamal Haynes looked like his usual self – Haynes dealt with a nagging injury that slowed down his production this season. Like a great player would, he fought through it and didn’t make any complaints or excuses. After a much-needed bye week, we saw the Jamal Haynes of old. Explosive making defenders miss in the hole and long runs. His best run of the game came in the second quarter when he hit the left sideline for a 39-yard gain and got the ball into opponent territory. He finished with 19 carries for 128 yards and averaged 6.7 yards per carry. He also had a receiving touchdown that gave the Yellow Jackets the lead after they trailed for the first time in the game in the fourth quarter. He had another impressive run that caught my eye on a scoring drive in the fourth quarter. He made a defender miss on the second level and completely juked him out to set up a first down in the red zone. He was fast and quick tonight reading the rush lanes well and making explosive plays. Georgia Tech is dangerous if Jamal Haynes runs the ball like that. Always nice to have a big game on your birthday. Now Haynes can enjoy his Juicy Crab on Sunday.

4. Offensive Line came to play- It was a much-needed bounce-back game for the offensive line who struggled in earlier ACC games this season to create rush lanes and holes for the running backs. Saturday was a dominant effort by this unit. The Yellow Jackets rushed for 245 rushing yards. We talked about Haynes earlier, but the holes and running room were there all night. When Chad Alexander came into the game, the offensive line didn’t miss a beat and he carved up the Duke defense. Alexander rushed for 59 yards on just ten carries. The offensive line created a push the entire night and was moving the defensive line for Duke. There were also no sacks allowed in this game for the Yellow Jackets as they kept Haynes King clean throughout. They also helped put the game on ice after Duke had a missed late field goal in the fourth quarter converting two first downs and running out the clock on the Blue Devils. 

5. The offense is still missing those explosive passing plays we are accustomed to. Yes, the Yellow Jackets did gain 412 yards of offense, 245 on the ground and 167 yards passing. Their longest play came on a Jamal Haynes 39-yard scamper. The longest play through the air was a reception by Malik Rutherford that went for 24 yards. Now in the game, Georgia Tech ran a lot of smoke screens and got the ball out to the playmakers in space which is what you want. Haynes King also didn’t have any turnovers which is another great sight as he continues to take care of the football this season. I bring this up because the Yellow Jackets still have a tough schedule down the road with matchups against Notre Dame, Miami, and Georgia on the deck. They will need explosive plays to beat these teams. Georgia Tech is certainly more than capable and has a great offensive coordinator in Buster Faulkner, but they need to hit more plays to their explosive receivers Rutherford and Eric Singleton. If Georgia Tech can hit explosive plays in the passing game and run the ball like they did on Saturday, the Yellow Jackets can be a problem. It feels like the Yellow Jackets haven’t hit their stride just yet on offense and that is a terrifying sight for opposing defenses. 

All in all, it was a solid game for the Yellow Jackets mixed with good things and areas they can work on. A win is never easy to come by and to hand Duke its first loss and put themselves back into the ACC race does a lot for confidence.