Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more Saturday as the No. 7 Yellow Jackets defeated Syracuse 41-16 on Saturday in Atlanta.

The Orange (3-5, 1-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) hung tough for the first 15 minutes before Georgia Tech turned Syracuse (3-5, 1-4) into a rambling wreck.

It was the fourth consecutive loss for the Orange, who have been outscored 146-50 in those contests.

The game started out in fine fashion for Syracuse.

Georgia Tech took the opening kickoff and on the second play, King completed a 2-yard pass to Isiah Canion, who coughed up the ball on a fumble forced by Chris Peal and recovered by David Reese at the Georgia Tech 42.

Yasin Willis rushed 41 yards up the middle to the Georgia Tech 1-yard line but after a false start penalty, a sack and an offside call, followed by a 5-yard run by Will Nixon, the Orange faced a third-and-9 play at the 9-yard-line

Tripp Woody hit a 27-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.

It would be the only lead of the game for the Orange.

“We can’t have that,” Collins said postgame, referencing the penalties. “Any football team can’t have that. It kills the momentum of any drive. Yasin had a great run to open the game. ... We can’t kill our own momentum.”

Georgia Tech followed with an 11-play, 72-yard drive that culminated in a 20-yard Aidan Burr field goal and a 3-3 tie that stood until the end of the first quarter.

Syracuse punted on its next three possessions while Georgia Tech continued to put points on the board

Down 17-3 with two minutes left in the first half, Syracuse quarterback Rickie Collins was moving the ball after taking possession at the Orange 25. On a third-and-1 play from their opponent’s 39, Collins was stopped for no gain on a QB sneak. Going for it on fourth down, Nixon rushed left and was stuffed at the 39.

Both calls were upheld after official reviews and Georgia Tech took over on downs.

King marched the Yellow Jackets down the field, and Burr hit a 22-yard field goal to give his team a 20-3 halftime lead.

That’s what King did all day.

The senior quarterback was 25-of-31 passing for 304 yards and carried the ball 12 times for 91 yards.

Syracuse head coach Fran Brown credited King postgame.

“I think King did a really good job the entire of game of running and passing,” Brown said. “Hats off to them. He’ll probably be a Heisman candidate.”

Brown said earlier this week that he saw in the spring that neither Collins, an inexperienced transfer from LSU, nor freshman Luke Carney were ready to run the offense. Kyle McCord led the nation in passing last season for the Orange.

So he went to the portal and found Angeli, a Notre Dame transfer who is out for the season after tearing an Achilles in the victory over Clemson.

Collins had his best game filling in for Angeli, finishing 17-of-29 passing for 224 yards with a touchdown. Brown kept the offense run-heavy in the first half, allowing Collins just six pass attempts with three completions for three yards.

Collins led a quick opening drive for a TD to start the second half, finding Johntay Cook II on a pass for a 41-yard gain. On the next play, from the Georgia Tech 34, he hit Darrell Gill Jr. to score.

Gill led Orange receivers with 79 yards on five catches.

Syracuse scored on three of its 10 drives. Georgia Tech added points seven times on 11 drives.