Georgia Tech upsets Florida State on last-second FG

One game into the 2024 college football season and we have an upset.

Georgia Tech football pulled off the improbable upset 24-21 over Florida State at Aviva Stadium in Dublin for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. Aidan Birr hit a 44-yard field goal as time expired to give the Yellow Jackets the victory over the Seminoles.

The game marked the third straight year and the ninth time in history a college football game has been played in Ireland. Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King completed 11-of-16 passes for 146 yards and also added 15 rushes for 46 yards, while Jamal Haynes had 75 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Birr had missed a 51-yard field goal earlier in the game.

Making his FSU debut, DJ Uiagalelei completed 19-of-27 passes for 193 yards. He had his best drive on the final FSU drive, converting two fourth-down conversions, as the Seminoles tied the game at 21 with 6:33 left. The offense never got another opportunity.

The Seminoles had won 19 straight games before an Orange Bowl loss last year to Georgia after they were snubbed from the College Football Playoff in favor of two one-loss teams in Texas and Alabama. The Seminoles have lost back-to-back games for the first time since 2022, when they lost three in a row to Wake Forest, NC State, and Clemson.

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Georgia Tech is entering Year 2 under Brent Key, and is led by quarterback Haynes King. The Yellow Jackets are coming off a 7-6 season — their first winning season since 2018, the final year under coach Paul Johnson.

Florida State vs Georgia Tech score updates

This section will be updated when the game begins.

Final: Georgia Tech 24, Florida State 21

3:09 p.m: Aiden Birr connects on a 44-yard field goal to give Georgia Tech the upset victory over No. 10 Florida State.

3:08 p.m.: Eric Singleton Jr. catches a ball and takes it for 12 yards to the FSU 26. The Yellow Jackets took a timeout with five seconds left.

3:06 p.m.: Georgia Tech has trouble with the snap and loses 11 yards to the FSU 39-yard line. FSU calls its final timeout with 55 seconds left.

3:02 p.m.: Chad Alexander rushes for 3 yards up the middle and FSU takes its second timeout. There is 1:02 left.

2:58 p.m.: Florida State calls its first timeout with 1:11 left. The Yellow Jackets have the ball at the FSU 31 and are within field goal range. Another first down could let them bleed the clock out for a game-winning field goal opportunity.

2:52 p.m.: At the two-minute warning, Georgia Tech is into FSU territory with a chance to take the lead. It’ll be second-and-7 after the timeout from the Seminoles’ 39.

2:45 p.m.: Roydell Williams caps a 15-play drive with a two-yard touchdown score to even the score at 21. DJ Uiagalelei completed a pair of fourth-down conversions to keep the drive alive, one to Ja’Khi Douglas and the other to Malik Benson. The game is tied with 6:33 left.

2:30 p.m.: Jamal Haynes gives Georgia Tech the lead again with a three-yard touchdown run. The Yellow Jackets drive was 11 plays for 89 yards and took nearly seven minutes off the clock

Third quarter: Georgia Tech 14, Florida State 14

2:25 p.m.: It’s a tie game at 14 following a scoreless third quarter for both teams. However, the fourth quarter opens with Georgia Tech deep into FSU territory. Haynes King has taken over on the drive, completing five passes and running for 21 yards on the second to last play of the quarter.

2:15 p.m.: A sack by Georgia Tech’s Kevin Harris cuts another Florida State drive short. The Seminoles will punt for the second straight drive. They have not scored a touchdown since their first drive.

2:07 p.m.: Florida State punted for the first time today from the Georgia Tech 44 after not converting a third-and-seven. The Yellow Jackets will start on their own 20 after a touchback. Earlier in the drive, Ja’Khi Douglas had a 15-yard catch on a third-and-seven to keep the drive alive. The play was initially called incomplete but overturned by replay, showing Douglas got his right toe down in bounds to gain possession.

Georgia Tech then went 3-and-out on its own drive. FSU starts at its own 33.

1:54 p.m.: Aidan Birr’s 51-yard field goal goes wide left and the score remains tied at 14. Jamal Haynes set up the scoring opportunity with his long run to open the second half.

1:52 p.m.: The second half is underway with Georgia Tech starting on its own 25 following a touchback. Running back Jamal Haynes went for 36 yards on the first play.

Halftime: Georgia Tech 14, Florida State 14

1:38 p.m.: Individual halftime stats:

DJ Uiagalelei is 12-for-14 passing for 96 yards for the Seminoles, while Lawrance Toafili has seven touches for 52 yards and a touchdown. Haynes King is 3-for-5 passing for 53 yards and has 33 rushing yards and a touchdown for the Yellow Jackets.

1:33 p.m.: Halftime stats:

Yards — FSU 174; Georgia Tech 154
Passing yards — FSU 96; Georgia Tech 53
Rushing yards — FSU 78; Georgia Tech 101
First downs — FSU 13; Georgia Tech 9
Time of possession — FSU 16:37; Georgia Tech 13:23
Tackles for loss — FSU 1 (6); Georgia Tech 4 (9)
Turnovers — FSU 0; Georgia Tech 0

1:30 p.m: Ryan Fitzgerald made a 59-yard field goal to end the first half to tie the game at 14-14. Fitzgerald hit a 52-yard field goal earlier in the quarter. He’s been the MVP of the first half for the Seminoles. Georgia Tech has kept up with the No. 10 ranked team in the country thus far

1:08 p.m: Jamal Haynes capped off a 14-play drive with a one-yard score on third down to give Georgia Tech its first lead of the game and the season. The scoring drive took 7:53 off the clock. FSU gets the ball with 3:13 left in the first half.

12:54 p.m.: Ryan Fitzgerald connected on a 52-yard field goal to extend the FSU lead to 11-7. A facemask penalty on a sack on third-and-long gave the Seminoles a new life on the drive to set up the score.

First quarter: Florida State 8, Georgia Tech 7

12:44 p.m.: Florida State leads 8-7 after the first quarter of the 2024 college football season. Lawrance Toafili had a 28-yard TD run for the Seminoles, while Zach Pyron responded with a one-yard score.

12:41 p.m.: A 6-yard loss for Georgia Tech running back Jamal Haynes on first down hurt a potential drive for the Yellow Jackets. Haynes King got six yards on third down, and the GT punted the ball for the first time. FSU starts at its own 25.

12:35 p.m.: Lawrance Toafili is tackled short of the first down marker on fourth-and-four, as the Yellow Jackets will take over on their own 31. FSU again moved the ball but could not convert a fourth down in Georgia Tech territory.

12:25 p.m.: Georgia Tech responds quickly with a touchdown of its own on a keeper from backup QB Zach Pyron. Malik Rutherford had the biggest play of the drive, a 42-yard catch and run from Haynes King. The Jackets opted for the extra point kick and it was good.

12:14 p.m.: Lawrance Toafali scores on a 28-yard touchdown run for the first score of the college football season. FSU then breaks out the swinging gate early, with Mason Arnold then hitting tight end Brian Courtney for a 2-point score to make it 8-0. FSU loves using trick plays and breaks it out early in the season opener.

12:07 p.m.: Florida State calls tails and loses the coin toss. Georgia Tech elects to defer and FSU gets the ball first.

Pregame

12:03 p.m.: The ‘College GameDay’ crew all picked Florida State to beat Georgia Tech in the opener, expect guest picker Sheamus. He picked the Yellow Jackets to win because of his heart.

11:12 a.m.: With the FSU fight song playing in the background, the Seminoles’ QBs have taken the field, led by DJ Uiagalelei. Sophomore Brock Glenn and sophomore Luke Kromenhoek are the other scholarship quarterbacks for FSU.

10:25 a.m.: DJ Uiagalelei is ready to make his Florida State football debut. The former Oregon State and Clemson QB was warming up by throwing deep passes. He takes over for Jordan Travis, who started the last two seasons for FSU. Haynes King is the QB for the Yellow Jackets for the second straight season.

9:50 a.m.: Here’s a look at the uniforms for both teams for today’s college football season opener from Dublin.

9:25 a.m.: Florida State wide receiver Hykeem Williams has been ruled out due to an undisclosed injury. Williams had five catches for 80 yards as a freshman.

9:19 a.m.: Pat McAfee gets the FSU fans going by initiating the ‘War Chant’ during College Football Gameday and mentioning the Seminoles’ snub. It’s officially football season.

FSU vs Georgia Tech time today

Date: Saturday, Aug. 24
Time: Noon ET
Location: Aviva Stadium (Dublin)

What channel is Florida State vs Georgia Tech game on today?

TV Channel: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN app | ESPN+ | Fubo (free trial)

The ACC matchup between Florida State and Georgia Tech in Dublin will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. Joe Tessitore and Jesse Palmer will call the game from the booth at Aviva Stadium, with Katie George reporting from the sidelines.

Streaming options include the ESPN app (with a cable login), Fubo (which offers a free trial) and ESPN+.

FSU vs. Georgia Tech history

Series record: Florida State leads, 15-11-1
Florida State’s last win: Oct. 29, 2022 (41-16)
Georgia Tech’s last win: Sept. 12, 2020 (16-13)

Florida State vs. Georgia Tech predictions

‘Uiagalelei gets his first win as FSU’s quarterback, leading a consistent display from the Seminoles as the team comes home from Ireland with a 10-point victory over Georgia Tech.’

‘King will keep it interesting, but a late turnover prevents Georgia Tech from making a true fourth-quarter rally. The Yellow Jackets were 7-2 (against the spread) as an underdog last season, and we’re going to trust that trend against a tricky number. Just hope to avoid a late score by the Seminoles here for the cover.’

‘One of Casale’s top Week 0 college football picks: He’s backing Georgia Tech (+11.5) against FSU. The Seminoles are coming off an unbelievable season that ended tragically, with starting quarterback Jordan Travis suffering a season-ending knee injury in a loss to Florida to end the regular season. They went on to beat Louisville for the ACC title but the committee ultimately admitted that Travis’ injury was a deciding factor when they chose to leave Florida State out of the CFP.‘

‘While the Seminoles are most certainly the play, there could be injuries and disciplinary first-half suspensions that will move the market. Florida State has a massive advantage in the trench and will be a play at -11 or better.‘

FSU vs. Georgia Tech betting odds

Game lines and odds from BetMGM as of Friday:

Spread: Florida State (-10.5)
Over/under: 55.5 points
Money line: FSU (-450) | Georgia Tech (+340)

Florida State vs Georgia Tech injury updates

FSU wide receiver Hykeem Williams is out due to an undisclosed injury.

FSU vs. Georgia Tech weather updates

Florida State football schedule 2024

Saturday, Aug. 24: vs. Georgia Tech* (Dublin)
Monday, Sept. 2: vs. Boston College*
Saturday, Sept. 7: BYE
Saturday, Sept. 14: vs. Memphis
Saturday, Sept. 21: vs. Cal*
Saturday, Sept. 28: at SMU*
Saturday, Oct. 5: vs. No. 14 Clemson*
Saturday, Oct. 12: BYE
Friday, Oct. 18: at Duke*
Saturday, Oct. 26: at No. 19 Miami*
Saturday, Nov. 2: vs. North Carolina*
Saturday, Nov. 9: at No. 7 Notre Dame
Saturday, Nov. 16: BYE
Saturday, Nov. 23: vs. Charleston Southern
Saturday, Nov. 30: vs. Florida

* Indicates ACC game

Georgia Tech football schedule 2024

Saturday, Aug. 24: vs. No. 10 Florida State* (Dublin)
Saturday, Aug. 31: vs. Georgia State
Saturday, Sept. 7: at Syracuse*
Saturday, Sept. 14: vs. VMI
Saturday, Sept. 21: at Louisville*
Saturday, Sept. 28: BYE
Saturday, Oct. 5: vs. Duke*
Saturday, Oct. 12: at North Carolina*
Saturday, Oct. 19: vs. No. 7 Notre Dame
Saturday, Oct. 26: at Virginia Tech*
Saturday, Nov. 2: BYE
Saturday, Nov. 9: vs. No. 19 Miami*
Saturday, Nov. 16: BYE
Saturday, Nov. 23: vs. No. 22 NC State*
Friday, Nov. 29: at No. 1 Georgia