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Jackets Edged in Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate, 16-9

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ATLANTA – For the third-straight year, Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate was a battle to the end, as No. 23/19 Georgia Tech was edged by No-4 ranked archrival Georgia, 16-9, on Friday at a sold out Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

An over-capacity crowd of 73,728, the largest to ever for Georgia Tech and Georgia’s 70 all-time matchups in Atlanta, saw the teams battle to a one-score decision for the third season in a row.

Unlike the last two meetings, shootouts in which the teams combined for 800 (2023) and 968 (2024) total yards, Friday’s 119th edition of Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate was an old-fashioned defensive battle. The Yellow Jackets and Bulldogs – both featuring top-30 offenses nationally coming into the game – were limited to just 510 total yards – 250 for Tech and 260 for UGA.

Georgia piled up a 181-78 yardage advantage in the opening half and led 13-3 at halftime. But the Yellow Jackets turned the tables after the break, outgaining the Bulldogs by a 172-79 margin. However, the breaks didn’t go the Jackets way in the second half, as a close call on what appeared to possibly be a fourth-down stop inside the UGA 35 yard line in the third quarter was ultimately deemed a first down, and a Tech drive deep into Georgia territory was thwarted by an unfortunate personal-foul call in the fourth period.

Despite the second-half misfortune, Georgia Tech still had a chance to tie the game on the final play. After the Yellow Jackets’ defense got its fourth stop in five second-half UGA possessions, Tech’s offense moved the ball 36 yards in just two plays to set up a Hail Mary opportunity from Georgia’s 44 with one second remaining. Unfortunately for the Jackets, the pass was batted around and fell to the ground as the game ended.

Although the Yellow Jackets came up short, their defense was spectacular in the defeat. After allowing 40.7 points and 510.7 yards per game in three contests this month, Tech held Georgia to less than half of the Bulldogs’ season scoring (33.7) average and 170 yards below their yardage average (430.3 ypg). The Jackets were especially tough on UGA quarterback Gunner Stockton, who completed just 11-of-21 passes for 70 yards and an interception.

While Tech’s Haynes King (19-of-27 for 181 yards) outdueled Stockton, UGA’s defense was stout against the Yellow Jackets’ high-powered rushing attack, holding the Jackets to a season-low 69 yards on the ground.

Four different Yellow Jackets – LB E.J. Lightsey (12), DB Omar Daniels (10), LB Cayman Spaulding (6) and true freshman DB Fenix Felton (6) – registered their most tackles at Georgia Tech. Felton’s six stops came in his defensive debut, as he saw his first-ever playing time on defense when Tech senior defensive back Clayton Powell-Lee was forced from the game due to injury in the opening quarter.

Groza Award finalist Aidan Birr accounted for all nine of Georgia Tech’s points with field goals from 30, 44 and 41 yards out. Birr’s three field goals gave him 25 for the season, which set a new single-season school record.

Tech will await to results of Saturday’s games to see if its outside chance to land a spot in next week’s ACC Championship Game comes to fruition. If not, the Yellow Jackets will learn their bowl destination on Sunday, Dec. 7.

E.J. Lightsey led a spectacular effort by Georgia Tech’s defense with a game-high 12 tackles. (Danny Karnik photo)

 

Postgame Notes

Team Notes  

  • Georgia Tech closes the regular season at 9-3, its best regular-season record since it went 10-2 in 2014.
  • The nine-win regular season is only the 16th in Georgia Tech history (1917, 1928, 1942, 1947, 1951, 1952, 1956, 1966, 1990, 1998, 2000, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2014 and 2025).
  • Georgia Tech fell to archrival Georgia for the eighth-straight time. 
  • The loss was Georgia Tech’s 13th-straight to Georgia in Atlanta, dating back to 1999. 
  • Georgia Tech dropped to 1-1 this season against nationally ranked opponents. 
  • Georgia Tech fell to 41-73-5 in 119 all-time meetings with Georgia. 
  • Georgia Tech fell to 1-5 all-time at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. 
  • For the fourth-straight year, Georgia Tech scored first against Georgia (FG with 1:20 to go in the first quarter). 
  • After allowing an average of 40.7 points and 510.7 yards over its previous three games this month, Georgia Tech’s defense surrendered just 16 points and 260 yards. Georgia came into the game averaging 33.7 points and 430.3 yards per game.  
  • Georgia Tech’s defense held UGA QB Gunner Stockton to just 70 yards on 11-of-21 passing. Stockton was averaging 224.1 passing yards per game coming in. 
  • Georgia Tech So. LB Tah’j Butler’s interception in the first quarter was the Yellow Jackets’ first INT since Oct. 11 vs. Virginia Tech (Rodney Shelley) and their first takeaway since Oct. 25 vs. Syracuse (DL Jordan Boyd recovery of force by DL Jason Moore).   
  • Georgia Tech’s offense was held to less than 24 points for the first time since a 21-6 loss at Virginia Tech on Oct. 26 of last season, snapping a string of 15-straight games with at least 24 points.  
  • Georgia Tech lost the opening coin toss for the 11th time in 12 games this season. The Yellow Jackets’ lone win on an opening coin toss came in their second game of the season (Sept. 6 vs. Gardner-Webb). Including losing the coin toss at the beginning of overtime at Wake Forest (Sept. 27), Tech is 1-12 in coin tosses this season. The statistical odds of winning just 1-of-13 coin tosses are just 0.1587% (1 in 630).  

Individual Notes 

  • r-Jr. PK Aidan Birr made 3 field goals (30, 44, 41 yards), giving him 25 for the season, which broke Georgia Tech’s single-season record of 23, which was held by Travis Bell (2007).  
  • Birr’s FG was also the 55th of his career, which moved him alone into third in Georgia Tech history, past Luke Manget (54 – 1999-2002). 
  • So. LB Tah’j Butler’s interception in the first quarter was the first of his career. 
  • r-Jr. LB E.J. Lightsey’s 12 tackles were a career high (prev.: 10 vs. Clemson – Sept. 13).  
  • r-Sr. DB Omar Daniels’ 10 tackles were a career high (prev.: 7 – three times, most recently vs. Clemson, Sept. 13). 
  • Jr. LB Cayman Spaulding’s 6 tackles matched a career high (prev.: 6 – three times, most recently vs. Pitt, Nov. 22). 
  • Fr. DB Fenix Felton played his first defensive snaps of the season, finishing with 6 tackles, tied with Spaulding for the third-most on the team.
Aidan Birr kicked three field goals to become Georgia Tech’s all-time single-season leader with 25. (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

 

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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