Georgia Tech shut down VMI defensively and hit explosive plays in the passing game in the first half to build a 38-0 lead over the Keydets. Tech shortened the clock in the second half to 10-minute quarters and cruised to win #3 on the season 59-7 over VMI.

“That was a good win for our program and we went out and played a complete football game. We had tunnel vision and wanted to play a complete game and the guys did a good job,” Tech head coach Brent Key said after the game. “Regardless of the score, who was in the game and what happened, guys kept playing. I thought we did that today.”

Tech shut out the Keydets for three-plus quarters only allowing a touchdown after the Jackets put in the third-team defense. VMI had only 104 yards of offense in the game compared to 575 yards for the Jackets.

After an early field goal Tech scored touchdowns on six of the next seven drives to build up a 45-0 lead through the first three minutes of the third quarter. Throughout both halves of the game Key emptied the bench allowing multiple players their first extended playing time of the year and some the first extended action of their college careers.

“We had 14-15 freshmen play out there and some redshirt freshmen get their first extended playing time, the only way you learn to play the game is to play full speed and go out there and correct and learn from,” Key said. “We were efficient in what we wanted to do.”

Tech quarterback Haynes King threw for 275 yards and 3 touchdowns on 17-22 passing and did not have a rushing attempt in the game for the first time as a Yellow Jacket.

Backup quarterback Zach Pyron saw his first extended action since the 2022 season playing all of the third quarter. Pyron also scored two early touchdowns in the Jackets’ heavy set rushing four times for 25 yards and two touchdowns while added 58 yards in the yard on five pass attempts including a touchdown toss to Leo Blackburn.

Pyron has embraced his role as a touchdown vulture for the offense.

"It's pretty fun," Pyron said of his special set on offense. "I get pretty excited when I know that's in the game plan. So I just make sure I'm staying ready and active at practice, through everything, and knowing when it's coming. When I go in, not messing it up, right? The other thing is, they kind of know what's coming when I'm coming in now, so just making sure I'm a little extra physical when needed, you know my role for that play."

Aaron Philo and Brody Rhodes split reps in the fourth quarter with Philo setting up Carrie’s touchdown run with a deep 41-yard fourth down pass to Chris Elko. Rhodes ran twice for 17 yards.

Tech receiver Eric Singleton Jr. put up a 100-yard receiving game for the second time in his career with five catches for 102 and a touchdown. He added another 15 yards on a reverse on the ground.

Slot receiver Malik Rutherford coming off a late injury in the Syracuse game had four catches in 50 yards and a touchdown. Chase Lane added two catches for 54 yards, Avery Boyd had two for 36 and a touchdown, Christian Leary had two for 25 yards and Bailey Stockton had two for 24 yards.

On the ground, Tech used a committee approach with Trelain Maddox making his college debut in grand fashion picking up 53 yards and a touchdown on nine rushing attempts. Maddox had his senior high school season cut short by a knee injury and enrolled early to rehab at Tech marking his debut almost a year after his surgery.

"You dream of playing college football since I was a little kid and playing in front of fans in this great environment was exciting," Maddox said.

Tech has been looking for a second running back to split the load and Maddox threw his cap into the ring with his performance.

"That will be up to the coaches," Maddox said when asked if he thought he had a leg up after his performance on Saturday. "I feel like I put some good stuff on tape."

Anthony Carrie Jr. ran for 37 yards on four carries and a touchdown all in the fourth quarter. Jamal Haynes started the game and had seven rushes for 22 yards. Chad Alexander in his first extended action since the Georgia State game added four for 18 yards.

Tech’s defense held VMI to 10 three-and-outs. The Jackets had three sacks from Trenilyas Tatum, Sylvain Yondjouen and Josh Robinson in the game marking the first time this season a pair of Tech defensive ends picked up sacks.

The defense also registered 10 TFLs and held the Keydets to 1-13 on third downs.

Ahmari Harvey forced a fumble for the only turnover in the game on a play where Clayton Powell-Lee recovered the ball.

VMI’s offense threw for 92 yards on 19 pass attempts with 13 completions and one touchdown by Brady Hammonds in the fourth quarter. The ground game gained 12 yards on 28 rushes against the Tech defense with one long run.

Aidan Birr hit his lone field goal to give Tech a three-point lead in the first quarter 3-0 and hit most of his kickoffs into the end zone and all eight of his PATs racking up 11 points.

Punter David Shanahan was used sparingly punting just three times with two downed inside the 20.

Defensive back Rodney Shelley put on a show as the punt returner with 49 yards including a 26-yard return that was nearly broken for a touchdown. Stockton also took a late punt 20 yards.

Defensively Taye Seymore started in place of LaMiles Brooks at safety making his first career start and Syeed Gibbs made the start at nickel ahead of Omar Daniels and Rodney Shelley. With Jayden Davis out and Brooks dinged, Daniels was the backup safety behind Clayton Powell-Lee and Seymore. Davis had a sling on his left arm on the sideline during the game.

Aidan Birr’s opening kickoff was a touchback in the end zone. Romello Height and Taye Seymore had a tackle for a loss on first down. Ivan Thorpe took a screen three yards and Aslin Shipe took a short pass just short of the sticks to force a punt. The 57-yard yard punt was fielded by Rodney Shelley at the GT12.

Jamal Haynes lost seven yards on first down on an all-out run blitz by VMI to the GT5. Haynes picked up two yards on a toss. King rolled out and threw a deep shot for Eric Singleton he couldn’t hang on to and GT punted from their own end zone where David Shanahan’s punt was downed at the GT48, a 41-yard punt.

Thorpe caught a short screen pass for five yards on first down. Thomas Gore and Kevin Harris had a TFL on the VMI running back on second down and then Ahmari Harvey drilled Julio Dasilva to force a fumble that Clayton Powell-Lee pounced on to recover the ball at the GT39.

Trelain Maddox made his debut with an eight-yard run on first down. Malik Rutherford caught a screen for four yards for a first down. King hit Chase Lane for 22 yards to the VMI28. Maddox ran for 14 yards on the next play into the red zone at the VMI14. Tech stalled out after that with a three yard run by Maddox and then an incomplete pass to Singleton and Avery Boyd dropped a would-be touchdown to force a short Aidan Birr field goal to make it 3-0 Tech with 7:39 left in the first quarter.

Following a Birr touchback, Zeek Biggers and Kyle Efford had a TFL on first down and then Trenilyas Tatum had a sack on second down to make it 3rd and 22. Jordan van den Berg stopped the VMI running back at the LOS to force a punt that Rodney Shelley fielded at the GT47 and returned three yards to midfield.

Singleton picked up 15 yards on a reverse and then Rutherford took a screen 35 yards for a touchdown to make it 10-0 Georgia Tech with 4:52 left in the first quarter.

After another Birr touchback, VMI QB Hunter Rice ran two times yielding eight yards. After a VMI timeout, Jackson Hamilton defended the play-action pass out of a goal line set and Harris pressured Rice to force a punt that rolled out of bounds at the GT27, 40-yard punt.

Jamal Haynes ran for four yards on first down and then caught a screen for a first down. King hit Singleton for a 50-yard pass to the VMI12. After losing yards on first down on a Haynes run, King hit Jackson Hawes for 13 yards. On second and goal after a short Haynes run, Zach Pryon came in and scored a touchdown to make it 17-0 with 8 seconds left in the 1st quarter.

Birr’s kickoff sailed through the end zone for a touchback. The first play of the drive was a snap infraction on first down and a hold on second down backing up VMI to their own 10. Tatum had a TFL on first down for a one-yard loss. A screen pass was broken up on second down to bring up third and 26. Zachary Tobe tackled Thorpe after a 15-yard gain and a blindside block on Tatum was declined to force a punt. Shelley returned the punt 28 yards to the VMI45.

King hit Lane for 22 yards on first down to the VMI23. Rutherford caught a short pass for three yards on second down to put the Jackets in the red zone. Maddox converted on the next play to the VMI13. A false start on Joe Fusile backed the Jackets up five yards to the VMI18. Haynes fumbled at the end of a 14-yard run. Maddox picked up the first down on the next rush to set up first and goal at the VMI1. After an injury timeout, Pyron scored a touchdown for the second time to make it 24-0 Georgia Tech with 11:04 left in the half.

Jesse Moore returned the kickoff to the GT15 14 yards where Amontrae Bradford tackled him. Rice ran two times for 11 yards and VMI’s first converted first down of the game with under 10 minutes to play in the half. Jordan van den Berg stuffed Rice on first down and Tobe broke up a deep shot to force third and 10 at the VMI26. Height and Efford dropped the screen to a running back after one yard to force another punt that Shelley fair caught after 50 yards at the GT23.

A first down play-action pass resulted in a roughing the passer penalty on Eric Rankin to move Tech to the GT38. King hit Singleton on a tunnel screen for five yards and then Boyd on a tight end screen for three yards and Chad Alexander picked up the first down with a three yard run to the GT49. A hold on Christian Leary made it 2nd and 19 at the GT40. Leary caught a crossing route for 11 yards. Singleton dropped a comeback ball to force a Shanahan punt that Boyd downed at the VMI16.

Harris tackled Rice for a one-yard gain and Sylvain Yondjouen picked up his first sack of the season on second down for a nine-yard loss. A shovel pass to Rice netted 17 yards but still forced a punt. Shelley returned the punt 26 yards to the VMI42.

Singleton caught a first down pass for 14 yards. Maddox ran for nine yards on the next play to the VMI19. Maddox converted the second down run to the VMI14 setting off the two-minute warning with 1:55 left. King hit Singleton for a 14-yard touchdown to make it 31-0 with 1:49 left in the half.

After a touchback, Wilson hit a short pass for one yard and Joshua Robinson picked up his first sack of the season on second down. Efford dropped Luke Schalow after a short gain to force another punt with 1:32 left in the half. The punt was fielded at the GT27 by Shelley or no gain.

King hit Rutherford for eight yards on first down. Haynes ran for a first down on the next play to the GT41. Bailey Stockton caught a seven yard out route with 44 seconds left. Singleton hauled in a 19 pass and then Avery Boyd scored from 33 yards out on a pass. GT scored on just five plays going 73 yards in 53 seconds to make it 38-0 with 30 seconds left.

Butler had a TFL no first down for a five yard loss and VMI took a knee to set it to the half.

Ryland Goede returned a squib kick 12 yards to the GT40. Zach Pyron took over at quarterback and hit Stockton for 17 yards and a late hit on Pyron moved the ball all the way to the VMI28. Pryon ran two times for 23 yards to the VMI5 to set up first and goal. Maddox punched it in on his second attempt to make it 45-0 (Birr PAT) with 7:38 left in the third quarter.

After another three and out by VMI, the Jackets took over at the GT35. A delay of game on VMI moved them to the GT40 and Pyron hit Leary on first down for 17 yards. Alexander lost a yard on first down and then he couldn’t connect with Leo Blackburn on a deep shot and Stockton a screen that was blown up to force a punt from the VMI44. Warren Burrell dropped the VMI punt returner for a loss at the VMI5.

Omar Daniels was offsides on a first down tackle to move VMI to the 10. Butler had a key second down tackle to bring up third down and Seymore had a three-yard TFL to force another VMI punt that rolled out of bounds at the GT40.

Alexander took the first down run 13 yards for a first down at the VMI27. Alexander ran for three yards on first down. Pyron connected with Leo Blackburn for a 24-yard touchdown on a screen to make it 52-0 Georgia Tech.

After a touchback, VMI picked up a first down on a PI call on third-string linebacker Austin Dean on first down. Syeed Gibbs had a TFL on the next play. Jason Moore force an errant pass on second down to bring up third and long. Tech lost contain on QB Brady Hammonds and he scrambled for a first down to the GT46. Hammonds hit Owen Sweeney for 34 yards out of the quarter break to the GT12. A facemask on a TFL moved the ball to the GT4. Butler and Jordan Boyd had stops for no gain and Cade Cox picked up two yards to set up fourth and goal at the GT2. Ethen Horne hauled in a two yard pass from Hammonds to end the shutout 52-7 with 6:37 left in the game.

After a short return by Goede. Aaron Philo made his debut with a short screen to Abdul Janneh. Brody Rhodes came in on the next play and a long run by Anthony Carrie was shortened by a hold down field to 29 yards instead of 44. Daylon Gordon ran for two yards on the next play and Philo couldn’t connect with freshmen TE Luke Harpring or WR Isiah Canion on the next play. Philo sidestepped a sack and hit Chris Elko for a 41 yard connection to the VMI2. Carrie scored on the next play to make it 59-7 with 4:29 left in the game.

VMI ran two five yards on two plays after the touchback on the kickoff and on third down GT stuffed Jojo Crump to force a three and out and punt. Bailey Stockton returned the punt 20 yards to the GT35.

Rhodes ran for nine yards on first down. Rhodes ran for eight yards on the next play for a first down. Gordon and Carrie picked up three yards each and Luke Harpring picked up a first down on his first career catch. Carrie ran for two yards to end the game.