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Georgia Tech Rallies Past Hokies, 28-27

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BLACKSBURG, Va. – Trailing 27-16 late, Georgia Tech’s defense forced three turnovers in the fourth quarter and true freshman quarterback Zach Pyron engineered two touchdown drives to rally the Yellow Jackets to a thrilling 28-27 win at Virginia Tech on Saturday at Lane Stadium.

Things looked bleak for Georgia Tech when Virginia Tech took the 11-point lead on a 7-yard interception return for a touchdown with 4:03 to go in the third quarter and a comeback seemed even more improbable when the Yellow Jackets failed to pick up a first down on their next two possessions.

However, with Virginia Tech threatening to take a three-score lead at the GT 10 with a little more than 10 minutes to go in the game, defensive tackle D’Quan Douse changed the course of the game when he forced a fumble that was recovered by fellow DT Makius Scott. On the ensuing series, Pyron found Nate McCollum for a 56-yard touchdown pass to cap a five-play, 90-yard drive and cut the Yellow Jackets’ deficit to 27-22 with 9:02 left.

The Hokies would drive inside Georgia Tech territory once again on their next possession, but true freshman safety Clayton Powell-Lee, who didn’t practice until Thursday of this week due to illness, intercepted a pass deflected by cornerback Zamari Walton and the Jackets took over on their own 27-yard line with 6:54 to go.

Spurred by a 20-yard completion to McCollum on third-and-19, Pyron drove Georgia Tech 73 yards in nine plays and gave the Jackets a 28-27 lead on his 9-yard touchdown run with 3:30 to go in the ballgame.

After the teams traded possessions, Virginia Tech took over with one last opportunity to win the game. However, on first-and-10 from the VT 42, linebacker Charlie Thomas forced a fumble that was recovered by Powell-Lee to seal the victory with 48 seconds left on the clock.

In his first-career start, Pyron accounted for 319 yards of total offense (253 passing, 66 rushing) and the two fourth-quarter touchdowns. McCollum was on the receiving end for a career-high 103 yards and Dontae Smith led all rushers with 85 yards.

Defensively, Thomas had a career-high 16 tackles to go along with his game-sealing forced fumble. Powell-Lee registered two of Georgia Tech’s four takeaways with his fourth-quarter interception and fumble recovery, while Douse had what turned out to be a crucial blocked PAT to go along with his fourth-quarter forced fumble.

With its most victories since 2018 already in hand, Georgia Tech (4-5, 3-3 ACC) looks to move back to .500 next Saturday when it hosts Miami (Fla.) for an ACC Coastal Division showdown. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Georgia Tech wide receiver Nate McCollum (8 – above) caught seven passes for 103 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to help propel the Jackets past Virginia Tech, 28-27. (photo: Stephen Blue/Sideline Media Productions)

 

Postgame Notes

Team Notes

  • Georgia Tech moved to 4-5 overall and evened its Atlantic Coast Conference record at 3-3.
  • Georgia Tech snapped a two-game losing streak and avoided its first three-game skid of the season.
  • Georgia Tech won its fourth-straight game at Virginia Tech’s Lane Stadium (2014, 2016, 2018, 2022). The Yellow Jackets became only the second visiting team to ever win four-straight games at Lane Stadium, joining Clemson, who won five-straight games at VT from 1979-89 (1977, 1979, 1985, 1987, 1989).
  • Georgia Tech outgained Virginia Tech, 463-304, good for a 159-yard margin, the Yellow Jackets’ largest of the season (prev.: 134 vs. Duke – Oct. 8).
  • Georgia Tech’s 463 yards of offense were a season high (prev.: 438 at UCF – Sept. 24).
  • Georgia Tech’s 234 yards of offense in the first half were its second-most in a half against an NCAA Division I FBS opponent this season, behind only the 240 yards it gained in the second half last Saturday at Florida State.
  • Georgia Tech’s 229 yards of offense in the second half were its fourth-most in a half against an NCAA Division I FBS opponent this season, behind only last Saturday’s second half, Saturday’s first half and the second half at UCF (231).
  • Georgia Tech finished plus-three in turnover margin (four takeaways, one giveaway) and won the turnover battle for the seventh time in nine games this season (it has finished tied in turnover margin in the other two games). The Yellow Jackets entered the game ranked No. 3 nationally in turnover margin at plus-12.
  • Georgia Tech’s four takeaways give it 22 for the season. The Yellow Jackets entered the game ranked No. 7 nationally in turnovers gained with 18.
  • Georgia Tech recovered three fumbles, giving it 12 fumble recoveries for the season. The Yellow Jackets entered the game ranked No. 8 nationally with nine fumble recoveries.
  • Georgia Tech blocked an extra point attempt in the second quarter, good for its fourth blocked kick of the season. The Yellow Jackets entered the game tied for sixth nationally with three blocked kicks.
  • Two of Virginia Tech’s four touchdowns came on a 90-yard punt return and a 7-yard interception return. Georgia Tech has allowed four non-offensive touchdowns on the season.
  • Virginia Tech’s 90-yard punt return by Tucker Holloway was the longest punt return allowed in Georgia Tech history (prev.: 88 by Clemson’s Brian Manse – Oct. 8, 2000).

Individual Notes

  • Sr. WR Malachi Carter played in the 55th game of his Georgia Tech career to break the school record for games played, which was previously shared by Jamal Golden (2011-15), Jemea Thomas (2009, ’11-13), T.J. Barnes (2009-12) and Rod Sweeting (2009-12).
  • Carter caught four passes for 61 yards, giving him 1,356 receiving yards for his career and moving him from 16th to 14th on Georgia Tech’s all-time list for receiving yardage, passing Gary Lee (the father of Fr. DB Clayton Powell-Lee, who had 1,299 yards from 1983-86) and Georgia Tech quality control specialist Will Glover (1,316 yds. – 1999-2002).
  • Fr. QB Zach Pyron made his first-career start in his second-career game. He completed 19-of-32 passes for 253 yards, all career highs.
  • Pyron threw for a touchdown (56 yards to So. WR Nate McCollum) and ran for one (9 yards) in the final 9:02 of the game to help lead Georgia Tech back from a 27-16 deficit.
  • McCollum had a career-high 103 receiving yards on seven receptions (prev.: 101 vs. Duke – Oct. 8).
  • After battling illness for much of the week and not practicing until Thursday, Fr. DB Clayton Powell-Lee had an interception and a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter. His first-career interception with 6:54 to go in the game led to Georgia Tech’s go-ahead touchdown and his fumble recovery with 48 seconds remaining sealed the victory.
  • r-So. DL D’Quan Douse’s sack in the first quarter was the first of his career.
  • Douse blocked an extra point in the second quarter, good for the second blocked kick of his career (prev.: blocked field goal at Syracuse – Sept. 26, 2020).
  • Douse’s forced fumble in the fourth quarter was the first of his career.
  • So. DL Makius Scott recovered Douse’s forced fumble for the first fumble recovery of his career.
  • Sr. LB Charlie Thomas had a career-high 16 tackles (prev.: 12 at Clemson – Sept. 18, 2021).
  • Thomas also forced the fumble that Powell-Lee recovered to seal the win with 48 seconds to go.
  • So. DL Noah Collins fumble recovery in the first quarter was his second in as many games.
  • So. PK Gavin Stewart went 3-for-3 on field goal attempts (19, 27 and 22 yards) to move to 12-for-12 on the season. He is the first Georgia Tech kicker in 40 seasons (since at least 1982) to make his first 10 field goal attempts of the season.
  • Fr. RB Jamie Felix had his first-career carries, rushing seven times for 20 yards.
  • With Georgia Tech needing to re-shuffle its offensive line due to injuries and illness, r-Fr. Jakiah Leftwich made his first-career start at right tackle.
Georgia Tech defensive lineman D’Quan Douse (99 – above) had a career game on Saturday as he recorded seven tackles and 2.5 sacks, while forcing a fumble and blocking a key PAT attempt. (photo: Georgia Tech Football)

 

Multimedia

Coach Key Postgame Press Conference (Video)

Coach Key Postgame Press Conference (Audio)

Student-Athletes Postgame Press Conference

Game Highlights (ACC Digital Network)

Around Social Media

Competitive Drive Initiative

In a unified endeavor, Georgia Tech, the Georgia Tech Foundation, Georgia Tech athletics and the Alexander-Tharpe Fund have come together to accelerate funding for student-athlete scholarships with the launch of the Competitive Drive Initiative. The initiative kicks off with the Accelerate GT Match Program, where any new gift to the A-T Fund’s Athletic Scholarship Fund made through Dec. 31 will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Georgia Tech Foundation, up to $2.5 million. Should Accelerate GT reach its $2.5 million fundraising goal, the matching gift would result in a $5 million impact for Georgia Tech athletics. To learn more and to contribute online, visit atfund.org/accelerate.

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