16th-Ranked Jackets Stay Unbeaten with OT Win16th-Ranked Jackets Stay Unbeaten with OT Win
Football

16th-Ranked Jackets Stay Unbeaten with OT Win

Georgia Tech rallies from 20-3 deficit to defeat Wake Forest, 30-29, and move to 5-0

Box Score

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Facing a 17-point deficit more than halfway through the third quarter, No. 16/17-ranked Georgia Tech stormed back defeat Wake Forest, 30-29, in overtime on Saturday afternoon at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium.

Georgia Tech (5-0, 2-0 ACC) found itself down 20-3 and being outgained 323-134 with less than six minutes to go in the third quarter. However, the Yellow Jackets rallied to outscore Wake Forest (2-2, 0-2 ACC) by the same 20-3 margin over the final 20:39 of regulation and 7-6 in overtime to keep their perfect season alive.

Aidan Birr capped a nine-play, 54-yard drive with a 33-yard field goal with two seconds remaining in regulation to send the game to overtime.

In OT, Tech needed just four plays to take a 30-23 lead on Haynes King’s second touchdown run of the game, a 2-yarder. Wake responded with a touchdown of its own on its first snap of OT and elected to go for two points. On the two-point play, Georgia Tech’s pass rush flushed Wake Forest QB Robby Ashford from the pocket. With the Jackets blanketing the Demon Deacons in coverage, Ashford tried to force a pass into the end zone and it was intercepted by Clayton Powell-Lee to seal the win.

One again, it was King that led the Jackets to the heart-stopping victory. He accounted for 349 of Georgia Tech’s 411 yards of total offense and all three of its touchdowns, finishing with 243 yards and a touchdown on 28-of-42 passing and 106 yards and two scores on 21 carries.

Defensively, linebackers Kyle Efford and E.J. Lightsey paced Tech with eight tackles apiece. Cornerback Ahmari Harvey added five stops, including two for loss, and a pass breakup while defensive end Amontrae Bradford had two TFLs and a QB hurry.

Still riding its best start since 2014, Georgia Tech has an open week before returning to action on Saturday, Oct. 11 versus Virginia Tech. Kickoff time for the Hall of Fame Weekend game at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field will be announced on Monday.

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Clayton Powell-Lee (right, with ball) celebrates with teammates after his interception on Wake Forest’s two-point conversion attempt in OT sealed No. 16/17 Georgia Tech’s win over Wake Forest  (Keith Lucas photo).

 

Postgame Notes

Team Notes

  • Georgia Tech came back from a 20-3 second-half deficit to move to 5-0 (2-0 ACC).
  • Georgia Tech trailed, 20-3, with less the six minutes to go in the third quarter before outscoring Wake Forest 20-3 over the final 20:39 of regulation and 7-6 in overtime.
  • The 17-point deficit is tied for the second-largest that Georgia Tech has ever overcome in a win. The 17-point comeback matched the Yellow Jackets’ comeback from a 17-0 deficit in its 21-17 win at No. 13/11 North Carolina on Nov. 19, 2022 (record: 21 at Virginia – Oct. 17, 1998; GT trailed 38-17 before coming back to win, 41-38). Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key was the Yellow Jackets’ interim head coach for the 2022 win over North Carolina and the Jackets’ starting right guard for the 1998 win versus Virginia.
  • After Wake Forest kicked a field goal on its first possession of the second half to make it 20-3, the Demon Deacons had a 323-124 advantage in total yards. Georgia Tech outgained Wake 277-120 the rest of the way.
  • The overtime game was the 18th in Georgia Tech history.
  • Georgia Tech moved to 8-10 in overtime games.
  • Georgia Tech’s overtime win was its first since a 23-20 OT win over Duke on Oct. 8, 2022.
  • Georgia Tech has won three of its last four, four of its last six and five of its last eight OT games.
  • Georgia Tech is 5-0 for the first time since 2014.
  • Georgia Tech is 2-0 in ACC play for the first time since 2017.
  • Georgia Tech’s five-game winning streak is its longest since it won five-straight games on two occasions in 2014 and matches its longest winning streak since it won six-consecutive games to open the 2011 season.
  • The win was Georgia Tech’s fifth-straight over Wake Forest, dating back to 2009. It is the longest winning streak by either team in the series since the Yellow Jackets won the first eight matchups from 1917-85.
  • Georgia Tech moved to 25-8 all-time against Wake Forest.
  • Georgia Tech moved to 11-3 all-time at Wake Forest.

Individual Notes

  • r-Sr. QB Haynes King broke Georgia Tech’s all-time record with his 13th game with a passing and a rushing touchdown as a Yellow Jacket. He finished the game with two rushing touchdowns and a passing touchdown to break Joe Hamilton’s previous school record of 12 games with a passing and rushing TD (1996-99).
  • King also broke Georgia Tech’s all-time record with his sixth game with 100 passing yards and 100 rushing yards as a Yellow Jacket. He finished the game with 243 passing yards and 106 rushing yards to break Justin Thomas’ previous school record of five games with 100 passing yards and 100 rushing yards (2013-16).
  • r-Sr. WR Eric Rivers’ 14-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter was his first at Georgia Tech. A transfer from Florida International, Rivers caught 14 touchdowns over the last two seasons at FIU.
  • Rivers’ eight receptions and 77 receiving yards were both his most as a Yellow Jacket (prev.: three receptions for 72 yards vs. Clemson – Sept. 13).
  • WR Isiah Canion’s 77 receiving yards were a career high (prev. 56 vs. Clemson – Sept. 13).
  • r-Jr. PK Aidan Birr’s 35-yard field goal in the first quarter was the 40th made field goal of his career, and came on his 49th career attempt. He is the first player in Georgia Tech history to make 40 field goals on 50 or fewer career attempts.
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 Haynes King threw for 243 yards and a touchdown and ran for 106 yards and two more scores, setting two school records along the way, in Georgia Tech’s 30-29 win at Wake Forest (Keith Lucas photo).

 

Multimedia

Head Coach Brent Key Postgame Press Conference (Video)

Head Coach Brent Key Postgame Press Conference (Audio)

Head Coach Brent Key on ACC Huddle (postgame)

Student-Athletes Postgame Press Conference (Video)

Clayton Powell-Lee on College Football Overtime (SiriusXM College Sports Radio)

ACC Digital Network Highlights

ACC Digital Network Condensed Game

ACC Digital Network Full Game Replay

Around Social Media

2025 GEORGIA TECH FOOTBALL TICKETS

Tickets still remain for each of the Yellow Jackets’ final three regular-season games at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field in 2025.

Oct. 11 vs. Virginia Tech (Hall of Fame Weekend) – Click HERE for tickets.

Oct. 25 vs. Syracuse (Homecoming) – Click HERE for tickets.

Nov. 22 vs. Pitt (Senior Day/Military Appreciation Day/Michael Isenhour Toy Drive-25th Anniversary) – Click HERE for tickets.

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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