ATHENS — This one will be remembered by Georgia and Georgia Tech fans for a long time.
The No. 7 Bulldogs, after trailing 17-0 at halftime and 27-13 with under six minutes to go, defeated the rival Yellow Jackets 44-42 in eight overtimes Friday at Sanford Stadium. The first Black Friday meeting between these teams since 1994 ended at 12:02 a.m. Saturday.
Georgia was thoroughly dominated for much of the game, but it ultimately didn’t matter. It survived while Tech will ponder what could’ve been.
“This rivalry is good for our state,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “And that’s what (Tech coach) Brent (Key) and I both shared before the game and after the game.”
This was the fourth overtime game between these programs (1999, 2013, 2014). The schools now are 2-2 in such games. This game tied the record for most overtimes played by an SEC team and fell one overtime shy of tying the overall college football record.
In the eighth overtime, with the teams alternating two-point conversion attempts since the third period, Tech quarterback Haynes King — who delivered a remarkable performance — missed Eric Singleton Jr. in the end zone while getting pressured by Georgia linebacker CJ Allen. The Bulldogs then handed off to standout freshman running back Nate Frazier, who strolled into the end zone to conclude a historic college football game.
Georgia has defeated Tech seven consecutive years, matching its longest winning streak of the rivalry (achieved two other times: 1991-97, 2001-07). It’ll have the chance to match the longest win streak in the series next year (Tech won eight consecutive from 1949-56). Overall, the Bulldogs are 8-2 against Tech in the past decade.
But it sure feels like the juice is back in this matchup. These in-state foes, coached by school alumni, seem destined for more thrillers in the future. This game is nationally dormant no more.
In the present, this will sting for Tech (7-5), which entered as a 17-point underdog and led from the opening drive to just before the final minute of regulation. Coach Brent Key, who’s never minced words about his disdain for Georgia as a Tech alum, narrowly missed on what would’ve been a legacy win.
“That’s tough,” Key said postgame. “I love that team in there. ... This will continue to fuel us.”
The Bulldogs finished the regular season 10-2. They next play in the SEC Championship game, where a College Football Playoff berth is on the line. If the team loses, the CFP committee might not punish it for participating in the conference championship game, so it still could qualify. But had it lost to Tech and lost the following week, that might’ve been an eliminating scenario.
Fortunately for Georgia, by the slimmest margin, it avoided that potential situation.
“What a great game,” Smart said.
Georgia extended its home win streak to 31 games (dating to 2019) and completed its sixth consecutive undefeated home campaign. Its comeback Friday matched the largest of the Smart era, equaling the Bulldogs’ 17-point rally against Baker Mayfield’s Oklahoma Sooners in the dazzling 2018 Rose Bowl (54-48 final in double overtime). Georgia notably overcame a 28-0 deficit in Tuscaloosa earlier this season but lost to Alabama 41-34.
It was evident almost immediately that Tech would be competitive. If there was a road map for a Jackets’ victory, the first half certainly looked like it. It was a muddied affair, and the crowd was subdued early, another key win for Tech. Both teams were stuffed on fourth-down attempts in opponents territory. Georgia was plagued by drops and a fumble. Tech missed a 25-yard field-goal attempt, leaving points on the board until it engineered consecutive touchdown drives just before the half’s end.
In many ways, it represented both teams’ seasons. The Bulldogs looked sluggish and nowhere near expectation, and the Jackets bent but didn’t break and came up with some timely plays. Tech offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, who worked for Georgia during its two recent national championships, put on a show. His offense had five drives, all going deep into Georgia territory. It outgained the Bulldogs, 307-137. It had over twice as many first downs (15 to 7). It was 5-for-8 on third downs. It averaged 7.3 yards per play on the way to a 17-0 lead.
Georgia broke through on its second drive of the third quarter. It scored a touchdown despite returner Anthony Evans III muffing a punt near midfield and Frazier having the ball ripped out of his hands inside the 2-yard line (he was ruled down). Beck found tight end Oscar Delp wide open after rolling out. The Bulldogs attempted a two-point conversion after the score and failed, leaving the deficit at 11, at 17-6. (Smart explained the decision to go for two simply was following the analytics.)
Tech appeared headed to a win after taking a 27-13 lead. But Beck led a quick touchdown drive to trim the difference to seven points. The play of the game: With Tech trying to run out the clock, Georgia safety Dan Jackson popped the ball out of King’s hands, giving Georgia a short field to go tie the score, leading to the overtime chaos that’d ensue.
“Everybody says it’s nobody’s fault, but at the end of the day, with me being who I am, I can’t let that fumble happen,” King said. “I know he made a really good hit, helmet to the ball and it popped out. But I can’t let happen.”
Smart on Jackson, who also sacked King in the sixth overtime: “That hit-fumble will be one for the ages. He wasn’t just hitting a normal dude. That guy is a competitor. A lot of respect for Dan. He didn’t have to come back this year. He debated whether he was going to play football this year. Think about where we’d be without him. Just a lot of respect for him and his leadership. All these kids who want to transfer and change, do all this, you look at a guy like Dan Jackson, he is what college football is all about. He’s not asking for more money. He’s not trying to go somewhere else. The guy just loves Georgia.”
King, who’s dealt with an injured shoulder, was otherwise brilliant. He went 26-for-36 passing for 303 yards and two touchdowns while running for 110 yards and three scores. Tech faithful will remember him fondly for his gutsy effort. Smart lauded him numerous times following the game. A Texas A&M transfer, King has another season of eligibility remaining, which would mark his third season as Tech’s starting signal-caller.
Tech will grimace every time it revisits the box score. Overall, Tech outgained Georgia 563-405. It ran for 260 yards. It finished 7-for-15 on third downs. It ran 84 plays to Georgia’s 69 and averaged 6.7 yards per play to Georgia’s 5.9. Its 44 points were its most scored against a Power-Four opponent this season.
Oh so close, but the Jackets continue waiting for that breakthrough.
“It hurt,” Tech linebacker Kyle Efford said. “It’s gonna be around for a little bit. But, then again, we are gonna use it to fuel us. Just come out and go harder and harder and harder every single day. We’re gonna get these boys, man.”
Beck, who’s endured constant outside criticism during a topsy-turvy season, went 28-for-43 passing for 297 yards and five touchdowns. His play will largely determine whether Georgia is capable of winning its third national title in four years. Georgia’s defense will be under the microscope in this one, but Smart acknowledge he felt that was more a testament to Tech’s offense than his unit flailing.
After the teams played to a draw over the first two overtimes, both failed to score in the third and fourth overtime periods. Beck found Dillon Bell on a slant in the fifth period to give Georgia its first lead of the game. King then found Malik Rutherford on a crosser to tie the score. Both failed to score in the sixth period. In the seventh, Tech’s defense stopped Beck short on a run. The Jackets tried to attack Georgia with a unique formation, and though the play appeared doomed, Jackson Hawes drew a pass interference on Smael Mondon. King was stuffed, though, and that turned out to be Tech’s best chance at closing the game.
What’s next for Georgia, Georgia Tech football programs
The Bulldogs are off to the SEC Championship game Dec. 7 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (4 p.m., ABC). They’ll face the winner of Saturday’s long-awaited Texas at Texas A&M matchup. Georgia defeated Texas in Austin, 30-15, earlier this season — the Longhorns’ only loss to this point — but didn’t face the Aggies.
Tech, meanwhile, will head to its second consecutive bowl game under Key. The Jackets have guaranteed themselves back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2013-14.
