In a game that will be remembered as one of the most grueling battles in college football history, No. 6 Georgia mounted a stunning comeback to defeat Georgia Tech 44-42 in an eight-overtime marathon. The game, which started Friday night and stretched into the early hours of Saturday, kept fans at Sanford Stadium riveted past midnight.
The hero of the night was freshman running back Nate Frazier, who capped the Bulldogs’ dramatic victory with a 3-yard run for a two-point conversion in the eighth overtime. Frazier’s decisive burst ended the longest game in SEC history and left Georgia’s playoff hopes very much alive.
The Bulldogs (10-2, No. 7 CFP) trailed 17-0 at halftime and were outplayed for most of the game. Georgia Tech (7-5) seemed poised to snap a six-game losing streak in the rivalry known as “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate.” Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King delivered a brilliant performance, passing for 303 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 110 yards and three more scores.
King’s 11-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter gave Georgia Tech a 27-13 lead, seemingly putting the game out of reach. But the Bulldogs refused to fold, showing the grit of a team chasing a College Football Playoff berth.
Quarterback Carson Beck led Georgia on a pair of late touchdown drives, throwing a 17-yard strike to Dominic Lovett with 3:39 remaining and a 3-yard pass to Lovett again with just over a minute left to tie the game at 27. The second score was set up by a crucial turnover, as King fumbled on a third-and-1 run after a hard hit from Dan Jackson. Chaz Chambliss recovered the ball at the Georgia Tech 32-yard line, giving the Bulldogs new life.
Once regulation ended, the game became a test of endurance and willpower. Beck and King traded touchdown passes in the first two overtimes, and both teams matched each other in the third and fourth extra periods, failing on two-point tries as mandated by NCAA rules.
In the fifth overtime, both teams finally broke through on two-point conversions, and the pattern continued until the eighth overtime. With Georgia clinging to a two-point lead after Frazier’s conversion, the defense finally held, stopping Georgia Tech’s final attempt to seal the victory.
“It was a battle of attrition,” said Georgia head coach Kirby Smart. “I’ve never been prouder of a team. They kept fighting, kept believing, and found a way to win.”
The game’s eight overtimes were just one shy of the NCAA record set in 2021 when Illinois defeated Penn State 20-18 in nine overtimes. Georgia’s victory extended its school-record home winning streak to 31 games and kept alive hopes of a playoff spot, even with a looming SEC Championship matchup against No. 3 Texas.
For Georgia Tech, the loss was a heartbreaker, but the Yellow Jackets showed significant progress under head coach Brent Key. “We went toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the country,” Key said. “We just came up a little short.”
The first half belonged entirely to Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets dominated time of possession and outgained the Bulldogs 307-137. King was in command, scoring on a 2-yard run and connecting with Jamal Haynes for a 4-yard touchdown. Aidan Birr added a 31-yard field goal, but missed opportunities—including a clanked 25-yard attempt—prevented Georgia Tech from building an even larger lead.
Georgia’s offense found its rhythm in the second half, with Beck finishing 28 of 43 for 297 yards and five touchdowns. His connection with Lovett proved crucial, as did the Bulldogs’ defensive adjustments that eventually slowed King’s dual-threat attack.
With this victory, Georgia remains in the hunt for one of the 12 playoff spots. The Bulldogs will face Texas in the SEC Championship next weekend, a game that could solidify their postseason fate.
But for now, they’ll savor a win that showcased their resilience and resolve. As fireworks lit up the sky over Sanford Stadium, the Bulldogs celebrated a triumph that will go down in rivalry lore—a testament to their championship mettle.
