Justice Haynes absolutely went OFF on Saturday, rushing for a massive 141 yards on 22 carries and punching in three touchdowns, leading Georgia Tech to their first victory of the season, a convincing 44-11 win over Mercer at Bobby Dodd Stadium. This was the breakout performance Yellow Jackets fans have been waiting for from their star transfer, who had just 145 total rushing yards and zero plays over 20 yards in the first two games.
Haynes Unleashed and the Offense Clicking
After tough home defeats to Colorado and Tennessee, the Yellow Jackets desperately needed a spark, and Haynes delivered a full-on lightning strike. He snagged two rushing touchdowns and one receiving, showing exactly why he was such a highly anticipated addition. Quarterback Alberto Mendoza was right there with him, completing 15 of 21 passes for a season-high 249 yards. He linked up with Javien Plummer and Debron Gatling for some sweet scoring strikes from 37 and 33 yards out. Even with a first half that Mendoza himself admitted “wasn’t our standard,” the team found another gear, dropping 10 points in the final two minutes before halftime to surge to a 24-3 lead, then piling on three more second-half touchdowns. Head Coach Brent Key even noted, “I do think we’ve improved each week. That being said, it was a pretty low starting point, though.”
Defense Finds Its Punch, But Questions Linger on the Ground
One of the biggest storylines coming into this game was Georgia Tech’s inability to force turnovers, with zero in their first two outings. But Saturday, the defense finally woke up, snatching two critical takeaways! Taje McCoy brought the heat off the edge, forcing an early fumble that freshman Christian Speakman jumped on. Then, another freshman, linebacker C.J. Gamble, pulled down the team’s first interception of the season on a tricky low throw. McCoy summed it up, saying, “I feel like it’s been a constant progression just being able to put plays together on defense. It’s just doing my job and making the plays I’m supposed to make, and it’s finally starting to show.” They cashed in both those turnovers for touchdowns, which is exactly what you want to see! However, let’s be real, the run defense is still a serious worry. After giving up 299 yards on the ground against Tennessee, Mercer still managed 188 yards on 46 attempts, with six different run plays gashing them for at least 11 yards. Zahmari Palode-Gary led Mercer with 71 rushing yards on 15 carries, and even backup QB JP Pickles chipped in 53 rushing yards.
So, where does this leave the Yellow Jackets at 1-2? This first win is huge for morale, especially with Haynes looking like the game-changer everyone hoped for. The offense clearly has firepower, and the defense showed it can make plays when it counts. But that run defense needs some serious work if they want to build on this momentum. Can they clean it up and keep this energy rolling next week?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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