By : Cody Reed
(Photo/Faizan Bokhari-The Mojo Network)
Georgia Tech’s unbeaten run finally came to an end. The Yellow Jackets fell 48–36 to NC State on the road in a game where the defense couldn’t come up with stops and the offense settled for too many field goals. The Wolfpack piled up nearly 600 yards of offense despite being without two key players running back Hollywood Smothers and tight end Justin Joly while Tech’s defense managed just one stop on NC State’s first nine drives.
Still, there were bright spots. Georgia Tech’s offense posted 559 total yards, their highest mark this season against an FBS opponent, and quarterback Haynes King delivered a record-breaking performance. King threw for 408 yards the fourth-most in school history and rushed for 103 more, giving him a Georgia Tech record 511 yards of total offense and four total touchdowns. His four scores pushed him to a school-best 85 career touchdowns, surpassing Joe Hamilton’s mark of 83. King also extended several personal records, including his 16th career game with both a passing and rushing touchdown and his eighth 100–100 game, both Georgia Tech records. Jordan Allen led the way receiving with 110 yards, while Eric Rivers added 97 and tight end J.T. Byrne caught his first career touchdown. Veteran tight end Brett Seither also had a career night with four catches for 73 yards, and kicker Aidan Birr tied his career high with three field goals.
The biggest issue, though, was red zone execution. Georgia Tech moved the ball with ease but struggled to finish drives, settling for four field goals when touchdowns were needed. NC State’s defense tightened up inside the 20, and those missed opportunities proved costly. The run game was inconsistent outside of King’s efforts, averaging just 4.6 yards per carry and lacking a consistent push up front.
Defensively, the performance was hard to watch. NC State’s 589 total yards were the most allowed by Georgia Tech since 2022, and their 243 rushing yards were the highest surrendered since last year’s meeting with the Wolfpack. Tech gave up 8.7 yards per play and allowed quarterback CJ Bailey to average 14.2 yards per completion. The Jackets’ streak of eight straight games allowing 24 points or fewer in regulation came to a halt, as did their eight-game winning streak their longest since 2009. Their seven-game conference streak also ended, along with a three-game road streak.
One sequence in particular shifted the game’s momentum. After King’s touchdown pass to Byrne gave Tech a 17–14 lead, the Wolfpack converted a 3rd-and-22 on a 51-yard scramble drill before scoring to retake the lead. A missed 54-yard field goal by Birr and another quick NC State drive for points before halftime flipped the game completely. Then, out of the break, NC State ran only nine plays in the third quarter but scored two touchdowns a brutal stretch that summed up the Jackets’ defensive collapse. NC State finished 7-of-11 on third down, capitalizing on nearly every key moment.
With the loss, No. 8 Georgia Tech drops to 8–1 overall and 5–1 in ACC play, still within striking distance of first-place Virginia but with plenty to fix before the next challenge.