ATHENS, Ga. – The 118th edition of Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate delivered one of most the hard-fought games in college football history, with Georgia Tech dropping a heartbreaking 44-42 decision in eight overtimes to archrival and No. 6-ranked Georgia on Friday night at Sanford Stadium.
The eight-overtime game was the second-longest in NCAA Division I FBS history, behind only Illinois’ 20-18 win over Penn State, in nine OTs in 2021.
Georgia Tech (7-5) dominated Georgia (10-2) for much of the game, but the Bulldogs scored two touchdowns in the final 3:39 of regulation to come back from a 27-13 deficit and send the contest to overtime.
In OT, both teams scored touchdowns in the first and second extra periods, which sent the game to a third overtime, where teams alternate two-point plays until one team scores and the other doesn’t. Neither team scored in the third or fourth OTs, both scored in the fifth and neither scored in the sixth or seventh to send the game to the eighth extra period. In the eighth OT, Georgia Tech could not convert, but UGA did to win the game.
Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King turned in a performance for the ages in the defeat. In his first full game since sustaining a shoulder injury on Oct. 12 at North Carolina, King torched UGA for 413 yards of total offense (303 passing, 110 rushing) and five touchdowns (three rushing, two passing). The 413 yards of total offense, three rushing touchdowns and five touchdowns responsible for were all career highs for the redshirt junior.
The Yellow Jackets outgained the sixth-ranked Bulldogs by a 563-405 margin, including a 260-108 advantage on the ground, and possessed the ball for a whopping 37 minutes and 11 seconds. But a 25-yard missed field goal in the first quarter and a fumble at its own 32-yard line late in the fourth quarter proved to be miscues that allowed UGA to send the game to overtime despite the Jackets controlling the action throughout.
The 563 yards (508 of which Tech piled up in regulation) were the most allowed by Georgia since 2020 and the sixth-most racked up against the Bulldogs since 2000.
Eric Singleton, Jr. was King’s top target with a career-high-tying eight catches for 86 yards and Jamal Haynes ran for 91 yards on 13 carries (7.0 avg.) for the Yellow Jackets. Defensively, defensive back Omar Daniels and linebacker Jackson Hamilton led Tech with seven tackles apiece. Additionally, Clayton Powell-Lee added five stops, including a sack, and Hamilton recovered a fumble forced by DB Syeed Gibbs to help pace the Jackets’ defensive effort.
Georgia Tech will learn its bowl destination on Sunday, Dec. 8.