DUBLIN — What a day for a dub in Dublin.
Aidan Birr’s 44-yard field goal as time expired gave Georgia Tech a win for the ages Saturday, a 24-21 triumph over No. 10 Florida State at Aviva Stadium.
Birr, who missed from 51 yards earlier on the opposite end of the field, let his right-footed boot fly with five seconds on the clock. Those seconds ticked away as the ball sailed through. The Yellow Jackets stormed the field. The Seminoles (0-1, 0-1 ACC) fell to the ground in disbelief.
Birr’s kick capped a 12-play drive that covered just 49 yards but ate up the final 6:33 of clock.
“After I missed the first one, I come back to the sideline and (Tech director of player development Anthony Parker) was like, ‘I’m glad you missed this one, you got it out of the way, you’re gonna have to hit a game-winner.’ This is like in the third quarter,” Birr said. “I’m just getting through the game and when we’re driving down the field it was looking like we’re gonna have to hit the game-winner. Just running on there I was just like I’m gonna lean on God and trust the process.
“David (Shanahan) with hold, Henry (Freer) with the snap and then the linemen, none of that would have happened. Just thankful for them.”
Tech got 75 yards rushing and two touchdowns from running back Jamal Haynes, and Haynes King threw for 146 yards and rushed another 54. The Jackets racked up 190 yards on the ground and averaged 5.3 yards per carry.
Tech (1-0, 1-0) returns home to host Georgia State (0-0) at 8 p.m. Saturday (ACC Network).
“We found a way. That’s all that matters. Found a way to execute,” King said. “And at the end of the day if it wasn’t for them guys up front, those playmakers on the outside making plays, we wouldn’t be here right now.”
The Jackets’ afternoon didn’t start the way it ended. The Seminoles took the opening possession and gashed Tech’s defense to the tune of 11.6 yards per carry and scored on Lawrance Toafili’s 28-yard run down the right side of the field.
FSU tight end Brian Courtney ran in a two-point conversion making the score 8-0, less than five minutes into the game.
But the Jackets came right back — and quickly.
Zach Pyron’s 1-yard touchdown run up the gut made it an 8-7 game at the 7:26 mark. That drive was highlighted by a slip-screen completion by King to Malik Rutherford that went for 42 yards into the red zone.
Ryan Fitzgerald kicked a 52-yard field goal for FSU with 11:06 left in the second quarter making the Noles’ lead 11-7.
The Jackets put on a clinic on the ensuing drive. They ran 14 plays over 75 yards and bled 7:53 off the clock before Haynes scored from a yard out on third down. Tech finished the drive with eighth consecutive runs and took a 14-11 lead with 3:13 left in the half.
Fitzgerald made a 59-yard kick as time expired to end the first half making the score 14-all.
Tech was outgained by 20 yards in the first two quarters but averaged 6.7 yards per play and 5.6 yards per rush. King threw only five passes, while Uiagalelei was 12-of-14 passing for 96 yards. The Jackets defense forced a turnover on downs and two field goal tries after the opening series which yielded a touchdown.
“I was confident this week,” Tech coach Brent Key said. “I was confident because of the defense and the plan that was put together and the progress I’ve seen made really from the start of the year until now. Really proud of the way those guys settled in after that first drive, (Santucci) settled ‘em down with some calls, and we were able to play assignment football and get off blocks, and I thought they were playing fast.
After a scoreless third quarter, one that included Birr missing a long field-goal attempt, and Tech guard Keylan Rutledge recovering a botched handoff, the Jackets opened the final period with a 2-yard touchdown run from Haynes to go up 21-14. That score capped a drive that swallowed 6:22 of clock over 11 plays.
The Seminoles responded with a 15-play drive that lasted more than eight minutes and included two Uiagalelei completions on fourth down to keep the series alive. That score made the score 21-21 with 6:33 to go, setting the stage for the finish.
“We made our final walk-through (Friday) and the last play we had in our walk-through was a field goal,” Key said. “I stopped it and brought ‘em together and said, ‘Guys, this game’s gonna come down to a field goal. This is your last rep of perfection before we go into the game.’ Total confidence in Aidan Birr. What a football player he is.”
NOTES
- Tech is now 16-13-1 all-time against Florida State and 1-2 in neutral site games against the Seminoles.
- The Jackets are now 2-0 in Dublin.
- Tech is now 5-0 against ACC ranked teams under Key.
- Tech is now 90-38-4 in season openers.
- Tech is now 20-22 in 41 ACC openers.
- Fitzgerald’s 59-yard field goal in the second quarter was FSU’s second longest in program history.
- Attendance was announced as 47,000.
