Tag: Georgia Tech

Oct 25, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) on the field before a game against the Syracuse Orange at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Haynes King scores 5 TDs, No. 7 Georgia Tech beats Syracuse

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Haynes King recorded three passing touchdowns and two rushing scores to guide No. 7 Georgia Tech to a resounding 41-16 triumph over Syracuse in Atlantic Coast Conference play Saturday in Atlanta.

King authored a crisp 25-of-31 passing performance for 304 yards, while adding 91 yards on 12 carries to help the Yellow Jackets (8-0, 5-0 ACC) stay perfect on the season. Jordan Allen caught a team-high six balls for 67 yards, while Josh Beetham had two receiving touchdowns.

Rickie Collins was 17-of-29 passing for 224 yards with a touchdown for Syracuse (3-5, 1-4), which dropped its fourth straight game. Darrell Gill Jr. had five catches for 79 yards and a score to pace the Orange receivers.

An early Georgia Tech fumble led to Tripp Woody’s 27-yard field goal that gave Syracuse a 3-0 lead. However, Aidan Birr responded with a field goal of his own, a 20-yard chip shot that tied it at 3-3.

Following a series of punts, the Yellow Jackets scored the game’s first touchdown early in the second quarter. They went for it on fourth-and-1, and King found Beetham wide open for a 21-yard catch-and-run touchdown.

The Orange punted on their ensuing trip before the Yellow Jackets marched down for another touchdown. King found an open Beetham once again, giving the big tight end room to rumble for a 13-yard score.

On its final possession of the first half, Syracuse turned the ball over on downs at the Georgia Tech 39. E.J. Lightsey made a clutch tackle on Will Nixon just short of the sticks, and the Yellow Jackets took the ensuing possession and cashed in on Birr’s 22-yard field goal, making it 20-3 at the half.

The Orange burst out of the gates in the third quarter, opening with Collins’ 41-yard pass to Johntay Cook II followed by a 34-yard TD pass to Gill on the next play. However, Georgia Tech only needed seven plays to find the opposite end zone, this time on a 37-yard screen pass from King to Dean Patterson.

King’s 2-yard TD run late in the third quarter made it 34-10, and his 4-yard rushing score with 3:47 left in the fourth put an exclamation point on the convincing win.

–Field Level Media

Oct 18, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets linebacker Tah'J Butler (15) celebrates with defensive back Jy Gilmore (14) during the second half of the game against Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

No. 12 Georgia Tech stifles Duke behind record fumble return TD

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No. 12 Georgia Tech’s defense kept host Duke off track and the Yellow Jackets produced their only touchdown drives in the fourth quarter for a 27-18 victory Saturday afternoon at Durham, N.C.

Omar Daniels had a 95-yard return of a fumble for a touchdown in the first quarter, marking the longest fumble return in Georgia Tech history. Haynes King threw for 205 yards and rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown.

Georgia Tech (7-0, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) has its first 7-0 record since 1966.

Duke (4-3, 3-1) had a three-game winning streak snapped. Darian Mensah threw for 373 yards on 32-for-44 passing and two touchdowns.

Georgia Tech’s first touchdown drive consumed more than five minutes in the fourth quarter, with Malachi Hosley running 10 yards for the score. The Yellow Jackets went up 20-10 with 4:57 to play.

When Todd Pelino’s 46-yard field goal attempt for Duke was wide right with 2:52 left, that increased the Blue Devils’ plight. King subsequently added a 28-yard touchdown run.

Duke went ahead on the first possession of the second half, though it was stopped three plays from the 1-yard line and the Blue Devils settled for Pelino’s 23-yard field goal and a 10-7 edge.

Georgia Tech matched it with Aidan Birr’s 40-yarder on the ensuing possession.

Duke outgained the Yellow Jackets 238-110 in the first half but never led. Receiver Cooper Barkate racked up 118 first-half receiving yards.

Duke drove 96 yards on its first possession to the Georgia Tech 1, but Mensah fumbled on a failed handoff and Daniels scooped and sprinted 95 yards in a stunning change of fortunes as the Yellow Jackets scored first.

Duke then drove 68 yards before stalling. A botched hold in field-goal formation resulted in no points rather than a 29-yard kick.

The Blue Devils didn’t pull even until 27 seconds left in the first half on Mensah’s 20-yard pass to Landen King to wrap up an 11-play, 80-yard drive.

Duke also got some garbage-time points as Mensah got his second TD pass of the day to Sahmir Hagans from 19 yards out with 1:13 remaining in the game.

–Field Level Media

Oct 11, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key runs on the field before a game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

No. 12 Georgia Tech, Duke collide with rising ACC stakes

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No. 12 Georgia Tech and Duke will meet in a midseason game that could have significant ramifications for the Atlantic Coast Conference pecking order.

The game Saturday afternoon in Durham, N.C., has become more important as both teams enter on winning streaks.

Georgia Tech (6-0, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) will begin the second half of its regular-season schedule with so many possibilities still ahead.

The Yellow Jackets are 6-0 for the second time since joining the ACC in 1979.

“It’s a big deal for Georgia Tech,” coach Brent Key said. “It’s a big deal for everyone who has ever played here. It’s a big deal for the alumni and the fan base.”

Duke (4-2, 3-0), riding a three-game winning streak, was off last weekend following back-to-back road victories at Syracuse and California.

Although the two teams have not faced a common opponent in league play so far, Georgia Tech’s combined score in ACC games is 89-70 compared to Duke’s 128-57 advantage.

Quarterbacks for both teams have huge impacts, but in different ways.

Quarterback Haynes King has led Georgia Tech in various ways. He’s third in the ACC in rushing yards at 88 per game, while he has thrown for 194.2 yards per game.

“He checks every box when it comes to leadership and how he affects others,” Key said. “When the game is taking place, how Haynes can affect the game and people around him.”

The Blue Devils are expecting the unexpected, coach Manny Diaz said.

“The way that they dress up plays that they run, and one certainty is how they did it last week (vs. Virginia Tech) is not the way they’re going to present it to you this week,” Diaz said. “Whether you’re a young linebacker, an older linebacker, safety or whatever, it’s just very jarring that what you practice against all week, you’re really not going to see.”

Duke’s Darian Mensah leads the ACC with 306.3 passing yards per game and has thrown 15 touchdowns.

“They do a good job of getting the ball in space to their guys,” Key said. “Taking their shots when they’re there. The quarterback is really smart with the ball.”

Georgia Tech’s passing numbers aren’t as impressive, but the Yellow Jackets can’t be ignored in the air.

“(Georgia Tech’s) yards per completion are one of the highest in the country, which makes sense because when they do throw, they can throw for big shots because you’re so worried about stopping the run,” Diaz said.

Both Key and Diaz were bombarded with questions this week about job openings in college football, but they’ll definitely have their hands full this weekend.

“You’d rather have your name talked about in a positive way than a negative way, for sure,” Key said. “So it comes with the territory. … I’m pretty sure everybody on that football team knows exactly where I stand.”

Key said those things don’t have to be distractions if they are managed properly.

“All of that ‘noise,’ it comes with success,” Key said. “Would you rather not have it and be 3-3? Not at all. It’s part of it. True competitors get motivated by that stuff.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 27, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) drops the ball back for a pass in the first quarter against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

No. 13 Georgia Tech embraces unbeaten record as Virginia Tech visits

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Georgia Tech hasn’t sniffed the College Football Playoff since the tournament’s inception in 2014.

Nearing the midway point of the regular season, the No. 13 Yellow Jackets will meet Virginia Tech on Saturday afternoon in Atlanta in hopes of bolstering their odds of making their first CFP appearance.

Georgia Tech (5-0, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) has won its first five games of the season for the first time since 2014, which was the last time the Yellow Jackets made the ACC championship game.

As it stands now, Georgia Tech won’t play another ranked opponent until its regular-season finale against rival Georgia. Enjoying the return to national relevance, head coach Brent Key’s team can’t afford to overlook the Hokies on Saturday.

“It’s an exciting time, and I want the guys to be excited, but also understand that this part of the season now is to protect what we’ve already done,” Key said. “(Virginia Tech) has talent on their roster. The teams they have lost to are a combined 15-6, good football teams, and some of them were very close games, especially going into the fourth quarter.”

Prior to its bye last week, Georgia Tech escaped Wake Forest 30-29 in overtime, rallying from a 17-point second-half deficit. As the Yellow Jackets learn how to stack victories, Key is taking one week at a time.

“You’d love to play every game and have to lead the whole time, but I don’t think that’s ever happened in the history of football,” Key said. “Not to give coach-speak, but we’re worried about one thing — that’s the day we’re in. You can’t look behind, you can’t look forward. We have to understand how fragile this is.”

Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King is averaging just 189.5 passing yards a game this season, but the dual-threat, sixth-year senior’s seven rushing touchdowns and 380 yards on the ground rank second and seventh in the ACC, respectively.

Virginia Tech (2-4, 1-1) had as bad a start to the season as any power conference team. After dropping games to then-No. 13 South Carolina and Vanderbilt, the Hokies were blown out at home by Old Dominion, prompting the firing of head coach Brent Pry.

Interim coach Philip Montgomery has won two of three games since taking over, but the road will get harder on Saturday.

“Obviously, this week we have a really tough opponent,” Montgomery said. “Georgia Tech is playing really well right now. They’ve had a bye, so they’re going to be fresh. It’ll be a great test for us, but we’re looking forward to going on the road and getting an opportunity to go to work.”

Virginia Tech was held without a second-half touchdown in a 30-23 loss to Wake Forest last week — just another speed bump the Hokies will have to overcome in a difficult season.

“This team has faced a lot of adversity throughout the season, but they’re resilient,” Montgomery said. “We have to move forward, continue to grow, learn from our mistakes, and get better as a football team, because we’ve got a tough game this week.”

Looking to help turn the season around, Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones will need to stay upright, as the third-year starter has been sacked 14 times this season, tied with Stanford’s Ben Gulbranson for most in the ACC.

–Field Level Media

Sep 27, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons quarterback Robby Ashford (2) runs the ball against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive lineman Brayden Manley (11) during the first quarter at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

16 Georgia Tech comes back for OT win vs. Wake Forest

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Haynes King threw for 243 yards and a score, adding 106 yards and two touchdowns on the ground as No. 16 Georgia Tech escaped with a 30-29 overtime victory over Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C., in Atlantic Coast Conference play on Saturday.

King ran for a 2-yard touchdown to begin overtime, before Demond Claiborne’s 25-yard rush cut Wake’s deficit to 30-29. Wake Forest elected to go for the game-winning two-point conversion but Robby Ashford’s pass fell incomplete, sealing the Georgia Tech win.

Eric Rivers had eight catches for 77 yards and a score for the Yellow Jackets (5-0, 2-0 ACC), who extended their best start to a season since 2014.

Ashford threw for 229 yards, adding a score on the ground, while Claiborne ran for 119 yards and two scores for Wake Forest (2-2 ,0-2 ACC).

After Connor Calvert’s 24-yard field goal pushed Wake’s lead to 20-3, Georgia Tech finally found the end zone on King’s 14-yard touchdown pass to Rivers with 5:39 left in the third quarter.

The Yellow Jackets then cut their deficit to three on King’s 5-yard rushing score with 17 seconds left in the third.

Georgia Tech knotted the score on Aidan Birr’s 19-yard field goal with 9:49 left in the fourth, before Calvert missed a 27-yarder that kept the score tied with 6:54 remaining.

Jamal Haynes then fumbled, leading to Calvert’s 29-yard field goal to put Wake Forest ahead 23-20 at the 5:07 mark.

After Wake’s punt, King led Georgia Tech to a game-tying drive as Birr’s 33-yard field goal with two seconds left sent the game to overtime.

Georgia Tech struck first on Birr’s 35-yard field goal with 8:09 left in the first quarter.

Facing a fourth-and-six on Wake Forest’s 39-yard line, Georgia Tech punter Marshall Nichols found Will Kiker on a fake punt pass, but the gain was for five yards, turning the ball over on downs to Wake Forest with 13:11 remaining in the second quarter.

Two plays later, Ashford connected on a 35-yard pass to Chris Barnes, pushing the Demon Deacons’ drive to Georgia Tech’s 20-yard line. Claiborne then broke off a 16-yard rush, leading to Ashford’s 4-yard rushing score to give Wake Forest a 7-3 edge at the 10:46 mark of the first half.

The Demon Deacons tacked on with Claiborne’s 27-yard rushing score and Calvert’s 24-yard field goal to give Wake Forest a 17-3 halftime lead.

–Field Level Media

Sep 20, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) throws a pass against the Temple Owls in the first quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

No. 16 Georgia Tech pursues 5-0 start against rested Wake Forest

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Quickly approaching a return to national relevance with a chance to match the program’s best start in 11 years, No. 16 Georgia Tech will hit the road to face Wake Forest on Saturday afternoon in an Atlantic Coast Conference game in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Georgia Tech (4-0, 1-0) has won its first four games for the first time since starting 5-0 in 2014. The Yellow Jackets finished with 11 wins that season, marking their most recent appearance in the ACC Championship Game and a New Year’s Six bowl.

With a legitimate chance to contend for a conference title and its first College Football Playoff appearance this season, Georgia Tech is in uncharted territory — a scenario it wanted.

“We’re going to get 100 percent from every team we face. We don’t have margin to let up, at all,” coach Brent Key said. “Every game is going to be a close game; that’s the way we look at it. Every week is a challenge. I love it. To be in this environment at Georgia Tech, this is something that we’ve really craved for a long time.”

Leading an offense that is averaging 38.8 points per game on 492.3 yards per contest, quarterback Haynes King has asserted himself as a potential ACC Player of the Year. In three games, he has thrown for 515 yards and two touchdowns and has 274 yards and five scores on the ground.

Wake Forest (2-1, 0-1) will have had 15 days to prepare for its fourth consecutive home game. The Demon Deacons last played on Sept. 11, when they saw an early 14-0 lead disappear in a 34-24 loss to North Carolina State.

Looking for the first marquee victory in head coach Jake Dickert’s first season at Wake Forest, he is eager to return to action.

“Watching college football one Saturday is OK. Twice gets me really antsy,” Dickert said. “It feels like it’s been awhile since we’ve taken the field. Four straight home games to start a season is unique, but what an opportunity. I’m really excited about getting our guys back out there and showing the work we’ve had against a nationally-ranked opponent.”

Wake Forest hasn’t beaten a ranked opponent since 2022, when it defeated No. 23 Florida State, and the Demon Deacons haven’t topped Georgia Tech since the 2006 ACC Championship Game.

Dickert said he knows a lot has to go right for both of those streaks to end.

“Coach Key obviously has that program rolling in a high capacity,” Dickert said. “One of the biggest things I look for in an opponent is their identity. It screams off the tape; it’s their physicality and toughness. It’s all over film. It’s the way they play.”

Demon Deacons quarterback Robby Ashford, a transfer from Auburn and South Carolina, has thrown for just one touchdown through three games this season. Running back Demond Claiborne is averaging 82.3 rushing yards per game after posting 1,049 in his third-team All-ACC campaign a year ago.

–Field Level Media

Sep 20, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) runs the ball for a touchdown against the Temple Owls in the first quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech improves to 4-0 behind balanced attack vs. Temple

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ATLANTA — Haynes King threw for 161 yards and two touchdowns, while adding a score on the ground, helping No. 18 Georgia Tech post a 45-24 victory over visiting Temple on Saturday in Atlanta, Ga.

Jamal Haynes ran for 107 yards, Malachi Hosley rushed for 59 yards and two scores, and Georgia Tech (4-0) began the year with four straight wins for the first time since 2014.

Evan Simon completed 13 of 32 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown for Temple (2-2), which dropped its second straight. Backup quarterback Gevani McCoy threw a 4-yard touchdown to Xavier Irvin with three seconds left.

Leading by 14 at halftime, Georgia Tech coughed up the game’s only turnover as King fumbled on the Yellow Jackets’ second play from scrimmage in the third quarter. Two plays later, Temple cut its deficit to 21-14 on Simon’s 28-yard touchdown pass to JoJo Bermudez.

Georgia Tech quickly answered with Hosley’s 34-yard rushing score to push the margin back to 14 with 11:47 left in the third.

The Yellow Jackets tacked on two drives later, as Haynes’ 47-yard rush led to Hosley’s 2-yard rushing score to extend the lead to 35-14. After Temple’s turnover on downs, Aidan Birr’s 32-yard field goal gave Georgia Tech a 24-point edge.

Temple’s Carl Hardin’s 41-yard field goal was followed with Daylon Gordon’s 41-yard rushing touchdown — the first of his career — to push the lead to 28 and seal the win.

King put the Yellow Jackets on the board first with a 17-yard rushing score at the 11:37 mark of the first quarter.

Following Temple’s punt, Georgia Tech doubled its lead with a five-play, 63-yard drive — stamped with King’s 24-yard touchdown pass to Malik Rutherford.

The Yellow Jackets answered Temple’s third punt with their third touchdown in as many drives, as King connected with Isiah Canion for a 37-yard score through the air with 2:38 left in the first.

Temple finally found its offensive rhythm on the ensuing drive, as Simon found Tyler Stewart for 18 yards, before the Owls quarterback scrambled to Georgia Tech’s four-yard line. The visitors cracked the scoreboard with 12:29 left in the first half, as Jay Ducker ran in a 2-yard score.

Georgia Tech’s offense stalled in the second quarter, punting on each of its three possessions.

Hardin came up well short on a 61-yard field goal attempt as time expired, and Georgia Tech took a 21-7 lead into halftime.

— Jack Batten, Field Level Media

Aug 24, 2024; Dublin, IRL; Georgia Tech place kicker Aidan Birr is congratulates by teammates after scoring the winning the field goal against Florida State at Aviva Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tom Maher/INPHO via Imagn Images

No. 18 Georgia Tech hopes to avoid trap against visiting Temple

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Fresh off a field storming and one of the program’s biggest wins in recent memory, No. 18 Georgia Tech will look to avoid a letdown Saturday against visiting Temple in Atlanta.

Georgia Tech (3-0) soared into the Associated Press Top 25 after its dramatic 24-21 victory over then-No. 12 Clemson. A week after Aidan Birr’s 55-yard field goal as time expired sent Yellow Jackets fans into a frenzy that resulted in a $50,000 fine for the program, the team’s next challenge awaits against the Owls.

“We’ve got to continue to stay the course, continue to improve every day,” Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key said. “We’re happy that we got a win last week, but at the same time, we have a long way to go.”

After a brief appearance as a ranked team last year, the Yellow Jackets are as highly ranked as they have been since 2015, when they peaked at No. 14. Squarely in the hunt in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship race and a potential dark horse for the College Football Playoff, Key’s team knows it can’t take its foot off the pedal, even as heavy favorites Saturday.

“Coach Saban used to tell us, more people die on the way down from Mount Everest than on the way up,” said Key, who served as Nick Saban’s offensive line coach at Alabama from 2016-18. “You can’t relax. You have to be just as prepared every single week. Our goals before the season were not just to win Game 3 or 4. Our goals are a lot bigger than that. Our expectations internally are a lot bigger than that.”

Temple (2-1) followed easy wins over UMass and Howard with a 42-3 home setback against then-No. 13 Oklahoma last week. The road won’t get any easier for first-year Owls head coach K.C. Keeler, whose team will see consecutive AP ranked opponents for the first time since October 2019, when Temple faced off against No. 23 Memphis and No. 19 SMU. The Owls’ 30-28 victory over Memphis marks the program’s last ranked win.

“We’ve got another big test against Georgia Tech coming up,” Keeler said. “It’s another top 20 opponent we have a chance to play. This time, we’re going on the road. The focus is really more about us. For us to be in that game at all last week, we needed to play a lot cleaner, and we didn’t. Let’s get that cleaned up.”

Through three games, second-year starting quarterback Evan Simon has thrown for nine touchdowns and no interceptions but was held to just 75 passing yards in the loss to Oklahoma.

Totaling just 105 yards last week, Temple’s offense will have to take a giant step forward to hang with the stout Yellow Jackets front.

“Defensively, they obviously did a great job against Clemson,” Keeler said of Georgia Tech. “You evaluate where we went wrong last week, but you’ve got to let that one go and move on to Georgia Tech.”

In the schools’ only meeting, Temple won 24-2 in 2019 in a game that featured former Temple and then-Georgia Tech head coach Geoff Collins.

-Field Level Media

Texas A&M tight end Nate Boerkircher (87) celebrates after scoring a touchdown to tie the game in the second half of a NCAA football game against Notre Dame at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in South Bend. The extra point scored after this touchdown put Texas A&M ahead 41-40 to win the game.

Miami, Texas A&M rise in AP Top 25 poll, Ohio State stays No. 1

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Five teams received first-place votes in the Associated Press Top 25 poll released Sunday as Ohio State remained the No. 1 team in advance of Saturday’s Big Ten opener at Washington.

Ohio State, Penn State and LSU were 1-2-3 for the second week in a row, while Miami swiped two of Ohio State’s first-place votes to climb over Oregon for the No. 4 spot. The Hurricanes moved up after a 49-12 victory over then-No. 18 USF, which had knocked off Top 25 teams in each of its first two games.

Georgia moved up to fifth after rallying to win 44-41 in overtime at Tennessee. Oregon fell two spots despite a 34-14 win Saturday at Northwestern. The Ducks dropped to No. 6 but kept the singular first-place vote they have held all season.

Florida State, Texas, Illinois and Texas A&M round out the top 10.

Texas A&M zoomed up six spots after rallying to defeat then-No. 8 Notre Dame 41-40 on Saturday night in South Bend, Ind. The Aggies climbed as high as No. 10 once last season — rewarded for a 38-23 win on Oct. 26 over No. 8 LSU — but the Aggies lost four of their last five and finished outside the Top 25.

Notre Dame, which has started 0-2 for the first time since 2022, dropped 16 spots remained in the poll at No. 24. Both Fighting Irish losses have come against nationally ranked foes. Clemson, which absorbed a 24-21 ACC loss to Georgia Tech, dropped out of the poll for the first time since Dec. 3, 2023.

South Carolina (previously No. 11) and USF (No. 18) joined Clemson (No. 12) in tumbling out of the Top 25. No. 18 Georgia Tech, No. 20 Vanderbilt and No. 25 Southern California assumed Top 25 with 3-0 records.

Oklahoma, Iowa State, Ole Miss, Alabama and Tennessee claimed the Nos. 11-15 spots, respectively. Utah, Texas Tech, Georgia Tech, Indiana and Vanderbilt stand 16th through 20th while Michigan, Auburn, Missouri, Notre Dame and USC close out the poll.

Saturday will now include three showdowns between Top 25 teams. No. 17 Texas Tech plays at No. 16 Utah in Big 12 action, No. 22 Auburn visits No. 11 Oklahoma in the SEC’s marquee game and No. 9 Illinois goes to No. 19 Indiana in the Big Ten. The Illini and the Hoosiers have not met when both were ranked since 1950.

–Field Level Media

Sep 13, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) throws a pass against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the first quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Aidan Birr boots 55-yard FG as Georgia Tech upsets No. 12 Clemson

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ATLANTA – Aidan Birr hit a 55-yard field goal as time expired to help Georgia Tech upset No. 12 Clemson 24-21 in Atlantic Coast Conference play on Saturday.

Haynes King completed 20 of 28 passes for 211 yards, and added 101 yards and a score on the ground for the Yellow Jackets (3-0, 1-0 ACC), who beat Clemson for the first time since 2014.

Cade Klubnik completed 15 of 26 passes for 207 yards, a touchdown and an interception, while rushing for 62 yards and a score. Adam Randall rushed for 80 yards and a score, Bryant Wesco Jr. caught seven passes for 126 yards and a touchdown for the Tigers (1-2, 0-1 ACC), who trailed by 13 points in the first half.

Trailing 13-7 after halftime, Clemson drove to Georgia Tech’s 9-yard line, before Klubnik’s pass was intercepted by Omar Daniels and returned to the Tigers’ 48.

Following a Yellow Jackets punt, Klubnik connected with Wesco for a 73-yard score, giving Clemson its first lead at the 9:36 mark of the third.

After Georgia Tech punted and fumbled on its next two drives, the Yellow Jackets regained the lead on King’s 1-yard rushing score – which finished off a 90-yard drive – with 10:02 left in the fourth. Georgia Tech’s ensuing two-point conversion pushed the lead to 21-14.

Clemson answered with a 13-play, 75-yard drive, capped with Randall’s game-tying, 2-yard rushing score with 3:26 left, before King led Georgia Tech on a 10-play, 38-yard game-winning drive.

Georgia Tech took the opening drive to Clemson’s 4-yard line, before King threw the ball away on third down and Ricardo Jones brought down Jamal Haynes for a loss of four, turning the ball over on downs.

Clemson gave the ball back to Georgia Tech on its first drive, as Daniels forced Klubnik’s fumble, which was recovered at the Tigers’ 30-yard line by Zachary Tobe. The giveaway led to Birr’s 40-yard field goal, giving the Yellow Jackets a 3-0 lead with 5:50 left in the first quarter.

After Nolan Hauser’s missed 52-yard field goal, King connected with Eric Rivers for 42 yards to Clemson’s 5-yard line. Haynes ran in the next play for a 5-yard score, giving Georgia Tech a 10-0 lead five seconds into the second quarter.

Following Clemson’s first punt, Georgia Tech tacked on with Birr’s 42-yard field goal at the 7:46 mark of the first half.

The Tigers answered with a methodical, 16-play, 75-yard drive – which included Randall’s 30-yard rush on 3rd and 22 – stamped with Klubnik’s 1-yard rushing score on fourth and goal, cutting Clemson’s deficit to six with 49 seconds left.

–Jack Batten, Field Level Media