DUBLIN, Ireland — Georgia Tech football just pulled the first upset of the 2024 college football season.
The team took a flight all the way to Dublin, Ireland and upset the No. 10 ranked Florida State Seminoles thanks to a 44-yard field goal from kicker Aidan Birr.
Following a great game from the Yellow Jackets, here are three takeaways from their week 0 victory.
A bulldozing backfield
Unlike Florida State, Georgia Tech’s offensive line held up extremely well all game. They allowed no sacks and only three tackles for a loss.
Their dominance allowed head coach Brent Key’s run heavy offense to shine.
Redshirt junior running back Jamal Haynes ran for 75 yards on 11 attempts, as he averaged a strong 6.8 yards per carry. He also showed an ability to get small and lower his shoulder for two goal line touchdowns.
Redshirt junior quarterback Haynes King was second on the team in rushing with 54 yards on the ground. Multiple designed quarterback runs got the Yellow Jackets key first downs throughout the game, but he also made good decisions at times and scrambled when nothing was open.
While he did throw for 146 yards through the air, Georgia Tech’s touchdowns only came from the run game, a testament to how dominant the team was on the line of scrimmage.
Key, a former Georgia Tech offensive lineman and offensive line coach, clearly got the most out of his front five, as they helped the Yellow Jackets surprise the world on Saturday.
A relentless pass rush
Florida State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei had no time on Saturday.
The Yellow Jackets pass rush, featuring Central Georgia native Romello Height, found a way into the Seminoles backfield all game.
The team finished with seven tackles for a loss and a sack from senior defensive lineman Kevin Harris II. Height initially had a sack early in the game, but it was taken off the board due to a facemask call. He finished the game with three tackles and a tackle for loss.
Redshirt sophomore Kyle Efford led the way with 10 tackles, but it was mostly a team effort from Georgia Tech.
At least eight different players had half a tackle for a loss or better. This relentlessness overwhelmed the Seminoles’ offensive line and gave the Yellow Jacket defensive backs plenty of time, and helped them keep Uiagalelei under 200 passing yards and no passing touchdowns.
While the performance wasn’t perfect, the fact that they allowed only two touchdowns from one of the most anticipated offenses in college football is a performance to be proud of.
A tone setting upset
It took one game for a massive, league shaking upset to happen this year, and Georgia Tech was at the forefront of it.
Georgia Tech, who is considered to have one of the toughest schedules in all of college football this year, just overcame, arguably, its toughest opponent on paper, coming into the season. Not to mention they did it on a massive stage overseas in Ireland.
Key led the Yellow Jackets to their first winning season since 2018. Suddenly, after a big win against a top 10 team coming into the year, he could have a shot to give Georgia Tech its first double digit win season since 2014.
Georgia Tech still has plenty of potentially tough opponents, like No. 7 Notre Dame, No. 19 Miami (Fla.) and, of course, No. 1 Georgia.
However, after a big win in week 0, Key and the Yellow Jackets could be set up for their best season in a decade.