Jackets Stay Perfect: Georgia Tech Rolls Temple, 45–24
The Yellow Jackets are 4-0. Let that sink in. Four. And. Oh! For the first time since 2014, Georgia Tech football is undefeated thus far through September, and they did it by running all over Temple in front of a hyped-up Bobby Dodd crowd.
This was also the first home game in a decade where Tech came in ranked, at #18 in the AP, — and Brent Key’s crew made sure nobody left disappointed.
The Hot Start for Georgia Tech
If you were late finding your seat, you probably missed a touchdown (or two). Tech came out like they were double-parked on North Ave — scoring three straight touchdowns before Temple could even catch their breath.
- Haynes King tucked it and ran 17 yards for the first score.
- He followed that up by dropping a dime to Malik Rutherford for six.
- And before Temple could even see straight again, King hit freshman Isiah Canion on a 37-yard strike for another TD through the air.
21-0 after one. Game, set, match? Not quite.
The Second-Quarter Nap
For some reason, the Jackets hit cruise control in the second quarter. Just nine total yards. Nine. That lull let Temple’s QB Evan Simon scramble around and keep things interesting, setting up a short score that cut it to 21-7 at half.
Against Temple, fine. Against an ACC contender? That’s a recipe for stress. More on that later…
Back to Business in The Second Half
Credit to Tech for slamming the door when Temple got close in the third. The Owls punched in a TD to make it 21-14, but then Malachi Hosley answered with a monster 34-yard run and followed it up with another short score. From there, the Jackets’ stable of backs just kept hammering.
Jamal Haynes (over 100 yards on 12 carries) looked like he was gliding out there, and Daylon Gordon’s 47-yard house call in the fourth quarter was the exclamation point.
By the time Temple tacked on a late garbage-time score (mostly thanks to ill timed penalties on the Yellow Jackets defense), most of Bobby Dodd was already in full “We’re 4-0” celebration mode.
Stars of the Night
- Haynes King: Efficient with the ball, two passing TDs plus a rushing score. Set the tone.
- Jamal Haynes: The burst. The vision. The playmaker we need every week.
- Malachi Hosley: Two TDs when Tech needed to snuff out Temple’s momentum.
- Bonus: Daylon Gordon: 20 mph… Nuff said!
The Big Picture 👀
This wasn’t a perfect game. The second-quarter sleepwalk and a fumble in the third could’ve flipped momentum against a better opponent. But here’s the thing: good teams win ugly stretches anyway. That’s exactly what Tech did. Georgia Tech found a way to pull out of Bobby Dodd with a win without playing anywhere near their best game.
The Jackets are now 4-0, ranked, and headed to Wake Forest with a real shot to keep climbing. Speaking of that, when was the last time your Yellow Jackets could enter an ACC road game favored by 2 touchdowns or more? The offense is explosive, the run game is nasty, and Brent Key’s squad looks like they belong in every conversation about ACC contenders.
Bottom line: this isn’t the same Georgia Tech that other teams can ignore or look past. Something’s brewing on The Flats.