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Jackets Cap Perfect Season at Bobby Dodd with 30-29 Thriller

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Final Stats Postgame Notes Multimedia Photo Gallery

THE FLATS – Georgia Tech quarterback Aaron Philo broke state high school passing records as a prep star, but Thursday night he used his legs to scramble 18 yards for a touchdown with 22 seconds remaining in the game, lifting the Yellow Jackets to a dramatic 30-29 win over NC State at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field.

Victory was not assured for the Jackets, however, until Wolfpack kicker Collin Smith’s 58-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left as time ran out. The heart-stopping triumph clinched back-to-back winning seasons for Tech (7-4, 5-3 ACC) for the first time in a decade (2013-14) and its first perfect record at Bobby Dodd Stadium in a quarter century (1999).

In a game that came down to the performances of a pair of true freshman quarterbacks — Philo and the Wolfpack’s C.J. Bailey — it was Philo that came out on top, driving the Jackets 75 yards in a minute and eight seconds after NC State (5-6, 2-5 ACC) rallied from a 23-14 deficit with two touchdowns in a two-minute, 37-second span to take a 29-23 lead with 1:09 to go in the game.

Philo was responsible for all 75 yards on the game-winning drive, completing 4-of-4 passes — including three tosses to Jamal Haynes — and running three times for 42 yards. On his second run of the series, he picked up 18 yards to set up first-and-10 from the NC State 18 yard line. One play later, Philo found space in the middle of the NC State defense and ran 18 yards again, this time finding paydirt to knot the game at 29-29. Aidan Birr’s PAT kick proved to be the winning point.

The late heroics highlighted a fourth quarter in which 36 of the game’s 59 points were scored. Tech used an early 21-yard interception return for a touchdown by linebacker E.J. Lightsey and three Birr field goals (44, 41 and 45 yards) to lead 16-7 at the end of the third period.

Bailey scored the second of his three rushing touchdowns early in the fourth quarter to pull NC State within two at 16-14. But, minutes later, he threw his third interception of the game to Tech defensive end Romello Height, setting up a Haynes King 3-yard TD rush that gave the Jackets their 23-14 lead with 6:40 to go in the game.

Bailey’s third rushing touchdown of the game from a yard out with 4:07 to go and Hollywood Smothers’ 53-yard gallop two minutes and 37 seconds later set up Philo’s final-drive heroics.

Philo finished the game 19-of-33 for a career-high 265 yards through the air, and his final score made him the Jackets’ leading rusher with 57 yards in seven carries. His favorite target was Eric Singleton, Jr., who eclipsed the 100-yard receiving mark for the second time this season and third time in his career, finishing with 106 yards on five receptions. King, who split time with Philo for the second-straight game as he continues to come back from a midseason injury, completed 3-of-3 passes for seven yards and ran eight times for 22 yards and a score.

Bailey led NC State with 147 yards through the air and a game-high 83 on the ground.

Georgia Tech returns to action Friday, Nov. 29, when the Yellow Jackets travel to Athens for the with Georgia to close out the regular season. The game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. and be televised nationally on ABC.

E.J. Lightsey scored Tech’s first touchdown on a 21-yard interception return in the first period. (Danny Karnik photo)

 

 

Postgame Notes

Team Notes

  • Georgia Tech moved to 7-4 on the season. Its seven wins are its most regular-season wins since 2018 and tied for its second-most regular-season wins in the last 10 seasons (7 in 2018 and 8 in 2016). 
  • Georgia Tech clinched an above-.500 season, which gives it back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2013 (7-6) and 2014 (11-3). 
  • Georgia Tech wrapped up Atlantic Coast Conference play with a 5-3 conference record, which gives it back-to-back winning records in ACC action for the first time since 2013 (5-3) and 2014 (6-2). 
  • Georgia Tech closed out a perfect 5-0 campaign at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field, which is the Yellow Jackets’ 16th undefeated, untied season at Bobby Dodd Stadium since it opened in 1913. It is also the Yellow Jackets’ first perfect season at Bobby Dodd since 1999 and only its third since 1966 (1990 and ’99). 
  • Georgia Tech moved to 16-13 in Thursday night home games since joining the ACC in 1983, and 18-22 in all Thursday night games since it joined the conference in ’83. 
  • Georgia Tech moved to 21-11 all-time against NC State, including a 12-4 record against the Wolfpack at home. 
  • The win was Georgia Tech’s fourth in the last five games against NC State and 14th in its last 18 matchups with the Wolfpack. 
  • Georgia Tech’s three takeaways were a season high (prev.: 2 at North Carolina – Oct. 12). 
  • Georgia Tech’s three interceptions were its most in a game since it intercepted three passes at No. 17 Miami (Fla.) on Oct. 7, 2023. 
  • For the second-straight game, Georgia Tech utilized a two-quarterback system with r-Jr. starter Haynes King and true Fr. Aaron Philo. 
  • Georgia Tech also dominated time of possession for the second-straight game, finishing with 33:20 of possession time to NC State’s 26:40. NC State came into the game ranked 27th nationally in average time of possession (31:41). In its 28-23 win over No. 4 Miami (Fla.) on Nov. 9, Georgia Tech held a 34:39-25:11 advantage in time of possession against a Miami team that led the nation in average possession time going into the game (34:02). 
  • Georgia Tech’s 21-yard interception return for a touchdown in the first quarter by r-So. E.J. Lightsey was the Yellow Jackets’ first non-offensive touchdown since DB LaMiles Brooks returned an interception 37 yards for a score vs. Virginia on Oct. 20, 2022 – which was Tech’s last Thursday night game. 

Individual Notes 

  • True Fr. QB Aaron Philo completed 19-of-33 passes for a career-high 265 yards (prev.: 184 at Virginia Tech – Oct. 26).  
  • So. WR Eric Singleton, Jr. had five receptions for 106 yards. It was Singleton’s second 100-yard receiving game of the season (prev.: 102 vs. VMI – Sept. 14) and third of his career. 
  • r-Fr. WR Bailey Stockton’s five receptions set a career high (prev.: 2, 3X, last vs. Notre Dame – Oct. 19). 
  • Sr. TE Avery Boyd’s four receptions matched/set a career high (prev.: 4, 2X, last at Syracuse – Sept. 7).  
  • r-Jr. WR Malik Rutherford had one reception before leaving the game due to injury in the first quarter, extending his streak of consecutive games with a reception to 27, which moves him into a tie for the sixth-longest streak in Georgia Tech history with Robert Lavette (1981-83). Rutherford’s 27-straight games with a reception is the fourth-longest current streak in the ACC. 
  • r-So. LB E.J. Lightsey’s 21-yard interception return for a touchdown in the first quarter was the first interception and first touchdown of his collegiate career. 
  • r-Jr. DL Romello Height’s interception in the fourth quarter was the first of his collegiate career. 
  • Sr. LB Trenilyas Tatum’s interception in the second quarter was the first of his career. 
  • r-So. PK Aidan Birr’s three made field goals (44, 41 and 45 yards) were a season high (prev.: 2 at North Carolina – Oct. 12 and at Virginia Tech – Oct. 26) and matched a career high (3 – three times last season). 

 

 

Eric Singleton, Jr. eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the third time in his career with 106 receiving yards on Thursday night against NC State. (Danny Karnik photo)

 

Multimedia

Head Coach Brent Key Postgame Press Conference (Video)

Head Coach Brent Key Postgame Press Conference (Audio)

Student-Athletes Postgame Press Conference (Video)

ACC Digital Network Highlights

ACC Digital Network Condensed Game

ACC Digital Network Full Game Replay

Around Social Media

Full Steam Ahead

Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.

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