Coming off a three-game skid, Tech looked to end their regular season on a positive note on the road against the Miami Hurricanes. Miami bested the Jackets earlier in the season by two points; however, revenge was on Tech’s mind as they ran onto the court on Sunday afternoon. 

The first quarter saw an even exchange of points, with junior forward Kayla Blackshear scoring eight of the Jackets’ 14 points. Blackshear banked in the first six points for the team, but a two-minute drought ensued where freshman guard Rusne Augustinaite hit a jumper that gave the team a 9-5 lead. Miami responded promptly with a three-pointer and a layup to claim a 10-9 edge. Augustinaite came back with a clutch three-pointer to bolster Tech up 12-10. The teams exchanged points, and the buzzer sounded for the first quarter with a 14-14 tie. 

The second quarter was an outpour of scoring, with both teams refusing to give up a run of points to the other. The back-and-forth affair saw clutch shots from sophomore guard Tonie Morgan and senior guard Avyonce Carter. The Jackets led by as much as four, and it looked as if the team would pull away, but Miami roared back and took a late lead, putting the Hurricanes up 36-35 at the halfway point in an offense- heavy quarter that consisted of 43 combined points. 

The first half was evenly matched with nine lead changes and the Jackets’ largest lead being just four. Although there was an outpouring of scoring in the second half, Tech was reliant on Augustinaite and Blackshear. If the Jackets wanted to leave Miami with a win, they would need to get more scorers involved, like Morgan and sophomore guard Kara Dunn. 

The third quarter told the same story as the first half as Tech pushed the ball to the basket a bunch, however, they could not pull away from the Hurricanes. Blackshear continued to find the basket on layups and jumpers, but the defense was unable to shut down the Miami attack. With six lead changes in the third quarter, both teams delivered alternating punches, resulting in a 50-49 lead for Miami going into the fourth. The fourth quarter saw the lead alternate again, but Miami leaped to a threatening four-point lead with eight minutes to go. The Jackets rallied behind a pair of three-point baskets from sophomore guard Inés Noguero on back-to-back possessions. Going into the final two minutes, the game was knotted at 60, and Miami made an easy layup that pushed the Hurricanes up 62-60. With just 30 seconds to go, Dunn generated contact on her shot and got the foul call from the referee. Banking in both free throws, Dunn tied the game at 62. The defense stepped up big and gave the Jackets an opportunity, but Noguero’s jumper was off. 

Going into overtime, the Jackets needed to play flawless defense and score fast. Fifth-year guard Sydney Johnson nailed a three-point shot out the gate, and the defense would lock up. Not allowing Miami to score for the first four minutes of the overtime period, the Jackets maintained a solid five-point lead going into the final minute. Up 67-62, Tech stifled the Miami attack and hit their free throw shots as they coasted through the overtime period and cashed in a 71-66
 road win over the Hurricanes. 

The Jackets banked in 17 of their 19 free throws, and Morgan finished with a double-double on 16 points and 10 rebounds. Blackshear was not far behind with 18 points and nine rebounds. Six different players made a three-point basket for Tech as they hit eight threes in total. Tech will be back in action for the ACC Tournament with their season on the line on Wednesday, March 6 against  a  8-32 Pittsburgh Panthers team that has largely struggled throughout the year. It has not been the cleanest season for the Jackets, but anything can happen in the tournament.

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Tech’s defense is coming off a tough statistical year. The Jackets were the worst defense in the ACC and ranked 120th in the FBS in total defense, allowing just over 400 yards per game and 6.29 yards per play. At the beginning of the season, many expected the defense to be the strong suit for the team as defensive coordinator Andrew Thacker returned for his fifth season along with many veteran players; however, the team’s performance on the field revealed the defense to be a liability at times. 

They were particularly susceptible to opposing rushing attacks as the team ranked third worst in the entire FBS at stopping the run, allowing 221.3 rush yards per game.

Head coach Brent Key addressed the issue abruptly in the season, demoting Thacker following a 38-27 embarrassing loss to Bowling Green at home that saw Bowling Green run all over the Jackets’ defense. Key promoted Kevin Sherrer to the role. Sherrer finished the season as the defensive coordinator but did not earn the full-time role going forward. 

“Our performance on defense this season hasn’t met the standard that we expect at Georgia Tech. While the responsibility for that does not fall on any one individual — in fact, as the head coach, that responsibility begins with me — I do feel that a new voice and perspective from the coordinator role is necessary for us to improve,” Key stated in the initial stages of his search for a defensive coordinator. 

He found his guy in Duke’s Tyler Santucci. Santucci brings quite the resume from the Blue Devils, having the 41st-best total defense in the FBS this past year, allowing just 19.8 points per game, ranked 19th nationally. 

Santucci was also a nominee for the 2023 Broyles Award, which is given annually to the nation’s top assistant coach. He is a young defensive mind who  also comes with experience at other Power 5 programs in Texas A&M and Wake Forest. 

Along with Santucci come two more assistants: Kyle Pope and Jess Simpson. After leading  Memphis to four straight bowl berths and directing a unit ranked top 25 in third and fourth down conversions, Pope will take over as the outside linebackers/edge coach. Simpson will coach the defensive line and comes in from Duke. 

Simpson and Santucci have chemistry from working together at Duke this past year and look to carry their strong relationship over to their time at Tech. Santucci, Pope and Simpson are big additions for Key, but the challenge of keeping and acquiring on-field defensive talent will be an early test for them. 

A lot of the notable names from last season have entered the portal or graduated. Defensive lineman Kyle Kennard and linebacker Paul Moala led the team in tackles for loss, both with 11, and will not be returning this coming year. 

However, there are still players coming in from the transfer portal. Former Furman defensive end Jack Barton is joining the team along with signed talented freshmen like edge rusher Amontrae Bradford, defensive lineman Uche Iloh, and linebacker Jordan Boyd. 

A lot of optimism comes with the incoming year as there is nowhere to go but up defensively. With a tough schedule on the horizon, the Jackets need to field a strong defense in hopes of returning to a bowl game again. 

Tech is retaining a majority of its offensive talent this year and with the support of a strong defense, the Jackets could make real noise in the ACC. 

In his first season, Brent Key made major improvements to the offense by hiring offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner and re-imagining Tech’s passing game. Fans are hoping that Santucci will have a similar effect on a defense badly in need of a new direction. 

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Tech football garnered national attention after their massive upset of then 17th-ranked North Carolina on Oct. 28; however, heading into their Nov. 4 matchup against a two-win Virginia Cavaliers team, Tech was a +1.5 underdog. Tech had been capable of knocking off ranked teams all season long, having toppled two ranked teams already, but had been unable to stay consistent week-to-week, falling to lesser opponents like Bowling Green and Boston College. Faced with an opportunity to win back-to-back games for the first time this season, head coach Brent Key brought his squad to Charlottesville, Virginia, poised and ready for a 2 p.m. ACC showdown on the road

The Jackets won the opening coin toss and deferred to the second half, giving Virginia the first possession of the game. The Cavaliers progressed quickly to midfield on chunk plays, but the fifth play of the game saw redshirt senior defensive back Myles Sims rip a deep ball out of a Virginia receiver’s hands for Tech’s 16th forced turnover of the year and Sims’ first interception of the season. The Jackets went three-and-out following the turnover, however, and Virginia’s ensuing drive went 70 yards in eight plays for a methodical score against the Tech defense, putting the Jackets in an early and worrying 7-0 deficit.

Needing a response, redshirt sophomore running back Jamal Haynes and the Tech offense came off the bench fired up as Haynes ripped an 18-yard run to start the drive. Haynes and redshirt sophomore quarterback Haynes King guided the Tech offense into Virginia territory, where the drive would eventually stall at Virginia’s 24-yard line. Redshirt freshman kicker Aidan Birr trotted on to kick a 41-yard field goal, cutting Virginia’s lead to 7-3. 

Tech’s defense would force a missed field goal on the Cavalier’s next possession, and the offense would mount a long, methodical drive on the backs of Haynes and redshirt senior running back Dontae Smith. With the two backs alternating carries, the Jackets went on a 16-play, 69-yard touchdown drive to put Tech up 10-7 midway through the second quarter. Just three plays later, redshirt junior defensive back Kenan Johnson jarred the ball loose from Virginia’s quarterback, and redshirt senior defensive back Jaylon King shifted the momentum by scooping it up for the Jacket’s s second forced turnover of the game. 

A pair of punts ensued before Tech would mount another touchdown drive. After four straight passes to get the ball to the Virginia 34-yard line, Haynes King broke loose on a read option run and carried the ball to the endzone for the score, putting the Jackets up 17-7 with just over two minutes to go in the first half. Tech’s defense rose up and forced a Cavalier three-and-out to give the offense one more shot at points before halftime. King would have a 29-yard run to get into Virginia territory early in the drive, which set up Smith for a 33-yard touchdown scamper, putting the Jackets firmly  in command up  24-7.

Virginia would add  a quick field goal to send Tech into the locker room with a 24-10 lead. Receiving the opening kickoff of the second half, the Jackets looked to have lost no rhythm as King guided the team to the Tech 42-yard line, where he launched a 58-yard bomb to freshman wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. for a touchdown. The score was Singleton’s sixth of the year, vaulting him to third all-time in touchdowns for a Tech receiver in their freshman season, just one score behind Calvin Johnson’s seven touchdowns in his inagural season with Tech.

Up 31-10, the Jackets defense held Virginia to two straight three-and-outs, but the offense stalled out. After the defense turned the Cavaliers over on downs, the Jackets mounted a strong five-play, 61-yard touchdown drive. Smith capped off the drive by bulldozing several would-be tacklers on a nine-yard touchdown run, blowing the game open for Tech at 38-10 with just over 10 minutes to play and protect their large lead.

Virginia responded with a 75-yard drive to score a touchdown for the first time since the first quarter, but it was all too little, too late. King silenced all unrealistic comeback hopes after he broke through a huge hole, gliding for a 43-yard touchdown that put the game on ice. The Jackets would coast for the thoroughly dominant  45-17 ACC victory.

The 28-point victory is Tech’s greatest margin of victory over the Cavaliers ever in Charlottesville and largest margin over an ACC opponent since beating Louisville by 35 in 2018. King led the charge, going 23-for-30 with 208 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 83 yards on seven carries with two scores. Haynes King led the rushing attack on 119 yards with 17 attempts and a touchdown; Smith accounted for two of the scores on 15 carries with 78 yards. Singleton was King’s favorite target — the deep threat led the offensive charge with 80 yards and a touchdown on five receptions.

The Jackets now move to 5-4 on the season, crossing the .500 mark for the first time since 2020 with multi-game wins for the first time since 2018 and capturing their second straight ACC win. With three games remaining, Tech has already matched last year’s win total and needs one more victory for their first bowl berth since 2010. The Jackets, at third in the ACC standings, go back on the road to take on a formidable ACC rival in the Clemson Tigers, who they have not beaten since 2014, at 12 p.m. on Nov. 11 in Memorial Stadium in Clemson, SC.

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The marathon has long been considered one of the highest athletic accomplishments for any individual to complete. A grueling, exerting 26.2-mile run is not easy for anyone, but some make it look like they are walking on air. 

Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya has been the undoubted king of the marathon since he broke the world record with his 2:01:39 performance at the Berlin Marathon on Sept. 16, 2018. Kipchoge’s 2018 showing shattered Dennis Kimetto of Kenya’s previous record by one minute and 18 seconds: an astounding feat considering there had not been a world record break of over a minute in the marathon since Derek Clayton of Australia broke his own record in 1969 by one minute and three seconds. 

Kipchoge’s record appeared to be untouchable when he ran the Berlin Marathon again on Sept. 25, 2022 and broke his own world record by 30 seconds, coming in at a time of 2:01:09. However, Kipchoge had recorded a faster time than that already. He became the first-ever human to record a marathon time faster than two hours on Oct. 12, 2019, finishing the 26.2 miles in 1:59:40.2, but Kipchoge’s infamous breaking of two hours is not ratified by the International Association of Athletics Federations as a world record due to the performance involving pacemakers and water delivery coming from coaches throughout the race. As of Oct. 7, 2023, the standing record was Kipchoge’s 2:01:09 performance at the flat coursed Berlin Marathon in 2022.  

Thought to be untouchable, Kipchoge’s marathon time seemed to be unreachable by the current field of the world’s most elite runners, but Kelvin Kiptum of Kenya had more to say. Kiptum, at 23 years old, was sure to be a star when his marathon debut at the Valencia Marathon in December of 2022 resulted in him becoming just the third man to ever break two hours and two minutes in the marathon. Kiptum’s second marathon at the London Marathon saw him vault to a 2:01:25 mark: the second-fastest time in history. However, it was Kiptum’s third career marathon that wrote the 23-year-old into the record books. 

Kiptum traveled to Chicago for the infamous Chicago Marathon: a race that tends to land in the top three annually of total finishers of all marathons worldwide. On Oct. 8, 2023, Kiptum lined up next to the world’s most elite runners at the start line, but it was he alone who crossed the finish line having made history. Kiptum marked a time of 2:00:35 with an average mile time of 4:36, making him the first man to go below two hours and one minute in an official marathon and effectively shattering Kipchoge’s previous world record by 34 seconds. Kiptum’s astounding mark made him the new world record holder of the fastest marathon time while also making history in more ways. 

For the first time since 2002, the world record marathon time was broken somewhere other than at the Berlin Marathon. Kiptum becomes the first runner since 1999 to break the world record somewhere other than Europe while becoming the fifth straight Kenyan to hold the record, breaking the United States’ record of four straight runners to hold the title. A Kenyan runner has held the record since 2011 which is the longest time for any country to hold the record since an Australian runner held the record for 17 years from 1967 to 1984. 

Kiptum officially joins running royalty with his impressive performance and has launched talk of who will break the record next and when it will be. More than anything, Kiptum’s race brings the record closer to the first ever breaking of the two-hour barrier in a record-eligible race. Fans have already begun theorizing which race it will be. Most running fans’ eyes look to the Berlin Marathon on Sept. 29, 2024, as Kiptum is yet to run Berlin: the home of 13 world record-setting marathon times. Kiptum has  set a new precedent for marathon runners after reaching and surpassing, what most thought to be, an untouchable record set by Kipchoge as the world waits for the two-hour barrier to be officially broken. 

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Ranked 11th in the nation, Tech volleyball entered their hardest matchup of the season so far: a ranked bout at Pittsburgh. Having been to two straight Final Fours in the NCAA Tournament, the No. 7 Pittsburgh Panthers were 13-2 entering the ACC bout.

However, Tech was not in their finest form going into Pittsburgh. The first set consisted of run after run from both squads, but it was Pitt who held the advantage after pushing out to a 23-22 lead. Then senior outside hitter Tamara Otene scored on three straight kills to end the set in favor of the Jackets at 25-23, pushing the match to 1-0 in favor of Tech.

The second set pushed evenly all the way to a 22-point draw. The Jackets took three of the last four points to win the second set by the same score as the first: 25-23. Now leading the match 2-0, Tech was in prime position to secure a huge road victory over a top ranked team, but the Panthers had other plans. Pitt raced out to a 15-7 lead in the third set and Pitt won the third 25-17. Similarly, the Panthers lept out to an insurmountable 21-10 lead in the fourth set and finished the set with the score at 25-15 to force a fifth, decisive set with the Jackets. 

With one more set to decide the match, the Jackets leapt out to a 4-2 advantage; however, Pitt rallied and took the set with a 10-8 advantage. The Panthers scored the final five points of the set, completing a reverse sweep and handing the Jackets their second loss of the season in a 3-2 bout. 

Following the physically exerting match at Pittsburgh, Tech traveled to Charlottesville, VA to take on the Virginia Cavaliers. Tech stormed into the first set of the match, decimating the Cavaliers attack on their way to a 23-9 lead. The teams exchanged the last four points as Tech took the opening set 25-11. However, Virginia battled back and matched Tech throughout the second set. The Jackets jumped to a late 19-17 lead but were unable to hold as Virginia went on a six point run to take the second set at 25-21. 

Tech turned it around in the third set behind solid digs and offensive play. The match remained even until Tech jumped to a 24-18 set point lead and emerged victorious 25-21. However, Virginia would battle in the fourth and win 25-22, putting Tech in their third straight match with five sets. 

In the fifth set, freshman outside hitter Larissa Mendes called game as she scored six of the Jackets’ points, five of which were the last six in the set. Mendes lifted Tech to a 15-13 fifth set win and a 3-2 match victory for the Jackets.

Following the thriller in Virginia, the Jackets returned home for the first time since Sept. 24 to take on Florida State on Oct. 13. The Seminoles came into the match 12-6 and undefeated in ACC play with a 6-0 record. The Jackets failed to match Florida State’s runs and fell behind 14-8 in the first set. However, behind a junior outside hitter Bianca Bertolino kill, Tech rallied back within one at 14-13. From there, a late Seminole surge put the set away at 25-21 in favor of Florida State. Tech came back in the second set, grabbing the set at 25-23, knotting the match at 1-1 in O’Keefe. 

Florida State came out of the locker room for the third set and dominated. Every point for the Jackets would generate two in response from the Seminoles as Florida State took the set 25-18. 

However, Tech would not be deterred so easily and responded with their own dominant set. The fourth set remained relatively even until junior middle blocker DeAndra Pierce ignited momentum amd fueled a Tech surge to a gritty, 25-18 fourth set victory.

In their fourth straight five set game, the Jackets’ experience showed as they exchanged points with Florida State and held the Seminoles off for a 16-14 win and 3-2 match victory in front of a  raucous O’Keefe Gymnasium. 

In the 22nd straight sell out of O’Keefe Gymnasium, a streak that dates back to the 2021 season, the Jackets were set to take on the Miami Hurricanes. The Jackets held even with Miami in the first set until a 21 all crossroad where the Hurricanes pushed ahead to take the first set 25-23. The second set saw the Jackets fall behind and fail to close within more than two points as Miami took a 2-0 lead in the match off a run away 25-20 win in the second set. 

Needing a reverse sweep to win the match now, Tech jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the third set behind a crop of Mendes kills. However, Miami roared back and was up 20-14 and looked to have the Jackets on the ropes. Otene and Bertolino brought Tech back to tie it 20-20, but Miami would take the set in an extra serve 26-24, thus sweeping the Jackets. 

Now sitting at 15-3 on the season and 6-2 in ACC play, the Jackets play Duke next at O’Keefe Gymnasium on Oct. 20 at 7:00 p.m. Tech looks to bounce back from the rough loss to Miami. Last season, Tech beat Duke 3-1, only forfeiting the third set of the match by a score of 30-28. The Jackets will look to perform similarly this season to get a win. 

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Coming off a hard-fought road loss, Tech traveled to Winston-Salem, North Carolina for their first ACC road game of the season against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Saturday, Sept. 23.​​ The Jackets were sitting at a 1-2 season record and 0-1 in the ACC in a must-win situation to keep hopes of a bowl game berth alive. 

Wake won the coin toss and deferred to the second half, giving the Jackets the ball to start the game. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Haynes King brought the offense on the field for a quick three-and-out and a punt to open the game. Wake, however, found some quick rhythm offensively behind a couple of good carries from running back Justice Ellison. The Deacons moved the ball all the way inside the Tech 10-yard line before the Jackets’ defense stood tall and held Wake to a 25-yard field goal, making the game 3-0.

The Jackets needed to respond on their next drive and, after being put in another quick third and long situation after just two plays, King fired downfield to senior tight end Luke Benson for a 38-yard gain that moved the Jackets into Wake territory. From there, the Jackets were in another third-down situation, but, once again King fired downfield and found freshman wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. in the endzone for a 31-yard touchdown pass, putting Tech up 7-3 early on in the first. 

Wake would mount an 11-play effort to respond but would be stopped on downs by the Tech defense to end the first quarter. The Jackets would then mount another solid drive that pushed the ball to midfield, but King went for it all on a second down and four play where he overshot Singleton Jr. and the ball fell into the Wake defender’s arms, giving the Deacons the ball at their own 25-yard line. The Jackets defense would rise to the occasion and create a three-and-out highlighted by a junior defensive lineman Kyle Kennard sack on third down and long. 

Tech would receive the ball at their own 17-yard line and move it straight down the field from there. King found a solid rhythm off two 30-yard passing plays as he hit junior receiver Avery Boyd for 31 yards and then a wide open redshirt junior receiver Abdul Janneh for 33 yards and a touchdown that put the Jackets up 14-3 midway through the second quarter. 

Wake Forest would then throw an interception on the ensuing drive that Tech failed to do anything with; however, on Tech’s punt, Wake Forest muffed it and gave the Jackets the ball at the Wake 11-yard line. The Jackets were not able to break through the Wake defense though and settled for a field goal from redshirt freshman kicker Aidan Birr, pushing the score up to 17-3 in favor of the Ramblin’ Wreck. 

The Jackets defense once again rose up, forcing another Wake three-and-out off a redshirt senior linebacker Paul Moala sack. The Wake punter shanked the ensuing punt and gave Tech the ball at the Deacons 38, where Tech would cash in another field goal from Birr to put the score at 20-3 with a 17-point lead going into halftime. 

Coming out of the locker room, Wake got the ball to start the second half and mounted a 12-play, 74-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown, but Wake kicker Matthew Dennis missed the extra point as the score moved to 20-9 Tech. The Jackets would mount a 41-yard drive on their ensuing possession but were unable to push it further and had to punt it away, giving Wake an opportunity to pull the game within one score. The Tech defense once again rose to the occasion and forced a Wake turnover on downs at midfield, giving the Jackets prime field position. Tech would end the third quarter and move the ball down to the Wake 35-yard line, but when faced with a fourth down and six, the Tech offense was unable to find the yardage for a first down and gave the ball back to the Deacons. 

The very next play saw senior linebacker Andre White come flying into the backfield and slam into the Wake quarterback, causing a fumble that junior defensive lineman Zeek Biggers would quickly hop on. With the ball at the Wake 26-yard line, the Tech offense would push down to the 10-yard line before sputtering and bringing Birr on for another field goal. With the Jackets now leading 23-9, Wake needed to respond, and on an 11-play, 75-yard drive, the Deacons found the end zone again and pulled the game within one score at 23-16. 

Tech would go three-and-out and provide the Deacons with an opportunity to tie the game. With just four minutes left in the game, Wake quickly moved deep into Tech territory. On first and 10 from the Tech 21-yard line, the Wake quarterback evaded the initial rush and sidearmed a throw to the right side of the field, where redshirt junior defensive back Kenan Johnson jumped the route, intercepted the pass and took the ball up to the 32-yard line. 

Tech would mount a quick, six-play drive down the field that ended in a 26-yard redshirt sophomore running back Jamal Haynes touchdown run to put the Jackets up 30-16 with just under 90 seconds in the ball game. Wake Forest would throw another interception to seal the game for Tech, and the Jackets would leave North Carolina with their fourth ACC road win of their last five conference road games.  

The defense highlighted the game for Tech with eight sacks and five forced turnovers. Kennard had four sacks of his own along with eight tackles, while redshirt senior defensive back Jaylon King was the ACC’s co-defensive back of the week with two interceptions, one pass break up and five tackles. King went 16 for 27 on 222 yards and two scores, pushing him over 1,000 yards on the season. This makes King the first Tech quarterback to reach this mark in just four games since Joe Hamilton in 1999, a season where Hamilton was the Heisman runner-up. The Jackets will be back in Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field on Sept. 30 to face off against the Bowling Green Falcons. The Jackets are seeking their first winning record in five years. 

The Jackets traveled to Oxford, Mississippi for their first road test of the season in hopes of pulling an upset over the No. 17 Ole Miss Rebels. This game was the second of a home-and-home series between Tech and Ole Miss, and last year’s game was still fresh on Tech’s mind: a 42-0 loss in Bobby Dodd. With a mindset for a comeback and desire to show out , the Jackets took to Hollingsworth Field at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium for an electric night time showdown on Saturday, Sept. 16.

The Rebels elected to receive the opening kickoff after winning the coin toss and took control early. Ole Miss’ first drive was a swift two and a half minute progression down the field. The Jackets initially seemed to have no answer for anything Ole Miss’ offense threw at them, but Tech came up big on a third and four, breaking up a pass and forcing a field goal. 

Down 3-0, redshirt sophomore quarterback Haynes King led the Jackets’ offense onto the field for their first possession of the night. Tech established a strong run game early as the offensive line opened holes for junior running back Trey Cooley and redshirt sophomore running back Jamal Haynes to find space. The drive stalled in Ole Miss territory and Head Coach Brent Key elected to try a field goal; however, the kick was blocked and returned to Tech’s 34-yard line, giving the Rebels excellent field position. Ole Miss mounted a quick drive that ended in a touchdown run from quarterback Jaxon Dart, putting the Rebels up 10-0 with three minutes to go in the first quarter. 

King, looking composed and sure, led the Jackets down the field to the five-yard line but failed to get into the endzone on three tries. Faced with a big decision on fourth down, Key elected to keep the offense on the field in hopes of a momentum-swinging score. On fourth and goal, King took the snap, rolled to his right and fired to redshirt junior wide receiver Dominick Blaylock, who dropped the ball for a turnover on downs. 

The Rebels took over and made the most of it as Dart led Ole Miss down to the redzone, but Tech’s defense held strong and forced a fourth-and-goal situation where Rebels Head Coach Lane Kiffin elected to leave his offense on the field as well. Dart hit his man square in the hands, but redshirt senior cornerback Myles Sims got a hand in the way. On offense, King once again marched the Jackets down into the red zone. With about a minute to go before halftime, redshirt freshman Aidan Birr came in and hit a field goal through the uprights to get Tech onto the scoreboard with Ole Miss leading 10-3 at half. 

At half, Ole Miss outgained  Tech in yards 209 to 203 while the Jackets dominated the time of possession, holding the ball for just over 20 minutes compared to Ole Miss’ nine. Tech received the second-half kickoff and did nothing with it as the game saw its first punt from either team. Ole Miss moved down the field and scored on a 21-yard touchdown run, making the score 17-3. After another Tech three and out, Ole Miss got the ball deep in Tech territory on a failed fake punt. A few plays later, Dart dove into the endzone to put the Rebels up 24-3.

Tech was in need of a momentum swing, and got it from true freshman wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. He put the team on his back with two big catches, including a 51-yard bomb, that led Tech down to the redzone. King then scored on a one-yard keeper to put the game at 24-10. Tech’s defense then forced a timely three-and-out, getting the ball back to the offense to start the fourth quarter. 

The Jackets swiftly moved down the field behind King, Cooley and Singleton making big plays. Faced with a fourth and eight from the Ole Miss 15 yard line, the offense stayed on the field where King lofted a ball to the right corner of the endzone to a wide open Singleton. Birr knocked the extra point through the uprights and it was just 24-17 with 10 minutes remaining. However, the game took a turn as Ole Miss produced a quick drive ending in a field goal, and after a Tech punt, the Rebels slung a 68 yard touchdown pass to go up 34-17. Tech once again faltered on offense and the Rebels once again took advantage, going up 41-17.

However, the Jackets did not quit and kept up the offensive. King led a drive that ended in a 14-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Avery Boyd. After a failed two point conversion, the score was 41-23. Ole Miss tacked on another touchdown in the end and the game concluded at 48-23, putting Tech at 1-2 on the year.

 King finished 28 of 41 with 307 yards and two touchdowns. King has now thrown for 300 yards in two of three games, especially notable considering there have only been 30 300-yard passing games in Tech football history. Haynes ran for 72 yards on 19 carries, while Singleton had 97 yards and a touchdown on five receptions. Tech will be back on the road against Wake Forest
on Saturday, Sept. 23. 

The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) officially expanded beyond the Atlantic Coast on Friday, Sept. 1st. After expansion in the Big 12, Big Ten and the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the ACC was in a precarious position that warranted immediate action in either adding more teams or renegotiating revenue distribution among its members. Despite a strong push from Florida State University President Richard McCullough to renegotiate revenue deals, the conference officials instead pursued the addition of new teams. When news broke of the ACC favoring expansion, the response was mixed. 

Many felt the ACC was too late to the party of expansion, as a majority of the Pac-12 teams had been poached by other conferences, and opening the door for teams in the Group of 5 conferences would not generate more revenue than what was already coming in. The ACC’s charter also states that 80 percent of the member schools must vote in favor of adding a new school, meaning that 12 of the 15 member institutions had to vote any proposed teams into the conference, which would be a difficult task.  

Expansion odds looked very slim until former President George Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice began lobbying for the additions of Stanford University, a Pac-12 member, and Southern Methodist University (SMU), an American Athletic Conference member, to join the ACC. The ACC added the University of California-Berkeley, a Pac-12 member,  into the mix and called for a vote among current member presidents on admitting California, Stanford and SMU to the conference. In an initial vote, the three teams were not admitted as Florida State, Clemson, North Carolina and North Carolina State all voted no to the proposal. 

Because the vote was one school away from passing, many of the schools in support did not give up on expansion in hopes of a revote or a change of heart from one of the schools who voted no. Notre Dame among other institutions pushed for a revote and got their wish when a meeting was called on Friday, Sept. 1 among ACC officials. A revote was taken where exactly 12 schools voted in favor of the addition of Stanford, California and SMU, thus successfully adding them to the conference. North Carolina State served as the swing vote that grew the conference from 15 to 18 members.

Stanford, California and SMU are three storied programs that bring a lot of academic and athletic caliber to the conference. The schools will be joining as full members that participate in all major sports as of the 2024 season. However, the puzzling factor for most fans came with the fact that none of the three schools are on the Atlantic Coast; in fact, California and Stanford are on the Pacific Coast. This will most likely lead to some rebranding on the ACC’s part, but nonetheless, the teams will be making significant travel during the sports season.

Stanford University, located in Stanford, California, is the most achieved school of the three new additions. The Cardinal will bring 38 varsity sports to the ACC: 16 men, 20 women and two coed. As of summer 2023, those 38 teams have brought 134 NCAA team championships to the school, which is the most of any institution in the country. Stanford has won an NCAA Championship in a sport for 47 straight years and has won 26 of 29 NACDA Directors’ Cups, an annual award given to the most successful collegiate athletic program. The Cardinal look to continue their storied success as they shift into the ACC. 

The University of California-Berkeley, located in Berkeley, California, brings 30 varsity sports to the conference: 14 men’s and 16 women’s. The Golden Bears have won 113 team NCAA championships as of summer 2023 and continue to build on this number. California has been home to some of the most storied and successful players in recent years: running back Marshawn Lynch, tight end Tony Gonzalez and more. The Golden Bears also have a deep rooted rivalry with Stanford that will be coming to the ACC. The two teams battle in the “Big something” every year (i.e. football is the Big Game, basketball is the Big Tip Off, etc.). Only women’s basketball changes, being named “the Battle of the Bay.” California looks to continue and build on their athletic success as they move into the ACC in 2024. 

Southern Methodist University, located in University Park, Texas, fields 17 varsity teams: 6 men’s and 11 women’s. The Mustangs have nine NCAA team championships and over 200 conference championships. SMU may not be as storied as the other two joining members, but the team has invested deeply in growth. SMU is the only NCAA Division I FBS program in the Dallas, Texas area and, since 2013, has invested over $250 million in its athletic programs. Admittance to the ACC is bigger for SMU than the acquisition of SMU is to the ACC, but that only adds to the value of the Mustangs’ programs and should assist in their growth and development. SMU looks to continue elevating their circumstance as they take this new step.

An 18 team ACC is definitely a new look for the conference and whether Florida State, North Carolina and Clemson remain in the conference going into the 2024 campaign is still a question, but excitement awaits as conference realignment continues.