I was hoping I would wake up from this nightmare on Sunday morning, but sadly, it wasn’t just a dream. Besides the 2013 and 2024 losses to UGA, this might be the most painful loss I have endured as a Georgia
Tech fan. The hype and aspirations of this season were so high that the loss feels all the more painful. The good news is, the season is far from over, and we still have every opportunity to redeem ourselves. Sitting at 8-1 after Week 10 is an incredible accomplishment and a testament to the hard work and resilience of this team. There’s no sugarcoating it — the NC State game was a tough one. But sometimes a setback is precisely what’s needed to refocus, regroup, and reignite that competitive edge. This bye week couldn’t have come at a better time. Now is our chance to reset mentally, learn from our mistakes, and address the critical issues that led to this loss. Here is what I think I know as we head into this bye week and try to move onward and finish the season strong.
Haynes King deserved this win more than anyone on that field
In yet another Heisman-like performance, it finally wasn’t enough to save this team. Haynes put his heart out on the line once again, and the defense couldn’t do squat to help him. He finished the game 25/35 with 408 yards passing, 103 yards rushing, four touchdowns, and one interception. He even broke Joe Hamilton’s school record for most career touchdowns (83) after racking up 85 of his own. He also now leads the nation in rushing touchdowns with 14 —and yes, that includes running backs. There are not many people who deserve to be in the Heisman conversation more than Haynes King, even after a loss. The team had 559 yards of offense, and Haynes King accounted for 511 of them. He holds this team together, is such a leader, and puts everything on the line to win. I hope and pray that this team finds a way to rally around him and keep winning so that he can get the recognition he deserves.
If this team is serious about winning the ACC and/or making a playoff run, the defense needs to get better. Drastically better.
This defensive performance was ABYSMAL. There is simply no other way to put it. They gave up 583 yards, 48 points, and 243 yards rushing. NC State was 7/11 on third down, CJ Bailey averaged 14.2 yards per completion, and the offense averaged 8.7 yards per play. If you’re looking for the ugliest stat of the night, here it is: NC State ran just nine plays in the third quarter, and two of them went for touchdowns. That’s simply inexcusable. To make matters worse, their star running back, Hollywood Smothers, didn’t even play. His backup, Jayden Scott, gashed us for 196 yards. We couldn’t generate any pressure on a one-legged CJ Bailey, and our secondary got left at Hartsfield-Jackson. Blake Gideon and this defense need to take a long look in the mirror and reflect on what went wrong and how we can fix it, because this performance cannot happen again if we want to keep the dream alive. Our run defense now sits at 97th in the country, allowing 165 yards per game. Total defense is at 95th, allowing 395 yards per game and 5.82 yards per play. We have taken a significant step back from last year, and unfortunately, our defense had no answer for anything NC State did. Things need to change, and mistakes need to be fixed in this bye week if we have any chance at achieving what is possible for us. Both Pittsburgh and UGA have Top 45 offenses in the country, both are on hot streaks, and both are improving throughout the season. We have seen the defense come up big several times this season, and I have faith they can learn from this loss.
Pitt is a force to be reckoned with and will most likely be a Top 25 team by the time we see them.
I know we have Boston College next week, but I cannot help but look forward to what feels like a playoff game against Pitt. Ever since quarterback Mason Heintschel took over, this team has transformed offensively and is 5-0. Through five games, Heintschel has 1,547 yards, 12 touchdowns, and five interceptions. It will be very intriguing to see how the Panthers finish off their schedule, as they end the year with three straight games against Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, and Miami. Mark my words, they will compete in every single one of these games and will win at least one. This may be the best team in the ACC right now, as they have found a new life under Heintschel. I am super nervous for this game, and this should be a very tough test. Obviously, Boston College can not and will not be overlooked, but this Pitt game will be a make-or-break for the Jackets.
How we respond to this loss determines everything
This wasn’t just a loss, this was an a**-whooping. I said last week that this is the point in the season where teams either fall apart or come together. There are two options for what can happen from here. We can either buckle under a loss and finish 9-3 or 8-4, or fight for our lives and be 11-1. I know for a fact this team can win out from here, but we will see if they actually take action and do so.
I have seen many overreactions on the internet this week, with some saying our playoff hopes are dashed, or some (Andrea Adelson, I’m looking at you) putting us at 8th in the ACC. I won’t lie, I was panicking after the loss. Then I remembered who our coach and quarterback are. We have a chance to get quality wins, and we still sit at second in the ACC. We could crumble, but we could also rise above. Let’s stay behind this team and keep supporting.
Go Jackets.
