Hurricanes Escape Georgia Tech, 33-30Hurricanes Escape Georgia Tech, 33-30
Football

Hurricanes Escape Georgia Tech, 33-30

Tech rallies from early deficit but falls short in bid for second-straight win at Miami (Fla.)

Box Score

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Jahmyr Gibbs and Jordan Mason combined for three touchdowns, but Georgia Tech dropped another heartbreaker in a 33-30 loss at Miami (Fla.) on Saturday.

Georgia Tech (3-6, 2-5 ACC) fell to 1-4 this season in games decided by one score and 1-5 in contests decided by less than 10 points. Saturday’s defeat saw the lead change hands five times.

After Tech fell into an early 14-0 hole, Mason ignited the Yellow Jackets’ offense with a 71-yard rushing touchdown that pulled the Jackets back within a score at 14-7. On Tech’s next possession, Gibbs tied it at 14-14 when he used a nifty move that freed him up to scamper into the end zone 29-yard score.

Miami regained a 17-14 lead early in the second quarter but with 7:56 to go in the opening half, Georgia Tech took its first lead of the game on a forced fumble by Juanyeh Thomas that was snatched out of midair by Jaylon King, who returned it 40 yards for a touchdown that capped a 21-3 scoring run for the Yellow Jackets and gave them a 21-17 advantage that they would take into halftime.

The Hurricanes and Jackets swapped third-quarter touchdowns, with Miami (5-4, 3-2 ACC) taking a 24-21 lead on a 2-yard rush by Jaylan Knighton before Gibbs scored his second touchdown of the day on a 50-yard reception that put the Jackets ahead 28-24 going into the final period.

In the fourth quarter, Miami pulled within a point on a field goal then regained a 33-28 lead on a 15-yard pass from Tyler Van Dyke to Keyshawn Smith. However, Thomas intercepted Miami’s ensuing two-point conversion attempt and returned it 100-plus yards for a defensive two-point conversion that pulled the Jackets back within a field goal at 33-30.

The score remained 33-30 when Georgia Tech took over on its own 17 yard line with under a minute to go. Twice it appeared that the Yellow Jackets had advanced the ball to near midfield, needing only a field goal to send the game to overtime. But both long gains were wiped out, the first on replay review and the second on a penalty.

Gibbs and Mason combined for 243 yards from scrimmage for Georgia Tech — 139 for Gibbs (67 rushing, 72 receiving) and 104 for Mason (75 rushing, 29 receiving).

Georgia Tech returns to action next Saturday when it hosts Boston College for its Atlantic Coast Conference season finale. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

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Georgia Tech forced three turnovers on Saturday, including Jaylon King’s (14 – above) 40-yard fumble return in the second quarter (Photo by Carl Kafka).

 

Team

  • Georgia Tech fell to 1-4 this season in games decided by one score and 1-5 in games decided by less than 10 points.
  • Georgia Tech fell to 3-7 all-time at Miami (Fla.) and 1-5 against the Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium (the Yellow Jackets’ only win over Miami at Hard Rock Stadium came in their last visit prior to Saturday, a 28-21 overtime victory on Oct. 19, 2019).
  • Georgia Tech matched a season high by forcing three turnovers (prev.: vs. Kennesaw State – Sept. 11; vs. North Carolina, Sept. 25). It was the Yellow Jackets’ most forced turnovers in a game since they forced five vs. Duke on Nov. 28, 2020.
  • Georgia Tech forced all three turnovers in the first half on Saturday, which was its most forced turnovers in a half since it forced three in the second half last season vs. Duke and its most in a first half since it forced three in the first have vs. Pitt on Nov. 2, 2019.
  • While not technically a turnover, Georgia Tech scored a defensive two-point conversion when Jr. DB Juanyeh Thomas intercepted a pass on Miami’s two-point conversion attempt in the fourth quarter and returned it 100-plus yards for two points. The defensive two-point conversion was Georgia Tech’s first since Ken Swilling scored on a two-point conversion attempt at Duke on Oct. 28, 1989.
  • Georgia Tech took its first lead of the game on r-So. DB Jaylon King’s 40-yard fumble return in the second quarter. It was the Yellow Jackets’ second defensive touchdown of the season (prev.: r-So. Jordan Domineck’s 70-yard fumble return vs. Kennesaw State, Sept. 11).

 

Individual Notes

  • Georgia Tech r-Jr. RB Jordan Mason’s 71-yard touchdown run in the first quarter was the longest run of his career (prev.: 48, 2x – last vs. Duke, Nov. 28, 2020).
  • On his 71-yard touchdown run, Mason moved from 15th to 13th on Georgia Tech’s all-time rushing list, surpassing former teammate TaQuon Marshall (2,189 yds. – 2015-18) and Tevin Washington (2,225 yds. – 2009-12).Mason finished the day in 13th place on Tech’s all-time rushing list with 2,229 career yards.
  • Georgia Tech Fr. RB Jahmyr Gibbs caught a 50-yard touchdown pass from Fr. QB Jeff Sims in the third quarter. The 50-yard reception marked the fifth-straight game that Gibbs has had a play from scrimmage of 50-plus yards (71-yard reception vs. Pitt – Oct. 2, 77-yard touchdown reception at Duke – Oct. 9, 71-yard touchdown run at Virginia – Oct. 23, 61-yard run vs. Virginia Tech – Oct. 30). Coming into Saturday, only three NCAA Division I FBS student-athletes (and none from a Power Five conference) had five plays from scrimmage of 50-plus yards this season.
  • Georgia Tech r-So. DB Jaylon King’s 40-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the second quarter was the first fumble recovery of his career.
  • Georgia Tech Jr. DB Juanyeh Thomas had the forced fumble on King’s recovery. The forced fumble was the fourth of Thomas’ career and his first of the season.
  • Georgia Tech r-Fr. DB Wesley Walker forced a fumble, then recovered a fumble on consecutive defensive series in the first quarter. The forced fumble and fumble recovery were both career firsts for Walker.
  • Georgia Tech r-So. DB Myles Sims recovered the fumble forced by Walker. It was Sims’ second fumble recovery of his career and the season (prev.: Sept. 18 at Clemson).
  • Georgia Tech Sr. DB Tariq Carpenter forced the fumble recovered by Walker. It was the third forced fumble Carpenter’s career but his first since Sept. 14, 2019 vs. The Citadel.
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Running back Jahmyr Gibbs (1 – above) turned in another impressive day Saturday when he scored two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving) and finished with 72 yards on the ground and 67 yards receiving.

 

Multimedia

Head Coach Geoff Collins Postgame Press Conference (Video)

Head Coach Geoff Collins Postgame Press Conference (Audio)

Student-Athletes Postgame Press Conference – Jordan Mason & Jahmyr Gibbs (Video)

Student-Athletes Postgame Press Conference – Jaylon King (Video)

ACC Digital Network Highlights

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