A fourth-quarter fumble was the turning point for No. 7 Georgia in a 44-42 battle with rival Georgia Tech that spanned eight overtimes (the second-most in college football history) and was a 17-0 game in favor of the Yellow Jackets at halftime. It’s a significant program win for the Bulldogs, who were previously 1-10 under Kirby Smart when trailing by 17 or more points. But the furious fourth-quarter comeback keeps Georgia a two-loss team heading into the SEC Championship Game.
Dan Jackson’s forced fumble of quarterback Haynes King at the Georgia Tech 32-yard line was recovered by the Bulldogs with great field position with two minutes remaining. Two plays later, a defensive pass interference on Georgia Tech gave the Bulldogs the ball in the red zone. Four plays after that, Georgia tied it up at 27. In the eighth overtime, running back Nate Frazier finally broke through the line for a game-winning conversion, only the second successful conversion for Georgia in seven tries.
Entering Friday, FBS teams were 11-416 this season when trailing by at least 14 in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs scored only six points in the first three quarters after a failed 2-point conversion on the lone touchdown. However, they scored touchdowns on three straight drives in the fourth quarter to force overtime in Athens.
The win almost assuredly punches Georgia’s ticket to the College Football Playoff as the Bulldogs move to 10-2 heading into the SEC Championship Game. Georgia plays the winner of Texas-Texas A&M at Kyle Field on Saturday. Even with a loss, a 10-3 Georgia with a conference championship game appearance should be in fine shape to reach the CFP.
Had the Bulldogs lost, they would have played a do-or-die matchup in Atlanta. Instead, Georgia will likely head back to the College Football Playoff for the third time in four seasons.
Beck threw for 297 yards and five touchdowns in the win and completed multiple passes to 10 different pass-catchers. The leader was former walk-on running back Cash Jones with 53 yards. Georgia ran for 108 yards on 26 attempts. In a losing effort, King hit 300 yards passing, 100 yards rushing and three touchdowns in a monstrous performance.
