Tech Takes Down Duke

"No Kings!"

Across America on Saturday, October 18 there were widespread public. demonstrations carrying a common theme – " No Kings".

Without knowing their political preferences , it's a safe bet that the Duke University football team was ready to join the cause as of mid -afternoon. In their case, to be specific, the demand would be for no Haynes King.

Duke coach Manny Diaz would certainly join in the chorus. For once again on Saturday, Georgia Tech's remarkable senior quarterback led his team to victory- the seventh time in seven tries that he has done so in this 2025 season.

And again Saturday, at Wallace Wade Stadium on the Duke campus, King took his team on a rather circuitous path to the promised land. This time around it was Tech's defense that kept them in the game until deep into the second half when the Jackets' offense finally got rolling. The final result was a 27- 18 win over the host Blue Devils.

Just a few days earlier, Tech coach Brent Key had played down the possibility of teamwide somnambulism that can come with a noon start on a campus where round ball is the primary focus . Whatever the reason, his Yellow Jackets came out of the gate slowly, and they looked like the lesser football team for much of the first half.

Momentary exceptions to that sluggish start kept Tech alive. The first such episode was a 95 yard fumble return for a touchdown by Yellow Jacket CB Omar Daniels. Following a long smooth drive by Duke QB Darian Mensah and company, backfield pressure on a handoff caused a loose ball . Daniels found it lying unclaimed in the Blue Devil backfield on the Tech five yard line . He grabbed it up and scorched a path to the Blue Devil endzone, giving Tech a 7-0 lead.

Moments later, Duke left another three points unclaimed when they muffed the hold on a short field goal attempt.

So within just a portion of the first quarter, the Blue Devils had frittered away 10 points .

For a good while, it was not clear that those mistakes would matter. Tech's offense sputtered along, generating only 110 yards in the first half, including a paltry 2 of 6 conversions on third down. Duke was more productive from a yardage standpoint but they did not dent the scoreboard until the closing seconds of the half when Blue Devil QB Darian Mensah hit a 20 yard TD pass to tie it up at 7 at the half.

With Duke set to receive the 2nd half kick, things looked questionable for the Techsters.

The two teams traded field goals in the third quarter and began the final period tied at 10. Through the third quarter Tech's production remained puny– then came quarter #4.

It was here that Georgia Tech's offense came alive, generating three successive scores on long drives to take command of the game. Those possessions looked more typical for Tech, with productive running mixed in with timely passing by King.

. (photo GT athletics)

Duke did tack on a final touchdown as the clock wound down, and they converted a 2 point conversion to account for the final tally at 27-18.​

Brent Key said later that Tech's pounding style began to take its toll in the final stanza. Yellow Jacket fans are often wont to give credit to "adjustments " made by OC Buster Faulkner.

Whatever the source, the Jackets' 4th quarter stats looked more typical for this team– 198 yards with 12 first downs, and those 17 points.

Duke had no real answer, and when Tech's defense amped -up the pressure on Mensah , it seemed to diminish his effectiveness in the late stages of the game.

Somewhere in that fourth quarter frenzy, the referee crew came up with another creative way to deny a catch, costing WR Isiah Canon an obvious touchdown catch and shorting the Yellow Jackets four points, after PK Aidan Birr hit the field goal.

Nonetheless, the power and persistence of Tech's ground attack held forth on the next two possessions to control the game and grab win #7.

Georgia Tech had not started a season at 7-0 since way back in 1966, Bobby Dodd's final season at the helm. How far this team will go remains to be seen, but their resilience– as personified by QB Haynes King --has brought consistent success in winning football games.

The Tech quarterback is known for his toughness. That's a malleable trait, and sometimes it's harder to define than it is to simply recognize. There's a rally component to his playing style, combined with savvy and selflessness that are rare commodities among those who excel while playing the game's most important position .

Yellow Jacket fans have known about Haynes King for a few years. Now the rest of the country is beginning to notice.

King himself was non- plussed.

"..toward the end of the game we're going to will ourselves to win- whatever it is, we're going to find a way", said the Tech QB. His humility and team-first attitude are real, and his teammates can recognize that.

It's a leadership style that doesn't always produce gaudy stats. But it has consistently produced the most impressive of all stats– all wins, no losses.

King and his teammates are back home next for a game vs Syracuse. They will be a heavy favorite against the Orange, but that matters zero.

What does matter is Tech's ability to execute at a high level throughout the entire game. They've yet to do that , and in fairness, it's a pretty tough task. But it's also a worthy standard, and if they can approach that standard, they should chalk up a win with a more comfortable margin. Margin aside, just chalking up a win would (again) be nice.

Patrick Conarro

RamblinSports