By : Colton Towns
(Photo/Faizan Bokhari-The Mojo Network)
Haynes King delivered another stellar performance, throwing five total touchdowns as No. 7 Georgia Tech rolled past Syracuse 41-16 on Saturday. It marked the Yellow Jackets’ first home game as a top 10 team since 2009, and they made it count with an emphatic victory.
Georgia Tech (8-0, 5-0 ACC) trailed briefly after Syracuse opened with a field goal, but the Orange (3-5, 1-4) squandered a golden opportunity on their opening drive. Two pre snap penalties and a sack forced them to settle for three points instead of a touchdown. The Yellow Jackets responded with 20 unanswered points, including two second quarter touchdown passes from King to tight end Josh Beetham, and never looked back.
“We’re getting closer to playing a full game,” head coach Brent Key said. “The good thing about that is we haven’t peaked yet.”
King added another touchdown strike to Dean Patterson and ran for two more scores in the second half, totaling 395 yards of offense with 304 through the air and 91 on the ground. His 12 rushing touchdowns lead all FBS quarterbacks. The victory moved Georgia Tech to 8-0 for the first time since 1966, only the sixth time in school history.
Beetham’s night started rocky when he dropped a potential touchdown early in the game, but he quickly redeemed himself with two scores. “He came off the field and I told him, ‘Move on, next play,’” Key said. “He did just that. Fourth and one, he made a big play for us, and then got another one later.”
Despite playing shorthanded in the secondary without nickel Jy Gilmore, corner Ahmari Harvey, and later losing Zachary Tobe to injury, the defense held Syracuse to just three first half points. Safety Clayton Powell Lee credited the team’s mindset for the strong showing. “It’s just seizing an opportunity,” he said. “Next man up. That doesn’t mean the play drops off. It just means it’s your turn.”
For Syracuse, the offensive struggles continued. The Orange managed only one touchdown drive to open the second half and have now lost four straight games since quarterback Steve Angeli’s injury, averaging just 12.5 points during that span.
Georgia Tech will now head to Raleigh to face NC State before its second bye week, while Syracuse returns home for a short turnaround against North Carolina on Friday night.