ATLANTA, GA — Justice Haynes finally delivered the explosive performance Georgia Tech had been waiting to see.
Haynes rushed for 141 yards on 22 carries and scored three touchdowns — two on the ground and another through the air — as Georgia Tech broke into the win column with a 44-11 victory over Mercer on Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
After opening the season with consecutive home losses to Colorado and Tennessee, the Yellow Jackets entered Saturday searching for consistency. The performance was far from perfect, particularly during the opening half, but Georgia Tech found its rhythm late in the second quarter and carried that momentum into the second half.
Georgia Tech improved to 1-2, while Mercer dropped to 2-2.
Head coach Brent Key acknowledged that his team continues to make progress, even if there remains plenty of room for improvement.
“I do think we’ve improved each week,” Key said. “That being said, it was a pretty low starting point, though.”
The Yellow Jackets turned a tight game into a comfortable lead during a critical stretch before halftime. Georgia Tech scored 10 points during the final two minutes of the second quarter to take a 24-3 advantage into the locker room.
From there, the Yellow Jackets pulled away.
Quarterback Alberto Mendoza turned in his best passing performance of the season, completing 15 of 21 attempts for 249 yards. He connected with Javien Plummer on a 37-yard touchdown pass and found Debron Gatling for a 33-yard scoring strike.
Haynes provided the balance Georgia Tech needed on the ground and was particularly effective once he found open space.
After producing only 145 rushing yards as a team through the first two games and failing to record a play longer than 20 yards, Georgia Tech finally saw its star transfer running back break loose. Haynes’ 31-yard touchdown run in the third quarter highlighted his performance and gave the Yellow Jackets another explosive element on offense.
“The first half wasn’t our standard,” Mendoza said. “I think we could clean a lot of those things up, and at halftime we addressed a lot of those things.”
Georgia Tech Finally Gets Takeaways
One of the biggest positives for the Yellow Jackets came on defense.
After failing to force a turnover in either of their first two games, Georgia Tech created two against Mercer and turned both opportunities into touchdowns.
Taje McCoy provided the first takeaway when he pressured the Mercer offense off the edge and forced a fumble. Freshman Christian Speakman recovered the loose ball for the Yellow Jackets.
Georgia Tech’s second turnover came from another freshman.
Linebacker C.J. Gamble made an alert play on a low throw and intercepted the pass, giving the Yellow Jackets their first interception of the season.
The two takeaways helped Georgia Tech win the turnover battle 2-0, and both Mercer mistakes ultimately resulted in touchdowns.
“I feel like it’s been a constant progression just being able to put plays together on defense,” McCoy said. “It’s just doing my job and making the plays I’m supposed to make, and it’s finally starting to show.”
Run Defense Remains a Concern
While Georgia Tech’s offense and takeaway production provided reasons for optimism, the Yellow Jackets still have work to do against the run.
After surrendering 299 rushing yards to Tennessee, Georgia Tech entered Saturday looking for improvement.
Instead, Mercer continued to find running room.
The Bears finished with 188 rushing yards on 46 attempts and produced six runs of at least 11 yards. Although Georgia Tech controlled the scoreboard, its inability to consistently stop Mercer on the ground remains an issue heading into ACC play.
Mercer Makes a Quarterback Change
Mercer made a quarterback change late in the second quarter, turning to JP Pickles.
Pickles provided some stability for the Bears, completing 7 of 11 passes for 82 yards while adding 53 rushing yards. He helped Mercer put together two scoring drives that ended in field goals.
Zahmari Palode-Gary led the Bears on the ground with 71 yards on 15 carries.
Still, Mercer struggled to keep pace once Georgia Tech’s offense began producing big plays.
Haynes Gives Georgia Tech the Spark It Needed
For Georgia Tech, the biggest takeaway was the emergence of Haynes as the explosive offensive weapon the Yellow Jackets expected when they brought him into the program.
His 141 rushing yards were nearly enough to match Georgia Tech’s entire rushing production through its first two games, and his three touchdowns gave the Yellow Jackets a consistent presence in the red zone.
The former Michigan back showed the ability to turn routine opportunities into big plays, particularly in the second half.
Georgia Tech will need more of that production as the schedule becomes more challenging.
The Yellow Jackets now turn their attention to ACC play, opening conference competition on the road against Stanford.
Mercer returns to FCS competition next Saturday with a trip to Abilene Christian.
For Georgia Tech, Saturday’s victory was about more than simply getting its first win of the season. It was a chance to establish some offensive rhythm, create turnovers and give Haynes the opportunity to become the centerpiece of the offense.
The Yellow Jackets still have areas to clean up, but they finally have a victory to build on.
