We needed a final statement win as underdogs to prove that we’ve outgrown that title. This was the most anticipated game that the Jackets have had in a long time, and it lived up to the hype and so much more. I said 2025 was the season to cement Georgia Tech as a legit contender, and a win against Clemson did just that. Greg McElroy called us a giant killer, Josh Pate called Haynes King an American Icon, and we had votes as high as #8 in the AP Poll. The media is buying in, the AP Poll is buying in, and the fans
are buying in. Pun intended, I have never seen this much buzz around the program in my life. However, we need to remember that it has only been three weeks. There is a lot of season left to be played, and we cannot let the hype get to our heads, or we will get caught in a trap. We have a game against Temple this weekend to simmer things down, but that does not mean that it can be overlooked. Every single week matters, and as Coach Key said, the beauty of this game is that every week is bigger than the next. The more you win, the brighter the lights. The Jackets need to keep this mentality because Temple needs to be treated as significantly as Clemson if we want to continue to roll. Here is what I think I know as we look to reach 4-0.
We have made it to 3-0, but we can be so much better
The most positive thing that came out of this win is that Tech didn’t play anywhere near its ceiling. Thankfully, the turnovers and penalties were cleaned up (only three penalties and zero turnovers!) but looking back, we should have won that game by a lot more than we did. I know it’s rare a team ever plays perfectly, but it is hopeful and exciting to see that if we can continue to build off of our success, we can beat anyone. Limit dumb mistakes and cutesy fourth-down playcalling, and this could be a playoff team. Our schedule is looking more favorable as the season goes on since many of our upcoming opponents have struggled early on. For example, Virginia Tech just lost to Old Dominion and fired head coach Brent Pry, Duke has been unable to capitalize in big games, and Wake Forest just looks downright bad. We will be favored to win in every game before COFH, and for some reason, that feels…unsettling. ESPN gives us only an 8% chance of going undefeated on the year, which makes sense. Key does sadly have a losing record against unranked ACC foes at 14-15. We ALWAYS lose a game we shouldn’t, but I really think this could be the year Key gets rid of that stigma. Key word could. I won’t deep dive too far into anything in Week four, but the schedule is really leaning in our favor this season. I am nervous yet thrilled to see just how far the Jackets can go.
We have some awesome fans.
Even Dabo Sweeney credited some of our wins to the stadium environment this weekend. The atmosphere was absolutely electric, and I’m convinced it played a huge role in the win. Fans showed up early, tailgated, and packed the stadium, cheering on the Jackets with incredible energy. Everywhere I looked, people were passionate, excited, and hopeful—not just about the game, but about this team’s future. Let’s keep it up for the rest of the season.
Temple has been fighting an uphill battle in recent times
Temple went 1-6 in 2020, 3-9 from 2021 to 2024, and has lost to nine straight Power Five opponents. Their last P4 win was against, you guessed it, Georgia Tech. We stole Temple’s head coach, and they sought revenge with a 24-2 win in 2019. I have completely erased this from my memory, as it may go down as one of the most overlooked, yet embarrassing losses in program history. It is time for us to take back the crown and hand them their 10th straight Power Four loss. The Owls took a tough loss to Oklahoma last weekend after opening the season 2-0. Now, the road doesn’t get any easier—they face another ranked opponent this weekend before diving into American Conference play, where games against Tulane, Navy, and North Texas await. Temple has a decent chance to surpass the three-win total and possibly even make a bowl game. Head coach K.C. Keeler took over the program in 2024 and is looking to rebuild Temple back to what they were when it could consistently win in the 2010s.
Temple looked improved in their first two outings as they defeated their opponents by a decent margin, which is something they have struggled to do recently. In their first game against UMass, Temple quarterback Evan Simon threw for a school-record six touchdowns in their 42-10 win. They cruised to victory against Howard in Week Two, and then got the boot against Oklahoma, which was no surprise. Evan Simon has been a promising veteran QB for the Owls, having put up 497 yards, nine touchdowns, and zero interceptions on the year. This offense still has a lot to prove, however. When playing a good opponent, Temple put up only 105 yards of total offense on the day. They could still be a challenge for the Jackets, however, as their offense runs a lot of motion, coming in second in the nation at motion plays. We are a disciplined team, and discipline will play a huge factor in whether or not Temple has success on offense. Key has said he has been impressed with the tape of this team and that they have a bright future with Keeler at the reins.
Aidan Birr has officially stamped his name as a Tech legend
Put up the statue! In all seriousness, Birr has quietly put together an amazing career as a Yellow Jacket. He has had some ups and downs, but now holds several Tech records. He has the highest field goal percentage in Tech history at 80.9%, is in the top five in career points with 208, and has now tied the school record for the longest field goal at 55 yards. For the record, it would’ve been good from 60. He arguably changed the trajectory of the 2024 season after his 44-yard field goal against FSU, and last weekend he could’ve changed the trajectory of 2025 as well.
The defense has got to start creating negative plays
Tech finished the game against Clemson with zero sacks and zero tackles-for-loss. That is correct, there were zero negative plays. That leaves us with one sack total against FBS opponents. We need to force teams into third-and-long situations if we want a chance at true success this season. Our defensive line is the biggest weakness of the year so far, and they were exposed last weekend. The secondary really bailed them out at times. In many situations, Klubnik would step back to throw and have no receivers to throw to, but could just stand in the pocket untouched for several seconds. We must not only start getting these sacks and TFLs, but also pressure on the quarterback in general.
Wow. I really cannot believe how incredible it was to be a Georgia Tech fan last weekend. It is back to reality now, as we need to avoid the hangover and take down Temple with ease. We will see what type of team we have this week by how they respond to the attention. If it’s worth anything, I have very little doubt that Coach Key and Haynes King will let this team sleepwalk. Let’s get a dominant win against the Owls this weekend.
Another fun tidbit I wanted to include is that ESPN reported the Georgia Tech vs. Clemson game had a TV audience of 4.8 million viewers, with a peak of 7.7 million in the final minutes. The Yellow Jackets have made their presence impossible to ignore, and their impact is starting to be felt.
Go Jackets.
