Georgia Tech stays unbeaten with 27-18 win over Duke

DURHAM, N.C. — No. 12 Georgia Tech beat Duke 27-18 on Saturday at Wallace Wade Stadium, preserving its unbeaten start and handing the Blue Devils their first conference loss. The Yellow Jackets sealed the victory with a late touchdown drive and were helped earlier by a school-record 95-yard fumble return by safety Omar Daniels that produced the game’s first points.

Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King finished with 205 passing yards and a game-high 120 rushing yards. His 28-yard touchdown run with 2:10 remaining extended the lead and helped close out the game after a back-and-forth second half. Duke quarterback Darian Mensah had a big statistical day, completing 32 of 44 passes for 373 yards and two touchdowns, but his team was unable to overcome several costly miscues.

The game began with a momentum swing when Duke fumbled late in the first quarter and Daniels returned the loose ball 95 yards for a touchdown. Duke moved the ball effectively at times — the Blue Devils held a 238-to-110 advantage in total yards in the first half — but they struggled to convert those yards into points. Early red-zone problems included the fumble, a missed field-goal attempt and a fourth-down...