Tag: Georgia Tech

Dec 27, 2024; Birmingham, AL, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2) throws the ball against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the first half of the 2024 Birmingham Bowl at Protective Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia uses arms, legs to beat Georgia Tech in Birmingham Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Diego Pavia completed 13 of 21 passes for 160 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 84 yards and two scores on the ground, as Vanderbilt posted a 35-27 victory over Georgia Tech in the Birmingham Bowl on Friday.

Eli Stowers caught four passes for 55 yards and a touchdown, as the Commodores (7-6) clinched their first bowl win and winning season since 2013.

For Georgia Tech (7-6), Haynes King completed 25 of 33 passes for three touchdowns and an interception, while Jamal Haynes rushed for 136 yards.

Aidan Birr’s 33-yard field goal trimmed Georgia Tech’s deficit to 14-13 at the 8:34 mark of the third quarter. Vanderbilt then answered with a five-play, 56-yard drive that spanned just 2:20, ending with Pavia’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Stowers with 56 seconds left in the third quarter.

Georgia Tech immediately gave the ball back to the Commodores, as King was picked off by CJ Taylor, which turned into Pavia’s 7-yard passing score to Quincy Skinner Jr., pushing Vanderbilt’s lead to 28-13 on the first play of the final quarter.

The Yellow Jackets then coughed the ball up again, as Malik Rutherford’s fumble was recovered by Aeneas DiCosmo at the 13:40 mark of the fourth. On the ensuing Vanderbilt drive, Pavia connected with Stowers for 39 yards, which was followed by Pavia’s 6-yard rushing touchdown with 9:59 left.

After a nearly hour-long lightning delay, Georgia Tech pulled within in two scores as King found Haynes for a 9-yard passing touchdown with 5:03 remaining. Following Vanderbilt’s punt, the Yellow Jackets drove 83 yards in 2:36, with King’s 2-yard passing touchdown to Bailey Stockton stamping the game’s scoring with 1:30 left.

After punting on its first drive — and forcing a pair of Georgia Tech punts — Vanderbilt pieced together an eight-play, 87-yard drive — highlighted by Pavia’s 40-yard pass to Loic Founji to the Yellow Jackets’ 8-yard line. Two plays later, Pavia found Cole Spence for a 7-yard touchdown pass with 2:26 left in the opening quarter.

Georgia Tech then ate up 7:20 with a 15-play, 75-yard scoring drive, stamped with King’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Ryland Goede with 10:06 left in the second quarter.

After Vanderbilt regained the lead on Pavia’s 2-yard rushing score on fourth and 1, Birr concluded the first half scoring with a 43-yard field goal with 8 seconds left, as Vanderbilt led 14-10 at halftime.

–Field Level Media

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (2) gets into position during the third quarter at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024.

Overachievers collide when Georgia Tech, Vandy play in Birmingham

Posted on | by Field Level Media

A pair of teams vying to put a stamp on overachieving campaigns will meet as Georgia Tech squares off with Vanderbilt in the Birmingham Bowl on Friday in Birmingham, Ala.

Georgia Tech (7-5) is appearing in back-to-back bowl games for the first time since an 18-year run from 1997-2014, and a win would give the Yellow Jackets consecutive bowl wins for the first time in 20 years. For a Georgia Tech program that endured a 14-32 stretch from 2019-22, this season has given Yellow Jacket fans a reason to believe a resurgence is near.

After knocking off No. 10 Florida State in the season opener, Georgia Tech climbed into the AP Poll for the first time in nine years. Although it was a short stay in the rankings, head coach Brent Key’s team piqued the nation’s interest again in November, when it took down undefeated No. 4 Miami, 28-23.

The Yellow Jackets had another chance to shake up the college football landscape against then-No. 7 Georgia, but blew a late 14-point lead en route to an eight-overtime defeat.

Now with one more opportunity against the Southeastern Conference, Key thinks the bowl organizers nailed this one on the head.

“We’re excited to go over to Birmingham and play a really good opponent,” Key said. “I think this is a really good matchup. When you look at bowl games, that’s what you look for, the matchups. And I think they got this one right.”

Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King’s 1,910 passing yards and 22 total touchdowns (11 passing, 11 rushing) have steadied the offense throughout the year, but the Yellow Jackets will be without their leading receiver, Eric Singleton Jr., who entered the transfer portal after the regular season and signed with Auburn on Monday.

Starting defensive lineman Romello Height also transferred, meaning a next-man-up mentality will be in order for Key’s squad.

“One person is not going to make a difference as far as rotational depth,” Key said. “We’re going to continue to coach the guys that are here, and prepare them not only for this game but for the rest of their careers here at Georgia Tech.”

Singleton paced Georgia Tech with 754 receiving yards to go along with four total touchdowns, while Height tallied 2 1/2 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles.

It wouldn’t have surprised many college football pundits had Vanderbilt missed the postseason for a sixth straight year. The Commodores (6-6) were predicted last by a wide margin in the SEC preseason poll coming off last year’s winless conference slate.

However, the program’s historic season can now be punctuated with its first bowl win in 11 years, thanks to a shocking Oct. 5 victory over No. 1 Alabama, along with its first win all-time at Auburn.

Led by head coach Clark Lea, the revamped Commodores see a similar program on Friday in Birmingham.

“Georgia Tech is a team I’ve taken notes on as Brent has built that program up,” Lea said. “What an incredible transformation they’ve had; so much respect for them. … This is our 10th bowl game in 134 years, it’s a chance for our first winning season since 2013. You’re going to have two teams that play a physical brand of football, two head coaches that care deeply about the institutions we represent.

“These are two teams that are going to fight for a win and I don’t think it gets better than that.”

The Commodores are led by quarterback Diego Pavia, who had 2,133 passing yards and 17 touchdowns in the air, paired with 716 rushing yards and six scores on the ground. Pavia, a transfer from New Mexico State — and New Mexico Military Institute at the juco level — won a court ruling last week that granted him a seventh year of eligibility in 2025.

–Field Level Media

Nov 21, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. (2) catches a pass against the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the fourth quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn ImagesImages

WR Eric Singleton Jr., top portal target, picks Auburn

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Sophomore wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr., one of the top skill-position targets in the transfer portal, is headed to Auburn to catch passes from Jackson Arnold.

Singleton had a team-high 56 catches for 754 yards and three touchdowns with Georgia Tech in 2024 after posting 48 receptions for 714 yards and six touchdowns as a true freshman in 2023.

Auburn announced Singleton’s signing Monday on social media.

Arnold opted to transfer out of Oklahoma and picked Auburn, which has been extremely active since finishing the season 5-7. Along with Singleton and Arnold, the Tigers landed Wake Forest wide receiver Horatio Fields and Maryland tight end Preston Howard.

Texas, LSU, Miami and Ole Miss all pushed to land Singleton.

A product of Alexander High School in Douglasville (Ga.), Singleton was rated a three-star recruit in 2023 and had offers from Georgia Southern, Georgia State and Troy but not Georgia.

Players who enter the transfer portal are permitted to return to their original school.

Georgia Tech (7-5) was selected for the Birmingham Bowl and plays Vanderbilt (6-6) on Friday.

–Field Level Media

Nov 29, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. (2) scores a touchdown against the Georgia Bulldogs during overtime at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech WR Eric Singleton enters portal, plans Georgia visit

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Georgia Tech sophomore wide receiver Eric Singleton entered the transfer portal on Monday, eyeing a rival known for dealing the Yellow Jackets losses.

Singleton had a team-high 56 catches for 754 yards and three touchdowns in 2024 after delivering 48 receptions for 714 yards and six touchdowns as a true freshman in 2023.

He also rushed for 131 yards and a TD on 21 carries in 2024.

Singleton had eight catches for 86 yards and a touchdown in the regular-season finale at Georgia, and will reportedly visit the Bulldogs in Athens.

The news comes on the same day Georgia wide receiver Nitro Tuggle said he was entering the portal, which officially opened Monday and remains open until Dec. 28. And another Bulldogs wide receiver, Michael Jackson III, announced he would hit the portal again after recording only one catch this season. The former four-star recruit spent his first three seasons at USC before transferring to Georgia.

A product of Alexander High School in Douglasville (Ga.), Singleton was rated a three-star recruit in 2023 and had offers from Georgia Southern, Georgia State and Troy but not Georgia.

Players who enter the transfer portal are permitted to return to their original school.

Georgia Tech (7-5) was selected for the Birmingham Bowl and plays Vanderbilt on Dec. 27.

–Nebraska freshman DL Keona Davis to transfer

Nebraska freshman defensive lineman Keona Davis plans to transfer following the departure of Huskers defensive line coach Terrance Knighton.

“After thoughtful reflection and careful consideration, I have decided to enter the transfer portal with four years of eligibility remaining,” Davis said via X. “I want to thank Coach Rhule and his staff, my teammates, and everyone in Husker Nation who has supported me along the way. I am deeply grateful for the experiences, relationships, and opportunities I’ve had as a Cornhusker. Thank you, Husker Nation!”

Davis was a top 15 recruit from the state of Arizona in 2023. He had two tackles for loss and nine total tackles in 2024 as a true freshman.

Knighton, who accepted a post at Florida State last week, raised Davis’ profile in fall camp when he compared his upside to former Nebraska All-American and NFL All-Pro Ndamukong Suh.

“When he leaves here, he’s going to look like 93 that used to play here. That’s what I feel — he’s going to be a big guy,” Knighton said.

–Field Level Media

Nov 29, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets running back Jamal Haynes (11) scores a touchdown past Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Dan Jackson (17) during the first half at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

No. 7 Georgia outlasts Georgia Tech in 8-overtime thriller

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Nate Frazier’s two-point conversion in the eighth overtime gave No. 7 Georgia a 44-42 win over rival Georgia Tech in the second-longest game in FBS history in Athens, Ga., on Friday.

After the Bulldogs forced Haynes King’s incomplete pass to begin the eighth free period, Frazier’s scoring run staved off the massive upset for Georgia (10-2), which will play for the SEC Championship next week.

Carson Beck threw for 297 yards and five touchdowns in the win, while King threw for 303 yards and two scores, adding 110 yards on the ground and three rushing touchdowns for the Yellow Jackets (7-5), who led 17-0 at halftime and 27-13 with under four minutes left.

In the first overtime, Beck found London Humphreys for a 14-yard touchdown, before King’s game-tying 12-yard touchdown pass to Eric Singleton Jr. King’s 1-yard rush was answered with Beck’s 25-yard touchdown pass to Cash Jones in the second overtime. Both teams’ two-point conversions were unsuccessful.

Pass attempts by King and Beck were incomplete in the third overtime, followed by two more unsuccessful tries in the fourth. In the fifth, Beck’s conversion to Dillon Bell was matched with King’s pass to Malik Rutherford. King was sacked in the sixth, while Beck’s pass fell incomplete.

Trailing 17-0, Georgia scored on Beck’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Oscar Delp with 9:53 left in the third. Georgia’s two-point conversion attempt was stuffed. Georgia Tech responded with an 18-play, 90-yard drive that lasted 10:36, resulting in Aidan Birr’s 23-yard field goal with 14:17 left in the fourth quarter.

On Georgia’s ensuing drive, Omar Daniels was called for defensive pass interference on the fourth-and-goal, leading to Frazier’s 1-yard touchdown score with 8:18 remaining, trimming Georgia’s deficit to seven.

Georgia Tech answered with a scoring drive, which ended with King’s 11-yard rushing score with 5:37 remaining. Beck then capped Georgia’s drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Dominic Lovett. Three plays into Georgia Tech’s ensuing drive, Dan Jackson forced King’s fumble, which was recovered by Chaz Chambliss.

Beck then ran for 10 yards on third-and-9 from Georgia Tech’s 13-yard line, before finding Lovett for a game-tying 3-yard pass with 1:01 left, sending the game to overtime.

Georgia Tech began the scoring on its opening drive with Birr’s 31-yard field goal. Two drives later, Birr missed a 25-yard field goal attempt at the 10:13 mark of the second quarter. Georgia Tech pieced together an eight-play, 66-yard scoring drive, capped with King’s 2-yard rushing touchdown with 4:40 left in the first half.

King capped the first-half scoring with a 3-yard pass to Jamal Haynes with 30 seconds left, giving the Yellow Jackets a 17-0 lead.

–Field Level Media

Nov 21, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Aaron Philo (12) runs the ball for a touchdown against the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the fourth quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech eager to wreck season of rival, No. 7 Georgia

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate.

It’s the accepted name given to the annual Georgia-Georgia Tech rivalry with a recent feel of a Real One-Sided Feud.

Since Georgia Tech’s win over the Bulldogs in 2000, Georgia won 16 of 19 over its in-state foes to dominate the Yellow Jackets since the turn of the century.
Much like previous seasons, Friday’s meeting in Athens presents the Yellow Jackets a season-shifting opportunity replete with a bonus of sinking the No. 7 Bulldogs’ postseason plans.

Georgia (9-2, 6-2 Southeastern Conference) jumped three spots in Tuesday’s College Football Playoff rankings and already clinched their fourth-straight SEC Championship Game appearance last week when upsets ruled the conference slate. Ranked Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas A&M all lost.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said the Dec. 7 title game is far in the periphery for the Bulldogs.

“My thoughts are on Georgia Tech,” Smart said. “I mean, it’s a great honor to be able to play in the SEC Championship game. It is probably one of the greatest events in all sports because the games that you play in are great matchups. But at this point in time, we don’t even know who that is, nor do I care. My concern is 100-percent with Georgia Tech because of what that game means to so many in this state, so many on our team, and what it means to this season and these seniors playing at home. So that’s the focus.”

Georgia will play the winner of No. 3 Texas and No. 20 Texas A&M next week and even without knowing the other variables at play, the Bulldogs understand the treasure at stake for the SEC title winner.

Last time out, the Bulldogs ran away from overmatched UMass in a 59-21 victory. Fifth-year quarterback Carson Beck threw for 297 yards and four touchdowns. Beck, who was picked off nine times in his previous four games, has thrown six touchdowns and no interceptions in Georgia’s last two wins. A projected first-round draft pick, Beck has passed for 3,132 yards, 23 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

As injuries pile up in the backfield around Beck, freshman running back Nate Frazier was the star of Saturday’s win, rushing for career-highs of 136 yards and three touchdowns. Frazier, who leads the team with 537 rushing yards on the season, has handled the load due to Trevor Etienne’s nagging rib injury.

Georgia Tech (7-4, 5-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) has an emerging story of its own in recent weeks, with interest rising in the development of true freshman quarterback Aaron Philo.

Thrown into action following starter Haynes King’s shoulder injury suffered on Oct. 12 against North Carolina, the Yellow Jackets are deploying the tandem in a rotation.

In Georgia Tech’s last game – a 30-29 home win over North Carolina State – Philo orchestrated a 75-yard drive in the final minute, capped with his 18-yard go-ahead touchdown run.

A Bogart, Ga., native, Philo grew up less than 20 miles from Athens. Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key is a former Yellow Jacket offensive lineman. A win Friday would have far more meaning than bragging rights.

“There’s a reason why (Georgia) is a top-10 team,” Key said. “They’ve got really good players, they’ve got really good coaches and they’re disciplined. They go out and they execute .they’re especially hard to play at their home stadium at night time. So we’re ready for a challenge. … It’s a big game. It’s the last game of the season. It’s a big game for a lot of people associated with both schools. You shouldn’t have to light a fire under people when you’re going into a week like this.”

Georgia Tech has won two games in a row, and is headed to back-to-back bowl games for the first time since 2014.

–Field Level Media

Nov 21, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Aaron Philo (12) runs the ball against the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the second quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech edges NC State on Aaron Philo’s late TD run

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Aaron Philo scrambled for a go-ahead 18-yard touchdown with 22 seconds left, helping Georgia Tech beat North Carolina State 30-29 in Atlantic Coast Conference play on Thursday in Atlanta.

Trailing 29-23 with 1:30 remaining, Philo orchestrated a seven-play, 75-yard drive that included two 18-yard rushes, the latter being the game-winner. NC State’s Collin Smith lined up for a potential game-winning 58-yard field-goal attempt with six seconds left but missed wide left.

Philo’s heroics came soon after Hollywood Smothers put the Wolfpack ahead 29-23 on a 53-yard touchdown run with 1:30 left.

Philo completed 19 of 33 passes for 265 yards and an interception, adding 57 rushing yards as Georgia Tech (7-4, 5-3) won its second straight. Eric Singleton Jr. caught five passes for 106 yards.

CJ Bailey completed 17 of 30 passes for 147 yards for NC State (5-6, 2-5) and was picked off three times. Bailey rushed for 83 yards and three scores, while Smothers finished with 79 yards on the ground as the Wolfpack fell for a second straight game.

Holding a 13-7 halftime lead, Philo’s 49-yard pass to Singleton set up Aidan Birr’s 45-yard field goal at the 3:55 mark of the third. NC State cut its deficit to 16-14 with Bailey’s 28-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Later in the third, Philo’s 38-yard pass to Singleton advanced the Yellow Jackets to NC State’s 12-yard line. Philo was then intercepted in the end zone by Bishop Fitzgerald, who returned it to the Wolfpack’s 18-yard line.

Trailing by two with 6:53 left, Bailey gave it right back to the Yellow Jackets, as Romello Height returned the third Georgia Tech takeaway to NC State’s 3-yard line. Haynes King extended the Yellow Jackets’ lead to 23-14 on the next play with a scoring rush at the 6:40 mark.

NC State then drove 75 yards in just over 2 1/2 minutes as Kendrick Raphael’s 25-yard run was followed by Bailey’s 1-yard rushing score — his third of the game.

After forcing a three-and-out, the Wolfpack took their first lead on Smothers’ 53-yard run. Bailey ran in the 2-point conversion to give NC State a 29-23 lead.

Georgia Tech opened the scoring as Bailey’s attempted handoff to KC Concepcion was tipped in the air and intercepted by E.J. Lightsey, who returned it for a 21-yard touchdown at the 7:18 mark of the first quarter.

NC State answered with a nine-play, 75-yard scoring drive, capped with Bailey’s 16-yard rushing touchdown with 2:37 left in the first quarter. Georgia Tech ended its next two drives with Birr’s field goals of 44 and 41 yards, respectively.

–Field Level Media

Nov 9, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) throws a pass against the Miami Hurricanes in the second quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech ready for home finale in Thursday clash with NC State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

A pair of well-rested teams will meet Thursday in Atlanta, when Georgia Tech hosts North Carolina State in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

Neither team has played since Nov. 9, with each coming off bye weeks.

The last time Georgia Tech played, the Yellow Jackets (6-4, 4-3 ACC) delivered one of the biggest upsets of the college football season, knocking off then-No. 4 Miami in Atlanta, 28-23.

In the program’s first win against a top-five team since 2009, Georgia Tech became bowl-eligible for the second straight season — the first time the Yellow Jackets have done that since qualifying for 18 straight bowl games from 1997-2014.

Georgia Tech aims to build on that momentum on Thursday, when it vies for its first win against the Wolfpack since 2019.

“We’ve had a couple extra days to get our guys healthy,” Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key said. “To me, your signature win is your last win and you’re only as good as your next one. We’re focused on putting together the best plan for NC State and having that be our most electric game of the season.

Key played for Georgia Tech from 1997-2000 and said Thursday night home games were some of his fondest memories.

“To give these seniors one last, lasting memory of Bobby Dodd Stadium, it can’t be more important,” Key said.

Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King is coming off a two-touchdown performance (one passing, one rushing) against Miami, while Jamal Haynes ran for 83 yards and a score. King has passed for 1,600 yards and nine touchdowns this year, along with 446 rushing yards and seven scores on the ground. Haynes has rushed for a team-best 681 yards and nine touchdowns.

Standing in the way of a celebratory senior night is North Carolina State (5-5, 2-4), out to clinch a fifth straight bowl bid.

Last time out, the Wolfpack had their season-best two-game winning streak snapped in a 29-19 home loss to Duke. North Carolina State managed just 268 total yards as true freshman quarterback CJ Bailey was held to 184 passing yards.

At the tail end of a disappointing season, the Wolfpack still have an opportunity to finish their year on a high note.

“It’s how you finish. That’s what we’ve been talking about,” North Carolina State head coach Dave Doeren said. “You’ve got two opportunities, and you need at least one to be in a bowl situation. How we finish matters, and now we’ve got to do it against a team that’s peaking.”

Bailey, who took over for injured starter Grayson McCall, leads the team with 1,794 passing yards and 12 touchdowns, while sixth-year running back Jordan Waters has rushed for 400 yards and four scores.

–Field Level Media

Oct 19, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) runs the ball for a touchdown against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

QB Riley Leonard uses legs in No. 12 Notre Dame’s easy win over Georgia Tech

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Riley Leonard passed for 203 yards and rushed for 51 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and No. 12 Notre Dame pulled away for a 31-13 win over Georgia Tech on Saturday afternoon in Atlanta.

Jeremiyah Love notched 85 total yards (49 receiving, 36 rushing) and scored a touchdown on the ground for Notre Dame (6-1), which won its fifth game in a row. Adon Shuler had an interception return for a touchdown.

In his first start of the season, Zach Pyron passed for 269 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 45 yards to lead Georgia Tech (5-3). Jamal Haynes had a rushing touchdown and Chase Lane made a touchdown catch.

Georgia Tech opened the scoring as time expired at the end of the first quarter. Haynes tried to punch in a 1-yard run for a score, fumbled the ball but pounced on it across the goal line for a touchdown.

Notre Dame pulled even at 7-7 with seven minutes to go before halftime. Leonard took a shotgun snap, followed a blocker and fell into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown run.

Leonard struck again, this time on a 12-yard run, to put Notre Dame on top 14-7 with 1:53 to go in the first half. He faked a handoff and weaved up the middle of the field for his second rushing touchdown of the game and his 10th of the season.

The Fighting Irish increased their lead to 21-7 with 11:01 to play in the third quarter. Love bounced right and scored standing up for a 1-yard touchdown.

Zac Yoakam made his first career field goal attempt to give Notre Dame a 24-7 lead with 10:01 remaining in the fourth quarter. Teammates sprinted up to the junior kicker to congratulate him after he drilled a 42-yarder.

Shuler made it 31-7 in favor of Notre Dame with a 36-yard interception return for a score with 2:37 to play.

Pyron capped the scoring with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Lane with 23 seconds left.

Georgia Tech played without its No. 1 quarterback, Haynes King, who sat out because of an unspecified upper-body injury.

–Field Level Media

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard (13) reaches out to stiff arm Stanford linebacker Gaethan Bernadel (0) during a NCAA college football game between Notre Dame and Stanford at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in South Bend.

No. 12 Irish seek improvement in matchup with Georgia Tech

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Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman emphasized a key point this week as the No. 12 Fighting Irish prepared to face Georgia Tech on Saturday in Atlanta.

According to Freeman, the team needs to stop being good and start being great.

“We have to continue to recognize we can play better,” Freeman said. “There’s plays all over the film that we could perform at a higher level.”

Notre Dame (5-1) and Georgia Tech (5-2) will kick off on an NFL field when they play at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, just a couple of miles south of the Yellow Jackets’ campus.

The Fighting Irish are coming off a 49-7 win over Stanford last Saturday, which marked their fourth win in a row. Notre Dame will play away from home for the first time since Sept. 14, when it crushed Purdue 66-7.

Meanwhile, Georgia Tech is looking for its third straight win. The Yellow Jackets beat Duke 24-14 two weeks ago and followed that with a 41-34 win over North Carolina last Saturday.

The latest win came at a cost for Georgia Tech. Starting quarterback Haynes King left in the fourth quarter with an unspecified injury, and his status for this week’s game against Notre Dame was uncertain.

“He’s day-to-day,” Georgia Tech coach Brent Key said. “We’ve got a lot of guys that are banged up right now. (We) played a physical game, 60-minute game on Saturday. That’s what this time of year is. …

“If you still get to the point we are right now in the season and you have things to play for, that’s a blessing. And it’s what we want. But are we banged up? Yeah, we’re banged up. And we have several guys who will be day-to-day. We’ll make a decision at game time whether they go or not.”

If King cannot go, Zach Pyron is likely to start at quarterback for Georgia Tech. Pyron replaced King late in the game against North Carolina and completed his only pass attempt for 7 yards.

Jamal Haynes provided much of Georgia Tech’s offense as he rushed for 170 yards and two touchdowns. He leads the team with 536 rushing yards and seven touchdowns this season.

Notre Dame also features a run-first offense led by dual-threat quarterback Riley Leonard and a one-two punch at running back that includes Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. Love has rushed for 426 yards and six touchdowns, Leonard has rushed for 405 yards and eight scores, and Price has 260 rushing yards to go along with three touchdowns.

On defense, Howard Cross III has a team-high four sacks for Notre Dame. Xavier Watts leads the team with two interceptions.

Georgia Tech defensive lineman Sylvain Yondjouen leads the team with two sacks. Ahmari Harvey has the Yellow Jackets’ lone interception.

Freeman said he would prepare his team for an indoor game and possible crowd noise issues that could come with it.

Most of all, Freeman said, he wanted his team to think about being great.

“For us, that means we’re playing at our full potential,” he said, “the best we can. … Everybody’s definition of great can be different, but it’s really a challenge for us as a program to elevate and take that next step to make sure we’re performing at our full potential.”

–Field Level Media