Epic! No. 6 Georgia rallies to beat Ga Tech 44-42 in 8 overtimes, bolsters playoff hopes
AP Sports Writer
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — As the clock crept past midnight in a marathon for the ages, Nate Frazier finally ended it for 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 pulled off an improbable fourth-quarter comeback, giving the Bulldogs a 44-42 victory over Georgia Tech on a Friday night that stretched into Saturday morning.
“The overtime was epic,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “What a great game.”
After falling behind 17-0 at halftime and being dominated most of the game, the Bulldogs (10-2, No. 7 CFP) showed plenty of grit in their bid for a spot in the 12-team playoff — no matter how they fare in next weekend’s Southeastern Conference championship game against either No. 3 Texas or No. 20 Texas A&M.
“That’s for someone else to decide,” Smart said. “Our opportunity is in front of 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 powered by Haynes King, who ran for for three touchdowns and threw for two more. But the Yellow Jackets took their seventh straight loss to the Bulldogs on a frigid, excruciating 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 burst 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 victory over Penn State in 2021 that went to nine extra periods.
“We are a beat-up football team,” Smart said. “We’ve got to get well.”
King scored on an 11-yard run to give Georgia Tech a seemingly comfortable 27-13 lead with 5:37 remaining, 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 to go.
Then, the Bulldogs’ defense forced a huge turnover by King after struggling to contain the slithery quarterback 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 tying touchdown on a 3-yard pass to Lovett with 1:01 left in regulation.
Then, it was on to overtime — and a game that just kept going and going.
Beck and King threw matching touchdown passes followed by conventional extra points. Then it was King scoring on a 1-yard run, only to have Beck respond with a 25-yard scoring pass to Cash Jones. Both teams failed to convert their 2-point tries, so it came down to nothing but 2-point tries.
Both teams converted in the fifth OT, but it was Frazier who finally ended it.
“There’s 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 up in time of possession in the opening half.
King, who has battled shoulder issues, looked to be 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 made a soaring leap to the pylon. The Yellow Jackets also got a 31-yard field goal from Aidan Birr.
But Birr also clanked a 25-yard attempt off the left upright, and Georgia Tech squandered another scoring chance when Haynes was stuffed for a 1-yard loss on fourth-and-1 at the Bulldogs 25.
Even with those setbacks, Georgia Tech built its biggest lead over the Bulldogs since a 20-0 edge in the 2013 game — when Georgia rallied for a 41-34 victory in double overtime.
These Bulldogs did it again, extending their school-record home winning streak to 31 in a row.
The takeaway
Georgia Tech: When Key took over this downtrodden program, he insisted the Yellow Jackets could compete with anyone — including their mighty 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 tremendous 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 during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. They surrendered 563 yards to the Yellow Jackets, including 260 on the ground. But, amazingly, Smart’s squad still has a shot at winning it all for the third time in four years.
Up next
Georgia Tech: Awaits a second straight bowl invitation and another shot at its first eight-win season since 2016, which also was the last year they beat the Bulldogs.
Georgia: Heads to the SEC championship game for the fourth straight season and 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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