The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly From Georgia Tech's 24-21 Win Over Clemson

Georgia Tech took down Clemson yesterday and got arguably the biggest win of the Brent Key era

Sep 13, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) and head coach Brent Key celebrate after a victory over the Clemson Tigers at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech had not beaten Clemson since 2014 and the Yellow Jackets did it in dramatic fashion today. After trailing 14-13 in the second half, the Yellow Jackets put together clutch play after clutch lay, with none bigger than Aidan Birr's 55-yard field goal at the end of the game. With no timeouts, Georgia Tech ran a play to get it to the middle of the field and hurried the field goal team out onto the field.

Yellow Jackets kicker Aidan Birr was perfect on the day and the season, and he made the most important one count. Birr hurried onto the field and kicked the field goal right down the middle and giving Georgia Tech their biggest win of the Brent Key era.

Let's break down the good, the bad, and the ugly from yesterday's win.

The Good

Sep 13, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Dean Patterson (11) catches a pass for a two-point conversion against the Clemson Tigers in the fourth quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

• They got the win. Getting a win is always good, beating a rival is better.

• This win gives Georgia Tech a clear path to get to Charlotte for the ACC Championship. While they have to go out and earn it, Georgia Tech is going to be favored in every game the rest of the way until they play Georgia. They will have to remain consistent and take each opponent seriously, but the path is there for the Yellow Jackets.

• Zero turnovers in this game after having five in the first two games combined.

• Only three penalties this week.

• The execution on the game winning field goal attempt.

• Georgia Tech moved to 3-0 for the first time since 2016.
• Georgia Tech moved to 7-1 under head coach Brent Key against nationally ranked ACC opponents.
• The win was Georgia Tech’s first over Clemson since 2014, snapping a nine-game losing streak against the Tigers.
• Georgia Tech moved to 51-36-2 all-time against Clemson, in a rivalry that dates back to 1898.
• Georgia Tech moved to 45-17-2 all-time at home against Clemson, although it snapped a four-game home losing streak against the Tigers.
• The win was Georgia Tech’s seventh-straight at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field, extending its longest winning streak at the stadium since it won eight in a row from 2016-17.
• Georgia Tech moved to 21-22 all-time and 14-8 since 2004 in ACC openers.

• Georgia Tech’s two takeaways were a season high. The Yellow Jackets had forced only one turnover over their first two games of the season (a fumble recovery last Saturday vs. Gardner-Webb).
• Georgia Tech’s two takeaways were timely ones. The first, a fumble that was forced by DB Omar Daniels and recovered by DB Zachary Tobe on Clemson’s first possession, led to the Yellow Jackets taking a 3-0 lead on Aidan Birr’s 40-yard field goal. The second, an interception by Daniels on the GT 7-yard line on Clemson’s opening possession of the second half, thwarted a Tigers’ scoring opportunity.
• Georgia Tech’s two-point conversion (a pass from WR Malik Rutherford to WR Dean Patterson) was the Yellow Jackets’ first successful two-point conversion try in a non-overtime setting since Oct. 28, 2023 vs. North Carolina (a pass from QB Haynes King to Rutherford).

• RB Jamal Haynes’ 5-yard touchdown run in the second quarter was the 19th rushing TD of his career. He is just one away from becoming only the 17th player in Georgia Tech history with 20 career rushing TDs.
• With a 3-for-3 day on field goal attempts, r-Jr. PK Aidan Birr became first player in Georgia Tech history with a .800 career field-goal percentage (min. 20 att.). Birr is 38-for-47 (.809) for his career. The second-highest percentage in program history is .732 (Travis Bell – 41-for-56, 2004-07).
• Birr’s 55-yard game-winning field goal is just the sixth “walk-off” field goal in Georgia Tech program history and also the longest in program history. Birr’s first “walk-off” was a 44-yard kick to secure Tech’s season-opening win against No. 10 Florida State in Dublin, Ireland (Aug. 24, 2024).
• The 55-yard field goal from Birr was a career-high for the junior and ties the longest field goal made in program history, accomplished three times previously (David Bell vs. Georgia, 1986; Ron Rice vs. The Citadel, 1982; E.O. Whealler vs. VMI, 1973).
• DB Omar Daniels’ became only the 13th Georgia Tech player since 2005 with a forced fumble and an interception in the same game. He is the first Yellow Jacket to accomplish the feat since current Los Angeles Chargers DL Kyle Kennard had a FF and INT against South Carolina State on Sept. 9, 2023. Daniels is the first Yellow Jacket to have a FF and INT in the same game against an NCAA Division I FBS opponent since LB Bruce Jordan-Swilling at Virginia on Nov. 4, 2017.
• The forced fumble and interception were both Daniels’ firsts as a Yellow Jacket.
• . DB Zachary Tobe’s recovery of Daniels’ forced fumble was his first fumble recovery as a Yellow Jacket.
• QB Haynes King rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown, his fifth career 100-yard rushing game and second of the season. He also completed 20-of-28 passing attempts for 211 yards.

The Bad

Sep 13, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets running back Jamal Haynes (1) runs the ball against the Clemson Tigers in the third quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

• The running game, aside from Haynes King, was not effective. Jamal Haynes and Malachi Hosley had 15 combined carries for 39 yards and while Clemson has a talented defense, the Yellow Jackets can't rely just on Haynes King to carry the ground game.

• Georgia Tech only averaged 5.1 yards per play and 3.5 yards per carry.

• Giving up the 3rd and 22 near the end of the first half. Georgia Tech had a chance to really assert themselves early in the game with a 13-0 lead, but they gave up a 30-yard run on 3rd and 22 that led to a Clemson touchdown.

• Early redzone miscues. I will get to the 4th down play calling early, but Georgia Tech had two redzone trips early in the game and came away with only three points. They won the game, but this kind of thing can come back to bite you.

The Ugly

• The 4th down playcalling. Buster Faulkner had a great day calling plays, but the 4th down calls were not great. Facing fourth and short twice, Georgia Tech did not put it in the hands of their best player or give it to Jamal Haynes or Malachi Hosley. It felt like they got too cute twice and it could have cost them.

• Zero tackles for loss and zero sacks. Georgia Tech has only one sack against power four competition and that is going to have to improve if they want to avoid being upset at some point this year.