UGA beats Tech in 8 OT thriller

Published 6:22 pm Monday, December 2, 2024

ATHENS – The Georgia – Georgia Tech rivalry is renewed after a back-and-forth, eight-overtime thriller on Friday night.

It has been seven years since the 2016 matchup in Kirby’s first year when Tech upset Georgia 28-27. Ever since, the rivalry has been owned by the Dawgs. But the current Georgia Tech team looks a lot different than the days of the Paul Johnson triple option or the Reggie Ball 4th and throwaway. Brent Key has this Yellow Jacket football team playing tough, hard-nosed football. It was evident in last year’s matchup in Bobby Dodd when GT quarterback Haynes King took Georgia down to the wire.

That toughness was on display this year as well as the Jackets dominated the first half on both sides of the football. In five first-half drives, Tech sustained long, time-consuming possessions, eating up the clock and keeping Carson Beck and the Georgia offense off the field. Georgia’s defense was able to hold Tech to a field goal and a turnover on downs on two drives, but a King rushing touchdown and a Jamal Haynes receiving touchdown put Tech in front 17-0. Tech tallied 307 yards of offense in the first half.

Georgia’s offense finally came alive in the second half. After a scoreless 30 minutes, the Georgia offense would find the end zone on six of its next eight possessions. Late in the third, Beck found Oscar Delp in the end zone after driving 51 yards in 6 plays. The Yellow Jackets responded with a field goal of their own before Nate Frazier’s touchdown made it 20-13 with 8:18 left on the clock.

Then Georgia’s hopes seemed to be lost in what wouldn’t be the last time as King rushed for an 11-yard touchdown putting the Jackets up by two possessions at 27-13. Beck completed five of seven passes for 58 yards the next drive, hitting Dominic Lovett in the end zone with 3:54 left in the game. Three plays later, senior safety Dan Jackson forced a King fumble to give Georgia the ball at the 38-yard line with two minutes to go. Beck scrambled his way down the field and completed another touchdown to Lovett, tying the game. Beck finished with 297 yards and five touchdowns.

Overtime came, and each team traded touchdowns on their first and second attempts. In the third overtime, new NCAA rules dictated teams trade two-point conversion attempts. Neither team converted their attempts in the third or fourth overtimes. Both converted in the fifth. Dan Jackson sacked King in the sixth but Georgia failed to convert on offense. In the seventh, King was stuffed at the 1-yard line after a pass interference call on Georgia’s defense. Finally, in the eighth overtime and early into Saturday morning, Frazier scored, giving Georgia the improbable victory.

The win nearly cements Georgia’s position in the playoffs, though Kirby Smart will hope to take advantage of the conference championship game against Texas to secure a top four seed and a first round bye. Kickoff for the SEC Championship is scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday on ABC.