5 Key Takeaways from Georgia Tech's Stunning Win Over Florida State

Georgia Tech went into Ireland and stunned Florida State 24-21 on a walk-off field goal.

It wasn't just a big upset; it was a big moment for the ACC season, for the Yellow Jackets, and for a Florida State program that hasn't had a whole lot of fun since the end of last season.

What does it all mean? Here are five takeaways from the 2024 season opener.

Georgia Tech 24, Florida State 21: 5 Key Takeaways

No, 2023 does NOT matter …

No, NOTHING that happened last season makes a difference coming into a brand new season. Everyone likes to project feelings on a team - hand raised HIGH on that - and assume that there’s a revenge thing happening with a bunch of 18-to-23-year-olds

But Florida State being slighted by the CFP last season wasn’t any sort of a factor. That stuff lasts for a drive or two, and that’s exactly what happened in this. The team came out great, the early design worked, and then ...

4. “Physicality”

Jesse Palmer’s go-to word was right on the money here.

Georgia Tech was the more physical team in the trenches. It was more active, appeared to play with more energy, and it came up with the long drive needed in the first half to keep everyone fresh defensively, and the toughness to rise up against the run late.

Florida State might have the better overall talent, but the Yellow Jackets overcame it by pounding and grinding and …

3. Haynes King had a day

I will totally admit that King has sort of fallen through the cracks - there are SO many good quarterbacks out there.

He completed 11-of-16 passes for 146 yards, didn’t throw a pick, and kept things moving with 54 rushing yards including a few on the game-winning drive. He kept his poise throughout, and it showed.

2. Florida State is fine … maybe

New team, lots of changes, and this looked and played like a bunch that could’ve used a true breather to warm up instead of a quirky Ireland trip against a jacked up conference foe.

Remember, you can lose twice and still make the new College Football Playoff, and you can lose a bunch of times and still get in if you’re the ACC champion. Here’s the problem …

Now there’s little margin for error in ACC play,

Boston College, Cal, at SMU, Clemson, at Duke, at Miami, North Carolina. FSU can probably lose one of those and be okay, but it had better not. If it does, it had better look great against Notre Dame and Florida.

1. Here comes the Georgia Tech roll

If the team really was good enough to beat Florida State - and it obviously was - it shouldn’t have a problem with Georgia State, at Syracuse, or VMI.

This was SO big.

The Yellow Jackets still have to face NC State, Notre Dame, Georgia, and have to deal with road games against Louisville, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech. They have a nasty slate, and now things just got a whole lot easier after this breakthrough win.