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The #13 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets comfortably won the 2025 Techmo Bowl beating Virginia Tech 35-20 to continue their undefeated season. The Jackets are 6-0 (3-0 ACC) for only the second time in the last 59 years and first time since 2011. The win also makes Tech bowl
eligible for the third straight season.
Offensively, this was one of the cleanest games Tech has played all season with no turnovers and averaging 7.3 yards per play. Malachi Hosley finished with a career day, setting personal bests in attempts with 11 and yards with 129 to lead all rushers. Haynes King threw for 213 with a touchdown and ran for two of his own.
From a stress standpoint, something we all felt intimately during the Wake Forest game, this was the palate cleanser we all needed. Tech came out firing on the front foot to a 15-0 first quarter lead and ave for a couple drives where the Hokies dictated control on offense, Tech firmly controlled this game.
Even knowing that Tech was explosive and balanced and all the good things you’d want to see from a 15 points victory, Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King was quick to note “we haven’t earned anything yet” being only halfway through a season that, if the Jackets achieve their goals, will see them playing into January.
Defensively, Tech held the Hokies to 0-8 on third downs, but got burned badly on three fourth down conversions, including one to set up a third quarter touchdown that put VT within a score. Rodney Shelley later recorded his first career interception in the third quarter.
How it Happened
Tech got going with a smooth, run filled 9-play drive that finished with Haynes King’s classic fake toss sweep for a three yard TD. They also went for two, converted by Malik Rutherford for an early 8-0 lead.
Two TFLs and a sack later, the Jackets were back with the ball after an Eric Rivers punt return put Tech on VT’s 38 yard line. The running game propelled by runs by Haynes King and Jamal Haynes set up a nine yard Malik Rutherford TD reception for a 15-0 lead.
The Hokies generated their first bit of offense from a Zachary Tobe defensive pass interference followed by a first down run by Marcellous Hawkins. A Hokie holding call on 3rd & 4 in Tech territory created third and too long, resulting in a Kyron Drones incompletion.
Nick Veltsistas’ punt downed the Jackets at the three yard line, but it was no bother between a 36 yard Malachi Hosley run and an Eric Rivers 22 yard reception putting Tech in the redzone. On 3rd & 3 from the eight, King ran the fake toss again but was stuffed leading to an Aidan Birr 25 yard field goal an and 18-0 lead.
Both sides then traded punts, GT’s coming after Veltsistas again downed Tech deep, this time at the 1 yard line. GT’s three and out that deep in VT territory gave the Hokies short field on their next possession, capitalized on with a 32 yard Drones TD to make it 18-7.
With 3:13 left, Tech got moving with first down catches by Rutherford and Luke Harpring to cross midfield. A 3rd & 4 short curl throw to Rivers ended a yard short of the yard to gain to the VT32. On 4th & 1, King hit Josh Beetham for a 31 yard gain to the 1 yard line. A King direct run resulted in a loss of two yards on first, then a 2nd down completion catch by Isiah Canion was called back for holding. With only seven seconds left in the half, Key opted for a field goal converted by Birr, landing at a 21-7 halftime score.
Out of the half, Drones led VT on an efficient drive, gashing Tech on the ground before a 3rd & 9 pass at the edge of field goal range landed incomplete. Their offense stayed on the field and hit the easiest 33 yard TD on a busted coverage play for 21-14.
Tech’s response was exactly what we wanted with first down catches by Rivers and Brett Seither to set up Hosley on a 15 yard touchdown run to go up 28-14.
The Hokies again started to move the ball well, but turned it over on a Drones overthrow caught by Rodney Shelley. The Jackets squandered the turnover though after getting into field goal range with a holding call and a low Aidan Birr kick that was easily blocked by the Hokie defensive line.
Tech’s next drive was back to form with a cameo by Trelain Maddox, and first downs by Rutherford and Hosley to set up a 26 yard King rushing TD and a 35-14 lead early in the 4th.
The Hokies again again moved the ball well even with self-inflicted penalties that put their back against the wall. Nontheless, they converted a 4th & 8 on a 23 yard completion to Tayke Heath to the redzone, then completing another 4th down for a touchdown on a pitch pass to Ja’Ricous Hairston. The two-point conversion was unsuccessful, leaving the score at 35-20 with 4:58 left.
Virginia Tech did not recover their ensuing onside kick, but the Jackets wasted good field position on an unnecessary roughness penalty to set up 2nd & 24. Tech didn’t throw on their next two plays in order to burn Hokie timeouts before punting.
On the final Hokie drive, Drones did get them into Tech territory with 56 yards on their first two plays, but a 4th & 1 sack sealed the win for the Jackets.
Advanced Box from Game on Paper
On initial impression, this was one sided. Virginia Tech without their explosive plays had -10.46 expected points added. Tech’s worst moment of win probability was the opening kickoff. The concerning spot to me is our red zone success rate. VT saw plenty of moments where our obvious play call was to run King, and they got wise to it in the red zone. Maybe we’re saving plays for later in the season, maybe they had something they wanted to try. It’s beyond my knowledge but that will be something to improve as games get more and more important.
Other Notes (from Georgia Tech Athletics & TechStats)
- 50,878 announced attendance, largest crowd since 2018. Largest crowd against VT since 2013 (50,214)
- King’s two rushing touchdowns give him 30 as a Yellow Jacket, which are third-most rushing TDs by a quarterback in Georgia Tech history (surpassing TaQuon Marshall – 29, 2015-18).
- King completed 20-of-24 passes (.833), which is the second-highest single-game completion percentage in Georgia Tech history (min. 20 attempts).
- Eric Rivers’ 42-yard punt return in the first quarter was the longest by a Yellow Jacket since Jamal Golden’s 44-yard return vs. Tulane on Sept. 12, 2015.
- Tech is now 14-3 under Brent Key when winning the turnover battle
- Georgia Tech is bowl eligible at the second-earliest date in school history (the Yellow Jackets became bowl eligible on Oct. 8, 2011)
