Gripping drama led to a most painful and familiar conclusion.
Georgia Tech lost to arch-rival Georgia for the fifth consecutive year and 12th time in the past 13 years in a 41-34 double-overtime loss at Bobby Dodd Stadium on Saturday evening.
Said nose tackle Adam Gotsis, “It feels like your heart’s been ripped out of you.”
The Yellow Jackets surrendered a 20-0 first-quarter lead, tying an ignominious school record for the largest lead ever given up in a loss in the modern era, which dates to 1950. Georgia was the perpetrator on the first occasion, as well, overcoming the same 20-0 deficit to defeat the Jackets 29-28 in 1978.
On the final play of the game, a fourth-and-5 from the Georgia 6-yard line, quarterback Vad Lee fired a pass into the end zone for wide receiver Darren Waller that was deflected into the air by linebacker Ramik Wilson. Defensive back Damian Swann batted the ball down as A-back Robert Godhigh made an attempt.
“It was just like a quick slant, and they had it in man-to-man coverage,” Lee said. “So it’s supposed to be quick. As soon as I catch the ball, throw it. But the defender was right there, right on him. So I tried to let Darren clear a little bit. It wasn’t there. They played it well.”
Said Godhigh, author of a number of spectacular plays this season, “I just got hit as I was trying to catch it.”
Tech (7-5) scored 10 points in the final three quarters of regulation after scoring 17 in the first 15 minutes. After going scoreless in its first four possessions, Georgia scored three touchdowns and two field goals the next five times it had the ball as the Tech defense gave way to Georgia quarterback Hutson Mason and running back Todd Gurley.
“You’d like to (score on every possession), but that’s probably not very realistic,” coach Paul Johnson said.
Taking advantage of Georgia’s aggressive play against the run and Lee’s pinpoint throwing, Tech averaged 10.1 yards per play in the first quarter, but 5.0 over the rest of regulation and the two possessions in overtime. Masked in the first-quarter numbers was the fact that even in the first quarter, Tech had a difficult time sustaining its running game.
Tech ran 12 times in the first quarter for 25 yards, but gained 137 passing yards on four attempts by Lee. The Bulldogs held the Jackets to 219 rushing yards in regulation, which would be Tech’s second-lowest output of the season.
Tech’s trouble moving the ball with regularity led to predictable results. After scoring 20 points in their first four possessions, Tech scored once — a touchdown — in its final six possessions of regulation. Two drives were thwarted by interceptions. One of the biggest plays of the game was an interception thrown by Lee in the fourth quarter with about six minutes to play.
Georgia had drawn to within 27-24 with a 13-play, 77-yard touchdown drive. On the second series of the next possession, Lee threw on a second-and-9 from the Tech 25-yard line to Godhigh, unable to drive the ball because he was backing up, under pressure. Safety Josh Harvey-Clemons raced in from center field to intercept Lee and return the ball to the Tech 25. Five plays later, the Bulldogs had their game-tying field goal.
“The one possession that hurt was the interception,” Johnson said. “But you had to play almost perfect on offense. That’s hard to do.”
Lost in the cause was a standout effort by defensive end Jeremiah Attaochu, who tied Greg Gathers’ school record for career sacks (31) with a four-sack performance.
But the biggest loss for Tech was the continuation of its losing streak to the hated Bulldogs. It wasn’t a blowout, as was the case in 2011 and 2012, when it appeared that the gap between Tech and Georgia was widening. It wasn’t like the mistake-filled debacle of 2010 or the tense comeback attempt in 2009.
Against an injury-racked team playing a quarterback making his first career start with a defense that appeared ready to be taken, Tech played opportunistically and with fire.
Lee saved the first possession by connecting with wide receiver Darren Waller on a third-and-8 pass play that went for 68 yards, Tech’s longest play against Georgia since 2009. He scored Tech’s first touchdown on a 3-yard keeper for Tech’s first lead since, improbably, the 45-42 win in 2008.
Attaochu delivered sacks in the clutch. Linebackers Brandon Watts and Quayshawn Nealy plugged gaps in efforts to contain Gurley.
The Bobby Dodd Stadium crowd roared in a way that hasn’t been heard perhaps since 2009 as the Jackets early on appeared on their way to a cathartic victory.
By nightfall, on a cold November evening, the noise had been stilled, save the cheers of the Bulldogs faithful and the rippling of the Georgia flag being flown once again above Grant Field.
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