ATLANTA — Haynes King passed for 290 yards and four touchdowns, Jamal Haynes ran for 113 yards and one score and Georgia Tech bounced back from a season-opening loss to beat South Carolina State 48-13 on Saturday.
King, a transfer from Texas A&M, completed 21 of 29 passes before giving way to let Zach Pyron in the fourth quarter as the Yellow Jackets (1-1) churned out 578 yards of total offense.
South Carolina State (0-3) has lost seven in a row and 11 of 14 after going 3-8 last season.
After blowing a 28-13 halftime lead and losing to Louisville last week at nearby Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Jackets went up 21-0 midway through the second quarter as King connected with Eric Singleton on a deep shot down the left side for a 40-yard score. Georgia Tech pushed the lead to 28-6 just before halftime as Haynes broke off a 67-yard dash down the left side to set up King's 8-yard TD pass to Brett Seither.
South Carolina State linebacker Aiden Webber was disqualified in the second quarter for targeting against Trey Cooley as the running back caught a 6-yard pass on the left sideline at the Bulldogs' 3-yard line. Cooley, though, lost a fumble near the goal line on the next play for a touchback, spoiling a chance for the Jackets to take an early three-touchdown lead.
Cooley made up for the mistake on the first play of the third, catching a pass in the right flat to ramble 55 yards for a TD that made it 35-6. Late in the third he scored on a run from 15 yards out to give the Jackets a 45-13 lead.
Georgia Tech's Kyle Kennard intercepted a short pass on the opening drive and ran it back 12 yards deep into South Carolina State territory. The Jackets took a 7-0 lead four plays later on Haynes' 4-yard run.
Kennard recovered a fumble at the Tech 26 to thwart another drive late in the third.
THE TAKEAWAY
South Carolina State: The Bulldogs used three quarterbacks, but the passing attack never got going and finished with 91 yards. Corey Fields finished 9 for 15 through the air but he managed to orchestrate a scoring drive that made it 21-6 late in the second when Kacy Fields ran in from 1 yard out. The extra-point attempt was blocked. Andre Washington and Prometheus Franklin were a combined 1 for 4.
Georgia Tech: The victory wasn't exactly an elixir. The team got some bad news in the second quarter when starting receiver Chase Lane left the game with a left leg injury and in the fourth when leading tackler Eddie Kelly had to be helped off the field as he limped to the sideline with a leg injury. Gavin Stewart, who ranked second in the Atlantic Coast Conference field-goal percentage last year after going 12 of 13, is off to a 0 for 3 start this season after missing a 47-yarder wide left late in the second. Aidan Birr converted from 30 yards in the third to make it 38-13.
LONG DELAYS
Scheduled to begin at 1 p.m., the game started 2 hours, 23 minutes late because of lightning in the area. The teams came on the field after one delay and were set to begin at 1:42, but another delay with lightning, thunder and heavy rain pushed the opening kickoff back again. The game finally ended at 6:34 p.m.
UP NEXT
South Carolina State: Hosts The Citadel on Sept. 23.
Georgia Tech: Visits No. 20 Ole Miss next Saturday.
