Georgia Tech pulled off a thrilling upset on Saturday night, stunning the 17th-ranked Miami team with a last-second touchdown to secure a 23-20 victory. The outcome of the game was significantly influenced by questionable clock management by the Hurricanes.
Haynes King’s pass found Christian Leary for the game-winning 44-yard touchdown, with Leary managing to slip behind the Miami secondary. Georgia Tech orchestrated an impressive 74-yard drive in just four plays, capitalizing on a Miami fumble that gave them possession with only 26 seconds remaining on the clock. This dramatic turn of events handed Georgia Tech a memorable victory over a ranked opponent.
In a critical turn of events, Miami running back Donald Chaney Jr. fumbled the ball with just 26 seconds remaining on third down when the Hurricanes had the option to simply run out the clock. At that point, Georgia Tech had exhausted all of its timeouts. Miami snapped the ball with less than 40 seconds left on the clock. And rather than opting for a simple kneel-down to secure the win. And maintain their undefeated 5-0 start to the season, they chose to hand the ball off.
While it appeared that Chaney’s elbow might have touched. The ground before he fumbled the ball, the on-field ruling was a fumble. And the decision stood even after a replay review due to the absence of a conclusive camera angle that could overturn the call. This decision ultimately led to Georgia Tech’s last-second victory.
Chaney crossed the 100-yard milestone on that rush, although Cristobal clarified post-game that achieving. A triple-digit rushing performance for his running back wasn’t a determining factor in their decision. Georgia Tech pulled off
Nevertheless, the Hurricanes found themselves in a favorable position to secure victory even before Chaney’s fumble. At halftime, Miami held a 3-0 lead, and with 12:11 left in the fourth quarter. Georgia Tech surged ahead with 17 consecutive points, making it a 17-10 game.
Miami had to string together ten consecutive points to regain the lead, capitalizing on King’s second interception of the game during the fourth quarter.
For the Miami team, this defeat is undeniably devastating, especially considering. They were just a kneel-down away from an undefeated showdown with North Carolina in Week 7. Instead, the Hurricanes now stand at 4-1. And are grappling with a loss that, by all accounts, should never have occurred.
In stark contrast, this marks an extraordinary rebound for the Georgia Tech team. Just a week ago, they suffered a home loss to Bowling Green. However, with a record of 3-3, Georgia Tech has managed to secure three road victories against ranked opponents since Brent Key took over for Geoff Collins in the 2022 season.