Georgia 44-42 Georgia Tech (Nov 29, 2024) Match Recap

ATHENS, GA. — — As the clock crept past midnight in a marathon for ages, Nate Frazier finally tied it for the No. 6, Georgia with a little 3-yard burst that may have locked up the biggest prize of all.

Another trip to the College Football Playoff.

Frazier ran for a 2-point conversion in the eighth overtime after Georgia mounted an improbable fourth-quarter comeback that gave the Bulldogs a 44-42 victory over Georgia Tech on Friday night that extended into Saturday morning.

“The overtime was epic,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “What a great game.”

After trailing 17-0 at halftime and being dominated for most of the game, Bulldogs (10-2, No. 7 CFP) showed plenty of grit in their bid for a 12-team playoff berth — regardless of how they fare in next weekend’s Southeastern Conference championship game against either No. 3 Texas or no. 20 Texas IS.

“That’s up to someone else to decide,” Smart said. “Our opportunity lies before us.”

Carson Beck threw five touchdown passes — two of them in OT — in a game the Bulldogs never led until after regulation ended 27-all. He finished 28 of 43 for 297 yards.

Georgia Tech (7-5) was paced by Haynes King, who ran for three touchdowns and threw for two more. But the Yellow Jackets suffered their seventh straight loss to the Bulldogs on a cold, bitter night between the hedges.

King passed for 303 yards and ran for 110 in a brilliant performance that wasn’t quite enough.

Frazier, a freshman, took a handoff from Beck and blasted up the middle, sending fireworks into the sky above Sanford Stadium.

It was the longest game in SEC history and just one overtime shy of the record for any FBS game — Illinois’ 20-18 win over Penn State in 2021 that went to nine extra periods.

“We’re a beaten football team,” Smart said. “We have to get well.”

King scored on an 11-yard run to give Georgia Tech a seemingly comfortable 27-13 lead with 5:37 left, but the Bulldogs drove 75 yards in eight plays to give themselves a chance. Beck connected with Dominic Lovett on a 17-yard touchdown pass with 3:39 left.

Then, the Bulldogs’ defense forced a huge turnover on King after struggling to contain the struggling quarterback for most of the game. He kept it himself on third-and-1 — only to cough up the ball on a big hit by Dan Jackson.

Chaz Chambliss recovered the fumble at the Yellow Jackets 32, and Beck quickly guided the Bulldogs to a straight touchdown on a 3-yard pass to Lovett with 1:01 left in regulation.

Then it went to overtime – and a game that just went on and on.

Beck and King threw matching touchdown passes followed by conventional extra points. Then it was King who scored on a 1-yard run, only to have Beck answer with it a 25-yard score to Cash Jones. Both teams failed to convert their 2-point attempts, so it became nothing but 2-point attempts.

Both teams converted in the fifth OTbut it was Frazier who finally ended it.

“There are no moral victories,” Georgia Tech coach Brent Key said, fighting back tears. “But I’m proud of those guys.”

The first half was an absolute stunner for the Bulldogs, who have long dominated the state rivalry known as “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate.”

Georgia Tech raced to a lead that could have been even bigger, outgaining the Bulldogs 307-137 in total yards and nearly doubling in time of possession in the opening half.

King, who has been battling shoulder problems, appeared fully recovered as he guided the Yellow Jackets up and down the field. He scored on a 2-yard run and threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Jamal Haynes, who soared to the pylon. The Yellow Jackets also got a 31-yard field goal from Aidan Birr.

But Birr also hit a 25-yard attempt from the left upright, and Georgia Tech squandered another scoring opportunity when Haynes was stopped for a 1-yard loss on fourth-and-1 at the Bulldogs’ 25.

Even with those setbacks, Georgia Tech built its largest lead over the Bulldogs since a 20-0 edge in the 2013 game — as Georgia rallied for a 41-34 victory in double overtime.

These Bulldogs did it again, extending their school-record home hitting streak to 31 straight.

The takeaway

Georgia Tech: When Key took over this downtrodden program, he insisted the Yellow Jackets could compete with anyone — including their mighty in-state rival. This one will hurt for a while, but Georgia Tech showed it’s on the verge of backing up his bold words after just two full seasons in charge. “He’s done a great job turning that program around,” Smart said.

Georgia: The Bulldogs aren’t nearly as dominant as the team that won back-to-back national titles in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. They surrendered 563 yards to the Yellow Jackets, including 260 on the ground. But incredibly, Smart’s team still has a chance to win it all for the third time in four years.

Next

Georgia Tech: Awaiting a second straight bowl invitation and another shot at its first eight-win season since 2016, which was also the last year they beat the Bulldogs.

Georgia: Going to the SEC championship game for the fourth straight season and the seventh time in Smart’s nine years as coach. The opponent will be the winner of Saturday night’s game between Texas and Texas A&M.

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