Another college football unbeaten is off the books, with Haynes King and Georgia Tech falling to unranked North Carolina State 48-36 on the road on Saturday, Nov. 1.
The No. 7 Yellow Jackets (8-1, 5-1 ACC) also are no longer in first place in the ACC standings after the loss, falling behind No. 15 Virginia (8-1, 5-0), who defeated California 31-21 to move to 5-0 in conference play this season.
Georgia Tech’s defense was uncharacteristically thrashed by the Wolfpack, which gained 583 total yards behind a big performance by quarterback CJ Bailey, who passed for 340 yards and two touchdowns.
King, who has been one of the best-signal callers in college football this season, gave a valiant effort despite falling short. He passed for 408 yards and a score, also rushing for 103 yards and two scores on 20 carries.
King broke the school’s all-time record for touchdowns responsible for (84) in the loss.
The ACC race is starting to get interesting, with Georgia Tech, Pitt, Louisville, SMU and Duke all with one loss in conference play. Miami, the favorite to win the ACC entering the season, is 2-2 in ACC play after being upset by SMU in overtime on Saturday, Nov. 1.
The Yellow Jackets still have all their goals in front of them, although another loss complicates their path to the College Football Playoff. They end their season with matchups against Boston College, Pitt and Georgia, an out-of-conference rivalry game that won’t impact Georgia Tech’s spot in the ACC standings.
Coach Brent Key and Georgia Tech are off on Nov. 8, giving the team a much-needed break to regroup before their final College Football Playoff push.