The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly From Georgia Tech's 35-20 Win Over Virginia Tech

Georgia Tech wins their sixth straight and remains undefeated heading into a big ACC matchup against Duke

Oct 11, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) hands the ball off to running back Trelain Maddox (22) against the Virginia Tech Hokies in the second quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech raced out to an 18-0 lead yesterday against Virginia Tech, and while things did not always go smoothly for the Yellow Jackets, they secured a 35-20 win over the Hokies and reached 6-0. Georgia Tech is now bowl eligible for the third straight season under Brent Key, but they are aiming for bigger goals now. With the win today, Georgia Tech has set itself up for one of the biggest games in the ACC this season when it travels to Duke next weekend.

With that being said, what are the good, the bad, and the ugly coming out of the win in Atlanta on Saturday?

The Good

Oct 11, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) throws a pass against the Virginia Tech Hokies in the first quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

• They got a win. A win is always good and Georgia Tech is still unbeaten as a whole and in ACC play.

• Each season that Brent Key has been the full-time head coach, Georgia Tech has made it to a bowl game, this year earlier than ever before. Key continues to elevate this program and has this program 6-0 for the first time since 2011.

• The defensive line was solid today, getting four sacks and the Yellow Jackets defense ended up with six tackles for loss total.

• Georgia Tech’s six-game winning streak is its longest since it won six consecutive games to open the 2011 season and matches its longest win streak since it won eight in a row in 2009.
• Georgia Tech has clinched bowl eligibility. The Yellow Jackets are bowl eligible in three straight seasons for the first time since 2012-14.
• Georgia Tech is bowl eligible at the second-earliest date in school history (the Yellow Jackets became bowl eligible on Oct. 8, 2011).
• Georgia Tech is the first Atlantic Coast Conference team to clinch bowl eligibility in 2025.
• Georgia Tech moved to 3-0 in ACC play for the first time since 2011.
• Georgia Tech has won nine straight games at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. It is the Yellow Jackets’ longest winning streak at Bobby Dodd Stadium since they won 17 straight home games from 1989-91.
• Georgia Tech moved to 9-12 all-time against Virginia Tech.
• The win was Georgia Tech’s first over Virginia Tech since 2023 and only the Yellow Jackets’ second win over the Hokies in the last five matchups.
• The win was Georgia Tech’s first over Virginia Tech at home since 2017, its second win in its last seven home games vs. VT, and only its fourth win in 11 all-time home matchups with the Hokies.
• Georgia Tech did not commit a turnover while intercepting VT once. The Yellow Jackets moved to 14-3 under head coach Brent Key when winning the turnover battle.

• Just one game after breaking Georgia Tech’s all-time record for most games with a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown, Haynes King added to his record total by throwing and running for a TD for the 14th time. He needed less than one quarter to do it on Saturday, as he ran for a 2-yard touchdown on Georgia Tech’s first possession and threw a 9-yard TD pass to r-Malik Rutherford on the Yellow Jackets’ second offensive series. King added a 26-yard rushing TD to give him three touchdowns responsible for on the day.
• With 213 passing yards, King finished the day with 5,927 passing yards in 29 games at Georgia Tech (2023-pres.). He is just 73 yards shy of becoming the fifth player in Georgia Tech history with 6,000 passing yards as a Yellow Jacket, and the first to accomplish the feat in just three seasons as a Yellow Jacket.
• King’s two rushing touchdowns give him 30 as a Yellow Jacket, which are the third-most rushing TDs by a quarterback in Georgia Tech history (surpassing TaQuon Marshall – 29, 2015-18). 
• King became only the sixth player in Georgia Tech history with 30 rushing touchdowns as a Yellow Jacket, regardless of position.
• King completed 20-of-24 passes (.833), which is the second-highest single-game completion percentage in Georgia Tech history (min. 20 attempts).
• Malachi Hosley rushed for 129 yards on 11 carries (11.7 avg.). The 129 rushing yards are his most at Georgia Tech and the 100-yard game is his second as a Yellow Jacket (prev.: 100 vs. Gardner-Webb – Sept. 6). Hosley had 10 100-yard rushing games over his first two collegiate seasons at Penn (2023-24).
• Josh Beetham’s 31-yard reception in the waning seconds of the first half, which set up the Georgia Tech field goal that gave the Yellow Jackets a 21-7 halftime lead, was the longest of his career (prev.: 17 - 2X: most recently at Wake Forest – Sept. 27).
• Eric Rivers’ 42-yard punt return in the first quarter was the longest by a Yellow Jacket since Jamal Golden’s 44-yard return vs. Tulane on Sept. 12, 2015.
• Aidan Birr made his first two field goal attempts of the game (25 and 30 yards) to move to 12-for-12 on the season and join Gavin Stewart (2022) as the only two Yellow Jackets since at least 1982 to make their first 12 field goal attempts of a season.
• Birr’s streak of 12 consecutive made field goals came to an end when his 51-yard attempt in the third quarter was blocked.
• Rodney Shelley’s interception in the third quarter was the first of his career.

The Bad

Oct 11, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies quarterback Kyron Drones (1) runs the ball for a touchdown against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the second quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

• The run defense was not particularly sharp yesterday. After beginning the game well today, Georgia Tech's defense had some lapses, particularly when it came to stopping the run. The Hokies could not find a consistent rhythm in the passing game, but rushed 34 times for 186 yards and averaged 5.5 yards per carry. Quarterback Kyron Drones ran 16 times for 83 yards, and running back Marcellous Hawkins ran nine times for 82 yards. The Yellow Jackets' defense struggled to consistently get stops in the second half, and that is something that needs to improve in the games ahead.

• Georgia Tech gave up nearly seven yards per play.

• Giving up a blocked field goal. It was the first missed field goal of the season for Aidan Birr, but one that was not his fault.

The Ugly

• The fourth down defense continues to be an issue. Virginia Tech scored two of its touchdowns on fourth-down plays and was 3-4 on the day. When you have a chance to get off the field, you have to take it and not give up big plays.