Team Notes
- Georgia Tech finished the regular season with an 8-4 overall record, which is the fourth time in Paul Johnson’s nine seasons as head coach (2008-present) that Georgia Tech has won at least eight regular-season games. Prior to Johnson’s arrival in 2008, Georgia Tech had won eight or more regular-season games only eight times in the previous 51 seasons (1957-2007).
- Georgia Tech’s eight-win regular season was a five-win improvement over its 3-9 campaign in 2015. Coming into the weekend, the only Power 5 conference team with five more wins this season than it had in 2015 was Colorado (four wins in 2015, nine wins this season).
- Georgia Tech claimed consecutive wins at Georgia for the first time since 1998 (21-19) and 2000 (27-15).
- Georgia Tech moved to 3-2 at Sanford Stadium under Johnson.
- Georgia Tech moved to 41-65-5 all-time against Georgia, including a 15-30-1 record in Athens.
- Georgia Tech won the Governor’s Cup (the trophy awarded to the winner of the Georgia Tech-Georgia game) for the sixth time since its inception in 1995.
- Georgia Tech won back-to-back true road games for the first time since it closed the 2014 regular season with wins at NC State (58-23 on Nov. 8, 2014) and Georgia (30-24 in OT on Nov. 29, 2014).
- Georgia Tech trailed 27-14 after three quarters. The 13-point deficit was the largest that Georgia Tech has ever overcome after three quarters in a win under Johnson (prev.: 11 at Wake Forest, Oct. 2, 2010 – GT trailed 17-6 after three quarters, won 24-20).
- The 13-point deficit is tied for the seventh-largest deficit that Georgia Tech has ever overcome at any point of a win and is the second-largest that it has overcome in a win over Georgia (prev.: 16, Nov. 29 2008 – GT trailed 28-12, won 45-42).
- For the fourth-straight year, the Georgia Tech-Georgia game was decided by seven points or less.
- Georgia’s 139 passing yards were the fewest allowed by Georgia Tech this season (prev.: 144 vs. Boston College, Sept. 3).
Individual Notes
- Head coach Paul Johnson became the second coach in Georgia Tech history with three wins at Georgia (2008, 2014 and 2016), joining Bobby Dodd, who won at UGA five times (1950, 1952, 1954, 1956 and 1962).
- Johnson became the fourth coach in Georgia Tech history with as many as three wins overall versus Georgia, joining Bobby Dodd (12), William Alexander (7) and George O’Leary (3).
- Senior QB Justin Thomas became the first Georgia Tech starting quarterback to beat Georgia twice in his career since Joe Hamilton accomplished the feat in 1998 and 1999.
- Thomas is the first Georgia Tech quarterback to win twice at Georgia since Wade Mitchell accomplished the feat in 1954 and 1956.
- Thomas led an eight-play, 46-yard touchdown drive that culminated in sophomore AB Qua Searcy’s game-winning six-yard touchdown run with 30 seconds to go in the game, marking the fourth time in 37-career starts that Thomas engineered a drive that resulted in Georgia Tech scoring the game’s tying or winning points in the final minute of regulation (2014 vs. Georgia Southern, 2014 at Georgia, 2016 vs. Boston College).
- Sophomore AB Clinton Lynch’s 42-yard touchdown run in the first quarter was his seventh play from scrimmage of the season that covered at least 42 yards (two rushes, five receptions). He scored on all seven.
- Sophomore WR Brad Stewart’s 87 receiving yards were a career high (prev. 70 vs. Duke, Oct. 29, 2016).
- Stewart’s 64-yard reception on Georgia Tech’s second touchdown drive in the second quarter was the longest of his career and the longest by a GT wide receiver this season (prev. for both: Stewart’s 50-yard reception vs. Duke, Oct. 29).
- Freshman RB Dedrick Mills scored his 12th touchdown of the season (11th rushing) in the fourth quarter. Despite missing four games, his 12 total touchdowns are tied for 12th in Georgia Tech single-season history and his 11 rushing touchdowns are tied for 13th in GT single-season history.
- Senior PK Harrison Butker scored four points (all on PAT) to move into a tie atop Georgia Tech’s all-time scoring list with 322 career points (Luke Manget – 1999-2002).
