Georgia Tech raced out to an early lead and never looked back, beating Virginia Tech 35-20 at Bobby Dodd Stadium on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Atlanta.

   The Yellow Jackets remain unbeaten and become bowl eligible at 6-0 for the earliest in the season since 2011.​..just the second time with that record in the last 59 years!

   I thought it was interesting that, to honor Buzz celebrating 45 years as a mascot, they brought out a dozen or so men and women who inhabited Buzz over the decades…people we watched, but never saw.

   Other in game celebrations included honoring the 35th anniversary of the 1990 National Champions. 80 former members of the team were on the field including then Defensive Coordinator George O’Leary.

   Five former Tech coaches were also later honored in the end zone to acknowledge the 50th anniversary of the Bobby Dodd Trophy including the five Tech Men that have won the award – Bill Curry, Bobby Ross, George O’Leary, Ralph Friedgen and newly inducted Hall of Famers Paul Johnson – were honored. Johnson, O’Leary, Friedgen, Curry and Ross’ son were in attendance.

  Over 50,000 students and fans were in attendance. I spoke to a tailgating family from Roswell before the game. “This is the best team Tech has had in decades. They’re really fun to watch,” said Jack Williamson.

   Haynes King Shines in Win – Quarterback Haynes King led the offense with 213 passing yards and three total touchdowns, including two on the ground and a 9-yard strike to Malik Rutherford. His fourth-quarter 26-yard touchdown run put the game out of reach. “That was a heck of a run, wasn’t it,” head coach Brent Key said, embracing King after the play. King’s confidence and execution have defined Georgia Tech’s offense through their perfect start.​

   Key was proud but remained focused on improving. “Always good to get a win, y’all. 6-0 is a good accomplishment at this point. It really is. Proud of the way the guys went out and played. We got some plays when we needed to. Enjoy the win, but we’ll come in tomorrow and be extremely critical and work to continue to improve,” he said.​

   Key praised his team’s resilience, emphasizing their ability to respond to adversity and play for all 60 minutes. “We really do preach no scoreboard, play every play, regardless of what happened on the last. Our goal is to play a complete 60 minute football game… If we can take things we didn’t do well today and improve, I think we’ll be in a good position as the season moves along,” he explained.​

   Hosley and Defense Make Statement – Running back Malachi Hosley racked up 129 yards and a touchdown on just 11 carries, using explosive plays to set up scores throughout the night. Georgia Tech’s defense stifled Virginia Tech early and delivered crucial stops under pressure. Key put special focus on the defensive effort: “I was pleased with some of the pressure we got early. Got a couple sacks and created some negative plays. We wanted to be able to score first and take advantage of some things we saw on film,” Key added.​

   Bowl Eligibility and Next Steps – This victory clinched bowl eligibility for the third consecutive season under Key, whose 2025 squad became the first ACC team with six wins. “That’s the expectation. It really is. So, keep it up,” Key said of the program’s standard.​

  Of concern is the way the Jackets let the Hokies get back in it. Georgia Tech had dominated the first half not only with the two score lead but outgaining the Virginia Tech 271-95 ahead in time of possession 18:23 to 11:37. Having said that, it seemed at the time like they should have had a bigger lead than 14 points.

  And, reminiscent of the Temple game, the visitors scored in the third quarter and were within seven points, 21-14, of tying the game. But, the Jackets showed their resiliency and stepped on the gas to run away after that with a pair of touchdowns to ice the game at 35-14.

   With Georgia Tech now 6-0, the Yellow Jackets shift their focus to remaining contenders in the ACC title race, with a trip to Duke next on the schedule.​

  Kickoff is set for noon Saturday on ESPN.