The No. 19 ranked Lady Jackets hosted the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Feb. 16. The matchup with Wake Forest is their 81st all-time meeting; the Jackets led the series 51-29. Despite their historic dominance, Tech has won just two of the last four games against the Demon Deacons. The Jackets showed that history does repeat itself with a 73-62 win over Wake Forest.

After dropping a game to the Clemson Tigers last time out, the Jackets looked to return to winning ways against Wake Forest. Tech entered the match- up with a 20-5 record overall and a comfortable 8-5 performance in the ACC, continuing to prove the Jackets are one of the best teams in the country. Wake Forest, in contrast, stood last in the ACC with a 1-13 conference record, their sole win coming against the Boston College Eagles. Alongside their poor in-conference record, the Demon Deacons had an 8-17 overall record and rode a four- game losing streak. Going into the match-up, the Jackets were heavy favorites.

In front of 2,568 rowdy Jacket fans, Tech started fast. Fifth-year forward Zoesha ‘Zoe’ Smith won the jump ball and missed a long jumper, but senior forward Kayla Blackshear secured the offensive rebound and made the layup. After Wake Forest answered with a layup of their own, junior guard Inés Noguero made pivotal plays. Noguero first drove to the basket to regain the Jackets lead. Noguero followed up her bucket with a steal on the inbound which she took to the basket to secure more points for Tech. Noguero continued her relentless defense with another steal, this time in the half court. Noguero pickpocketed the Demon Deacons and made the outlet pass to junior guard Tonie Morgan to extend the Jackets lead to six. Noguero continued to be a nuisance; she stole the ball off the inbound once again, but was fouled before she could get to the basket. Tech mimicked Noguero’s intensity throughout the first quarter, forcing six Wake Forest turnovers. The Jackets led 24-13 going into the second period. 

Tech looked to continue their defensive dominance from the first quarter into the second. Junior guard Kara Dunn started the quarter strong for the Jackets, making her second three-point shot of the game. The second period was a back-and-forth affair with the Demon Deacons answering every Tech basket. The Jackets led every second of the quarter despite their sloppy play and finished the first half with a 37-28 lead. Tech had five turnovers while committing the same number of fouls. Dunn was perfect from the field, shooting 3-3 and 1-1 from the charity stripe, scoring eight points.

Tech dominated the first half. The Jackets never trailed, with their biggest lead being 15 points. Dunn led the way for Tech, notching 11 points and shooting 2-3 from behind the arc. Noguero was all over the floor, tallying four points, four rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block. Tech looked to continue their dominance into the second half.

The third quarter did not start well for the Jackets. Wake Forest chipped away at the Tech lead, at one point trailing by just one point with the score at 40-39. Once the Demon Deacons got within one, the Jackets went on a six-point scoring run to sit more comfortably. The rest of the quarter continued to be a tight-fought affair with neither team pulling away. Morgan conducted the offense for the Jackets, notching four points and three assists. Tech led 50-48 going into the last quarter of play. 

Wake Forest tied the game at the start of the fourth quarter, but freshman guard Dani Carnegie answered with a three-pointer. The Demon Deacons scored two jumpers in a row to give Wake Forest their first lead of the game, which led to a timeout from coach Nell Fortner. Blackshear came out of the timeout and regained the lead for the Jackets. Tech continued to pull away for the remainder of the game. The Jackets overcame the Demon Deacons to win 73-62.

The Jackets won the game thanks to their aggressive defense. Tech forced 18 turnovers against the Demon Deacons while securing 15 steals. The Jackets scored 18 points from the turnovers compared to Wake Forest’s nine points. Dunn led the Jackets in scoring with 22 points for the game. Morgan continued to fill up the stat sheet with 14 points, six assists and two steals. Despite Noguero’s seemingly pedestrian stats, she was impactful throughout the game, highlighted by her five steals.

After the win against Wake Forest, Tech improved their record to 21-5 overall and 9-5 playing ACC opposition. The Jackets next play away against Cal this Thursday at 7 p.m.

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Tech baseball has a long and storied history of developing players into some of the best in the country. Mark Teixeira, Charlie Blackmon, Jason Varitek and many more storied players have graced Mac Nease Baseball Park. Sophomore center fielder Drew Burress looks to add his name to the list of greats that the Jackets have developed. The Technique sat down with Burress to discuss his breakout freshman year, Tech experience and the team’s expectation heading into the season.

The Jackets are led by head coach Danny Hall who has secured 1,140 wins at Tech, making him the winningest coach in Tech athletics history. When choosing to go to Tech, Burress highlighted the importance of his relationships with coach Hall and associate head coach James Ramsey. On top of the top class coaches, Tech’s strong academic reputation made it an attractive choice.

“The coaches here do a great job. … When you are at home in high school, you call your parents when you get in trouble, when something goes wrong and when you need something. In college, you call your coaches; they are kind of responsible for you and they are the ones you call when you need them. Coach Hall, coach Ramsey and all of the staff have been awesome during my time here. … Additionally, [a Tech degree] is one of the best in the country, and it has been awesome to get to learn in the business school,” Burress said. The combination of high quality baseball and academics made the choice an easy one.

Burress has been an active member of the Tech community during his time at the Institute. He has gotten involved with the Georgia Tech Student-Athlete Advisory Board (GTSAAB) in order to make a difference on campus and support his peers.

“GTSAAB is a really cool thing because you kind of get inside information and get to pass it onto your team. …We are trying to help all of the student-athlete body and help them have a better life,” Burress said, when asked why he wanted to be part of the board.

Burress supports his fellow Jackets through more than just GTSAAB; he also supports them from the stands. The game he remembers most was the Jackets’ 28-23 win over the University of Miami Hurricanes at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

“I went to the Miami game this year when we rushed the field. I had a feeling the win was coming. I was pretty sick and was feeling terrible in the stands, but I was not going to leave the game because I could see we were going to win, and to be able to rush the field after the game was really cool,” Burress said, reminiscing over the football team’s upset victory.

The students and faculty of Tech Athletics as a whole push each other forward. Student-athletes are able to connect with each other thanks to the work that they put into their respective sport while also being motivated by the success of their peers.

“It is always cool to see what is going on with the other teams. We are living similar lives, but it is a different schedule. … Hiroshi Tai won the NCAA Championship and is going to the Masters this year, which is really cool. Seeing guys around you succeed pushes you to also want to succeed,” Burress said, specifically mentioning Tai and the golf team, who the baseball team shares a strength and conditioning coach with.

The Jackets season ended in heartbreaking fashion last year, falling to u[sic]GA in extra-innings in the NCAA regionals. Burress and the team look to use the loss as fuel, despite the game still haunting them.

“I mean that was definitely a tough loss. …We like to go back and watch all the games from last year, and I can not get through that one because I know what happens at the end. … It’s a huge motivating factor,” Burress said, the Jackets get their chance at revenge on Apr. 15 at Truist Park and is one of the games that Burress is looking forward to most.

“We get to play Georgia at Truist this year, that’s going to be a really, really fun Tuesday game. And I mean, we get to play Clemson and Virginia, who I think are going to be two of the big dogs in the ACC,” Burress said, relishing the games that Tech gets to play against some of the best teams in college baseball.

Despite being a freshman last year, Burress has transformed into a leader in the clubhouse for Tech going into his sophomore year.

“I gained respect from the guys and began to take on more of a leadership role late last year. Early on in the fall, I noticed that guys were looking to me to make decisions and kind of lead them and that’s something I take pride in. I want to lead by example and and I want to do the things that you’re supposed to do, work hard and bring guys along with me,” Burress said on his newfound leadership role on the team.

Tech baseball has high expectations going into the year, coming ever so close to booking a trip to the college baseball playoffs in Omaha last year. When walking into the locker room, the team adopted Burress’ ritual of writing on the mirror their goals for the year, and the team’s goals were simple.

“We want to win the ACC, be a top eight seed in the country, host a regional and a super regional. And to be honest, the whole college baseball playoffs, there’s not a lot that you can control. … You get two out of three in the Super Regional and the double elimination in the regional, so the best you can do is have a really good regular season and set yourself up to host and and get that home field advantage and get your crowd behind you and that is what we are looking to do,” Burress said on the team’s lofty goals this season.

When asked about his personal goals for the season, he gave a short answer revolving around himself before moving onto more about the team.

“The one thing I want to do this year is run a little bit more, steal more bases. Overall, if we’re playing winning baseball as a team, and we’re accomplishing the goals that we want to accomplish as a team. … Then, I know that the stat goals that I want to accomplish are going to be accomplished,” Burress said, focussing on his team rather than personal goals.

Burress has been collecting awards ever since he stepped on the college baseball field. Freshman player of the year, first-team all-american, Golden Spikes Award semi-finalist and preseason ACC Player of the Year are all awards that he has collected in his short tenure with the Jackets. Despite the plethora of accolades, his mindset has remained constant.

“There’s nobody in the world that can put more pressure on and expect me to do better than I do. They say: ‘I’m the number one sophomore in the country’ and ‘I have a chance to be a really high pick next year.’ I have always known that and always expected to be the best,” Burress said on the unshakeable confidence that he has.

Part of the reason that Burress has become an exceptional baseball player is thanks to his strong relationship with his father. The advice he received is less about pure technique but more about having an unshakeable mindset.

“My dad played professional baseball and he wore number eight, so that was kind of always my number growing up. It’s cool to look at pictures of him wearing number eight and to carry that on. … He taught me almost everything I know about baseball and sometimes less about mechanics and more about being mentally strong and going up and expecting to win and having confidence in yourself. … You can have the worst swing in the world, but if you have a clear plan and believe in yourself you are going to be successful. The hardest part is having the confidence to go up there. If you screw up 70% of your at bats, then you are a pretty freaking good hitter,” Burress said of the lessons that his dad taught him.

Burress continued speaking about the lessons that his dad taught him.

“You are going to be successful in whatever field. … Sometimes I didn’t really want to be at the field and it was one of those things. My dad would say you don’t have to play baseball. We can play golf and you are going to be the best golfer in the country. We can go bass fishing but you are going to do it to the best of your ability. You’re not going to take days off and you’re not going to just go through the motions. And I mean, I think that’s something that really applies to life,” Burress said of the life lessons his dad taught him.

When asked about his favorite baseball memories, Burress had a simple answer, and it always revolves around winning.

“I have had so many. It is not usually hitting the home run. The best memory is usually winning, winning a championship,” Burress said. He and the Jackets will look to make new memories heading into the season.

The post Burress strives to build on successful first year appeared first on Technique.

Students at Tech deal with challenges everyday, from studying for the next exam to connecting with friends, but student-athletes face those same challenges while also balancing a practice schedule and navigating the fast-changing environment of collegiate sports. The Georgia Tech Student-Athlete Advisory Board (GTSAAB) looks to represent athletes at Tech while also developing them as people. The purpose of the board is best described by the mission statement  on GTSAAB’s website: “Our mission is to enrich the lives of student-athletes through collaboration, communication and creative implementation.”

GTSAAB has 36 student-athlete members, typically two representatives for each sports team. To learn more about GTSAAB, the Technique sat down with senior track and cross-country runner Allie Walker, the president of the board.

GTSAAB has four different committees that members can join: campus engagement, mental health, community outreach and social media, and marketing. Each of the committees are led by different members of the GTSAAB leadership team that work towards a unified goal.

“We have a GTSAAB Executive Board, that consists of four people. I’m the president and work with campus engagement, Sabina [Mrzygold] is the vice-president on the swim and dive team who works with community outreach, Caroline [Porterfield] is also on the swim and dive team who oversees social media, and then Jill Cotton is on the track and field team and takes care of mental health. The executive board consists of the four of us, and we see over each committee.… There’s a lot of things we want to do and with each of us overseeing parts of GTSAAB separately, but we’re all working towards one common goal: unity. The goals of the committees are to get people more involved and to split the work between the members,” Walker said.

The board often interacts with other members of the ACC and NCAA to determine what is best for student-athletes as a whole.

“Every year, like this past summer, I went to the ACC Student-Athlete Advisory Conference. … [At the conference,] it is fun to hear what works for other schools and bounce ideas off each other and also to discuss the things that are changing within the ACC and the NCAA as a whole,” Walker said.

Collegiate sports are at an extremely dynamic moment in time, with Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) driving the change. GTSAAB have become spokespeople with regards to the opportunities athletes have as well as showcasing the different types of NIL deals that are available.

“NIL has completely taken over some aspects of college athletics, which is a great thing in some ways. You see some football players decide to stay an extra year because they might get paid more with NIL than they would if they got drafted. … I see how NIL enhances a lot of people’s lives and I am not against it at all. Student-athletes work really, really hard and a lot of us don’t have time to get a job to get paid…. The NIL possibilities are endless,” Walker said. 

“There’s a lot of different ways you can do NIL, which I like because it is not always just about the money but also honoring the student-athletes. Giving student-athletes a chance to promote a brand they like or has enhanced their experience as a college athlete, you see a lot of college athletes doing deals with brands that they use.” Alongside revenue-sharing becoming commonplace, college sports have a newer issue — roster size constraints. The NCAA will implement a maximum roster size for every sport. This change comes with allowing unlimited scholarships as long as the number is below the roster limit.

“Rosters will be changing in the NCAA. That’s the biggest thing, especially for Tech and how they are going to go about that process. I know that it is a hard thing that they are working through. It is a great time to be a student-athlete, but it is also a harder time, especially for Olympic sports that might not bring in as much revenue. Despite the challenges, I know that the last thing Tech would ever want to do is cut sports programs from the school,” Walker said. She went on to further reiterate that Tech cares about the student-athletes and will not look to make any unnecessary cuts.

Part of what makes GTSAAB important is that they are the voice of the student-athlete community. In the board’s bylaws, the president has the opportunity to meet with athletic director J Batt and build a working relationship with the athletic 

department as a whole.

“I’ve met with J Batt multiple times, if there is something that pops up he will make time for me. I have a great relationship with J Batt and think he is incredible. He brings so much goodness into Tech athletics and Tech as a whole. I think very highly of him, and I am thankful to know him and that he’s always willing to listen,” Walker said. Walker also sits in on athletic department and Board of Trustees meetings to give the thoughts of the student-athlete and learn more about the thought  processes of decision makers.

Walker always wanted to be a Jacket. She first got involved with GTSAAB thanks to the guidance of mentors throughout her years on the board.

“Coming into Tech, I was in awe…It was my dream to come to a school like this, to be an athlete at this school. I am living out my dream. …My old teammate Nicole Fegans, an absolutely legendary runner at Tech, was president of GTSAAB my freshman year. I looked up to everything she did and saw how impactful she was at GTSAAB,” Walker said. 

“I applied to be the representative for the cross country team my sophomore year where former GTSAAB president Ben King made my experience much better. He cared about all of us and I looked up to him, not only as an athlete but a person. Junior year, I applied to be the vice president and I stood up in front of GTSAAB and pitched my ideas. As vice-president, I was under Liz Patterson, one of my best friends. 

I got to follow in her footsteps and look up to her and see the impact she made,” Walker said. She consistently emphasized the relationships that she developed through GTSAAB and the people that guided her. Walker took many things from the previous presidents of GTSAAB, but she looks to leave her mark on the board for the future. 

“I am just really passionate about people. I want people to know that they are loved and taken care of and supported. …I want to be a good leader in that way. It is not about putting on the best event, but it can be about the small things. I think that relationships, serving and being a kind person are very important. Those principles are something that I take seriously. I hope to leave that impact on GTSAAB for the future,” Walker said.

Despite the strength in her leadership, Walker has experienced personal struggles recently. She experienced a health scare in late 2024, when she was diagnosed with a rare spinal tumor. Due to a surgery removing the tumor, Walker has been unable to run and forced her to embrace other parts of her life.

“It has been a roller coaster for sure. … It has taught me a lot in many different ways. It has been harder than expected. … So often, we live our day-to-day lives and just go through the motions, but things can change so quickly. I think I have been embracing my team more, embracing my coaches more. It is such a joy to even go to practice and watch my team run. It is just the little things that we take for granted so often,” Walker said.

She draws on her time running, while still looking for comfortability in the uncomfortable situation. “Running is so mental and physical. You have to push yourself if you want to be good. I have teammates that run 75 mile weeks and we push ourselves to the very core to be good and to see results. … Running has taught me that I am tougher than I think I am. If I am ever going through something painful I put it in terms of running. For example, if a test takes 10 minutes, that’s only a couple miles. …I tie everything to things that I know I can do,” Walker said.

Despite being unable to run, Walker has found solace with an activity she used to hate.“My teammates and I have been laughing [because] I am really living up to my last name these days. The experience has been different. Before, I questioned the purpose of walking, like why walk when you can just run somewhere,” she said jokingly. “I have found that the walks have actually been really peaceful and it is something to never take for granted.” Her struggle has forced her to find a newfound perspective to apply in all aspects of life.

The post Walker, GTSAAB work to improve Tech life appeared first on Technique.

The Jackets entered the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish having last won in South Bend, Ind. in 1990. The losing streak continued, the Jackets controlled the Fighting Irish for the majority of the game. Tech led for 36 minutes and 53 seconds of a 40 minute game. Despite this, The Jackets only ever mustered a maximum lead of seven, never fully pulling away from Notre Dame. As a result, the Fighting Irish came back and Tech fell 71-68 in South Bend, Ind.

Tech came into the game against the Fighting Irish hot. The Jackets beat the Virginia Tech Hokies 71-64, notching their third conference win of the season. One of those wins came against Notre Dame, where Tech won 86-75 on New Year’s Eve. The Fighting Irish also came off a win against an ACC team located in Virginia, the Virginia Cavaliers. Notre Dame won three conference games before the matchup with the Jackets. In most respects, the game was set to be an evenly matched affair between two middling ACC teams.

The Jackets started the game off well. After Tech won the jump ball, sophomore guard Naithan George dribbled the ball up the court into a pull-up jumper, giving the Jackets the lead. George was responsible for the Jackets’ first seven points, scoring four and assisting senior guard Lance Terry for his three-pointer. The rest of the first half was a back-and-forth affair with Notre Dame and Tech answering each other’s shots. The Jackets extended their lead to seven after a three-pointer from redshirt junior forward Duncan Powell, making the score 32-25. The Fighting Irish went on a scoring run at the end of the half to cut the Tech lead. Notre Dame’s Graduate guard Matt Allocco got a three-pointer off at the buzzer to tie the game at halftime, 37-37.

The Jackets had a strong first half, not once being at a deficit. George led the way for the Jackets, notching nine points, four rebounds and an assist. Powell was a spark off the bench, scoring eight points and shooting 2-4 from behind the arc. Neither team stood out on the defensive end, both Notre Dame and Tech shot at least 50% from the field and 40% from the three-point line. The Jackets look to reset at the half and slow the momentum of the Fighting Irish.

Tech came out at the half rejuvenated, scoring six points in quick succession. Sophomore forward Baye Ndongo bullied his way to the rim four points. George scored the last two off of a steal and a floater. After the Jackets scoring run, neither team scored for two minutes and 43 seconds. The Fighting Irish broke the stalemate with a jumper. The score bounced around with Notre Dame tying the game at 45-45 with 12:31 left in the half. The Jackets regained the lead, but once again failed to pull away. Once Tech got a lead of seven, the Fighting Irish went on a 12-0 run to give themselves the lead. The Jackets failed to fight back and fell 71-68.

After the Jackets’ anemic end to the game, Tech dropped to 9-12 and 3-7 in the ACC. Despite the result, George played one of his best games of the season, acquiring 20 points, six rebounds and five assists. Powell exploded off the bench for 18 points on 6-11 from the field. 

After the loss, the Jackets hope to rebound against the No. 21-ranked Louisville Cardinals in the McCamish Pavilion on Feb. 1 and a strong Clemson Tigers team on Feb. 4.

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Tech, ranked No. 20, faced off against the No.10 ranked Duke Blue Devils in a highly anticipated ACC match-up. The game was close throughout, with neither team able to pull away from the other. After gritty performances from both teams, the Blue Devils edged out the Jackets 55-50. The score highlighted the defensive strength of two of the best programs in the ACC.

After impressive back-to-back wins over Clemson and Virginia, Tech looked forward to a highly touted Duke team. The Blue Devils are one of the top teams in the country sitting at No. 8 in NET ranking, while the Jackets are just shy coming in at No. 20. Canadian star and freshman forward Toby Fournier leads Duke in scoring, averaging 12.7 points per game, while coming off the bench. Junior guard Ashlon Jackson holds down a starting guard spot, averaging 12.0 points on 40.3% from behind the three-point-line. The Jackets hoped to slow down the Blue Devils offense, with the third-ranked scoring defense in the ACC.

Tech started the game off strong; fifth-year forward Zoesha “Zoe” Smith scored the first points of the game after collecting the offensive rebound. Junior guard Tonie Morgan added on to the lead with a mid-range jumper to make the score 4-0. The score would oscillate for the rest of the first period, with Tech holding the advantage for the entire quarter. The Jackets led 18-17 going into the second period after Jackson knocked down the first free throws of the game to cut Tech’s lead to one. 

Tech looked to keep the lead that they earned in the first quarter going into the second period. The Blue Devils answered immediately, going on a 6-0 run to start the quarter. Duke’s scoring run was highlighted by the four second-chance points that the Blue Devils acquired. The Jackets and Smith stopped the bleeding with a jumper to end the Duke scoring run. Both teams continued to answer each other’s shots with neither team able to make a run, and Duke led 31-27 going into the half. 

A competitive first half resulted in the Jackets trailing by just four. Tech was led by Smith who scored 10 points while shooting 5-5 from the field. Freshman guard Chazadi ‘Chit-Chat’ Wright closely followed with eight points of her own. If the Jackets were to win the game, their shots needed to start falling. Tech shot 1-10 from behind the arc and a respectable 11-28 from the floor. The Jackets defense held up well against the Blue Devils, holding them to just 12-30 from the field while forcing four turnovers.

Being down at the break, the Jackets looked to answer back. Tech went on a 6-0 run to start the half, giving the Jackets their first lead since early in the second quarter. The Blue Devils answered back immediately to recapture the lead. The score stayed close throughout the quarter, with the game tied at 45-45 entering the fourth period. Smith continued her strong game by collecting the offensive rebound and tipping the ball in to tie the game. 

With the game tied at 45, both teams looked to close out with a strong fourth quarter. Tech struck first; senior forward Kayla Blackshear made a layup to give the Jackets a lead. Duke responded the next possession to once again tie the game. The Jackets failed to escape the suffocating Blue Devils defense and scored just three more points in the game. Duke went on a run of their own to compound the misery. The Blue Devils won 55-50.

After a competitive game, the Jackets failed to deliver in the closing moments. Tech went 0-9 in the last 5:13 and 1-17 to end the game — they kept the game close but were unable to secure the win. Smith led the Jackets in scoring with 16 points. Morgan conducted the offense with five assists. The Jackets shot a dismal 1-20 from three-point-range, highlighting a mistimed shooting slump.

Tech looks to use the Duke game as motivation going into their next matchup. The Jackets travel down to Coral Gables, Fla. to take on the University of  Miami on Feb. 2, hoping to right the ship against the Hurricanes and return to winning ways.

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Tech, ranked No. 20, faced off against the No.10 ranked Duke Blue Devils in a highly anticipated ACC match-up. The game was close throughout, with neither team able to pull away from the other. After gritty performances from both teams, the Blue Devils edged out the Jackets 55-50. The score highlighted the defensive strength of two of the best programs in the ACC.

After impressive back-to-back wins over Clemson and Virginia, Tech looked forward to a highly touted Duke team. The Blue Devils are one of the top teams in the country sitting at No. 8 in NET ranking, while the Jackets are just shy coming in at No. 20. Canadian star and freshman forward Toby Fournier leads Duke in scoring, averaging 12.7 points per game, while coming off the bench. Junior guard Ashlon Jackson holds down a starting guard spot, averaging 12.0 points on 40.3% from behind the three-point-line. The Jackets hoped to slow down the Blue Devils offense, with the third-ranked scoring defense in the ACC.

Tech started the game off strong; fifth-year forward Zoesha “Zoe” Smith scored the first points of the game after collecting the offensive rebound. Junior guard Tonie Morgan added on to the lead with a mid-range jumper to make the score 4-0. The score would oscillate for the rest of the first period, with Tech holding the advantage for the entire quarter. The Jackets led 18-17 going into the second period after Jackson knocked down the first free throws of the game to cut Tech’s lead to one. 

Tech looked to keep the lead that they earned in the first quarter going into the second period. The Blue Devils answered immediately, going on a 6-0 run to start the quarter. Duke’s scoring run was highlighted by the four second-chance points that the Blue Devils acquired. The Jackets and Smith stopped the bleeding with a jumper to end the Duke scoring run. Both teams continued to answer each other’s shots with neither team able to make a run, and Duke led 31-27 going into the half. 

A competitive first half resulted in the Jackets trailing by just four. Tech was led by Smith who scored 10 points while shooting 5-5 from the field. Freshman guard Chazadi ‘Chit-Chat’ Wright closely followed with eight points of her own. If the Jackets were to win the game, their shots needed to start falling. Tech shot 1-10 from behind the arc and a respectable 11-28 from the floor. The Jackets defense held up well against the Blue Devils, holding them to just 12-30 from the field while forcing four turnovers.

Being down at the break, the Jackets looked to answer back. Tech went on a 6-0 run to start the half, giving the Jackets their first lead since early in the second quarter. The Blue Devils answered back immediately to recapture the lead. The score stayed close throughout the quarter, with the game tied at 45-45 entering the fourth period. Smith continued her strong game by collecting the offensive rebound and tipping the ball in to tie the game. 

With the game tied at 45, both teams looked to close out with a strong fourth quarter. Tech struck first; senior forward Kayla Blackshear made a layup to give the Jackets a lead. Duke responded the next possession to once again tie the game. The Jackets failed to escape the suffocating Blue Devils defense and scored just three more points in the game. Duke went on a run of their own to compound the misery. The Blue Devils won 55-50.

After a competitive game, the Jackets failed to deliver in the closing moments. Tech went 0-9 in the last 5:13 and 1-17 to end the game — they kept the game close but were unable to secure the win. Smith led the Jackets in scoring with 16 points. Morgan conducted the offense with five assists. The Jackets shot a dismal 1-20 from three-point-range, highlighting a mistimed shooting slump.

Tech looks to use the Duke game as motivation going into their next matchup. The Jackets travel down to Coral Gables, Fla. to take on the University of  Miami on Feb. 2, hoping to right the ship against the Hurricanes and return to winning ways.

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The Lady Jackets encountered their first bout of adversity of the season during the recent stretch of games, losing heartbreaking games while missing key contributors. The Jackets were unable to overcome a highly touted Notre Dame team, losing 66-81, but when many were counting Tech out, the Jackets played one of their most dominant games of the season, demolishing Clemson 89-65.

After losing their undefeated record in double overtime against Virginia Tech and subsequently losing to Louisville, the Lady Jackets looked to rediscover their form against No. 3-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Clemson Tigers. The Jackets would be without freshman guard Dani Carnegie due to injury, one of their best players and arguably the best freshman in the ACC in the crucial matchups. Despite the loss, Tech has many players looking to step up, notably freshman guard Chazadi “Chit-Chat” Wright and sophomore guard Rusne Augustinaite. 

Tech’s first game of the week came against Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish entered the match-up with a 14-2 record riding a nine-game win streak. On the win streak, Notre Dame beat two teams ranked in the top four at the time: UConn and Texas. The Fighting Irish are led by sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo who is averaging nearly 26 points per game on over 45% from behind the three-point line. Unfortunately for Notre Dame, Hidalgo did not suit up for the match-up with the Jackets.

Tech started the game slow, getting to a 9-0 deficit within the first three minutes. The score continued to bounce throughout the first period before Tech went on a 5-0 run to end the quarter and bring the game to 20-16. Despite the slow start for the Jackets as a collective, junior guard Tonie Morgan performed admirably, scoring 11 points while shooting 4-5 from the field. Despite Notre Dame shooting well at first, the Jackets defense contained them to just 8-21 from the field in the first quarter.

The Jackets looked to carry their momentum from the end of the first quarter. Notre Dame’s lead ballooned to 13 points, but after a steal from junior guard Kara Dunn and a fast break layup by junior guard Inés Noguero, the Jackets had all the momentum. Going into halftime, the score was 39-36 in favor of the Fighting Irish. The Jackets’ defense was ferocious throughout the first half forcing 14 turnovers and scoring 13 points off the turnovers. 

Out of the half, Tech tied the game immediately off of a Dunn three-pointer. Notre Dame responded with a jump shot of their own to restore their lead. After the Jackets tied the game one more time, the Fighting Irish expanded their lead and were up 61-50 by the end of the third period. Dunn totaled 10 points in the quarter, giving her best to keep the Jackets in the game, but Notre Dame continued to pull away.

The fourth quarter was much of the same: the Jackets were unable to pull the Fighting Irish back and fell 81-66 by the end. Despite the loss, Dunn acquired 21 points on 8-17 from the floor and Morgan pushed for 17 points of her own. The Jackets would look to use the game as motivation for the home game against Clemson.

The Jackets were buzzing to halt their three-game losing skid. Tech led from buzzer to buzzer against Clemson, resulting in an 89-65 victory. 

The Jackets jumped off to a hot start, going on an 8-0 run to begin the game. After some fight back from the Tigers, the Jackets ended the first quarter up 27-13. Tech was extremely effective, shooting 13-15 from the field in the first 10 minutes. Senior forward Kayla Blackshear led the way with eight points, shooting 4-4. Morgan ran the show, assisting over half of the Jackets buckets, tallying 7 assists. 

Tech continued their strong performance in the second period, expanding their lead from 14 to 20 over the quarter. Tech led 46-26 entering the intermission. The defense was the primary reason for the expanded lead going into halftime. Tech held Clemson to just 11-29 from the field, making the Tigers think twice before shooting the ball. During the first half, the Jackets scored nine points off turnovers and six from the fast break. 

The Jackets continued to dominate coming out of the half, not lifting their foot off the gas. The second half was much of the same from Tech, resulting in a big 89-65 victory for the Lady Jackets. Morgan led the way while filling the stat sheet with 12 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists — the fourth triple-double in Tech women’s basketball history. Alongside Morgan, Dunn and Blackshear scored efficiently, recording 20 and 19 points, respectively. The Jackets’ impressive performance came in front of 6,386 fans, the third-largest crowd in program history.

After dropping three consecutive games, the Jackets responded with an emphatic victory over Clemson. Tech looks to build on their momentum from Clemson into the heart of the ACC schedule. The Lady Jackets next take on the Duke Blue Devils in a highly anticipated match-up on Jan. 26 in McCamish Pavilion.

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The Jackets faced off against the Duke Blue Devils in their last home meet of the season. Tech performed admirably throughout the meet and won 24 events over the course of the weekend. The men defeated the Blue Devils 258-102 while the Lady Jackets fell short, losing 201-167. The meet celebrated the 16 graduating seniors and their successful swimming careers.

After the first meet of 2025 resulted in a split, a loss to Auburn and a win over Carson-Newman, the Jackets hoped to redeem themselves against the Duke Blue Devils on the third weekend of January. The Jackets and Blue Devils last met in the ACC Championships last February. In that meeting, the male Jackets finished ninth, one spot above the Blue Devils. The Lady Jackets also came in ninth, but the Blue Devils performed admirably, which resulted in a fifth-place finish in the conference for them. Tech looked to better their results from last year and beat Duke in both categories.

On day one, the Jackets performed well, winning 12 out of the 20 events. At the end of the day, the Jackets had a strong 160-45 lead on the men’s side. Senior Mert Kilavuz set the tone for the day, winning the 1650-yard freestyle and securing Tech’s first individual event victory of the meet. Senior Berke Saka led the way for the men; he secured wins in the 100-yard backstroke and 200-yard individual medley, boasting impressive times of 47.09 and 1:45.20, respectively. In diving, sophomore Max Fowler collected two more victories of his own in the 1-meter and platform dives. Freshman Uros Zivanovic secured a win in the 100-yard breaststroke to add to an impressive trophy case, which includes a junior world championship in 2022. Alongside the individual event victories, Tech’s men collected two more wins in both the 200-meter medley and 400-meter freestyle relays. The male Jackets looked to show that last year’s ACC Championship was no fluke and look to secure the victory over Duke on Saturday.

The Lady Jackets fought hard but were unable to muster the performances to lead at the end of day one, and Tech was down 113-77 to Duke. Senior Sophie Murphy impressed in the 200-yard freestyle, winning the event and clocking in at 1:46.57. The Lady Jackets also performed admirably in the 400 and 200-meter relays securing second place in both events.

The Jackets started day two strong, with both the women and men claiming first place in the 400-yard medley relay. Tech used the momentum gained in the first two events to claim 12 victories, matching the number from day one. 

The men’s team continued their dominance from day one, Tech swept the podium in two events. Kilavuz, junior Charles Perks, and freshman Lukas Vetkoetter took the podium in the 500-yard freestyle. The 100-yard butterfly was much the same with sophomore Ricky Balduccini, junior Stephen Jones, and senior Antonio Romero taking the honors. Saka continued to show his pace by winning the 200-yard backstroke. Sophomore Robin Yeboah and Vetkoetter rounded the winners on the men’s side in the 100-yard freestyle and 400-yard individual medley, respectively. The men’s strong performance led to an emphatic 258-102 victory over the Blue Devils.

The ladies’ team looked to overcome the slight deficit to Duke on day two. After a successful first relay, the Jackets looked to use the momentum for the rest of the day. Tech swept the podium in the 200-yard backstroke with junior Phoebe Wright, freshman Elisabeth Erlendsdottir, and graduate student Emma Hixenbaugh taking the honors. The team of junior Anna Hadjiloizou, freshman Nina Stanisavljevic, junior Kiah Smith, and Murphy rounded out the day with a relay victory in the 200-yard freestyle. Despite the strong performances throughout, the Lady Jackets were unable to overcome the Blue Devils and fell 201-167.

The meet celebrated the 16 seniors that will graduate in the spring. The group pushed the program to new heights with many school records being claimed by the decorated group of seniors. 

After the split meet with Duke, the Jackets visit Columbia, S.C. to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks on Jan. 25. Tech’s final regular season meet of the season is the Auburn First Chance on Feb. 7-8. The Jackets are looking to build momentum prior to the ACC Championships in February in hopes of securing spots in the NCAA Championship.

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Last season, Tech made one of the most improbable comebacks in program history by beating the undefeated No. 17 Hurricanes in a 23-20 shocker. The sequel was even better.

Instead of relying on good fortune, the Jackets were in control from the jump. Miami scrambled to get back in the game, but Tech continued to execute and keep the Hurricanes at arms reach. Although Miami has played plenty of close games this season where opponents faltered down the stretch, the Jackets held onto their lead and delivered the Hurricanes their first loss of the season. Poetically, redshirt junior quarterback Haynes King kneeled out the game to secure the victory, reminding Miami of the lack of kneeling that cost them last year’s game. The win was Tech’s first win against a top-five opponent since their win over No. 4 Virginia on Oct. 17, 2009. 

A major storyline going into the game was the status of King. Despite being labeled as questionable going into the game, it seemed to be inevitable that King was going to take part in the biggest game of the season so far. To the glee of the Jackets faithful, King took the field for the first offensive snap of the game.

Tech started the game on offense. Urged on by 47,358 roaring Tech fans, the largest at an ACC home game for the Jackets since 2018, their offense made a statement that they would not let the Hurricanes roll through. Redshirt junior running back Jamal Haynes rushed for 65 yards on the second play of the game to set the Jackets up inside Miami territory. Haynes finished the drive himself by running in for the touchdown while juking out a formidable Hurricanes rush defense, ranked fifth in the ACC for rush yards per game..

Miami responded immediately. Senior quarterback Cam Ward found redshirt junior tight end Elijah Arroyo to score a 74-yard touchdown on Miami’s second play of the game. On their second drive, Tech implemented a unique, but risky gameplan of playing freshman quarterback Aaron Philo alongside King. The early results could have been better — Tech punted  after a three-and-out. However, over the course of the game, offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner used Philo in more obvious passing situations and put King in when the team needed to run the ball. 

Miami responded to Tech stalling out with a short drive of their own and kicked a 41-yard field goal, to take a 10-7 lead. Fortunately, the Jackets answered back with a nearly  11-minute touchdown drive of their own that revealed their gameplan: run the ball over the Hurricanes’ defense. Their methodical drive was proof of concept. Of the 80 yards that the Jackets gained on the drive, they picked up 64 by running largely through the legs of King. Despite Tech doing most of their work on the ground, they switched things up in the red zone. King capped off the drive with a five-yard touchdown pass to redshirt junior wide receiver Malik Rutherford, to give Tech a 14-10 lead. The lead was one that the Jackets did not relinquish.

In a half of largely excellent defense, the Jackets’ defense set itself apart on two distinct plays. The first came after Miami marched down the field to the Tech 23-yard line and decided to go for it on fourth and three. Redshirt junior defensive end Sylvain Yondjouen rushed Ward and forced him into an incomplete pass, thus forcing a turnover on downs. The defense shined again when the  Hurricanes were near midfield and needed nine yards to convert a pivotal third down. Redshirt junior defensive back Omar Daniels got in between Ward’s pass to break it up and  force Miami to punt. It “We went over [that play] many times, so [senior safety LaMiles Brooks] told me what to do. I can’t thank him enough. That’s a great teammate right there.” Daniels said, on how he made the pivotal pass breakup and how Brooks helped him make the play.

The first half was a dominant display from the Jackets on both sides of the ball. The defense forced Ward to complete just 50% of his passes and 133 yards passing. They complemented an excellent pass defense with  Tech allowing just 65 yards on the ground. On offense, the Jackets churned out 189 yards rushing while dominating the time of possession, holding the ball for 18 minutes and 17 seconds. Tech hoped to expand on their 14-10 lead in the second half. 

The Jackets defense continued their dominant performance in the second half. Tech forced a turnover on downs on Miami’s first drive of the half. The Jackets took advantage of the turnover and marched down the field, capping it off with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Philo to redshirt senior Chase Lane on third down. The touchdown pass was Philo’s first as a Jacket and extended Tech’s lead to 21-10.

Miami responded once again on the arm of  Ward. The Hurricanes went 83 yards in nine plays to score the touchdown. Miami elected to go for a two-point conversion but the swarming Jackets defense forced a fumble to limit the score to 21-16. 

After the Miami touchdown, King stepped up. He led the offense on a 75 yard drive down the field and capitalized on the momentum from the defense with a five-yard King run into the end zone. It extended the score to 28-16 and put the Jackets in firm control of the game. For the Jackets to win this game, they needed to show up in the fourth quarter. In Miami’s previous games, the Hurricanes made big fourth quarter comebacks, overcoming deficits to Duke and Cal. It was up to the Jackets defense to stifle their hopes. On Miami’s three offensive drives in the quarter,  the Jackets forced turnovers on two of them. The first came on a fourth-and-16 attempt that Miami desperately needed to get back into the game. The Jackets put a stop to it by driving Ward into the ground on the sack. Still, the Hurricanes cut the lead to 23-28 on a clutch throw by Ward. With the game hanging in the balance, redshirt junior defensive end Romello Height beat the Miami tackle, mauled Ward and ripped the ball away from the Heisman hopeful. Redshirt junior defensive lineman Jordan Van Den Berg recovered the ball and held onto it with all of his might. “I watched a war movie last night. I was digging in the trenches for the ball.” Van Den Berg said jokingly about securing the fumble for the Jackets. 

After the fumble recovery, the Jackets offense needed one first down to secure the victory. Tech ran the ball up the middle on first and second down but they fell short of the first-down marker. Tech needed an offensive spark and turned to the player with lightning in his veins — sophomore wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr.  Singleton took the shovel pass from King, outran Miami’s defense and picked up the first down before sliding down to ice the game. In just two successive kneel-downs from King, the Jackets upset No. 4 Miami, 28-23.

In their most impressive display of run-game execution this year, the Jackets ran for 271 yards and Kingled the team with 93 yards.  In the trenches, Tech’s run defense held up their end of the bargain by limiting the Hurricanes to 88 rushing yards. The game was a prime example of the complimentary football that Key strives for Tech to play. 

Tech fans stormed the field in exuberant celebration once the game was officially over. Despite the attempts of security to protect the goal posts, students unsurprisingly engineered a way to dislodge the posts and brought them to President Angel Cabrera’s house.“You saw the students. You saw the fans. That’s what it’s special for…That’s what we are, just nerds and prideful of it,” Key said after the game in reference to what the victory means. It may not be 1984, but years of misplaced hope and miserable losses culminated in a revenge of the nerds.

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After a shaky start, the Atlanta Falcons finally appear to be on the path to normalcy. They currently lead the NFC South with a 5-3 record after Week 8 and appear to have found a groove with new additions in quarterback Kirk Cousins and head coach Raheem Morris. The Falcons fan base experienced a nasty shock when the team came out flat in a tough loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers during the season opener. The poor performance of Cousins, who looked rusty in his return from a torn Achilles tendon, was an unfortunate sub-plot of the early part of the season.  Fortunately, they have rebounded nicely, albeit stumbling against the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks. 

After the loss to the Steelers, the Falcons made a statement against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football. Cousins, who has 33 game winning drives in his career, stepped up once again when the team needed him most. The Falcons quarterback marched the Falcons down the field, connecting with wide receiver Darnell Mooney and tight end Kyle Pitts, to get the Falcons into the redzone. Wide receiver Drake London capped off the drive with a clutch touchdown catch to put the Falcons up 22-21 with 34 seconds left in the game. Safety Jessie Bates III iced the game with an interception and secured the Falcons’ first win of the season. The win put the Falcons on the national radar.

After the thrilling win against the Eagles, the Falcons lost to the Chiefs in a close game where they had no answer for Kansas City receiver Rashee Rice. The Dirty Birds put that game behind them by winning three games in a row against divisional opponents to propel them to the top of the division. Morris has given the Falcons new hope and swagger that has reverberated throughout the team. To borrow a line from Atlanta rapper Bankroll Fresh referenced by Cousins, the Falcons want to be a team that will “walk in your trap and take over your trap.”  

Under offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, the Falcons offense is currently ranked seventh in yards per game with 371.6. Robinson has unlocked the talent of his skill players that was previously underutilized under the old regime. Already one of the best at his position, running back Bijan Robinson is on pace for more scrimmage yards than last year as he ranks fourth in the NFL in combined rushing and receiving yards. He finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting last season and is capable of  taking another step forward as the engine of the team’s offense. Pitts struggled in recent seasons, but this season has restored the productive form he showed as a rookie Pro Bowler. Like Pitts, London struggled last year in an offense with a middling passing attack, but is now leading  the team in receiving yards. Mooney, who previously floundered with the Chicago Bears, has become a reliable third receiver option for Cousins. Cousins, after a rough first start, has been a revelation for the Falcons. He currently ranks third in passing yards with 2106 among all quarterbacks and set a new Falcons franchise record for passing yards in a game with 509 in a win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

While the Falcons’ defense is not a smothering force by any means, they have been an average unit that can come up with critical stops when it matters most. The safety duo of Justin Simmons and Bates III anchor the defense. Their high-level play has been critical in the Falcons standing in the top-10 for interceptions forced. Despite being a prolific ball hawking team, the unit is still  middling when it comes to stopping the  pass, ranking 18th league-wide in passing yards conceded per game. The real concern for the defense is their inability to  create pressure on the quarterback — even with the addition of Pro Bowl pass rusher Matthew Judon, Atlanta’s six sacks as a team ranks last in the NFL. 

On special teams, they remain excellent with good performances from kicker Younghoe Koo and punter Bradley Pinion. Koo has already hit one  game-winning field goal and is  16 for 20 on the season. Punter Bradley Pinion has recorded just one touchback this season, showcasing his pin-point accuracy.

After a strong start, the Falcons will need to persevere during a challenging second half if they want to break their postseason drought. This Sunday, Atlanta takes on a Dallas Cowboys team that is strong on paper, but tends to wilt when pressed into challenging games. In their next eight games, they have five matchups against teams currently with winning records: the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings, Washington Commanders and Cowboys. The Falcons will not be favored in all of those games, but they should be battle-tested if they are able to etch out a postseason berth. .

Even though they are currently atop the NFC South, they will have to finish strong in order to hold onto the lead and play for a top seed in the conference. If the defense can generate more pressure while Cousins and the offense maintain a strong level of consistency, this could be a formidable team in this season’s playoffs.

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