TAMPA, Fla. — Haynes King decided to leave the Texas A&M football factory a year ago and join Georgia Tech’s more modest enterprise. King couldn’t stick as the starter in College Station. The Jackets had seen their own touted quarterback hit the transfer portal, so King had a chance to be the guy on The Flats.
King was asked about that decision in the aftermath of Tech’s first bowl victory since 2016. His glowing smile made the answer obvious.
“I made the right decision, you know?” King said after Tech’s Gasparilla Bowl victory over Central Florida on Friday night. “That’s all I pretty much got to say on that. Coach (Brent) Key, he believed in me. He gave me another opportunity to come play and live out my dreams.”
Convincing King to come to Tech worked out nicely for Key, too. Adding the former four-star recruit at quarterback jump-started the program in Key’s first full season as coach. King elevated Tech’s offense with his running ability, toughness and fearlessness.
The Jackets needed all of that from King to beat UCF 30-17 at Raymond James Stadium. They didn’t look ready for their first bowl game since 2018. Tech fell behind 14-0 after less than nine minutes. The Jackets desperately needed a jolt, and as he’s done so many times this season, King provided it by making plays both running and throwing.
King accounted for 186 of Tech’s 198 total yards and both touchdowns in the first half. His 5-yard rushing score and 41-yard touchdown pass on back-to-back possessions forged a 17-17 tie before halftime. Then King gained some rugged rushing yards to set up a touchdown that put Tech up 27-17 in the fourth quarter.
It was a strong ending to a fine season for King. He passed for 2,842 yards, rushed for 738 and was responsible for a school-record 37 touchdowns. Since 2000, only three other ACC quarterbacks have produced at least those numbers in every category for a season: Lamar Jackson (2016 and ‘17), Jerod Evans (2016) and Deshaun Watson (2015).
And King is just getting started. He can play up to two more seasons of college football.
Said Tech senior running back Dontae Smith: “I’ve actually grown extremely close to him. I’m proud of that kid, and I’m thankful to be able to play with him. After practice I stay every day, and he works, he throws all day. I just sit there and watch him, and it’s art. I couldn’t ask for a better quarterback.”
King was the only thing the Jackets had going early.
The Knights needed only 75 seconds to score a touchdown on the opening drive. They were up 14-0 and driving for another score when Tech’s Horace Lockett forced a fumble that teammate Myles Sims recovered. King then dashed for 32 yards to get the Jackets into scoring range for the first time, and they kicked a field goal to make their deficit 14-3.
The Knights answered with a field goal after a dropped pass in the end zone. Dylan Leonard’s 29-yard catch-and-run moved Tech to UCF’s 33-yard line. King and Jamal Haynes took turns gaining efficient rushing yards from there until King muscled in for an 8-yard TD run.
The Jackets were down by a touchdown with 4:23 until halftime. They got another chance to score when the defense forced UCF’s first three-and-out. Tech gained two first downs to move to UCF’s 41-yard line. The running game was working, so coordinator Buster Faulkner set up a pass on the next play.
King faked a handoff before delivering a precise pass to Malik Rutherford for the touchdown. After the terrible start for the Jackets, they’d rallied to tie the game before halftime.
Said King: “We all came up in that huddle and looked at each other, like, ‘We’ve been here before. We’re not going to press. Stick to the game plan. Trust each other. Everything else is going to take care of itself.’”
The Jackets gained their first lead when Aidan Birr kicked a 29-yard field goal to end the opening possession of the second half. Tech got the ball back with a fourth-down stop at its 30-yard line. The Jackets gave it back on King’s first big mistake, an interception, but Tech’s defense forced a punt. That’s when King energized Tech by gaining some tough yards running.
The Jackets were facing a three-and-out when King took on a defender near the first-down line and spun for extra yards. King converted another third down when he burst up the middle and shrugged off an attempted horse-collar tackle. The 17-yard run and penalty put Tech at UCF’s 9-yard line. King gained two yards on third-and-3, and Smith surged for a TD on fourth down.
The Jackets led 27-17 early in the fourth quarter. Tech’s defense has struggled all season, but it made the lead hold. The Knights failed to score on their final six full possessions. King kept the Jackets afloat early, and then the defense and Haynes (132 yards rushing) joined the party.
In August, Key picked King as the starting quarterback over redshirt freshman Zach Pyron. This week, Key said King developed his skills and leadership ability throughout the season. Then King went out and lifted the Jackets to a postseason victory.
“The thing Haynes brings to the table, he knows a little bit more, he can read stuff a little bit more,” Smith said. “He comes from the SEC, so he has that QB intelligence. I think that’s what we were missing.
“He’s a good role model for the other quarterbacks. He’s a good role model for everyone on the team. If I wanted a player to be like anybody, it’s Haynes King.”
About the Author
