King, Nichols Earn More National Accolades

Georgia Tech’s quarterback and punter honored for their performances in win at Wake Forest

Staff Reports

THE FLATS – Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King (Longview, Texas/Longview H.S.) and punter Marshall Nichols (Atlanta, Ga./Holy Innocents Episcopal School) both earned national honors on Monday for their performances in the Yellow Jackets’ 30-29 overtime win at Wake Forest on Saturday.

For the third time in his four games this season, King was named to the Davey O’Brien Award’s Great 8 list, which recognizes college football’s top quarterbacks of each week. For the second-straight game, Nichols is a member of the Ray Guy Award’s Ray’s 8 list, which honors the nation’s top punters of the week.

King earned the accolade after accounting for 349 of Georgia Tech’s 411 yards and three touchdowns while leading the Yellow Jackets back from a 17-point second-half deficit in Saturday’s win. His 349 yards of total offense included 243 yards through the air and 106 yards on the ground with a passing touchdown and two rushing scores, including the 2-yard game-winner in OT.

In the process, King set two school records with his 13^th game with a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown (breaking the previous record set by Joe Hamilton from 1996-99) and his sixth game with 100 passing yards and 100 rushing yards (breaking the previous record set by Justin Thomas from 2013-16).

Nichols earned national recognition for the second week in a row after averaging 43.8 yards over four punts, all of which were downed inside the 10 yard line, in the Jackets’ win at Wake. The Demon Deacons’ average starting field position after Nichols’ four punts was their own 9.

For the season, Nichols is averaging 46.8 yards per punt with seven of his 13 kicks being downed inside the 20. The 46.8-yard average would rank in the top 10 nationally if he had enough attempts to qualify for the official national statistical rankings. As a team, Nichols has led the Yellow Jackets to a top-20 national ranking in net punting (44.0-yard average, good for a tie for 16^th nationally). 

King, Nichols and the Yellow Jackets have an open week before returning to action against Virginia Tech on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 3:30 p.m. at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field.

Tickets for the Hall of Fame Weekend game are still available and, in recognition of the 35^th anniversary of Georgia Tech’s 1990 national championship team that will honored during the game, Tech is currently holding a flash sale for $27.20 tickets (a nod to the Jackets’ 27-20 win at 1990 co-national champion Colorado in this season’s opener). Click HERE to purchase tickets online.