The No. 8 Georgia Bulldogs (10-2) beat the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (7-5) in an all-time classic edition of Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate.
The Yellow Jackets had a 17-0 lead at the end of the first half and held a 27-13 lead with less than six minutes left in the fourth quarter. However, the Bulldogs’ offense finally woke up, scoring two touchdowns in six minutes, including one on a short field after safety Dan Jackson forced a fumble.
In the first two overtimes, Georgia and Georgia Tech scored touchdowns relatively quickly. The two teams were in a stalemate once teams were forced to do alternating two-point conversions with both teams failing to score in all but one of the next five overtimes.
In overtime No. 8, Georgia finally punched it in with a Nate Frazier rushing conversion. The freezing and tired UGA fans left the stadium gleeful at midnight, with Georgia winning 44-42.
To some, this win was not impressive. Georgia Tech had 158 more yards than Georgia and 152 more rushing yards. Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King, battling a shoulder injury before the game, had his best performance of the season with 413 total yards and five total touchdowns. Overall, Georgia Tech drove the ball within Georgia’s 25 on seven of their ten drives before overtime.
The Georgia offense saved the day for the Bulldogs. Carson Beck had five touchdown passes and 297 yards. He has 11 touchdowns and no interceptions since Georgia lost to Ole Miss. Beck could’ve had more if it weren’t for some crucial drops by Arian Smith and Dominic Lovett.
Georgia wraps up its season with a 10-2 record. Winning against Georgia Tech was huge for its playoff ambitions. If Georgia lost against Tech and lost the SEC championship, then the Bulldogs would be 9-4 and more than likely out of the College Football Playoff. Georgia still has issues of playing down to competition.
Georgia Tech wraps up its season at 7-5. The Yellow Jackets were a feel-good story in college football, with two wins against top 10 opponents (Florida State, Miami) and a devil-may-care attitude in the running game. Tech looks much improved under Brent Key.
Here are four key takeaways from Georgia’s win over Georgia tech:
Carson Beck is improving his draft stock
Even after Georgia quarterback Carson Beck’s rough stat line against the SEC, some still believed that Beck had first-round pick talent and that Beck could jump back into mock draft conversations with solid performances.
In a month after his worst performance against Ole Miss, Beck is bouncing back. He has 11 touchdowns and no interceptions in the last three games, including five touchdowns in Georgia’s win over Georgia Tech. Beck was the biggest reason Georgia wasn’t upset.
Georgia’s run defense is an issue
Many people were clamoring for the Georgia Bulldogs run defense to show improvement after the UMass Minutemen gashed Georgia for 226 yards. Unfortunately, those people didn’t get their wish. Georgia Tech’s rush offense was a nuisance all game.
Georgia Tech coach Brent Key called several designed runs with Jamal Haynes and Haynes King to confuse Georgia’s linebackers. On the runs up the gut, the Georgia Tech offensive line bullied the Georgia front seven most of the time.
Open-field tackling was a big issue. Georgia was consistently beaten on the first and second levels in the running game. The Bulldogs solved this by putting more defenders in the box. Not only did that decision stifle the Georgia Tech running game; but it also forced Haynes King to make quicker decisions due to blitzes.
Georgia gained much-needed running back depth
The Bulldogs have struggled with injuries to running back depth throughout this entire season. Against Georgia Tech, Georgia got some much-needed help in the backfield. Cash Jones was dynamic in the receiving game with a beautiful wheel route on Georgia’s second touchdown in overtime. Roderick Robinson II was solid in his first game back from a turf toe injury.
Those two running backs helped take the load off Nate Frazier, who only had 50 yards on 11 carries. Frazier came through in the clutch with the game-winning two-point conversion.
This is why people love college football
Regardless of which side people cheered for in the Georgia-Georgia Tech game, this game was legendary. This game was an instant classic, from the cold weather to the heart-stopping plays to the midnight ending.
Eight overtimes is the second most overtimes any matchup has gone to in college football history. College football fans are thankful that it also happened during a rivalry game. The newest edition of Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate might’ve been the most entertaining.
