Jackets โFall to Georgia in Defensive Battle, 16-9
ATLANTA – In a tightlyโค contested โฃ”Clean, Old-Fashionedโค Hate” rivalry game, the โNo.23/19 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets were defeatedโข by No. 4 Georgia,16-9,on Friday at โa sold-out โMercedes-Benz Stadium.
A record crowd of 73,728 -โค the largest in the 70-game history of the series โขplayed in โฃAtlantaโ – witnessed a defensive struggle, a departure โคfrom the high-scoring affairs of the pastโข two seasons (800 total yards in 2023, 968 in 2024).โข Friday’s 119th meeting saw a combined 510 total yards, with Georgia Tech โคgaining 250 andโค Georgia 260.
Georgia โขbuilt a 13-3 halftime lead with a 181-78 yardage advantage in the โfirst half. However, Georgia Tech responded after the break, outgaining the Bulldogs 172-79 in โฃthe second half. Despite theโฃ momentum shift, crucial calls went โฃagainstโค the Yellow Jackets, including a debated fourth-down โconversion byโ Georgia inside the Tech โฃ35-yard line andโค a personal foul penalty that halted โขa promising driveโ into georgia territory.
The Yellow Jackets hadโ one final opportunity to โtie the game on the lastโข play, moving the ball to Georgia’s 44-yard โคline in two plays to set โup a Hail Mary.โ The pass was batted down, sealing the victory for Georgia.
Georgia Tech’s defence โdelivered a strong performance,limiting Georgia to 16 points and โฃ260 yards – well below their season averages of 33.7 points โฃand 430.3 yards โper game. Bulldogโ quarterback Gunner Stockton was held toโค 11-of-21 โpassing for 70 yards and an interception.
yellow jacket quarterback Haynes โขKing completed 19-of-27 passes forโฃ 181 yards, but โฃgeorgia’s defenseโฃ effectively contained Tech’s โคrushing attack, holding themโ to a season-low 69 yards โon the ground.
Linebacker E.J. Lightsey (12 โtackles),defensive back Omar Daniels (10 tackles),linebacker Cayman Spaulding (6 tackles),andโ true freshman defensiveโ back Fenix Felton (6 tackles) all recorded career-high tackle โnumbers. Felton made โhis defensive debut afterโ senior defensive back Clayton Powell-Lee โคwas injured in the first quarter.
Placekicker Aidan Birr, a Groza Award finalist, scored all โnine of Georgia Tech’s points with field goalsโ of 30, 44, and 41โ yards. His three โtriumphant kicks brought his seasonโฃ total toโข 25,a new single-season โschool record.
Georgia tech will now awaitโ the results of Saturday’s games to determine if they can still โsecure a โคspot in the ACC Championship Game.โ If that opportunity doesn’t materialize,the Yellow Jackets will learn their bowl destination on โฃSunday,December 7.
