May 4, 2024
ATLANTA (AP) — Haynes King threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Brett Seither with 4:28 remaining and Georgia Tech handed No. 17 North Carolina its second straight loss, knocking off the Tar Heels in a 46-42 shootout Saturday night.
Overcoming an early two-touchdown blitz by North Carolina (7-1, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) and a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter, Georgia Tech shredded the Tar Heels defense for 635 yards.
King was 23 of 30 for 287 yards and four touchdowns, two of them to Seither. Dontae Smith rushed for 178 yards and another score for the Yellow Jackets (4-4, 3-2).
Coming off a shocking 31-27 home loss to a one-win Virginia team, North Carolina appeared to be in good shape when Drake Maye hooked up with Doc Chapman on a 35-yard touchdown with 11:13 remaining, pushing the Tar Heels ahead 42-32.
But, just two plays later, Dontae Smith broke loose right down the middle of the field for a 70-yard touchdown that suddenly made it a game again.
North Carolina responded by driving into position for a field goal attempt. Noah Burnette had not missed all season, coming into the night 11 of 11, but he yanked a 39-yarder wide left.
King seized on the opportunity, breaking off another huge run on the very next play. He went 52 yards before the Tar Heels finally got him down, putting Georgia Tech into field goal range just like that.
Smith ripped off runs of 10 and 14 yards, only to be thrown for a 4-yard loss on second-and-goal at the 1. On third down, King rolled to his right, looking desperately for anyone open, before he spotted Seither lingering in the back right corner.
The big tight end leaped for the catch, barely managing to tap his left toe on the turf before he tumbled out of bounds with the winning score.
North Carolina's final gasp ended with Maye's 36-yard pass to Devontez Walker, who was looking to his right when Ahmari Harvey delivered a crunching blindisde hit from the left to knock the ball loose.
K.J. Wallace fell on the fumble for Georgia Tech, which ran out the clock and sent a small but vocal crowd storming the field on homecoming at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
Maye threw for 310 yards and two touchdowns, to go along with a 14-yard scoring run. Omarion Hampton had a big game on the ground, rushing for 153 yards and two touchdowns.
But it wasn't enough against a Georgia Tech team that broke off one big play after another.
THE TAKEAWAY
North Carolina: A dream season for the Tar Heels has suddenly gone up in smoke. This defeat falls on the defense, which simply couldn’t find a way to stop the relentless Yellow Jackets. North Carolina gave up 8.1 yards per play and a staggering 348 yards on the ground.
Georgia Tech: Coach Brent Key improved to 4-0 against ranked ACC opponents, and this was a big one. With two straight road games coming up, the Yellow Jackets got a much-needed victory to bolster their chances of becoming bowl eligible for the first time since 2018.
SCARY MOMENT
Walker, who has made a big impact after a long eligibility fight with the NCAA, remained on the turf for several minutes after his fumble.
His worried teammates kneeled around him while he was treated by the training staff.
Walker was finally able to get up, but he was very wobbly and had to be assisted off the field.
UP NEXT
North Carolina: Returns home to face FCS opponent Campbell next Saturday.
Georgia Tech: Travels to Virginia for an ACC game next Saturday.
