‘The dude can ball’: Haynes King just won’t let Georgia Tech lose

There wasn’t a recipe for an upset this time. Georgia Tech cruised behind quarterback Haynes King, who simply wouldn’t allow for it.

Saturday wasn’t just about King. The Yellow Jackets defeated Syracuse 41-16, so one player wasn’t the difference. But the discussion starts with King. The macrocosmic view of this 8-0 start begins with him, too.

King was marvelous Saturday. He went 25-for-31 for 304 yards and three touchdowns (he had two dropped as well). He added 91 yards rushing and two scores on 12 attempts. Tech even used his legs to run out the clock in a game that’d been decided halfway through the final quarter.

Now, King is two touchdowns shy of matching Joe Hamilton’s career school record. He has 19 total touchdowns this season for a top-10 team. Tech unequivocally wouldn’t be in this position without him.

Is he a Heisman Trophy candidate? He hasn’t been cited much in public discourse. Perhaps it’s time he is.

“Find me someone else who brings more value to a team,” Georgia Tech coach Brent Key said. “He’s truly the epitome of what the team is rooted in. He can run it, throw. I’m glad he’s on my team. I don’t have a (Heisman) vote. But I’d be disappointed if he’s not in New York (for the ceremony). And I think he will be.”

King will forever have a place in Tech history. He’ll be associated with the program’s rise back to relevance, the player who so beautifully conveyed Key’s vision into on-field success.

And he still has more to provide with at least a month’s worth of games left on the schedule.

“I dreamed of playing in and winning a national championship,” King said, asked about the aspirations of his youth. “That’s just who I am. I’m a team-first guy, whatever it takes.”

So naturally, King dismissed a question about any Heisman prospects with the typical canned response: “It means a lot that people believe in you and think you can get that done, but as long as we keep winning and executing and getting the job done, that’ll take care of itself.”

The clock continues ticking toward what could be the most anticipated rivalry game in this state maybe ever, but both Georgia Tech and Georgia must keep winning. And they have — as ugly as it’s appeared at points.

Saturday’s situation on The Flats appeared ripe for oddities in the early going. Georgia Tech fumbled in its own territory on the opening drive. But it held Syracuse to a field goal.

King guided the offense down the field with relative ease on the ensuing drive, but tight end Josh Beetham dropped what would’ve been the easiest touchdown of his life. Tech settled for the equalizing field goal.

But the Jackets scored 17 unanswered and led 20-3 at halftime. Syracuse then struck with a two-play touchdown drive to open the second half, giving some thought that it might battle back into the game.

Cue King: On a third and 12 on the following offensive possession, King ran backward, bought time and fired to Zion Taylor, who created the extra yards needed to convert.

King’s next pass came three plays later. He found Dean Patterson, who scooted 37 yards down the sideline for the touchdown that atoned for the defense’s earlier sin. In the ensuing drive, he razzled and dazzled behind the line of scrimmage again and found Bailey Stockton for 33 yards on third down. King then scored himself.

“He’s not being superman,” Key said. “He’s being Haynes.”

The ESPN broadcast of College Gameday on Saturday morning flowed straight into Tech’s matchup. Perhaps a pool of that audience decided to check out the Jackets, some even for the first time. They’d have come away impressed by an undefeated team that hasn’t always played to its ranking (not that it matters).

They surely would’ve appreciated what they saw at quarterback.

“Who he is as a person — you want to go out there and play your absolute hardest for him because of what he does for this team,” Beetham said. “Great leader, great person just from hanging out outside the building and stuff. And obviously, the dude can ball.”

Consider this quarterback one heck of an engineer. King is gutsy. His improvisational skills would make Charlie Parker blush. His moxie and tough-minded attitude has an osmosis effect on his team.

None of this is illuminating; he’s been doing it for quite some time here. Yet Saturday felt like just another reminder. As Tech continues winning, his name will gain more prominence.

Syracuse coach Fran Brown — a well-respected individual around these parts for his time as Georgia’s defensive backs coach — told the ESPN broadcast his defense needed to “Contain the King.” He won’t like what he’ll see on tape afterward.

King’s 395 total yards were a season best. Tech’s defense played admirably Saturday, but it could afford a couple slip-ups because King was unrelenting. It never became a competitive game because he wouldn’t allow it.

All year, pundits have applauded Key’s work on The Flats. Detractors will note the schedule and a couple close calls, particularly the Houdini-esque escape at Wake Forest.

But King is the great separator. He’s willed his team and embodied every bit of what his coach hoped to instill in his alma mater. He takes hit after hit and it doesn’t faze him. (Key doesn’t seem concerned, either: “They didn’t bring any stretchers out for him today; if I’m not mistaken, it was a couple guys trying to tackle him who got taken off the field, though.”).

He and Key are a combination that will be discussed forever in Georgia Tech lore. They’ve uplifted this program to College Football Playoff contention about 25 months after the same duo lost a home game to Bowling Green.