It took a while, but Georgia eventually defeated Georgia Tech 44-42 last Saturday in an instant classic at Sanford Stadium.
The No. 7 Bulldogs (10-2) secured the victory as freshman running back Nate Frazier rushed into the end zone untouched for the two-point conversion during the eighth overtime period to defeat the Yellow Jackets (7-5).
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said he was proud of his team’s resilience, especially after playing a rigorous regular season schedule. The Bulldogs had the nation’s most demanding schedules, facing several ranked teams.
“No matter if you’ve got the hardest schedule in the country, the hardest schedule probably in the history of Georgia, you keep fighting,” Smart said. “You keep fighting. And everybody holds a shot at you. Those guys played hard tonight. They had a good game plan. They played well enough to win. I’m talking about Georgia Tech, but our guys found a way to win. And at the end of the day, that’s what this is all about.”
Frazier’s two-point score capped off an epic comeback for Georgia, which trailed Georgia Tech 17-0 at the half.
The Bulldogs scored their first touchdown in the third quarter. Quarterback Carson Beck connected with tight end Oscar Delp for a passing score. They attempted a two-point conversion but failed, then trailing 17-6.
At the start of the fourth quarter, the Yellow Jackets added a field goal to extend their lead, but Georgia responded. Frazier capped off a 75-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown that took nearly six minutes off the clock.
As he did all game, Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King put the Yellow Jackets’ offense on his back. They marched back down the field, with King scoring an 11-yard rush touchdown to put his team up 27-13.
Beck and Georgia didn’t seem phased, though. The Bulldogs kicked things into overdrive as Beck led them on another scoring possession, with wide receiver Dominic Lovett catching a 17-yard touchdown pass with 3:33 left.
Georgia’s defense hadn’t managed to stop Georgia Tech and needed a stop. A few plays into the next drive, safety Dan Jackson forced a fumble as he delivered a hit on King, and Dogs’ linebacker Chaz Chambliss recovered it.
Jackson’s play single-handedly changed the outcome of the game.
“Man, to think that guy came to Georgia on his own without us even recruiting and to make the plays he’s made,” Smart said of Jackson. “That hit fumble will be one for the ages because he wasn’t just hitting a normal dude. That guy (King) is a competitor. I just have a lot of respect for Dan. He didn’t even have to come back this year.”
After Jackson’s play, Beck completed his second touchdown pass to Lovett with 1:01 left, and it all came down to the PAT. The Bulldogs forced overtime as placekicker Peyton Woodring nailed it, tying the game up.
Each team scored touchdowns in the first and second overtimes. Both kickers nailed the PATs in the first, but each squad failed to convert their two-point conversions in the second overtime, forcing a third.
Per NCAA rules, teams must go for two points after the second touchdown in overtime. Starting in the third, it was the sport’s version of sudden death, where each team attempts a two-point try until there is a winner.
Georgia Tech went first in the eighth overtime but came up short. King’s pass to wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. was tipped by Georgia linebacker CJ Allen, giving the Bulldogs another chance to end the game.
That is when Frazier scored on a read-option. Beck decided to hand the ball off instead of throw, and it worked.
“Well, he had an option to throw it on there. Carson made a good decision,” Smart said of Beck. “Most plays that we were running at the end — everybody does — you don’t want to run a two-point play where there’s only one option. You’re trying to run things that give you multiple options, and they did, and we did.”