Jackets Get In The Win Column
It finally happened, Tech fans! Georgia Tech (1-2) notched its first victory of the 2026 season with a 44-11 win over the Mercer Bears at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Alberto Mendoza was sharp through the air, throwing for 249 yards and three touchdowns on 15-of-21 passing, while Justice Haynes bulldozed his way to 141 rushing yards and two scores. Chad Alexander added a touchdown of his own to cap the afternoon.
It was not a flawless performance, and the Jackets will be the first to admit it. The line of scrimmage got pushed around early on both sides, Mercer out-averaged Tech on the ground at 4.1 yards per carry to 3.9, and with a number of starters held out, plenty of backups logged real reps. But the explosive plays finally showed up: a 37-yard touchdown strike to Jaivon Plummer before halftime, a 31-yard Haynes touchdown run, and a 33-yard scoring grab by Debron Gatling. Freshman linebacker C.J. Gamble even picked off a pass to open the fourth quarter.
If you were following along live, our friends at From The Rumble Seat had the full Where To Watch and Game Thread — a reminder that Tech entered the day 0-2 for the first time since 1989 and as a 39.5-point favorite. Mission accomplished on the scoreboard, if not on the style points.
Head Coach Brent Key met with the media afterward to break down the win. Catch the full Postgame Press Conference: Brent Key (Sept. 19, 2026) on the Helluva Podcast for his take on the line play, the young guys who got extended run, and what comes next.
On the Links
Over on the golf course, No. 22 Georgia Tech sits in fifth place at the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational after two rounds, with Emberson leading the way in a tie for fourth individually. A strong final round could vault the Jackets up the leaderboard.
Around the Message Boards
The GTSwarm faithful stayed busy Saturday. Fans kept the conversation going on the Allen Mogridge hire as offensive line coach — a topic that felt especially timely given how the trenches looked early against Mercer. Elsewhere, the Rebuild thread continued to draw takes on where the program is headed, and the 2026 GT Softball thread kept diamond talk alive for those already looking ahead.
Up Next
The Jackets head west for their first trip to Palo Alto as ACC foes, taking on Stanford next weekend. A road test against a conference opponent will tell us a lot more than a tune-up against an FCS squad did.
What did you make of Saturday’s win — encouraging step forward or more questions than answers? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know what you want to see from Tech in Palo Alto. Go Jackets!
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