RECAP: Georgia Tech Scores 14 In The Fourth Quarter To Pull Away From Duke and Move To 4-2

Georgia Tech needed a 4th quarter comeback to end Duke's undefeated season and also move to 4-2 themselves

Aug 31, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key on the sideline against Georgia State Panthers in the third quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

It was not pretty, but Georgia Tech found a way to end Duke's unbeaten season and get a win to move themselves to 4-2. The running game and, especially the defense, carried Georgia Tech to a big home win.

The Yellow Jackets had two weeks to get ready for this game and try to rebound from their loss to Louisville and it took a throwback performance from Jamal Haynes and the best defensive performance of the year to get it done. After struggling to run the ball the last two games vs power four opponents, Georgia Tech ran for 246 yards on 48 carries and averaged over five yards per rush. Haynes led the way with 128 yards on 19 carries, averaging 6.7 yards per carry and catching one touchdown. Chad Alexander ran for 59 yards on 10 carries and was a good complement to Haynes tonight.

The passing game was not spectacular, but Malik Rutherford and Eric Singleton Jr continued to lead the way. The duo combined for 14 catches and 118 yards, including the touchdown that put the Yellow Jackets up by two scores.

The defense was awesome for most of the night. They held the Blue Devils to 279 yards of offense and only allowed 5.5 yards per play. Aside from a big 65-yard touchdown play in the second half, the Yellow Jackets did not allow the Duke offense too much for much of the game and even sealed it with their first interception of the year. Again, this was not a pretty win by any means for Georgia Tech, but they played a perfect 4th quarter to get their fourth win of the season.

Now, Georgia Tech will look to follow up their win tonight with a win vs North Carolina, who is reeling right now and lost their third straight game today when they fell to Pitt. It will be a tough game, but a win tonight was paramount for Georgia Tech and they used a strong 4th quarter to get it done.

Let's recap tonight's game.

Georgia Tech got the ball to start the game and after a good kick return from Eric Singleton Jr, the Yellow Jackets offense went right to work. Whether it was running or passing, Georgia Tech drove the ball 60 yards in 12 plays and the drive ended with the Yellow Jackets' best goal line weapon, quarterback Zach Pyron, punching it in from one yard and giving the Yellow Jackets a 7-0 lead.

It was an uneventful 1st possession for the Blue Devils offense. Aside from a pass interference call on Rodney Shelley, the Blue Devils could do nothing on offense and had to punt it away. It was a good punt, pinning Georgia Tech on their own nine-yard line and that is where the offense had to start their second drive.

Jamal Haynes had been struggling mightily coming into this game, but he ripped off a 39-yard run on the second drive of the game for the Yellow Jackets and things were looking good for the Georgia Tech offense. They stalled out though around midfield and had to punt it away to Duke.

After forcing a three-and-out, Georgia Tech went back to work on offense. King found Bailey Stockton for a big third down conversion and then the Yellow Jackets had to pick up a 4th down conversion to keep the drive alive. Malik Rutherford had a big 24-yard gain to get Georgia Tech in scoring position, but the drive stalled out due to some miscues from the offense. Haynes dropped what could have been a touchdown and then Haynes King misfired into the end zone and missed a wide-open Chase Lane. They had to settle for a 23-yard field goal and Aidan Birr nailed it to make it a 10-0 game. Still, the miscues on the final two plays of the drive kept them out of the endzone.

Duke had been unable to move the ball on their first two possessions, but Murphy found Eli Pancol for a big 26-yard gain that was nearly intercepted by Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets defense found a way to get a stop though on the drive and it was actually the pass rush that came through, with Jordan van den Berg sacking Murphy to end the nine-play drive.

With time quickly flying by in the first half, Georgia Tech had to start another drive backed up into their own end zone and it ended up being a three-and-out. They had to punt it back to the Blue Devils with little time left in the first half.

It looked like Duke was going to have another three and out, but a questionable fourth-down penalty gave Duke room enough to go for it and Murphy connected on a pass to give their offense a 1st down. Then, it looked like Georgia Tech DB Syeed Gibbs pulled in the first interception of the year for the defense, but a really questionable holding call on him gave Duke a first down at the 20, and then Murphy found Pancol on a crossing route for a touchdown with 26 seconds left in the first half. Georgia Tech ran out the clock and took a 10-7 lead to the locker room.

At the half, Georgia Tech was outgaining Duke 199-75 and was outrushing the Blue Devils 107-13. Georgia Tech was outplaying Duke, but missed opportunities kept the Yellow Jackets from being ahead by more. The questionable penalties to end the half did not help them.

A great kick return to start the second half gave Duke great field possession and they had a great chance to put points on the board. Much like the first half though, they struggled to move the ball and were faced with a big fourth down. It looked like they picked it up, but a pass interference call on the offense brought it back and they had to send out the punt team and Georgia Tech took over.

The first drive of the second half was much like the drives of the first half for Georgia Tech. The drive went nine plays for 49 yards and ended in a punt. Since the first drive of the game that resulted in a touchdown, the offense was having trouble getting anything going, aside from Jamal Haynes running the ball.

On the next possession, Duke grabbed their first lead of the game. Georgia Tech sent the house on a blitz, but Murphy found an open receiver for a 65-yard touchdown. The Yellow Jackets defense had been burned in past games when blitzing and this one resulted in a big score for Duke. Georgia Tech was trailing for the first time in the game and had a big drive upcoming.

The Yellow Jackets responded. After King was sacked on the first play of the drive, he found Singleton for a gain of 16 yards for a big first down, and then on 3rd and short, Chad Alexander came in the game and ran for a 17-yard gain to move the Yellow Jackets past midfield. That was the end of the 3rd quarter and Georgia Tech was going to start the 4th quarter trailing 14-10.

Georgia Tech was faced with a big 4th down on the drive and King found his favorite target, Malik Rutherford, and then the Yellow Jackets got down to the 11-yard line. After two unsuccessful plays, King found Haynes in the flat for a touchdown and Georgia Tech recaptured the lead 17-14.

The defense had been coming up big for much of the game and continued to do so on the next drive. They forced a three and out and got the ball back for the offense with nearly 10 minutes left. A scoring drive would be massive and that is what the offense got.

Up three points, Georgia Tech got the ball back and proceeded to go 70 yards in seven plays. The drive ended in an Eric Singleton Jr touchdown with nearly six minutes left and it felt like Georgia Tech finally had some separation.

Duke drove down the field on the next drive and got in scoring range. The Yellow Jackets got a big stop on third down and with 4:04 left on the clock, Duke head coach Manny Diaz opted to try a field goal to make it a one-score game and he missed it. The Yellow Jackets drained the clock from that point forward and won the game. They are now 4-2 (2-2 in the ACC).

Up next, Georgia Tech heads to Chapel Hill to face the Tar Heels. That game is going to kick off at 12:00 p.m. next Saturday and will be televised on the CW Network.