#23 Georgia Tech stifled by #4 georgia 16-9

MERCEDES BENZ-STADIUM: CLEAN, OLD FASHIONED HATE #119 — Our #23 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets behind the welcome sight of a good defensive performance were not able to pull it off on the offensive side of the ball, losing 16-9 to the #4 Georgia Bulldogs, scoring no touchdowns. Tech falls to 9-3 and will await their next opponent in a bowl game to be determined.

Tech held georgia to an astounding 260 total yards, outgaining Tech by only 10 yards but getting the one extra score that Tech wasn’t able to pull across. Tech only entered the red area once all game. Both teams only gained 38% of the available yards to them.

Georgia with the win ties the series record win streak of 8 games, matching Tech’s mark from 1949-1956 under Bobby Dodd.

When Tech needed it, their defense had to keep it close in the second half down 13-3 and Georgia starting with the ball. Tech forced a three and out and never allowed Georgia to even sniff the red area. Georgia’s only second half score came from a 50 yard field goal. That field goal gave them just enough margin to force a Hail Mary attempt by Haynes King to finish the game that got deflected incomplete.

When asked afterwards about being tired of coming up short despite giving everything, the sentiment he gave after losing last year’s 8OT game, Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King said he felt the same, as do the rest of us Jackets.

How It Happened

Tech put themselves in a horrible situation to start when Shane Marshall fumbled the opening kickoff, recovering and taking a knee at Tech’s own three yard line. A 3rd & 11 from the two was thankfully converted for 30 yards to Brett Seither, getting Tech out of serious danger, but still ended up punting a few plays later.

Gunner Stockton had Georgia methodically driving, converting a couple 3rd & shorts before throwing an interception in the middle of the field to Tah’j Butler, Tech’s first interception in what quite literally felt like an eon (or in reality, the Syracuse game).

After one first down earned by Haynes King on the ground, Tech had to burn a timeout with a dwindling play clok and couldn’t convert a 3rd & 7 to Isiah Canion, setting for a 30 yard Aidan Birr field goal to go up 3-0 with 1:20 left in the 1st quarter.

Georgia responded with a run-heavy, 71 yard drive that took 6:38 off the clock, but only resulted in a field goal after Tech was able to stop three straight runs within the 11 yard line to force a 22 yard field goal that tied it at 3-3 with 9:42 left in the first half.

Tech had a clumsy three and out topped off with the first shank punt of the year by Marshall Nichols, giving georgia short field at their 45.

The Jacket defense had georgia facing a 3rd & 10 out of field goal range, but allowed a 24 yard catch and run by Zachariah Branch to put georgia deep in the red zone. On 3rd & 5 from the 7, Branch caught a short pass and spun away from Omar Daniels for a walk in touchdown, putting georgia up 10-3.

Tech again had an uninspiring three and out, giving georgia the ball back with a real shot at a double possession with the end of the half looming. Georgia got two first downs from Nate Frazier followed by another on an illegal hands to the face penalty called on Tech. Despite having all their timeouts, Kirby Smart with 1:00 left let the clock drain all the way down to 20 seconds, forcing them to take deep shots to the endzone and ended up settling for a field goal to end the half with at 13-3 lead.

Out of the half, Tech’s surprisingly forced a three and out, cutting off the double possession points potential. After first down conversions by Eric Rivers, Bailey Stockton, and Jamal Haynes, King tried to connect with Dean Patterson on a deep pass near the goal line but got picked off by Ellis Robinson IV.

Now here’s usually in the last few games where Tech has allowed a dagger touchdown in the middle of the third quarter that puts us seriously in trouble. But not this time! After one first down allowed, georgia got hit with two presnap penalties that derailed their drive, forcing them to punt from their endzone and give Tech the ball at our own 48.

Tech’s next drive was Haynes King heavy, running him on three straight plays but unable to convert on 3rd & 2 in field goal range, settling for a 44 yard Birr field goal making it 13-6 and giving Birr Tech’s all-time single season record with his 24th field goal of 2025.

Tech’s defense nearly again stopped georgia on the first set of downs, but georgia ran a hustle play on 4th & 1 catching Tech slightly off guard after substituting and getting the first down by maybe an inch. Key challenged the spot but was unsuccessful, burning a timeout.

Two more first downs later, georgia was faced with 3rd & 10 and just ran Stockton for a few yards, setting up a 50 yard field goal that made it 16-6.

Tech got into uga territory on a good catch by Canion and had reached field goal range before Keylan Rutledge was hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on a late hit, giving Tech 3rd & 17. King’s pass on the next play landed incomplete, forcing a punt.

Georgia’s next drive was saved by a 23 yard catch by Zachariah Branch to put them at midfield, but three plays later a sack by Jordan Boyd forced a punt.

Needing two scores to at least tie, Tech made good progress with catches from Brett Seither and Eric Rivers, before drawing roughing the passer and defensive pass interference penalties to get into field goal range. Tech couldn’t do anything on the plus side of the field, settling for a 41 yard field goal to make it 16-9 with 3:30 left.

Tech only had two timeouts left and needed to stop georgia on their first set of downs, but couldn’t do so after Nate Frazier easily converted a 3rd & 1, effectively ending it.