Biggest Takeaways From No. 12 Georgia Tech's 27-18 Win Over Duke

Georgia Tech picked up a key win over the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday on the road in Durham. The big story is their defense in the red zone and the offense getting going in the second half of the game, scoring 20 of its 27 points in the second half. The offense was moving the ball with ease and making big, explosive plays in the pass game. Georgia Tech is now 7-0 for the first time since 1966. Let’s take a look at some key takeaways from the win.

1. Haynes King carries the Yellow Jackets in the second half

Georgia Tech Quarterback Haynes Kin — Oct 18, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) prepares to throw the ball during the first half of the game against Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

King put together a great second half after only having 59 passing yards in the first half. He finished the game with 205 passing yards, 120 rushing yards, and a touchdown. One of his most impressive plays came on a 3rd down to put the game away, and he iced it with a long run. A few plays later, he capped it off with a 27-yard touchdown run. King averaged 8.6 yards per carry in the win. He came up with a number of big plays and continued to churn out yardage against a stout Duke defense. You may think the numbers aren’t gaudy, but King continues to do whatever the Yellow Jackets need week in and week out. I think he has cemented himself in the Heisman conversation with how valuable he is to this team and what he does on a weekly basis.

2. Georgia Tech red zone defense

The Yellow Jackets gave up yards against the Duke Blue Devils, but played their best football in the key areas of the red zone. Coming into the game, the Yellow Jackets ranked 32nd in red zone defense. Before the garbage time touchdown, the Yellow Jackets had only allowed a field goal in three possessions when Duke kept making it to the red zone. They had a goal-line stand during the first drive of the second half that took over nine minutes of time off the clock. In Duke’s first possession of the game, Georgia Tech forced a fumble after a big hit by AJ Hoffler that jarred the ball loose. Omar Daniels would go on to have the longest fumble return for a touchdown in program history, returning the fumble from 95 yards out. It was a big change in momentum. The defense helped carry the day and once again kept the Yellow Jackets in the game as the offense tried to find its footing.

3. Georgia Tech rush defense was superb

A much maligned area for the Yellow Jackets has been their rush defense, which came in ranked No. 105 in run defense. They had given up a number of 100-yard rushers on the season and struggled to slow down other offenses. Saturday was a different story, however. It was the first time this season that Georgia Tech held an opponent under 100 rushing yards. The Yellow Jackets held true freshman Nate Sheppard to just 50 yards on 15 carries. Backup running back Anderson Castle rushed for 32 yards on 11 carries and couldn’t get going in the run game. The Yellow Jackets held the Blue Devils to 68 yards on 32 carries, amounting to just 2.1 yards per carry. Duke had to be highly one-dimensional to have success against Georgia Tech, and while they made big plays. The Blue Devils couldn’t convert where it mattered most, which hurt them.

4.Duke WR Cooper Barkate gave Yellow Jackets fits

In the first half alone, he had seven catches for 118 yards. He averaged 17 yards per catch in the first half. Barkate finished the game with 13 catches for 172 yards. He made explosive play after explosive play and continued to move the sticks for the Blue Devils. He averaged 13.2 yards per catch overall and had his longest reception of 35 yards in the game. The Yellow Jackets had no answers for the Harvard transfer as he carved them up in a big way on Saturday.

5. Georgia Tech neutralized Duke EDGE Wesley Williams and Vincent Anthony Jr

It is never easy to neutralize the top pass rushers in college football, but the Yellow Jackets did just that in slowing down Williams and Anthony Jr. They combined for a total of five tackles in the game and couldn’t get pressure on Haynes King in the game. Coming into the game, Anthony Jr was one of the best pass rushers in the NCAA and had 6.5 sacks, which ranked top 10 in the country. He finished with only two tackles on the afternoon and couldn’t create pressure on the quarterback. Williams had a little bit of a better game, finishing with three tackles and a quarterback hit. Neither could take over the game and make a big impact on Saturday.

6. Georgia Tech is in prime position to make the College Football Playoff

After a big win over the Blue Devils on the road, Georgia Tech is now 4-0 in the ACC. They sit atop the standings of the conference, especially after Miami lost to Louisville on Friday night. The Yellow Jackets also have a favorable ACC Schedule left with Syracuse, Boston College, NC State, and Pittsburgh on the schedule, all winnable games for Georgia Tech. With a win and some chaos, they should be a top 10 team in college football come this week. They have shown enough they warrant that billing. Their defense can make plays and force critical stops when it needs to, and the offense, when it gets going, is tough to stop.