The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (0-2) return home in desperate need of a win. They weren’t supposed to lose close to Colorado and they were supposed to play the Tennessee Volunteers way closer. A game against Mercer was supposed to be the perfect antidote: Mercer has been solid, coming in with a 2-1 record and as the defending champions of the Southern Conference, but with FCS vs. FBS games usually heavily favored towards FBS, Georgia Tech needed a statement win and a fast start.
Georgia Tech Picks Up First Win of 2026 in 44-11 Fashion vs. Mercer
The first few drives were stagnant, with Georgia Tech and Mercer exchanging three-and-outs. Thankfully, Georgia Tech’s offense started to get going. They went on a seven-play, 67-yard drive that took less than three minutes and ended up in the end zone. Alberto Mendoza found Justice Haynes for a four-yard touchdown, giving Georgia Tech a 7-0 lead.
They punted on their next drive, but the Yellow Jackets got right back to work on their fourth drive, with Justice Haynes making big runs and Mendoza making key throws. They were briefly stopped at the goal line, but on fourth and inches, Haynes plunged into the end zone to get his second touchdown of the day and give Georgia Tech a 14-0 lead.
Second Quarter
Mercer finally got some momentum on their next drive. They made it to first and goal at the Georgia Tech nine-yard line, but a pas to Devon Caldwell that appeared to break the plane was short, as Caldwell stepped out at the two-yard line. The Mercer offense was stuffed by Taje McCoy on third down, forcing them to kick a field goal to make it 14-3.
After the field goal drive by Mercer, Georgia TEch went on their own field goal drive. It spanned 15 plays, 61 yards and over six minutes, and there were some opportunities to score. However, a few offensive line penalties and an incomplete pass in the end zone caused them to kick a field goal.
Mercer went three and out, then Georgia Tech went on a quick touchdown drive to end the half. Alberto Mendoza found Kevin Roche Jr. for 23 yards, then Javien Plummer for a 37-yard touchdown on a go-ball. Georgia Tech amassed a 24-3 lead by halftime.
Third Quarter
The third quarter started with a solid offensive drive by Mercer. They went 10 plays and 53 yards, but they were held back by a holding penalty on first and 10, so they had to kick a 40-yard field goal to make it 24-6. Then, Justice Haynes went beast mode, bursting off running plays of 20, 14, and 31 to score on a three-play drive and make it 30-6. However, Aidan Birr’s extra point was blocked and returned into the end zone by Mercer’s Cameron Goggins, making it 30-8.
Mercer went on another long field goal drive that spanned 5 1/2 minutes to make it 30-11. However, Georgia Tech’s offensive momentum kept trucking, as they went on a five-play, 52-yard drive, with Alberto Mendoza finding a wide open Debron Gatling for 33 yards and a touchdown to make it 37-11.
Fourth Quarter
Mercer made it to midfield on their next drive, but JP Pickles’ pass was intercepted by C.J. Gamble to start the fourth. Georgia Tech capitalized on the short field, with Chad Alexander finding the end zone eight plays later to make it 44-11. Mercer went three and out before Georgia Tech brought in quarterback Grady Adamson into the game. He wasn’t able to convert on his first drive and they punted. At that point, all it took was one. final three and out to give Georgia Tech the victory with a final score of 44-11.
Takeaways
Run Defense Still an Issue
This was definitely on the back of my mind heading into this game, with Mercer backs averaging over six yards a carry entering into this game: how would Georgia Tech respond against the run. Unfortunately, it was subpar.
Mercer actually outgainned Georgia Tech on the ground, with 188 yards for the Bears vs. 156 yards for the Yellow Jackets. The Bears averaged 4.1 yards per carry. The QB run was especially problematic for Georgia Tech, with JP Pickles getting 53 yards on 11 carries.
Some of it was because of DE Jordan Walker and LB Kyle Efford being ruled out, but it was very concerning for Georgia Tech to give up as many yards. How will they do against Stanford with Micah Ford, or Duke with Nathan Sheppard? We’ll have to see.
Monster Game for Justice Haynes
On the plus side, running back Justice Haynes had a great day for Georgia Tech. The whole offense was clicking, but it was Haynes who shined the most,. He had 141 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries on the ground. Through the air, he had 26 yards and a touchdown on two receptions as well.
Georgia Tech’s highest-profile transfer had his best day in a Yellow Jackets uniform. The performance also speaks to the way the offensive line played too. They were without starters Ethan MacKenny and Jameson Riggs today, with Jordan Floyd and Will Reed making their first starts for Georgia Tech. The fact they were able to get Haynes (and even Trelain Maddox) to rumble, with two men down, gives me a lot of confidence.
Georgia Tech finally gets a win in 2026. They move up to 1-2 and face Stanford on the road, led by another great running back in Micah Ford.
Discover more from The League Winners
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
