ATLANTA – Aidan Birr hit a 55-yard field goal as time expired to help Georgia Tech upset No. 12 Clemson 24-21 in Atlantic Coast Conference play on Saturday.
Haynes King completed 20 of 28 passes for 211 yards, and added 101 yards and a score on the ground for the Yellow Jackets (3-0, 1-0 ACC), who beat Clemson for the first time since 2014.
Cade Klubnik completed 15 of 26 passes for 207 yards, a touchdown and an interception, while rushing for 62 yards and a score. Adam Randall rushed for 80 yards and a score, Bryant Wesco Jr. caught seven passes for 126 yards and a touchdown for the Tigers (1-2, 0-1 ACC), who trailed by 13 points in the first half.
Trailing 13-7 after halftime, Clemson drove to Georgia Tech’s 9-yard line, before Klubnik’s pass was intercepted by Omar Daniels and returned to the Tigers’ 48.
Following a Yellow Jackets punt, Klubnik connected with Wesco for a 73-yard score, giving Clemson its first lead at the 9:36 mark of the third.
After Georgia Tech punted and fumbled on its next two drives, the Yellow Jackets regained the lead on King’s 1-yard rushing score – which finished off a 90-yard drive – with 10:02 left in the fourth. Georgia Tech’s ensuing two-point conversion pushed the lead to 21-14.
Clemson answered with a 13-play, 75-yard drive, capped with Randall’s game-tying, 2-yard rushing score with 3:26 left, before King led Georgia Tech on a 10-play, 38-yard game-winning drive.
Georgia Tech took the opening drive to Clemson’s 4-yard line, before King threw the ball away on third down and Ricardo Jones brought down Jamal Haynes for a loss of four, turning the ball over on downs.
Clemson gave the ball back to Georgia Tech on its first drive, as Daniels forced Klubnik’s fumble, which was recovered at the Tigers’ 30-yard line by Zachary Tobe. The giveaway led to Birr’s 40-yard field goal, giving the Yellow Jackets a 3-0 lead with 5:50 left in the first quarter.
After Nolan Hauser’s missed 52-yard field goal, King connected with Eric Rivers for 42 yards to Clemson’s 5-yard line. Haynes ran in the next play for a 5-yard score, giving Georgia Tech a 10-0 lead five seconds into the second quarter.
Following Clemson’s first punt, Georgia Tech tacked on with Birr’s 42-yard field goal at the 7:46 mark of the first half.
The Tigers answered with a methodical, 16-play, 75-yard drive – which included Randall’s 30-yard rush on 3rd and 22 – stamped with Klubnik’s 1-yard rushing score on fourth and goal, cutting Clemson’s deficit to six with 49 seconds left.
–Jack Batten, Field Level Media
