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Georgia Tech Football: Big Takeaways From The Yellow Jackets Upset Win Over No. 4 Miami on Saturday

Georgia Tech is 4-0 at home and got major contributions from the team in upset win

Najeh Wilkins

Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key and Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King (10) celebrate after defeating Miami in an NCAA college football game at Georgia Tech's Bobby Dodd Stadium, Saturday, November 9, 2024, in Atlanta. Georgia Tech won 28-23 over Miami. (Hyosub Shin / AJC)

Georgia Tech earned its first top 5 win against an opponent since 2009 when it defeated No. 4 Virginia Tech. It was a game that the Yellow Jackets controlled throughout most of the game as they leaned on an improved defense and dominant rushing attack. Here are some key takeaways from the game. 

1. Head coach Brent Key is made for the big games- Say what you want but Brent Key always has this team prepared for big games. His star running back Jamal Haynes went out early with an injury, QB Haynes King was banged up, and Warren Burrell was out. It simply didn’t matter on Saturday. The reserves and depth pieces on the team came ready to play and didn’t disappoint. The team always had an answer to what Miami was doing and played one step ahead. Key deserves credit for that. Coach Key is now 6-1 against nationally ranked ACC opponents and has added two wins to the total this season. Georgia Tech also knocked off No. 10 Florida State in Dublin, Ireland in the season opener earlier this year. The Yellow Jackets are now 4-0 at home and have clinched bowl eligibility for the second consecutive season for the first time since 2013-2014. 

2. Omar Daniels was all over the field- Daniels was making plays constantly on Saturday. He was tied for team-high with eight tackles, a TFL, and a pass breakup. The pass breakup was on a key 3rd and 9 with Miami driving and looking to put points on the board in the first half. What looked like a catch, Daniels was able to break up the football at the perfect moment resulting in a punt. Daniels was good in the running game not letting Damien Martinez or Mark Fletcher get to the second level of the defense with his big hit and ability to contain the perimeter. He made several big hits and played a big role for the Yellow Jackets with Warren Burrell being out. 

3. Georgia Tech is practically unbeatable when they outrush an opponent- The Yellow Jackets are now 14-1 under head coach Brent Key when it outrushes its opponent. On Saturday, Georgia Tech outrushed its opponent 271-88 in the game. Haynes King was the bell cow as he played through an injury and was very effective rushing for 93 yards and a touchdown. He scored from five yards out in the fourth quarter to give the Yellow Jackets a 28-16 lead. One word describes King and that is toughness. RB Jamal Haynes, although he played only one series, was electric rushing for 83 yards on just three carries. He had a 65-yard run and finished it off with a nifty 16-yard touchdown run. The Yellow Jackets had 189 rushing yards at the half and leaned on the ground attack. One of the best drives of the year came late in the first quarter. Georgia Tech went on a 17-play 75-yard drive that took 10:45 off the clock. It was the second-longest drive in program history. It came at a good time when Miami had it going on offense and had taken a 10-7 lead. One thing is for certain if Georgia Tech is running the ball at an elite level they are tough to beat. 

4. Georgia Tech's defense came up clutch- What a performance from the defense against the Hurricanes. They held Miami to just 88 yards on the ground and harassed Cam Ward throughout the day. The Yellow Jackets finished with three sacks and the defensive front had one of their better games of the season. Romello Height came up with a clutch play on defense as Miami was driving to win the game. His pass rush didn’t get there initially but he saw Cam Ward escape the pocket and he came around the corner and knocked the ball loose forcing the strip and Jordan Van De Berg falling on it. It doesn’t get more clutch than that. The turnover set up the Yellow Jackets in Miami territory and Eric Singleton Jr finished it off with a catch and run that got the first down on 3rd and 8 effectively ending the game. The defense held Miami to 3-10 on third-down conversions and 1-4 on 4th down. Every time a big play arose, the Yellow Jackets were ready to defend. Although Ward threw for 348 yards and three touchdowns, Georgia Tech was one of the few teams to affect him in the clutch and make him hold the ball longer than he wanted to. At the end of the first half, Ward was just 9-18 for 133 yards and the Hurricanes struggled to get the ball in the endzone being held to just 10 points at the break.

5. True freshman Aaron Philo will be special in the next few years- It is not easy what Philo was able to do for the Yellow Jackets today. At critical junctures in the game, he made clutch throws on two different occasions in the game. One was a 3rd and 18 at the start of the 4th quarter. He found his former teammate at Prince Avenue Christian for a 27-yard reception that kept the drive alive. It was an excellent release from Stockton and Philo found him wide open. The other was on 3rd and 8 when Miami had all the momentum and their fan section got hyped up and was making a lot of noise. Philo stood in and bought some time hitting Malik Rutherford on a crosser that extended the drive and halted some of the Hurricanes' momentum. He finished 5-10 for 67 yards and a touchdown. The numbers aren’t gaudy but Philo is young and you saw today that he is not afraid of the big moment. He faced several on Saturday and came up clutch for his team when called upon. Philo has an it factor to him and the Yellow Jackets have found their signal caller for the next few years when King graduates from the program. 

It takes an entire team to knock off a formidable opponent and the Yellow Jackets got a complete performance from the administration, coaching staff, players, and fans in an electric environment at Bobby Dodd. Don’t take my word for it, just look at this video. 

Additional Links:

Georgia Tech Football: Everything From Brent Key After Win Over No. 4 Miami

RECAP: Georgia Tech Stuns No. 4 Miami and Ends Their Unbeaten Season

Social Media Reacts to Georgia Tech's Upset Victory Over No. 4 Miami

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Najeh Wilkins
NAJEH WILKINS

Najeh Wilkins covers football and basketball for Georgia Tech Athletics at FanNation. He has experience in recruiting, hosting, play-by-play, and color commentary.

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