THE FLATS – No. 15/12 Georgia Tech fought back valiantly from 28-0 and 35-14 deficits but couldn’t claw all the way back in a 42-28 loss to Pitt on Saturday night at sold-out Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field.
Despite the defeat, Georgia Tech (9-2, 6-2 ACC) closes Atlantic Coast Conference play with its best league record in 11 years and still has an outside shot at reaching the ACC Championship Game with help next weekend.
The Yellow Jackets couldn’t fully overcome Saturday night’s slow start on both sides of the ball, which led to them trailing 28-0 less than four minutes into the second quarter.
The Jackets found their footing after Pitt’s early onslaught and scored a pair of touchdowns in the final five minutes of the first half to cut the deficit to 28-14 and ride momentum into the locker room at halftime.
Tech carried the momentum into the second half, forcing Pitt to punt on the opening possession after the break and then driving all the way to the Panthers’ 5 yard line with a chance to pull within a score. However, on third-and-goal from the 5, Pitt’s Braylan Lovelace picked off a pass at the goal line and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown, a 14-point swing that put the Jackets in a 35-14 hole.
Georgia Tech responded once again, scoring a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter to get within one score at 35-28 with just under five minutes to go in the game. With momentum firmly in hand once again for the Yellow Jackets, Pitt faced third-and-4, with the Jackets one stop away from getting the ball back with the opportunity to tie the game. However, the Panthers converted the third down and, on the ensuing play, broke off a 56-yard touchdown run that sealed Tech’s fate.
Despite an uneven start and the pick-six early in the second half, quarterback Haynes King nearly willed the Yellow Jackets to victory once again, finishing with 333 yards of offense (257 passing, 76 rushing) and three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing). His top targets were wideouts Malik Rutherford (six receptions for 68 yards) and Isiah Canion (four catches for 67 yards and a career-high two touchdowns).
Much like King and the offense, Georgia Tech’s defense also shook off a slow start to allow the Jackets to make it a game in the second half. After surrendering 281 yards in the opening half, Tech’s defense allowed just 116 yards after the break. Junior linebacker Cayman Spaulding stuffed the stat sheet with a team-high six tackles, including a career-best two sacks, and a forced fumble for the Jackets’ defense, which finished with a season-high-tying six sacks as a team.
The Yellow Jackets must rebound from the heartbreaking defeat quickly, as they host archrival and No. 4-ranked Georgia in just six days at sold-out Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Kickoff for the 119th edition of Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate is slated for 3:30 p.m.