The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly From Georgia Tech's 27-18 Win Over Duke

What stood out in Georgia Tech's big win over the Duke Blue Devils?

Oct 18, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets linebacker Jackson Hamilton (17) looks on during the second half of the game against Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech has risen to No. 7 in the AP poll after their win over Duke on Saturday and the Yellow Jackets continue to inch closer to a spot in the ACC Championship. Georgia Teh is 7-0 heading into their matchup against Syracuse next Saturday, but before that game, let's revisit the good, the bad, and the ugly from yesterday's win over the Blue Devils.

The Good

Oct 18, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive back Omar Daniels (9) runs with the ball for a touchdown after recovering a fumble 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

• With the win, Georgia Tech remains unbeaten at 7-0 (4-0 ACC).
• Georgia Tech handed Duke (4-3, 3-1 ACC) its first ACC loss of the season.
• Georgia Tech moved to 7-0 for the time since 1966 and only the eighth time in the school’s 133 seasons of football (1917, 1928, 1942, 1947, 1952, 1964, 1966, 2025).
• Georgia Tech’s seven-game winning streak is its longest since it won eight-straight from Sept. 26-Nov. 14, 2009.
• Georgia Tech moved to 4-0 in ACC play for the first time 1998.
• Georgia Tech moved to 56-35-1 all-time versus Duke.
• Georgia Tech moved to 24-21 all-time at Duke.
• The win was Georgia Tech’s fifth-straight over Duke, which is the Yellow Jackets’ longest winning streak in the series since they won 10 in a row over the Blue Devils from 2004-13.
• Duke’s 68 rushing yards the fewest that Georgia Tech has allowed this season (prev.: 117 vs. Gardner-Webb – Sept. 6) and were a season low for the Blue Devils (prev.: 82 vs. Illinois – Sept. 6).

• After managing just 110 yards and averaging 4.6 yards per play in the first half, Georgia Tech’s offense had 266 yards and averaged 8.1 yards in the second half.
• Georgia Tech’s touchdown on Omar Daniels’ 95-yard fumble return in the first quarter was the Yellow Jackets’ first score on a fumble return since Jaylon King’s 40-yard touchdown at Miami (Fla.) on Nov. 6, 2021.

• Omar Daniels’ 95-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the first quarter is the longest official fumble return in Georgia Tech history (fumble returns became an official NCAA statistic in 1992). Daniels’ 95-yard return broke the previous school record of 93 (Zamari Walton vs. Notre Dame – Oct. 31, 2020) and was only Tech’s third official return of 90 or more yards (the third being Kofi Smith vs. Wake Forest – Nov. 21, 1998).
• Daniels’ 95-yard fumble return is also tied for the fourth-longest in ACC history, and the longest by an ACC player since Boston College’s Brandon Sebastian’s 97-yard return vs. Clemson on Oct. 31, 2020.
• Haynes King threw for 205 yards and ran for 120, marking the third time this season and seventh time in his career, as a Yellow Jacket, that he’s had at least 100 passing yards and 100 rushing yards in a game. The seven 100-yard passing/100-yard rushing games extend his school record (he has two more than any other Yellow Jacket, all-time).
• With his 205 passing yards, King upped his career passing total at Georgia Tech to 6,132 yards. He is only the fifth player in Tech history to throw for 6,000 yards as a Yellow Jacket (prev: Joe Hamilton – 8,882, 1996-99; Shawn Jones – 8,441, 1989-92; Reggie Ball – 8,128, 2003-06 and George Godsey – 6,167 – 1998-2001) and the first to do it over only three seasons at Tech.
• Jamal Haynes moved into a tie for ninth in Georgia Tech history with 2,412 career rushing yards, matching QB Justin Thomas, who rushed for 2,412 yards from 2013-16.
• Josh Beetham’s 49-yard reception in the third quarter was a career-long , breaking his previous career-long of 31 that he set last Saturday vs. Virginia Tech.
• Beetham’s last two receptions have totaled 80 yards. Before last week, he had four receptions for 46 yards in his career.
• DB Jy Gilmore’s 11 tackles shattered his previous high as a Yellow Jacket (prev.: 7 at Wake Forest – Sept. 27).

• The red zone defense was awesome. It was the definition of bend but don't break and Georgia Tech did a good job of keeping Duke out of the endzone when it mattered

• Aidan Birr was perfect on the day kicking field goals

• Georgia Tech got two sacks and three TFL's on the day.

• Only four penalties yesterday for the Yellow Jackets.

The Bad

Oct 18, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back Anderson Castle (4) runs with the ball during the first half of the game against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

• While Duke has a really good offense, Georgia Tech nearly gave up 400 yards through the air and Blue Devils QB Darian Mensah was in rhythm right from the jump. Georgia Tech's defense did well in the redzone but Duke did not have a problem moving it through the air.

• To start the game, the tackling was very poor for the Yellow Jackets. Duke was going with their quick game early on and the Yellow Jackets were not tackling well to begin.

• Aside from Haynes King, the running backs and the running game overall could not get free.

The Ugly

• The offense took way too long to get going. After Daniels defensive touchdown, Georgia Tech had opportunities to add to the lead and take control of the game early, but they let Duke hang around and keep the game close. Against other teams, Georgia Tech needs to show a killer instinct and put teams away earlier.