On the heels of a three-game losing streak, the Syracuse Orange face perhaps its toughest game of the season to date when they visit the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Saturday. Before the season, the Yellow Jackets had high hopes, and things have gone according to plan for them so far. Between that and Syracuse’s recent struggles, it’s easy to see why the Orange is a big underdog ahead of Saturday’s game. With that in mind, let’s get to know Georgia Tech a little better.
Where is Georgia Tech ranked?
Georgia Tech is ranked No. 7 nationally in both the AP and the Coaches poll. From last week to this week, they moved up five spots in both polls. The Yellow Jackets have also claimed the top spot in this week’s ACC power rankings.
Where is Georgia Tech in the standings?
The 7-0 Yellow Jackets are also 4-0 in the ACC, putting them at the top of the standings. While Virginia and SMU are also unbeaten in league play, both are just 3-0 inside the ACC, giving the Yellow Jackets sole possession of first place.
What did Georgia Tech do last week?
The Yellow Jackets earned a hard-fought 27-18 road win over Duke last week. A 95-yard fumble return for a touchdown gave the Yellow Jackets an early lead. With the Georgia Tech offense struggling to do much in the first half, that play saved them from falling behind. With Duke likely to get at least three points before that fumble, it ended up being the difference in the game. Of course, the Georgia Tech offense ultimately woke up in the second half to seize control of the game and hold off a late Duke comeback.
CFB: So many people thought Duke would win but Haynes King had other plans for Georgia Tech!pic.twitter.com/gDi5IN2gx4
— SHARP (@SharpAGOfficial) October 18, 2025
Who is Georgia Tech’s quarterback?
Haynes King is Georgia Tech’s senior quarterback. He’s in his sixth year of college, spending three seasons at Texas A&M before transferring to Georgia Tech, where he immediately became the starter for the Yellow Jackets. This is now his third year as Georgia Tech’s starter, and it’d be hard to find a quarterback who means more to his team.
Syracuse fans should remember King from last season’s 31-28 win over the Yellow Jackets. While the Orange held on for the win, King had two rushing touchdowns while throwing for 266 yards and a touchdown. He’s continued to be a dual-threat quarterback in 2025. Through seven games, King already has 10 rushing touchdowns, one shy of his total from last season. However, despite completing over 70% of his passes, King is averaging a modest 196 passing yards per game with just four passing touchdowns. Of course, he’s also thrown just three interceptions since the start of the 2024 season.
Who are Georgia Tech’s other stars?
King’s running mate in the Georgia Tech backfield is Jamal Haynes, the team’s senior running back. To be fair, Haynes has been held in check at times this season. He’s also started to share carries with Malachi Hosley, who has six rushing touchdowns this season compared to three for Haynes. Both backs have already eclipsed 400 rushing yards on the season and are running threats, especially with the way King uses his legs.
Defensively, the Yellow Jackets are solid all around, but don’t necessarily have a star player. Linebacker Kyle Efford remains the leader in the middle, but nobody on the Georgia Tech defensive line has more than 2.5 sacks through seven games. In the secondary, Ahmari Harvey is a pro prospect, although the Yellow Jackets have only forced two interceptions this season.
What is Georgia Tech’s biggest flaw?
At 7-0, it’s hard to find any glaring flaws with the Yellow Jackets. The biggest disappointment might be a lack of big plays in the passing game. While King has been efficient, Georgia Tech’s wide receivers have struggled to create explosive plays, which can make them limited offensively. However, the Georgia Tech running game is good enough to wear down teams, which is what happened last week against Duke.
How does Syracuse beat Georgia Tech?
Needless to say, the Syracuse defense is going to be the leader in any success the Orange has the rest of the way. Knowing that the Yellow Jackets don’t have a high-powered passing attack, Syracuse needs to focus on stopping the run, which the Orange has actually done with great success in their last two games. While it would be nice to put pressure on King, they also have to keep him contained in the pocket and force him to win the game with his arm.
Syracuse Head Coach Fran Brown on this weekend’s matchup with Brent Key & Georgia Tech: “This is when you find out who’s a real football coach and who isn’t”. pic.twitter.com/UNB44dL3Xz
— Tim Spears (@TSpears) October 20, 2025
Obviously, Syracuse isn’t going to be winning any shootouts this season. But Georgia Tech has been held to 30 points or less in four of its five games against power-conference opponents, so it’s not unreasonable to think that Syracuse can stay within striking distance. At some point, the Orange offense will need to produce something.
However, the top priority should be to avoid turnovers and be sound on special teams. Syracuse would have had a chance against Pitt last week if not for the punt return before the half and its careless turnovers. If the Orange has any chance in this game, it has to win the turnover battle and win on special teams.