The Commodores achieved a record of 7-6 for the season, marking Vanderbilt’s best performance since 2013. This victory represents their first bowl win in eleven years and their first win over Georgia Tech since 1941.

Georgia Tech was trailing narrowly at 14-13 towards the end of the third quarter but subsequently allowed 21 unanswered points, leading to a significant collapse before managing to score two late touchdowns. Despite outgaining Vanderbilt with a total of 394 yards to 306,  Tech faced an unusual setback with 10 penalties totaling 100 yards, contrasting sharply with their national ranking of No. 10 for fewest penalty yards per game at 38.6. RB Jamal Haynes was the standout performer for Georgia Tech, accumulating 168 yards from scrimmage, which included 136 rushing and 32 receiving yards. This marked his third 100-yard rushing game of the season, the seventh of his career.

QB Diego Pavia was instrumental in Vanderbilt’s offensive performance, amassing 160 passing yards and three touchdowns, in addition to rushing for two touchdowns on 84 yards from 17 carries. Nonetheless, one could argue that the true MVPs for Vanderbilt emerged in the third quarter, the officiating crew from the BIG 10, led by Mark Kluczynski. The officiating was horrible plain and simple, and it appeared to impact the Yellow Jackets more significantly than usual, leading to a cascade of errors that they ultimately could not rectify. To evolve into an 8-9 win team, they must cultivate greater resilience and learn to navigate poor officiating effectively, enhancing their grit, mental toughness, and self-discipline.

Tech concluded the season with a 7-6 record for the second consecutive year, marking the first time since 2013 and 2014 that the Yellow Jackets have achieved back-to-back winning seasons. However, they were unable to secure consecutive bowl game victories, a feat not accomplished since the 2003-04 seasons.

The next event is the Spring game, followed by a trip to Boulder, Colorado, to compete against the Buffaloes on August 30, 2025. Go Jackets!