The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly From Georgia Tech's 48-36 Loss to NC State

What are the biggest takeaways from Georgia Tech's loss to NC State?

Nov 1, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key during the fourth quarter against the NC State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech is undefeated no more.

The Yellow Jackets went on the road and fell to NC State 48-36, a night when their defense could not get a stop and the offense settled for field goals instead of touchdowns. NC State totaled nearly 600 yards while also missing two of their best players (RB Hollywood Smothers and TE Justin Joly), and the Yellow Jackets only got one stop in the first nine possessions of the game.

Let's break down the good, the bad, and the ugly from last night.

The Good

Nov 1, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) runs the ball against the NC State Wolfpack during the fourth quarter at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Yes, there was some good in this game.

• Georgia Tech’s 559 yards of total offense were a season-high against an NCAA Division I FBS opponent (prev.: 543 vs Syracuse, last Saturday).
• Georgia Tech’s 408 passing yards were the fifth-most in school history and fourth-most against an NCAA Division I FBS opponent. The 408 passing yards were its most against an FBS opponent since its school-record 486 passing yards vs. Virginia on Nov. 10, 2001.

• Haynes King accounted for a school-record 511 yards of total offense (408 passing, 103 rushing) and four touchdowns (two passing, two rushing).
• King’s 511 yards of total offense shattered Georgia Tech’s previous single-game record of 477, set by George Godsey vs. Virginia on Nov. 10, 2001.
• King’s 408 passing yards are the fourth-most in Georgia Tech history and the most by a Yellow Jacket since Godsey’s 486 vs. Virginia in 2001.
• King’s four touchdowns were responsible for giving him a school-record 85 at Georgia Tech. His 85 touchdowns as a Yellow Jacket broke the previous Georgia Tech career record of 83, set by Joe Hamilton from 1996-99. King set the school record in just 32 games at Georgia Tech – Hamilton played 43 games at Tech.
• King extended his own Georgia Tech career record with his 16th game with a passing touchdown and rushing touchdown (second-most: 12 – Joe Hamilton, 1996-99).
• King extended his own Georgia Tech career record with his eighth game as a Yellow Jacket with 100 passing yards and 100 rushing yards (second-most: 5 – Justin Thomas, 2013-16).
• King set a new Georgia Tech single-season record with his fifth game of the season with 100 passing yards and 100 rushing yards (prev.: Justin Thomas – 4, 2014).
• King’s eight 100-yard rushing games as a quarterback are tied for the second-most in Georgia Tech history (tied with Josh Nesbitt – 2008-10 and two behind TaQuon Marshall’s 10 – 2015-18).
• Jordan Allen’s 110 receiving yards were a career high (prev.: 78 vs. Gardner-Webb – Sept. 6).
• Eric Rivers’ 97 receiving yards were his most as a Yellow Jacket (prev.: 77 at Wake Forest – Sept. 27).
• J.T. Byrne’s 2-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter was the first TD of his 34-game collegiate career (Oregon State – 2021-22, Cal – 2023-24, Georgia Tech – 2025).
• Brett Seither’s four receptions and 73 receiving yards were both his most in 48 career collegiate games (including four seasons at Georgia (2019-22) and three at Georgia Tech (2023-25) – (prev.: 2 receptions and 40 yards vs. North Carolina – Oct. 28, 2023).
• Aidan Birr matched a career high by making three field goals in a game for the seventh time in his career (most recently at Wake Forest – Sept. 27).

The Bad

• The redzone offense. While the offense should not shoulder the blame for this loss of course, Georgia Tech's inability to convert in the redzone and settling for field goals was problematic in a game environment like this. NC State's defense could not stop Georgia Tech during the game, but they bowed up when it mattered, holding them to four field goal attempts. If Georgia Tech had converted those opportunities into touchdowns, they could have had a chance to win the game.

• Georgia Tech's rushing offense could not get it done for most of the night. The Yellow Jackets averaged only 4.6 yards per carry and Haynes King was the only player who could consistently get yards on the ground.

The Ugly

All of the defensive stuff belongs in the ugly portion of this piece. To no surprise, this is going to be the most we have put in this section this season.

• No. 8/7 Georgia Tech suffered its first loss of the season to fall to 8-1 overall and 5-1 in Atlantic Coast Conference play.
• Georgia Tech remains in a tie for second place in the ACC standings, a half-game behind first-place Virginia (8-1, 5-0 ACC).
• Georgia Tech’s eight-game winning streak, its longest since 2009, was snapped.
• Georgia Tech’s seven-game ACC winning streak, its longest since 2009-10, was snapped.
• Georgia Tech’s three-game road winning streak, its longest since 2023, was snapped.

• NC State’s 589 yards of total offense were the most allowed by Georgia Tech since Florida State had 642 yards against the Yellow Jackets on Oct. 29, 2022.
• NC State’s 243 rushing yards were the most that Georgia Tech has allowed since the Wolfpack ran for 253 against the Yellow Jackets on Nov. 21 of last season.
• Georgia Tech allowed more than 24 points in regulation for the first time this season, snapping its longest streak of consecutive games allowing 24 points or less in regulation (eight games) since the first eight games of 2008.

• NC State averaged 8.7 yards per play and Wolpack quarterback CJ Bailey averaged 14.2 yards per completion.

• The Middle eight of the game. After King found J.T. Byrne for a touchdown to take the lead 17-14, NC State marched down the field in seven plays, including a CJ Bailey scramble drill that resulted in a 51-yard completion on 3rd and 22. If Georgia Tech gets a stop on 3rd and 22 and gets the ball back up three, it could have been a completely different game. After the NC State touchdown, Birr missed a 54-yard field goal and then NC State marched down the field quickly and got a field goal before the end of the half.

• NC State ran nine plays in the third quarter and scored two touchdowns. That is horrible defense and inexplicable.

• NC State was 7-11 on third down.