University of Georgia Athletics
An Improbable Win, An Unforgettable Game
November 30, 2024 | Football, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
At the end of a game that seemed fated to never end, a game in which No. 7 Georgia spent most of a frigid Friday night in Sanford Stadium getting outplayed by its rivals from Atlanta, somehow, finally, after eight overtime periods, the Bulldogs were the ones running around celebrating on Dooley Field.
That they had the energy to run around after beating Georgia Tech 44-42 on running back Nate Frazier's 2-point rush in the eighth extra period, is a testament to the work the players do with Georgia's strength and conditioning coaches.
"To say the least," tight end Ben Yurosek said after the longest game (in terms of overtimes) in Georgia and SEC history. "All that work in the offseason, it really shows in games like this."
The first half belonged to the Yellow Jackets, who led 17-0 at the break and could have been up by another 10 points if not for a Georgia stop on a fourth-and-1 and later a missed 25-yard field-goal attempt. The Bulldogs outscored Tech 44-25 in the second half and beyond, getting a huge forced fumble by safety Dan Jackson and recovery by linebacker Chaz Chambliss in the fourth quarter. That turnover allowed Georgia to eventually tie the game 27-27 with 1:01 to play.
Not counting extra points, there were 16 scoring plays in the game. Overall, Tech ran 84 plays, 15 more than Georgia. In the second half, the Yellow Jackets had an 18-play, 90-yard drive that lasted 10 minutes, 36 seconds — and resulted in just a field goal. Tech generated nearly 160 more yards of offense than Georgia (563-405), and the Jackets did their best to keep the Bulldog offense off the field, winning the time of possession battle 37:11-22:49.
"They're fighters," Georgia coach Kirby Smart said of his Bulldogs.
This game required a lot of fight and grit and resolve. Tech came out ready to play and play physically from the first play from scrimmage, and the Yellow Jackets nearly pulled off a big upset. Georgia had to scratch and claw to get back into the game.
Quarterback Carson Beck hit tight end Oscar Delp for a 2-yard touchdown with 9:53 to play in the third quarter, cutting the Tech lead to 17-6. Later, after the Yellow Jackets pulled ahead 27-13 with 5:36 left in the game, the Bulldogs finished strong.
With 3:39 to go, Beck found wide receiver Dominic Lovett for a 17-yard touchdown that made it 27-20. On the ensuing Tech possession, Jackson stripped quarterback Haynes King of the ball and Chambliss recovered at the Yellow Jacket 32-yard line.
Beck produced a huge play with his legs when Georgia faced a third-and-9 at the Tech 13, running for 10 yards to the 3. On the next play, he found Lovett for their second touchdown connection in less than three minutes. The game was now tied with 61 seconds left and soon headed to overtime, which turned out to be unlike anything any Bulldog had experienced before.
"The thing I'll remember about the eight overtimes is the eight overtimes," linebacker Jalon Walker said.
Both teams scored touchdowns in the first OT, with Beck completing a 14-yard pass to wideout London Humphreys. In the second, Tech scored a touchdown first and Georgia answered with one play, a 25-yard touchdown pass to running back Cash Jones.
Starting with the third overtime, teams now only get a two-point attempt for each possession. Neither team scored in overtimes three or four. In the fifth, Beck found wideout Dillon Bell in the end zone, but Tech matched it. In the sixth and seventh, neither team scored.
"It was a battle of adversity," Smart said of the overtime periods.
And then came the eighth overtime. Linebacker CJ Allen's pressure forced a bad Tech throw and an incompletion. Now, again, Georgia could go for the win. Frazier's run up the middle finally ended it, sending the crowd that had been through a lot of highs and lows on a cold and windy Friday night into a frenzy.
At the end of all that, the Bulldogs walked off the field with their seventh straight win over Tech, their 31st straight win on Dooley Field, and a 10-2 record heading into next Saturday's SEC Championship Game. But was that (almost) never-ending roller-coaster of a game any fun to play?
"Yes, yes, very fun," Walker said. "It might be nerve-wracking, but it's football."
Staff Writer
At the end of a game that seemed fated to never end, a game in which No. 7 Georgia spent most of a frigid Friday night in Sanford Stadium getting outplayed by its rivals from Atlanta, somehow, finally, after eight overtime periods, the Bulldogs were the ones running around celebrating on Dooley Field.
That they had the energy to run around after beating Georgia Tech 44-42 on running back Nate Frazier's 2-point rush in the eighth extra period, is a testament to the work the players do with Georgia's strength and conditioning coaches.
"To say the least," tight end Ben Yurosek said after the longest game (in terms of overtimes) in Georgia and SEC history. "All that work in the offseason, it really shows in games like this."
The first half belonged to the Yellow Jackets, who led 17-0 at the break and could have been up by another 10 points if not for a Georgia stop on a fourth-and-1 and later a missed 25-yard field-goal attempt. The Bulldogs outscored Tech 44-25 in the second half and beyond, getting a huge forced fumble by safety Dan Jackson and recovery by linebacker Chaz Chambliss in the fourth quarter. That turnover allowed Georgia to eventually tie the game 27-27 with 1:01 to play.
Not counting extra points, there were 16 scoring plays in the game. Overall, Tech ran 84 plays, 15 more than Georgia. In the second half, the Yellow Jackets had an 18-play, 90-yard drive that lasted 10 minutes, 36 seconds — and resulted in just a field goal. Tech generated nearly 160 more yards of offense than Georgia (563-405), and the Jackets did their best to keep the Bulldog offense off the field, winning the time of possession battle 37:11-22:49.
"They're fighters," Georgia coach Kirby Smart said of his Bulldogs.
This game required a lot of fight and grit and resolve. Tech came out ready to play and play physically from the first play from scrimmage, and the Yellow Jackets nearly pulled off a big upset. Georgia had to scratch and claw to get back into the game.
Quarterback Carson Beck hit tight end Oscar Delp for a 2-yard touchdown with 9:53 to play in the third quarter, cutting the Tech lead to 17-6. Later, after the Yellow Jackets pulled ahead 27-13 with 5:36 left in the game, the Bulldogs finished strong.
With 3:39 to go, Beck found wide receiver Dominic Lovett for a 17-yard touchdown that made it 27-20. On the ensuing Tech possession, Jackson stripped quarterback Haynes King of the ball and Chambliss recovered at the Yellow Jacket 32-yard line.
Beck produced a huge play with his legs when Georgia faced a third-and-9 at the Tech 13, running for 10 yards to the 3. On the next play, he found Lovett for their second touchdown connection in less than three minutes. The game was now tied with 61 seconds left and soon headed to overtime, which turned out to be unlike anything any Bulldog had experienced before.
"The thing I'll remember about the eight overtimes is the eight overtimes," linebacker Jalon Walker said.
Both teams scored touchdowns in the first OT, with Beck completing a 14-yard pass to wideout London Humphreys. In the second, Tech scored a touchdown first and Georgia answered with one play, a 25-yard touchdown pass to running back Cash Jones.
Starting with the third overtime, teams now only get a two-point attempt for each possession. Neither team scored in overtimes three or four. In the fifth, Beck found wideout Dillon Bell in the end zone, but Tech matched it. In the sixth and seventh, neither team scored.
"It was a battle of adversity," Smart said of the overtime periods.
And then came the eighth overtime. Linebacker CJ Allen's pressure forced a bad Tech throw and an incompletion. Now, again, Georgia could go for the win. Frazier's run up the middle finally ended it, sending the crowd that had been through a lot of highs and lows on a cold and windy Friday night into a frenzy.
At the end of all that, the Bulldogs walked off the field with their seventh straight win over Tech, their 31st straight win on Dooley Field, and a 10-2 record heading into next Saturday's SEC Championship Game. But was that (almost) never-ending roller-coaster of a game any fun to play?
"Yes, yes, very fun," Walker said. "It might be nerve-wracking, but it's football."
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files.
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