Tag: Yellow Jackets

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

Posted on | by Field Level Media

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 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

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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

Sep 28, 2024; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils linebacker Tre Freeman (12) celebrates during the second half of the game against North Carolina Tar Heels at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Undefeated Duke faces ACC foe Georgia Tech

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Duke has managed to figure out enough difficult situations in every game to be successful in each outing this season.

Now the Blue Devils will encounter a different type of task — living up to heightened expectations — when visiting Georgia Tech for Saturday night’s Atlantic Coast Conference game in Atlanta.

Duke (5-0, 1-0 ACC) rallied Saturday from a 20-point hole to defeat North Carolina 21-20, matching the second-biggest comeback victory in program history.

The Blue Devils are 5-0 for the first time since 1994.

“Over five weeks, I think that we’ve shown we can handle adversity and overcome adversity,” Duke coach Manny Diaz said. “Now we’re faced with a very diffident kind of adversity, which is the adversity of success. Being told how great we are, that comes with a different type of adversity.”

Georgia Tech (3-2, 1-2) hasn’t played since losing 31-19 on Sept. 21 at then-No. 19 Louisville. This will be the Yellow Jackets’ first ACC game in Atlanta because the designated home matchup vs. Florida State was contested in Ireland.

“The bye week really couldn’t have come at a better time for us. We were able to heal up and get our energy back and a pep in our step,” Georgia Tech coach Brent Key told reporters Tuesday. “We had a lot of mental reps in practice last Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Those were big days of focusing on ourselves, corrections, adjustments, personnel and situational football.”

Duke wants to be in more big games, so turning attention to the Yellow Jackets is crucial after conquering a longtime rival in a game that ended with Blue Devils fans rushing on to the field to celebrate.

“I think we have a pretty mature football team that (knows) the goal now is to move on to the next game,” Diaz said.

Duke’s defense has made a habit of collecting tackles for losses (10.4 per game) and pressuring opposing quarterbacks. That might be a challenge against a Georgia Tech team that hasn’t allowed a sack this year.

“We’ve got a real challenge awaiting us in Atlanta that our guys are excited for,” Diaz said.

Georgia Tech outgained Louisville 410-326, losing a game for the first time since the 2023 opener when outgaining its opponent.

“This team plays hard,” Key said of the Yellow Jackets. “Playing hard and preparing the right way gives you a chance to have success. It guarantees you nothing.”

Quarterback Haynes King is 10th in Georgia Tech program history in career total offense with 5,069 yards.

Duke running back Star Thomas has reached the 100-yard rushing mark in three consecutive games.

–Field Level Media

Sep 14, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Zach Pyron (5) runs the ball for a touchdown against the Virginia Military Institute Keydets in the second quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech steamrolls VMI, 59-7

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Haynes King completed 17 of 22 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns, helping lead Georgia Tech to a 59-7 rout of visiting VMI on Saturday in Atlanta.

Backup Zach Pyron ran for a pair of scores, adding another through the air, as the Yellow Jackets (3-1) outgained VMI (0-3) 575-104.

After the teams traded punts on their opening drives, Ahmari Harvey forced a fumble from VMI wide receiver Julio Da Silva, which was recovered by Yellow Jackets linebacker Clayton Powell-Lee on the Georgia Tech 44-yard line.

From there, King’s 22-yard pass to Chase Lane followed by Trelain Maddox’s 14-yard run set the Yellow Jackets up on VMI’s 14, eventually resulting in Aidan Birr’s 28-yard field goal with 7:39 left in the first quarter.

Following another VMI punt, King’s 35-yard touchdown pass to Malik Rutherford capped a two-play, 41-second drive, extending Georgia Tech’s lead to 10-0 with 4:52 left in the first.

VMI’s third punt of the first quarter set up the Yellow Jackets’ offense on their own 27. King’s 50-yard pass to Eric Singleton Jr. placed the ball on VMI’s 12-yard line. Three plays later, Pyron scored on a 1-yard sneak, giving Georgia Tech a 17-0 advantage with eight seconds left in the first quarter.

With 11:04 left remaining in the second quarter, Georgia Tech capitalized off another VMI punt, as Pyron’s second rushing touchdown — this time a 2-yarder — capped a six-play, 55-yard drive, putting the Yellow Jackets up 24-0.

Georgia Tech tacked on a pair of scores in the final two minutes of the first half, as Haynes connected with Singleton for a 14-yard passing touchdown with 1:49 remaining, before VMI’s seventh punt of the first half resulted in a five-play, 73-yard drive that was capped with King’s 33-yard passing score to Avery Boyd with 30 seconds left.

Leading 38-0 at the half, Georgia Tech outgained the Keydets 366-35. The Yellow Jackets picked up 19 first-half first downs, to VMI’s one.

After each team agreed to shorten the quarters to ten minutes for the second half, Maddox stamped a five-play, 60-yard scoring drive with a 3-yard rushing touchdown with 7:38 left in the third quarter. Pyron added another tally with 1:32 left in the third, finding Leo Blackburn for a 24-yard touchdown, giving the Yellow Jackets a 52-point cushion.

VMI cracked the scoreboard with 6:37 left in the fourth, when Brady Hammonds found Ethen Horne for a two-yard passing touchdown on fourth and goal. Anthony Carrie’s 2-yard rushing score for Georgia Tech then capped the game’s scoring with 4:29 to play.

–Field Level Media

Aug 31, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key on the field before a game against Georgia State Panthers at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Bounced from Top 25, Georgia Tech eyes rebound vs. VMI

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Georgia Tech’s first week as a ranked team in nearly a decade did not last long as the Yellow Jackets were bounced from the polls following Saturday’s 31-28 loss at Syracuse.

Georgia Tech (2-1, 1-1 ACC) joined the Associated Press Top 25 at No. 23 after wins over then-No. 10 Florida State and Georgia State. Following their defeat to the Orange, the unranked Yellow Jackets turn their attention to VMI (0-2) on Saturday.

Head coach Brent Key’s team fell behind 31-14 with 8:39 left before a pair of touchdowns, sandwiched around an onside kick recovery, gave the Yellow Jackets hope.

Ultimately, Georgia Tech’s defense couldn’t get off the field and Syracuse drained the clock.

“I think the biggest word is inconsistency, and that’s what we’ve been working on,” Key said. “That game was the epitome of inconsistency from an offensive standpoint. … The ability to sustain, get positive yardage on first downs, keep the chains moving. We weren’t able to do that.”

Although Georgia Tech’s 2-0 start garnered more national media attention than the Yellow Jackets have had in years, Key doesn’t believe the ranking was a distraction.

“No, I don’t think that one bit,” Key said. “Those are things that come with success and you’ve got to be able to handle it. But I didn’t see one thing in the week that led me to believe that it had anything to do with the loss.”

Key’s team will look to bounce back against FCS member VMI. Since Division I football split into subdivisions in 1978, Georgia Tech has been upset by FCS members on two occasions, falling to Furman in 1983 and The Citadel in 2019.

The Keydets enter play Saturday on the heels of a 35-28 loss to Bucknell. Trailing by 21 with just over eight minutes left, a pair of late touchdowns weren’t enough as VMI fell in its home opener.

“The season is young,” VMI head coach Danny Rocco said. “The interesting thing about our schedule is our four nonconference games are on the front end. The reality is our conference schedule is out in front of us. We have this four-game season, then the opportunity to rev it back up once we get into conference play.”

Saturday marks the first meeting between the teams since 1988, with Georgia Tech holding a 14-1 series lead. VMI’s lone win came in 1950.

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange quarterback Kyle McCord (6) throws a pass in the second quarter against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Kyle McCord leads Syracuse past No. 23 Georgia Tech

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Kyle McCord threw for 381 yards and four touchdowns as host Syracuse defeated No. 23 Georgia Tech 31-28 on Saturday in Atlantic Coast Conference action.

McCord, a highly regarded transfer from Ohio State, finished 32 of 46 without a turnover, while finding Oronde Gadsden II and Trebor Pena for two scores apiece. Gadsden racked up six catches for 93 yards for the Orange (2-0, 1-0 ACC), while Pena finished with six receptions for 88 yards.

Playing as a ranked team for the first time since 2015, the Yellow Jackets (2-1, 1-1) were led by dynamic quarterback Haynes King, who threw for 259 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 67 yards and two scores.

Georgia Tech made a furious push in the final minutes but was unable to stop the Orange on their final possession.

Syracuse was in rhythm from the start, scoring a touchdown on three of its first four drives. The only missed opportunity during that stretch came on a 13-play drive that ended in a blocked field goal.

McCord opened the scoring with a nicely thrown back-shoulder pass to Pena, who slipped into the end zone just 2 1/2 minutes into the game. King then drew the visitors even when he kept his balance on a backfield tackle attempt and ran in for a 21-yard score.

Early in the second quarter, McCord and Pena hooked up for their second 11-yard TD strike of the day. After the Orange defense forced a four-and-out, the offense cashed in on McCord’s 20-yard TD pass to Gadsden.

Things were looking great for Syracuse when it stuffed Georgia Tech on fourth down early in the fourth quarter and then went ahead 31-14 on McCord’s well-thrown 17-yard TD pass to Gadsden.

However, the Yellow Jackets scored two touchdowns down the stretch. First, they found the end zone on a 4-yard pass from King to Chase Lane. Then, following a successful onside kick, Georgia Tech’s Jamal Haynes scampered in from 15 yards out to make it 31-28 with 2:31 to play.

Georgia Tech opted to kick it deep and never got the ball back. McCord’s 13-yard pass to Gadsden on third-and-10 essentially sealed the outcome.

–Field Level Media

Dec 22, 2023; Tampa, FL, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) warms up prior to the Gasparilla Bowl against the UCF Knights at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Neighbors Georgia Tech, Georgia State meet for first time

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Their campuses are only a few miles apart, but Atlanta-based Georgia Tech will host Georgia State on Saturday for the first time on the gridiron.

Georgia Tech (1-0) is coming off a dramatic 24-21 win over No. 10 Florida State in the Aer Lingus Classic in Dublin, Ireland.

Georgia State is opening its season under new coach Dell McGee, a former Georgia assistant who was hired in the spring when Shawn Elliott resigned to become an assistant coach at South Carolina.

Georgia Tech features an excellent quarterback in Haynes King, who completed 11 of 16 passes for 146 yards and rushed for 54 yards, and running back Jamal Haynes, who ran 11 times for 75 yards and two touchdowns against the Seminoles.

The Yellow Jackets had not beaten a top 10 team since 2015 — also Florida State — and coach Brent Key wants to make sure they take the victory in stride and don’t leave themselves susceptible to an upset.

“As a coach, you always have concerns,” Key said. “Anybody that knows me, I have 10,000 things all in my head spinning right now that we have to get to — the mindset and how we’re going to talk to them and what we’re going to do.”

Georgia State brought in 48 new players via the transfer portal or from the high school ranks. The Panthers finished 7-6 and beat Utah State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in 2023.

“Our kids are very enthused, showing a lot of passion,” McGee said. “Excited about our opener. I think this is a great opportunity for our kids to play in an environment that’s pretty electric. I’m eager to see where our guys stand and how we’ve improved.”

The Panthers have not named a quarterback, although the leading candidates are a pair of transfers — Zach Gibson, who came over from Georgia Tech, and Christian Veilleux, a former starter at Pitt.

“There’s always potential for a rotation,” McGee said. “It could be four guys, it could be one guy. Not sure yet.”

–Field Level Media

Dec 22, 2023; Tampa, FL, USA; UCF Knights quarterback John Rhys Plumlee (10) runs the ball around Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive back Clayton Powell-Lee (5) during the first half of the Gasparilla Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Gasparilla Bowl: Haynes King helps Georgia Tech knock off UCF

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Haynes King threw for a touchdown and rushed for another to lift Georgia Tech to a 30-17 victory over UCF on Friday in the Gasparilla Bowl in Orlando, Fla.

Jamal Haynes rushed for a career-high 128 yards and King added 89 for the Yellow Jackets (7-6), who rolled up for 284 yards on the ground. Dontae Smith also rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown as Georgia Tech overcame an early 14-point deficit en route to recording its fourth win in six outings.

Aidan Birr drilled field goals of 36, 29 and 38 yards for the Yellow Jackets.

UCF’s John Rhys Plumlee completed 16 of 29 passes for 198 yards and tossed a scoring strike to both Javon Baker and Kobe Hudson. Baker had nine catches for 173 yards and RJ Harvey rushed for 120 yards for the Knights (6-7), who have lost seven of their last 10 games.

UCF bolted out of the blocks as Plumlee connected on a pair of touchdown passes to give his team an early 14-0 lead. Baker reeled in a 23-yard pass from Plumlee to cap the opening drive and Hudson added a 17-yard reception to complete a 10-play, 98-yard drive with 6:26 remaining in the first quarter.

The teams traded field goals before King ignited a pair of scoring drives to allow Georgia Tech to forge a 17-17 tie at halftime. King scored from 5 yards out with 4:23 to play in the second quarter for his 10th rushing touchdown of the season. He then connected on an inside post with Malik Rutherford, who gained a step on two defenders and reeled in a 41-yard touchdown pass.

Birr drilled a 29-yard field goal to give the Yellow Jackets their first lead of the contest at 20-17 with 12:07 remaining in the third quarter.

Georgia Tech relied on its ground attack on its next scoring drive. The Yellow Jackets ran the ball on 12 of 13 plays, capped by Smith’s 1-yard touchdown to take a 27-17 lead with 13:37 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Birr made his third field goal with 4:52 to play in the fourth quarter and UCF turned the ball over on downs on its ensuing possession and tossed an interception on its final offensive play.

–Field Level Media