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Georgia Tech slugs past Duke

Headshot for ACCNby: ConorONeill10/18/25ConorONeill_DI
Duke Georgia Tech
Duke's Anderson Castle runs against Georgia Tech on Saturday. (Jaylynn Nash/Imagn Images)

DURHAM – Duke had its chances against Georgia Tech. The Blue Devils just couldn’t take advantage of them — even when they only needed 1 yard.

 The 12th-ranked Yellow Jackets beat Duke 27-18 on Saturday at Wallace Wade Stadium.

Georgia Tech (7-0, 4-0 ACC) remains unbeaten and has a clear path to the ACC championship game; Duke (4-3, 3-1) has some red-zone failures to examine.

The Blue Devils reached GT’s red zone five times. They scored two touchdowns — though, one was with 73 seconds left in the game, trailing by 17 — and settled for a 23-yard field goal on another trip. One of the failed trips saw a 95-yard fumble return touchdown; the other saw a botched hold for a chip-shot field goal, resulting in a 13-yard loss.

That turnover was the only one of the game. Duke had forced 11 in its last three games.

These teams traded field goals on their first possessions of the second half. Duke went first, swallowing up 8:43 on the game clock. The Blue Devils ran up the middle four times from inside the 3-yard line and didn’t gain a yard in that sequence other than when GT was flagged for delay of game.

The Yellow Jackets took a 13-10 lead with 11:01 left on a 23-yard field goal. Duke went three-and-out on the following possession.

Georgia Tech’s cushion came with a nine-play, 72-yard drive that came next. Malachi Hosley scored on a 10-yard run up the middle.

Duke got onto GT’s side of the 50 on the ensuing possession. Todd Pelino missed a 46-yard field goal that would’ve made it a seven-point deficit.

Haynes King scored on a 28-yard run to inflate the final score.

For the sixth straight game, Duke scored a touchdown in the last two minutes of the first half.

Darian Mensah lofted a throw to Landen King, who outmuscled his matchup for a 20-yard touchdown catch. That was with 33 seconds left until halftime and sent the game to halftime tied at 7-7.

That pushed Duke’s middle-8 advantage to 73-17 this season.

The only score of the first quarter came on the starkest of momentum swings.

Duke’s first drive started at its 3-yard line. After three plays — the first of them a 35-yard catch and run by Cooper Barkate — the Blue Devils were on GT’s side of the 50. That drive reached the 1-yard line.

Mensah and Anderson Castle botched a handoff. Mensah couldn’t corral the ball, and GT safety Omar Daniels picked it up and ran 95 yards for a touchdown.

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