No. 16 Georgia Tech prevails in overtime at Wake Forest

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Clayton Powell-Lee intercepted a desperation pass from Robby Ashford on a game-winning two-point conversion try and No. 16 Georgia Tech escaped, in every sense of the word, in a 30-29 overtime win over Wake Forest on Saturday at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium.

“I don’t think we ever thought we were losing that game,” Tech kicker Aidan Birr said. “We’ve been in that situation before. We had the confidence we were gonna pull it through.”

The Yellow Jackets (5-0, 2-0 ACC) trailed 20-3, rallied to tie the score in the fourth quarter, then needed a Birr game-tying field goal to send the game into overtime. Tech quarterback Haynes King scored on a 2-yard run to begin overtime, then Wake Forest running back Demond Claiborne scored on a 25-yard run.

The Demon Deacons, about a 14-point underdog coming into the day, decided to go for the win to spring the upset. Ashford, who had left the game in third quarter with an injury before returning to action, rolled right, and finding no one open in the end zone, tried to wing the ball into the middle of Tech’s defense. Powell-Lee was there waiting and fell to his knees while catching the ball, allowing him and his teammates to celebrate.

“We called one of our base coverages that has a lot of eyes on the quarterback,” Powell-Lee said. “(Coach) told us that if they sprint out, plaster, so when I seen him sprint out, the nearest guy was at receiver coming on the drag and was really just trying to match him. Then just seeing where all the quarterback was going, and he just gave us a present, and I was happy to capitalize and call it a game on that one.”

King ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns and also threw for 243 yards and a score on 28 of 42 passing. Wide receiver Eric Rivers caught eight passes for 77 yards and a touchdown.

The Jackets, 5-0 for the first time since 2014 and 2-0 in the ACC for the first time since 2017, are now off until hosting Virginia Tech (1-3, 0-0) on Oct. 4.

Tech’s 17-point deficit tied for the second largest the Jackets have ever overcome in a win.

“I think there’s something special about this team, not even looking in the future, just the present right now, what just happened,” King said. “To overcome that, on a road game as well, just the maturity that we have and the trust in each other, players to players and coaches to players, the trust that everybody has and the belief.”

Down 20-17 to start the fourth quarter, Tech put together an offensive drive that was halted at the Wake Forest 2 and had to settle for a 20-yard Birr field goal that tied the score at 20-20.

The Jackets then caught a break when Connor Calvert’s 27-yard field-goal attempt clanged off the left upright with 6:54 to play. But Tech running back Jamal Haynes put the ball on the ground on the next play, and Karon Prunty recovered at the Tech 23.

Calvert redeemed himself with a 30-yard field goal 1:41 later, putting the Deacons up 23-20.

Tech had one final possession with 1:41 left in the game and no timeouts left. The Jackets were able to get to the 16, where Birr came out and made a 33-yard field goal with two seconds to play in regulation to send the game to overtime.

The Jackets had the ball first to start the extra session, and King burrowed his way into the end zone from 2 yards out giving Tech a 30-23 lead. But Claiborne immediately scored from 25 yards out.

After a timeout, Wake Forest sent its offense back on the field.

“The one thing I’ll say about this team, through 60 minutes and then some, there still was not one person on that sideline that didn’t believe we (weren’t) gonna win the football game,” Tech coach Brent Key said. “They were accountable to their mistakes and their actions early on, and they rallied, and they were able to string some good plays and play good situational football there at the end.”

Even though Birr gave Tech an early lead with a 36-yard field goal midway through the opening quarter, it was clear the Jackets had not come ready to play.

The Jackets tried to run a fake punt early in the second quarter, and it worked. Only punter Marshall Nicholls’ pass to defensive back Will Kiker was a yard short of the line to gain, and Tech turned the ball over on downs at the Wake Forest 34.

The Deacons took over and, three plays later, Ashford hit Chris Barnes on a 35-yard pass to the Tech 20. Ashford would score on a 4-yard run shortly after that to put Wake Forest up 7-3 at the 10:46 mark.

Tech came back with a promising drive, but on fourth down on the Wake Forest 30, needing a yard, King took a snap out of the shotgun formation and was tackled for a short loss by linebacker Quincy Bryant. The Deacons took advantage again, getting a 39-yard pass from Ashford to Sterling Berkhalter and a 27-yard touchdown run from Demond Claiborne to go up 14-3.

Calvert put Wake Forest up 17-3 with a 24-yard field goal just before the halftime break.

The Deacons carved up Tech’s defense in the first half to the tune of 255 yards and 7.7 yards per play. Wake Forest also hit on pass completions of 35, 37 and 39 and running plays of 16, 24 and 27 yards.

“I simply said to ‘em (at halftime), ‘We have to take a deep breath, blow the first half out, and all that matters is us going out there and to win the third quarter.’ The whole objective was to go out and win the third quarter,” Key said. “We were able to do that. We won the third, and then that was the next challenge, we have to win the fourth. Didn’t mention anything about overtime, but obviously gotta win that, too.”

Calvert’s second field goal of the day came 4½ minutes into the third quarter and put the Deacons up 20-3.

The Jackets finally got something going on offense on the ensuing drive by going 78 yards in 13 plays and scoring when King lobbed a 14-yard touchdown pass to Eric Rivers in the right corner of the end zone. Tech converted three third downs on the drive.

After Tech’s defense forced a quick three-and-out, the Jackets took over on its own 35 and once again went to work. King led a 10-play drive and scored on a 5-yard run, faking the toss sweep to the left and sprinting up the middle to get Tech within 20-17.

That would be how the scoreboard read going into the final 15 minutes.