LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Georgia Tech suffered a 31-19 defeat against No. 19 Louisville on Saturday at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, largely due to numerous mistakes and missed opportunities.
The Yellow Jackets (3-2, 1-2 ACC) missed a field goal, allowed a defensive touchdown, failed to convert on fourth down at the 2-yard line, went 3 for 6 on fourth downs overall, and had a blocked kick returned for a touchdown. This marked Tech coach Brent Key’s first loss in six attempts against ranked ACC opponents.
The defeat likely eliminates Tech from contention for the league title with two months remaining in the season. The team will have a bye week before facing Duke at home on October 5.
Quarterback Haynes King threw for 312 yards and added 58 rushing yards, but the Jackets’ ground game struggled significantly, managing only 98 yards total. Running back Jamal Haynes contributed just 25 yards on the ground. Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough passed for 269 yards and two touchdowns in the victory.
The Jackets entered the third quarter trailing 24-17 and advanced to the Louisville 2-yard line but were stopped on fourth down when King was tackled just short of the goal line. This turnover proved beneficial for Tech when Shough fell in the end zone during the next play, resulting in a safety that narrowed the score to 24-19 with 11:23 left in the game. However, Tech’s momentum quickly faded as their next drive stalled at the 33-yard line, and Aidan Birr’s subsequent 50-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Tayon Holloway, who returned it 45 yards for a touchdown, extending Louisville’s lead to 31-19.
Despite having time to make a comeback, Tech was again thwarted on another fourth-and-short attempt outside the Louisville red zone. Earlier in the game, defensive back Syeed Gibbs made a significant play by blocking Brock Travelstead’s 53-yard field goal attempt. The Jackets responded with a six-play drive that culminated in a 23-yard touchdown run by King.
However, King later made a crucial error when he attempted to lateral the ball during a draw play from his own nine-yard line; Louisville’s Quincy Riley intercepted the backward pass and recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown. After Birr missed a field goal early in the second quarter while tied at 7-7, Louisville capitalized with a scoring drive that ended with Shough’s 37-yard touchdown pass to Chris Bell, making it 14-7.
Travelstead added a 27-yard field goal just before halftime to extend Louisville’s lead to 17-7. Georgia Tech regrouped and executed a long drive that ended with Haynes scoring from one yard out, closing the gap to 17-14 just before halftime. Birr tied the game at 17-17 with a field goal in the third quarter after an extended drive. However, Louisville quickly regained control when Shough connected with Ja’Corey Brooks for a 57-yard touchdown pass to end the third quarter leading 24-17.
Leave a Reply