College football is back and has wasted no time in bringing fans back. Week 0 isn’t usually a week of excitement, but Georgia Tech made a statement by defeating No. 10 Florida State 24-21 on a walk-off field goal by Aidan Birr.

Birr had never attempted a fourth-quarter field goal to take the lead in his career, but the sophomore’s leg secured the win in Dublin, Ireland. It was the Yellow Jackets’ first top-10 victory since 2015.

What a start to the college football season 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/xLXIxsGzwG

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) 24 August 2024

The Seminoles started the game with a seven-play touchdown drive and took an early 8-0 lead on a fake PAT attempt. The Yellow Jackets quickly responded with a six-play touchdown drive to cut the gap to just one point.

The defenses were solid again after two scoring offenses earlier in the game, as Georgia Tech made a great stop on fourth down and fourth down on the Seminoles’ second offense. After a 52-yard field goal by Florida State’s Ryan Fitzgerald, the Yellow Jackets went on an eight-minute offensive to take a 14-11 lead late in the first half.

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Both kickers shone today as Fitzgerald tied the game at 14-14 with a 59-yard kick as time expired in the first half.

After a scoreless third quarter, Georgia Tech’s Jamal Haynes broke the stalemate in the second half with a two-yard touchdown run that was set up by a 21-yard run by Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King. King did a little of everything for the Yellow Jackets today, rushing for 54 yards on the ground and 146 yards through the air.

Florida State responded with a nerve-wracking 15-play touchdown drive that included two fourth-down conversions of seven or more yards.

The Yellow Jackets got the ball back with just over six minutes left in the game, 21-21. Georgia Tech slowly marched down the field, using as much time as possible. At the Seminoles’ 28-yard line, King dropped the snap with a minute left, pushing the Yellow Jackets back to the 38-yard line – likely a difficult field goal for Birr.

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King responded with a huge 12-yard pass on 3rd and 18 to put Georgia Tech back within field goal range and allow Birr to score the winning goal.

This was Florida State’s first regular season loss since 2022 after going undefeated in 2023 before the bowl game loss to Georgia. Georgia Tech had lost 15 straight games to top-10 opponents before today’s game, but Brent Key had his team ready in his second official year as coach of the Yellow Jackets.