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Jackets' Rally at Syracuse Falls Just Short

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Final Stats Postgame Notes Multimedia Photo Gallery

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – No. 23 Georgia Tech nearly put together a comeback for the ages, cutting a 17-point deficit with less than six minutes remaining to just three, but Syracuse held on for a 31-28 win over the visiting Yellow Jackets on Saturday afternoon at JMA Wireless Dome.

Georgia Tech (2-1, 1-1 ACC), which never led in the ballgame, trailed 31-14 more than midway through the fourth quarter, but scored two touchdowns in a 2:37 span to cut the deficit to 31-28 with 2:31 to go. However, Syracuse (2-0, 1-0 ACC) was able to pick up a pair of first downs on its final possession to hang on for the win.

Tech QB Haynes King accounted for 333 yards of total offense (266 passing, 67 rushing) and three touchdowns (one passing, two rushing), but it was not enough to overcome four touchdown passes by Syracuse’s Kyle McCord, who threw for 381 yards in the win.

WR Eric Singleton Jr. was King’s top target on the afternoon, catching five passes for 86 yards. Malik Rutherford had a game-high seven receptions and Chase Lane hauled in his first touchdown of the season on a 4-yard catch. DB Taye Seymore had a career-high 10 tackles for the Yellow Jackets defensively.

With the defeat, Georgia Tech had its three-game overall winning streak – which dated back to last year’s Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl victory over UCF – snapped.

The Yellow Jackets return home next Saturday to host VMI. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field and the game will be televised on ACC Network Extra.

Zeek Biggers’ field goal block in the first quarter was the third of his career. (Michael Okoniewski photo)

 

 

Postgame Notes

Team Notes

  • Georgia Tech fell to 2-1 overall and 1-1 in Atlantic Coast Conference play with its first loss of the season.
  • Georgia Tech had a three-game overall winning streak snapped.
  • Georgia Tech fell to 4-2 all-time against Syracuse, including an 0-2 record at JMA Wireless Dome.
  • Georgia Tech trailed 31-14 with less than six minutes to go in the game but a furious rally, which included an onside kick recovery, pulled the Yellow Jackets within three points at 31-28 with 2:31 to go in the game. However, Syracuse picked up two first downs on its ensuing possession to run out the clock.
  • Georgia Tech did not allow a sack for the third-consecutive game to open the season. It marks the first time that Tech has gone three-straight games without surrendering a sack since 2014, when it did not allow any sacks in three-consecutive games at Pitt (Oct. 25), vs. Virginia (Nov. 1) and at NC State (Nov. 8). During that three-game stretch in 2014, Georgia Tech had 33 total pass attempts. During this three-game stretch, Tech has had 86 pass attempts.
  • Georgia Tech matched a single-game school record with two blocked kicks (a blocked field goal by Sr. DL Zeek Biggers in the first quarter and a blocked punt by Fr. DL Amontrae Bradford in the second quarter). It is the 11th time in program history that Georgia Tech has blocked two kicks in a game and the first since Oct. 20, 2022 vs. Virginia. In that game, Tech also blocked a field goal and a punt, and the blocked field goal was by Biggers.
  • Georgia Tech has blocked nine kicks in Brent Key’s 24 games as head coach and 33 since the beginning of the 2013 season. The 33 blocked kicks since 2013 is the fourth-most in the nation, behind only Army West Point (35), Oklahoma State (35) and Temple (34).

Individual Notes

  • With a 7-yard reception in the second quarter, r-Jr. WR Malik Rutherford became the 25th player in Georgia Tech history with 1,000 career receiving yards as a Yellow Jacket.
  • Rutherford’s seven receptions matched the career high that he set last Saturday vs. Georgia State.
  • r-Jr. QB Haynes King accounted for 333 yards of total offense (266 passing, 67 rushing) and three touchdowns (one passing, two rushing). It was the sixth time in King’s 16 games as a Yellow Jacket that he eclipsed 300 yards of total offense and his most total yards since he accounted for 377 yards in a 46-42 win over No. 17 North Carolina on Oct. 28 of last season.
  • King ran for two touchdowns (21 and 26 yards), which marked the third time in his 16 games as a Yellow Jacket that he rushed for two scores (prev.: at Virginia – Nov. 4, 2023 and vs. Georgia – Nov. 25, 2023).
  • Sr. DL Zeek Biggers’ field goal block in the first quarter was the third of his career (prev.: FG at Ole Miss – Sept. 16, 2023 and FG vs. Virginia – Oct. 20, 2022).
  • Fr. DL Amontrae Bradford’s punt block in the second quarter was the first of his career.
  • So. DB Taye Seymore’s 10 tackles shattered his previous career of two (vs. Georgia – Nov. 25, 2023).
Chase Lane’s 4-yard touchdown catch kickstarted a fourth-quarter rally that pulled Georgia Tech within three points late in the game. (Michael Okoniewski 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

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