Georgia Tech Opens As An Underdog Against Clemson In Big Week 3 Matchup

Can Georgia Tech find a way to beat Clemson on Saturday?

Aug 29, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Bailey Stockton (7) carries the ball in the second quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech has started its season off 2-0 and got a dominant victory over Gardner Webb yesterday. Next up for the Yellow Jackets is a date with long time rival Clemson. Georgia Tech has not beaten Clemson since 2014 and with the way the Tigers have struggled to start the season, this seems like a prime opportunity for Brent Key to get a big ACC victory at home.

Clemson is still the favorite

Clemson Tigers cornerback Avieon Terrell (8) celebrates after stopping a fake punt attempt by Troy Trojans Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025 during the NCAA football game at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Tigers dropped their season opener to LSU and were down 16-0 vs Troy before they were able to mount a comeback and defeat the Trojans 27-16. They are the favorite to win the ACC and at Fanduel Sportsbook, they are starting out as 6.5 point favorites vs the Yellow Jackets. In the offseason, Clemson was at one point a 9.5 point favorite over Georgia Tech, but the Tigers struggles have lowered that number.

This would be one of the biggest wins of Key's tenure as the head coach at Georgia Tech. While he has gotten several ranked wins against ACC opponents, the fact that Georgia Tech has not beaten the Tigers in a long time in the rivalry would add something special to this win if they earned it. Not only that, but Georgia Tech would be have the tiebreaker over the Tigers and would join Miami and Florida State as favorites in the ACC.

Who plays QB?

Georgia Tech QB Aaron Philo | Georgia Tech Athletic

Georgia Tech quarterback Aaron Philo got his first career start yesterday and threw for nearly 400 yards. Haynes King was out due to a nagging lower body injury and it was a game time decision according to Brent Key:

"Yeah, it was a decision that was really right up into game time you guys saw he was he went out for pregame warm -ups he's got a just a nagging lower body injury you know that you know I trust I put a hundred percent trust in faith in our medical staff and our doctors and our training staff and you know as much as you want somebody to play you know they're gonna do its best for them so they can you know not have one week turned into four or five or six so they made the right decision, and then, you know, I'm going to support those people, the doctors, and back them up into any point in time."

Who will play at quarterback this week is one of the intriguing questions for the game.

Georgia Tech also needs a faster start in this game. In each of their first two games. Against Colorado and Gardner-Webb, the Yellow Jackets turned it over on their first two possessions and have five first quarter turnovers in each game. Key talked about the slow starts in yesterday's press conference:

We have turnover drills and ball security drills in practice. All offensive guys don't go to defense and try to get the ball turned over. They're trying to protect it. Look, this is uncharacteristic of our football team and what we take pride in and what we work into the day. It's got to be fixed. We've got to continue to work these things. We've got to continue to put the players in positions that practice is game like and where they're they feel that pressure and the decisions and whatnot.

You look, some of the things from last week were drastically cleaned up this week and then you know something else, and like I said, you know, Aaron comes to the sideline after the second one. Hey, man, you did it. They're over with. All right, now let's go play ball.

First time guys get in there, when you really-- it's a little different when you're the guy as opposed to coming off the bench. So I was proud of the way that he settled back into the game and was able to compete the rest of the day."

Georgia Tech vs Clemson will kick off at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday (ESPN).

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