Five Biggest Takeaways From Georgia Tech's 35-12 Victory Against Georgia State

Georgia Tech showcases explosive offense in win against Georgia State

Malik Rutherford / Photo Via Najeh Wilkins (SI)

The Yellow Jackets won the first-ever meeting between Georgia State and Georgia Tech at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field in convincing fashion. Georgia Tech is now 2-0 for the first time since 2016 after their big win and now they will head to Syracuse to try and get to 3-0. Here are some key takeaways from last night's win: 

1. The defense has improved under defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci in key areas. You may look at the yards that Georgia State had (360 total yards) and raise a lot of flags, but the defense knows how to get stops and not allow teams in the end zone. One key stat from the game is that the Yellow Jackets forced Georgia State to 3-12 on third-down conversions. The Panthers only converted 25% of their first downs, a testament to the defense being able to get off the field. Also in the red zone, Georgia State was 1 of 3 including two turnovers on downs. One of the key stops came early in the game when Georgia State marched down the field and went for it on fourth and goal. They handed the ball off to the running back and Georgia Tech stuffed him and allowed their offense to take over. The other key fourth down came late in the game on a 4th and 7. QB Christian Veilleux tried to get the ball to the back of the endzone but the ball was deflected and fell incomplete after another turnover on downs. This defense steps up and makes plays when you need them. A credit to the defensive coordinator for helping this unit look vastly improved compared to last year. 

2. Buster Faulkner has great offensive creativity and uses all of his playmakers- As Haynes King alluded to in the post-game press conference, there is only one ball. Coach Faulkner does a great job getting the ball to his playmakers in space and letting them cook the defense. One of the best plays in the game came on a reverse. It was beautifully constructed where King faked the ball to Jamal Haynes and acted like he was going to keep it for himself before Eric Singleton came around and received the toss in the opposite direction. Singleton had three blockers in front of him and didn’t get touched until he dived into the endzone. It was so perfectly executed that it fooled the defense. Now the next play was a busted coverage and very rarely do you see a receiver as open as Malik Rutherford was on his touchdown catch but it was another well-executed play by the offense. Georgia State over helped Singleton on his route which left Rutherford wide open for an easy touchdown. Another well-designed play by Faulkner that left the defense confused about their assignment. Through the first two weeks, this offense has been exciting to watch and the offensive coordinator is putting on a masterclass. 

3. This offense will be tough to stop- One thing you can hang your hat on with this Georgia Tech offense is their balance. Out of the 64 plays they ran on Saturday night, 30 were passes, and 34 were runs. It has been the perfect formula for the Yellow Jackets. King was efficient yet again through the air going 24-29 throwing for 275 yards and three touchdowns on the night two through the air and one on the ground. In the running game, Georgia Tech rushed for 225 yards with three ball carriers getting to run the ball at least five times. Even true freshman Anthony Carrie got in on the action and rushed for 41 yards on four carries. In the first half, the rushing attack had 100 yards and two rushing touchdowns at the break. The Yellow Jackets have made it an onus to be a balanced attack on offense and have shown they can get quick strikes for touchdowns through the air or they can go on long drives and pound the ball and physically tire you out. 

4. Georgia Tech can win consistently- Some of the questions from the national media going into this game were how the Yellow Jackets would respond after beating No.10 Florida State and if they would have trouble against Georgia State. The Yellow Jackets proved they could be a serious contender in the ACC. Are there some areas they have to clean up? Yes, what team doesn’t, but a thing that stands out and why they can win consistently is they can play complementary football. In the first half when the offense was finding its groove, the Yellow Jackets defense stiffened multiple times in key areas and didn’t allow Georgia State to take a lead or score a touchdown. The Yellow Jackets' defense didn’t allow a touchdown until the 3:42 mark of the third quarter. The offense rewarded the defense by scoring 21 points unanswered scoring before the half and twice in the third quarter. Georgia Tech took full control of the game and led 28-6 at one point. I think when you have two sides of the ball playing for each other and helping one another when one side is still figuring things out you can win consistently. The Yellow Jackets have shown that through the first two weeks.  

5. Clayton Powell-Lee has had a good start to the season- After posting a PFF Grade of 62.4 against Florida State (11th best on the team) Powell-Lee had another impressive game against Georgia State. He was all over the field on Saturday night. Powell-Lee was the second-leading tackler with seven tackles right behind Kyle Efford. So far this season he is at 11 tackles through the first two games. He has been flying to the ball and making key stops. Every year he has improved his numbers increasing his tackles and being constantly around the football, becoming a reliable member of the defense. A thing you’ve noticed about this defense is their ability to open-field tackle and clean up if the first guy can’t get the playmaker on the ground. Georgia Tech swarms and prides itself on 11 hats to football. I think the play of Powell-Lee and the secondary has been one of the key reasons this unit has improved. Also, the Yellow Jackets have yet to allow a 100-yard receiver this year. With Powell-Lee being one of the leaders, you don’t see a lot of busted coverage on this defense in 2024 but a lot of players talking and knowing their assignments. It gets overlooked, but the performance of Powell-Lee has helped this secondary and defense become a much better unit.