Everything you need to know about No. 16 Georgia Tech at Wake Forest
No. 16 Georgia Tech takes its show on the road for the first time in nearly a full month when it plays at Wake Forest at noon Saturday on ESPN.
It’s family weekend at Wake Forest, where the Demon Deacons have not played since losing to North Carolina State on Sept. 11. Under first-year coach Jake Dickert, Wake Forest started 2-0 by beating Kennesaw State and Western Carolina, respectively.
“A big challenge for us, the biggest one of the year to this point,” Tech coach Brent Key said. “Hopefully, we can say that continually every single game, because they are. This is the first ACC road game for us. We’ve been at home for three straight weeks. So to be able to get on the road and go through all those things and the challenges that come with going on the road.
“We’ve got to be ready and be prepared. We’ve had a really good week of practice, excited to see these guys go out and play on Saturday.”
Key’s Jackets will be looking for a fifth consecutive win before their first bye week of the season. Tech’s four wins, three of which came at Bobby Dodd Stadium, have earned it a No. 16 ranking in the AP Top 25, and the Jackets are 14-point favorites heading into Saturday’s matchups.
Tech has not started 2-0 in SEC play since 2017.
Things to know about Saturday’s Georgia Tech-Wake Forest game
Kickoff: Noon Saturday
Where: Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium (31,500)
TV: ESPN
Streaming: WatchESPN
Weather: 71 degrees at kickoff, 59% chance of rain
Tickets: Tickets are available on Wake’s official ticket site starting at $50 and via secondary sites starting at $15.
Storylines ahead of No. 16 Georgia Tech-Wake Forest
You’ve come a long way, baby: It was a little more than two years ago to the date, but it must seem like decades in the past at this point.
On Sept. 23, 2023, Georgia Tech traveled to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to play a game at Wake Forest. It was the fourth game on the schedule that season for the Yellow Jackets, the fourth game for coach Brent Key in his first season leading the program, the fourth game as Tech’s starting quarterback for Haynes King, the fourth game at running back for converted wide receiver Jamal Haynes.
Daylon Gordon, he’s fast: Before answering a question about his first career touchdown, Daylon Gordon stops and confesses he was still thinking about the previous offensive play he was on the field for during No. 16 Georgia Tech’s 45-24 win over Temple on Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
That’s a bit of a cardinal sin for the Yellow Jackets, who pride themselves on a “next-play mentality.” But Gordon acknowledges he was still pumped that on a 34-yard touchdown run by fellow running back Malachi Hosley early in the third quarter, Gordon picked up a block eight yards downfield from the line of scrimmage and drove a Temple defender 15 yards more, taking out a second Owls’ defender in the process.
Yellow Jackets keeping focus on big plays: “Explosive plays.” What exactly does that mean?
While that term has been in vogue in college football circles for years now, every program likely has a different definition of an explosive play. In layman’s terms, it’s simply a big play, one that gains a large chunk of yardage in an explosive fashion. Offenses crave them, defenses abhor them.
Tech has handled ranked ACC teams. Unranked ACC foes? Not as much: Under coach Brent Key, Georgia Tech is 7-1 against ranked ACC opponents. Which is great.
Against unranked ACC opponents? The Yellow Jackets are 8-8. Not so great.
Saturday’s game marks the start of the second third of Tech’s regular season: Four games into the 2025 season and No. 16 Georgia Tech couldn’t have asked for a much better start.
The Yellow Jackets (4-0, 1-0 ACC) have gotten a game-winning touchdown run from Haynes King, a game-winning field goal from Aidan Birr and two blowout wins to become one of 30 remaining undefeated teams. The 4-0 start is the first for Tech since 2014.
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