After beating Boston College by the skin of our teeth, it’s now time for our final conference game and our final home game of the 2025 season. This weekend promises to be an emotional one, as we honor
a group of senior leaders who have poured everything into this program. Adding to the weight of the moment, this will be the final time we watch Haynes King take the field on the Flats. His legacy as one of Georgia Tech’s true greats is already secure, and this game will play a defining role in how we send him off as a Yellow Jacket. The stakes couldn’t be higher, as a win sends us to the ACC Championship. Lose, and our playoff hopes fade away. So get ready for one last ride under the lights at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Here’s what I think I know heading into the biggest game of the year thus far.
Because of what we may be able to accomplish this season, this could be one of the biggest games in Bobby Dodd’s history.
Through 10 games, we have amassed nine wins. That is one of the most impressive starts in program history, and we have a chance to stamp this season off in the right way, or it can just be another winning season where we go to a random bowl game. This is the biggest home matchup we have had in recent memory, and it will be a massive win for Brent Key if we can pull this off. It’s a night game, Haynes King’s final home game, and has the potential to cap off a second-straight undefeated season at home. If this game is won, it will be only the ninth time Tech has been 7-1 or better in conference play. As Brent Key said, this game is big, and if you win it, the next one is even bigger.
For us to pull out a win on Saturday, the defense needs a transformation.
The defense was absolutely abysmal against Boston College. There is simply zero excuse for how they played last week. Zero. The Eagles’ offense has been awful this season, and the fact that they put up 537 yards and 8.1 yards per play is disgusting. There is no other way to put it. Our defense recorded only three TFL and one sack while allowing two receivers to gain over 100 yards. Going into this game, their rushing offense ranked 128th in the country, and they finished the day with 175 yards. Something needs to change drastically, and it needs to change fast. It almost makes you wonder, is beating Pitt even feasible at this point? That is the real question this week, as the Jackets’ defense has taken a puzzling turn for the worse over the last two games. In these games, our defense has given up 1,120 yards and 84 points. We’re in rough shape, and this is a game they cannot be caught slipping in. On Monday, Key told SXM College Radio: “Defensively, we gotta pull it all together now, man. I addressed the entire defense Sunday, and I told ‘em exactly that. We gotta crank it up and take some accountability and responsibility here for what we gotta get done.” For reference, here are some stats on where we stand defensively against the rest of the country this season.
103rd in total defense, allowing 409.2 yards per game
103rd in passing yards, allowing 243.2 yards per game
96th in run defense, allowing 166 yards per game
127th in turnovers gained with six
88th in sacks with 18 total
101st in tackles for loss with 48
116th in yards per play
71st in scoring defense, allowing 24.2 ppg (this was a lot better before Week Ten).
126th in fourth down conversion defense
69th in third-down conversion defense
84th in first down defense
So, yeah, our defense sucks—no way around it. There needs to be significant changes in both play-calling and execution if the Jackets want not only to win this Saturday but also to make some noise in the postseason. Pitt is firing on all cylinders on offense right now, and their defense has been looking stout as well. They are currently ninth in run defense and 32nd in overall defense nationally. On the other side of the ball, Pitt leads the ACC with 37.2 points per game. If you are picking up what I am putting down, we are not going to be able to score on every drive and rely on Haynes King. We will have to play a complete and balanced game of football to beat a team like Pitt. If nothing changes on defense, things look bleak. Unfortunately, it is just the reality of the situation. I do not have much hope, but the Jackets have surprised me plenty before.
Mason Heintschel is a force to be reckoned with
Last season, Pitt QB Eli Holstein received a lot of hype and was considered one of the Top quarterbacks in the ACC. Much has changed since, as he was benched in favor of backup Mason Heintschel after two straight losses to West Virginia and Louisville. Since then, Heintschel has taken his opportunity and run with it. Pitt is 5-1 since he took over, with their only loss coming to a top-10 team, Notre Dame, last week. He is young, but man, is he promising. He has 1,673 yards, 12 touchdowns, and six interceptions through six games. There is no doubt his team believes in him, and he definitely can put up numbers against our defense that can’t stop a parked car. The thing that might save us against him is if he throws a few interceptions or takes some sacks because of his inexperience. A key to winning this game might be winning the turnover battle, which is something the Jackets have struggled with this season. If we can take advantage of a young quarterback playing a primetime game on the road, this could lean in our favor.
We must stop kicking field goals
Yes, Lou Groza Award semi-finalist Aidan Birr is the man. However, I do want him to get off my television screen. The Jackets have had an identity of being a team that scores touchdowns in the red zone, and that identity has vanished this season. Against NC State, we had two field goals within 29 yards that should have been touchdowns, and against Boston College, we had a 34-yard, a 26-yard, and a 23-yard field goal. All of these easily could have been touchdowns, and against NC State, that was ultimately the difference between a win and a loss. Even against Clemson, we had to settle for three field goals, and we also did not convert two fourth downs in the red zone. The Wake Forest game was also plagued with red zone field goals. This offense can move the ball; in fact, it can move the ball so well that it is now the #1 offense in the nation. They just need to be able to finish those drives with touchdowns.
In the next two weeks, Haynes King can stamp his ticket to New York
One of the things I admire most about Haynes King is that, despite the Heisman chatter growing louder each week, his focus has never wavered. He’s locked in on his team and on winning, and not much else. He refuses to throw anyone under the bus and is always the first to point out his own mistakes before mentioning anyone else’s. He isn’t chasing stats or celebrating himself; even after a near-perfect performance, he talks about what he needs to improve. There’s no Heisman pose, no self-promotion on social media, but only a relentless commitment to leading this team and doing whatever it takes to win.
That’s what makes these next two weeks so significant. Haynes has a chance to elevate his legacy and show just how essential he is to this program. Beating Pitt will take everything he has, and topping Georgia will require even more. While it seems that team wins matter more than raw stats to the Heisman committee, the rest of the country needs to see the impact he has on this team’s success and culture. If he delivers big performances and leads Georgia Tech to victory, ignoring Haynes King simply won’t be an option anymore.
Win, and we’re in
This, I don’t just think I know, I know I know. We win this game against Pitt, and we are going to Charlotte. Win, and get ready to pack your bags and hit the drive up I-85. Lose, and we’re sitting on the couch doing absolutely nothing that week. This is one of the biggest Georgia Tech games of my lifetime, and the nerves are already hitting.
Georgia Tech fans, a win is a win, but there is not much hope surrounding the state of our last two performances. Can this team turn it around, or will this be a season to forget? If you are in the Atlanta area, show up for this game, tailgate, and be loud. Make sure to also show up early for senior night and bring a toy for the toy drive.
Go Jackets.
