Key Moments of the Game
Scoring in the Eighth Overtime
Frazier's decisive moment came when Georgia Tech's pass attempt was incomplete to start the eighth overtime. College football rules dictate that teams take turns attempting two-point conversions starting in the third overtime. And in this case, Frazier's score proved to be the game-winner. It was a moment of pure elation for the Georgia team and their fans.Both teams had a series of intense battles throughout the overtimes. In the first overtime, they both scored touchdowns but without two-point conversions. In the second overtime, they repeated the same feat. However, it was in the third overtime that they both scored on their first two-point attempts. But then, for the next four overtimes, they went scoreless until Frazier finally found the end zone.
Georgia's Late Rally
The Bulldogs faced a tough situation when they trailed 27-13 with 5:37 to go after Georgia Tech QB Haynes King scored his second rushing TD of the night. But their offense, which hadn't been at its best all game, showed remarkable resilience. In just eight plays, they went 75 yards as Carson Beck found Dominic Lovett for a 17-yard TD, cutting the lead to seven.Georgia Tech had a chance to seal the game with a couple of first downs, but Georgia safety Dan Jackson made a crucial play. With two minutes to go, as King appeared to have gotten enough yardage for a first down, Jackson jarred the ball loose from him. After Georgia recovered, Beck hit Lovett again with 1:01 to go and tied the game. Georgia Tech's final drive of regulation didn't reach field goal range.
Player Performances
Beck finished the game with an impressive stat line of 28-of-43 passing for 297 yards and five touchdowns. King also had a solid game, completing 26-of-36 passes for 303 yards and two scores. He also rushed 24 times for 110 yards. No other player in the game for either team had more than 13 carries.Georgia Tech will surely regret their missed opportunities, such as a field goal at the end of an 18-play drive that took over 10 minutes in the second half. A touchdown would have given them a three-score lead. Instead, the field goal extended the margin to 14, and Georgia cut it to seven six minutes later.
Postgame Reflections
Georgia coach Kirby Smart lamented his team's mistakes at halftime and the end of the game. Lovett fumbled in the first half, and the Bulldogs also had a turnover on downs. At one point during the third quarter, Georgia had less than 15 minutes of possession due to Georgia Tech's ball-control offense.But the Bulldogs responded when the situation got dire against a team that entered the game as a 17-point underdog. The win pushes Georgia to 9-2 and keeps them in the top 10 of next week's College Football Playoff rankings. Now, the question remains: Is it good enough to ensure they can withstand a loss in the SEC title game?
Georgia will play the winner of Saturday's game between Texas and Texas A&M on Dec. 7 in Atlanta. The winner of that game will get a top four seed in the inaugural College Football Playoff. If Georgia isn't the winner, will they get an at-large berth? Given the lack of history in this format, it's hard to say for sure. But Georgia can take any postseason doubt away with a much better performance in the coming week.