Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets running back Jamal Haynes celebrates his touchdown with Jordan Brown. (Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
The first game of the 2024 college football season also had the first surprise in store.
Georgia Tech beat number 10 Florida State 24-21 in its opening game in Ireland, winning with a 44-yard field goal by Aidan Birr as time expired.
The Yellow Jackets went into the game trailing by 10.5 points, but never let it show and led for most of the game.
Haynes King had brought Georgia Tech within field goal range on the decisive drive before a disastrously botched shotgun snap pushed the Yellow Jackets back to the FSU 38-yard line. But on third-and-long, he found Eric Singleton for an 11-yard gain that put them back in field goal range for Birr’s game-winning kick.
King completed 11 of 16 passes for 146 yards and 54 rushing yards. Running back Jamal Haynes had 11 rushing yards for 75 yards and two touchdowns.
In his FSU debut, DJ Uiagalelei was 19 of 27 passing for 193 yards and completed two crucial fourth-down passes on the drive that tied the game midway through the fourth quarter. He would not see the field again, however, as King and Co. took the final 6:33 off the clock on their game-winning drive.
There are four games scheduled for Saturday involving six FBS teams. Here’s a look at what’s on the schedule for the rest of the day.
Full schedule:
Georgia Tech 24, Florida State 21
McNeese at Tarleton State | 3:30 p.m. ET | ESPNU
Montana State at New Mexico | 4:00 p.m. ET | FS1
North Alabama vs. Southeast Missouri State | 7:00 p.m. ET | ESPN
Florida A&M vs. Norfolk State | 7:30 p.m. ET | ABC
SMU in Nevada | 8pm ET | CBSSN
Delaware State at Hawai’i | 11:59 p.m. ET | Spectrum Sports PPV
Live40 updates
Here is Aidan Birr’s game-winning 44-yard kick:
IT’S GOOD! Georgia Tech wins!
Aidan Birr scores the decisive goal and makes a big splash in the season!
Eric Singleton makes a low-field attack and brings GT back within field goal range with 21 seconds left. A 44-yard run is needed to win.
Oh my God! Haynes King fumbles the shotgun snap and the Yellow Jackets fall back to the FSU 39.
GT faces a 2nd and 7 at the FSU 28 when the Seminoles call a timeout.
There are now 1:11 minutes left to play. Georgia Tech is close to a field goal.
There are only 2 minutes left and Tech has the ball at FSU’s 39-yard line.
The Yellow Jackets are on the rise and have reached the halfway line with just four minutes left in the game. Haynes King made some key plays in this game, including a third-down conversion to keep GT’s offense alive.
Touchdown, Noles!
The Seminoles are in the end zone after a one-yard run by Roydell Williams. That was a 15-play, 84-yard run that included two crucial throws by DJ Uiagalelei on fourth down. We’re having a ballgame in Ireland, folks.
The Seminoles put together a decent drive of their own here. They simply tried it on fourth down and succeeded by moving the ball into GT’s red zone.
Touch down, Georgia Tech!
Again, it is Jamal Haynes who jumps over bodies at the goal line and puts Tech in the lead early in the fourth quarter.
Haynes finds the end zone for the second time this afternoon and Georgia Tech leads 21-14 against #10 FSU early in the fourth quarter. đź‘€ #CFB pic.twitter.com/5bGzct0oW7
— OutOfSightSports🚀™️ (@OOSSports) 24 August 2024
End of 3rd quarter: Georgia Tech 14, Florida State 14
GT’s Haynes King runs 21 yards on a draw and takes the ball to the FSU 1 yard line to end the quarter.
The Yellow Jackets move the ball through the air at will with chunk plays. They are now in the FSU red zone.
However, FSU’s final punt was probably the highlight of the game. GT’s Rodney Shelley decided to catch the ball without waving for a fair catch and was picked off by FSU’s Edwin Joseph.
They are now trading punts. Both offenses have nearly stalled halfway through the third quarter.
The Seminoles brought the ball into GT territory but had to punt. Tech got the ball back at their own 20.
However, the drive stalls at the FSU 34-yard line and GT’s Aidan Barr misses the 51-yard field goal attempt. It’s still tied at 14.
We’re back for the second half and Georgia Tech’s Jamal Haynes just hit a 36-yard pass to the outside to start.
DJ Uiagalelei has been efficient (12-14, 96 yards) in his FSU debut, but he hasn’t thrown the ball forward much. The Seminoles may need to get a little more practice in the second half, as the Yellow Jackets have been aggressive.
