Atlanta, GA– Haynes King led Georgia Tech to a decisive 35-12 victory over Georgia State on Saturday night, throwing two touchdown passes and rushing for another score. The Yellow Jackets never trailed in the game.
Georgia Tech’s offense was well-balanced, racking up a total of 499 yards—274 through the air and 225 on the ground. Five different players scored touchdowns for the team.
“The key to it all is being able to get guys touches,” said Tech coach Brent Key. “When you have a lot of guys who can be explosive, in order to be explosive, you have to get the ball to explosive playmakers. We created different ways to get those guys the ball.”
King had an efficient night, completing 24 of 29 passes for 275 yards, though he did throw one interception. He also contributed on the ground with five rushes for 27 yards and a touchdown.
Leading the rushing attack was Jamal Haynes, who gained 84 yards on 17 carries and scored a touchdown. Malik Rutherford achieved career highs with seven receptions for 131 yards. “It felt good,” Rutherford said. “I’ve been wanting to get over that 100-yard hump. It’s my first time. It was just a good game all around. I’m excited.”
Erik Singleton Jr. added to the offensive output with a 35-yard run and four catches for 43 yards.
“They made me look good,” King said of his teammates Rutherford and Singleton. “I don’t have to do too much. Just get them the ball in space and let them do their thing.”
Georgia State managed 360 total yards, with 210 passing and 150 rushing, in their season opener. The Panthers had a chance to score first after driving 64 yards to the Georgia Tech 1-yard line on their opening possession. However, Tech’s defense held strong, stopping them three times before a fourth-down incompletion by quarterback Christian Veilleux.
Georgia Tech’s defense was effective in the red zone, with Georgia State converting only 1 of 3 opportunities, while Tech was a perfect 3 for 3.
“They executed and that’s the whole key to defensive football—getting a call, getting to the line, and being able to execute what the call is,” Key said. “A couple of times the quarterback got free, which we have to do a better job on that.”
Georgia Tech led 14-3 at halftime after a 1-yard touchdown run by Haynes in the first quarter and a 2-yard touchdown run by King late in the second quarter, capping an 11-play, 75-yard drive.
The Yellow Jackets pulled away early in the third quarter with a 25-yard touchdown run by Singleton and a 52-yard touchdown pass from King to a wide-open Rutherford, increasing the lead to 28-3 with 11:19 left in the third quarter.
“It doesn’t get any easier than that,” Rutherford said of his touchdown. “It was just a simple post route on a squeeze set, and they kind of blew the coverage. Haynes saw me, I made the catch for a touchdown.”
Georgia State added nine points with a field goal and a 24-yard touchdown pass from Veilleux to Dorian Fleming in the third quarter.
King then connected with Avery Boyd for a 22-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
UP NEXT:
Georgia Tech: Opens its Atlantic Coast Conference schedule on Saturday at Syracuse, which won its opener 38-22 against Ohio.
Georgia State: Hosts Chattanooga on Saturday.
