Haynes King threw for four touchdowns to lift Georgia Tech to a 48-13 victory over South Carolina State in Atlanta on Saturday.
King completed 21 of 29 passes for 290 yards as the Yellow Jackets (1-1) bounced back from a 39-34 loss to Louisville.
Dominick Blaylock, Trey Cooley, Eric Singleton Jr. and Brett Seither were on the receiving end of King’s scoring passes. Cooley also scored on the ground, as did Jamal Haynes, who led all rushers with 113 yards on nine carries.
Andre Washington and Kacy Fields each ran for a TD for the Bulldogs (0-3), who totaled 196 rushing yards. Corey Fields Jr. finished with 91 yards and an interception on 9-of-15 passing.
After blocking the extra-point attempt following Fields’ 1-yard rushing touchdown that cut S.C. State’s deficit to 15, the Yellow Jackets struck 16 seconds before halftime.
Haynes returned the ensuing kickoff 67 yards, and King followed with an 8-yard scoring strike to Seither. King found Singleton for a 40-yard TD earlier in the second quarter, helping Georgia Tech take a 28-6 lead into the break.
The Yellow Jackets added to their lead on the first offensive play of the second half, as King tossed a swing pass to Cooley, who then cruised 55 yards to the end zone.
South Carolina State responded with a six-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Washington’s 1-yard rushing TD to make it 35-13.
Aidan Birr’s 30-yard field goal made it 38-13, and Cooley nixed any chance of a Bulldogs comeback when he scored on the ground from 15 yards out with five seconds left in the third quarter.
Birr also made a 42-yarder with 9:33 left in the fourth.
Kyle Kennard came down with an interception on the Bulldogs’ third play from scrimmage. Four plays later, Haynes rushed up the middle for a 4-yard touchdown and a 7-0 Georgia Tech lead.
After forcing a three-and-out, the Yellow Jackets doubled their advantage when King found Blaylock for a 3-yard score with 8:22 left in the opening quarter.
–Field Level Media
