Georgia battles back to beat Ga. Tech in 8OT epic
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Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior Writer
ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia freshman Nate Frazier ran 3 yards for a two-point conversion in the eighth overtime period, leading the No. 7 Bulldogs to a wild 44-42 victory over rival Georgia Tech in the longest game in SEC history at Sanford Stadium on Friday night.
The Yellow Jackets had the ball first in the eighth overtime. Quarterback Haynes King threw out of the back of the end zone after he was pressured by linebacker CJ Allen.
Georgia didn’t waste any time to finally put Georgia Tech away, with Frazier taking a handoff and running up the middle, sending the red-and-black crowd into a frenzy.
Frazier’s touchdown run capped one of the more memorable comebacks in Georgia history, and one of the most exciting finishes in the intrastate rivalry known as Clean Old Fashioned Hate. It was the Bulldogs’ 31st consecutive victory at home and seventh straight over Georgia Tech.
None were as difficult to get as Friday night.
It was the first time the Bulldogs overcame a deficit of 17 points or more since 2006. It was only the second time in the past 20 seasons that they rallied from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
After struggling to score a point in the first half for the first time since 2019, Georgia’s offense finally got things going in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs scored 21 points in the final 8:18, including twice in the last 3:39, to hand the Yellow Jackets one of their most painful losses in the series.
After both teams failed to convert two-point conversion tries in the third and fourth overtimes, Beck finally found Dillon Bell on a slant pattern to give the Bulldogs a 42-20 lead in the fifth. But Tech answered right back, with King finding Malik Rutherford to tie the score and send the game into a sixth overtime.
In the sixth OT period, Georgia safety Dan Jackson blitzed and sacked King. But then Georgia failed to convert as well; receiver Arian Smith couldn’t catch a pass in the back of the end zone that was tipped by Bell.
Beck threw for five touchdowns with 297 yards on 28-for-43 passing.
King was even better, completing 26 of 36 passes for 303 yards with two scores. He also ran for 110 yards and three touchdowns on 24 attempts. According to ESPN Research, King is the first player with at least 300 passing yards, 100 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns against an AP top-10 team all-time.
The Yellow Jackets, who were 17½-point underdogs, took a 17-0 lead at the half and went ahead 27-13 with just over 5½ minutes to play.
But Georgia’s offense, which had struggled with dropped passes and missed assignments for much of the game, scored two touchdowns in the final 3:39 of regulation to tie the score at 27.
King, who delivered myriad big plays with his right arm and legs, made a critical mistake when he lost a fumble on third-and-1 at the Tech 31 with 2:02 remaining. Jackson caused the fumble, and defensive end Chaz Chambliss recovered the ball at the Tech 32.
On third-and-9 from the Tech 13, Beck scrambled for 10 yards and a first down. On the next play, he fired a 3-yard touchdown to Dominic Lovett with 1:01 left. Peyton Woodring‘s extra-point kick tied the score at 27.
Eight overtime periods later, the end came came just a few minutes after midnight.
It was just one overtime shy of the record for any FBS game — Illinois‘ 20-18 victory over Penn State in 2021 that went to nine extra periods.
Wisconsin will start true freshman quarterback Carter Smith at No. 2 Indiana on Saturday, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel, replacing Danny O’Neil after the sophomore was carted off the field with a right leg injury last week.
O’Neil was injured on a 21-yard keeper during the first quarter of last Saturday’s 13-10 win over then-No. 23 Washington. He had a towel over his head as he was carted to the locker room.
Smith made his season debut following O’Neil’s injury, completing 3 of 12 passes for 8 yards while rushing for 47 yards and a touchdown.
Also available to the Badgers at quarterback is senior Hunter Simmons, who is 48-for-95 for 485 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions this season.
For Indiana, wide receiver Elijah Sarratt is doubtful to play, sources said. Sarratt, who is tied for the Big Ten lead with 10 touchdown receptions, injured his hamstring against Maryland on Nov. 1 and missed the Penn State game last week.
With Indiana having a bye next week, Sarratt is on track to return against Purdue on Nov. 28.
Quarterback issues have hindered Wisconsin all season and throughout coach Luke Fickell’s three-year tenure.
Billy Edwards Jr. was Wisconsin’s first-team quarterback at the start of the season, but he sprained his knee in the second quarter of the Badgers’ opener and has played only one full series since.
Tanner Mordecai missed 3½ games with a broken hand in 2023. Miami transfer Tyler Van Dyke tore his ACL in the third game of the 2024 season.
Wisconsin’s intended season-opening starting quarterback has been available for the entirety of only 11 of the 34 games the Badgers have played since the beginning of the 2023 season. The last time Fickell had his season-opening starting quarterback healthy for a full game was in a 27-13 victory over South Dakota on Sept. 7, 2024.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava will not play Saturday against No. 1 Ohio State because of a concussion, sources confirmed to ESPN.
Iamaleava was injured during last week’s loss to Nebraska. He began experiencing concussion symptoms after the game, according to On3, which first reported that Iamaleava would not play.
With Iamaleava out, redshirt sophomore Luke Duncan will make his first career start. Duncan has not attempted a pass in college as he tries to take down the top-ranked Buckeyes.
Iamaleava has thrown for 1,659 yards with 12 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in his first year with the Bruins after transferring from Tennessee.
He led UCLA to three straight wins in October, including a victory over then-No. 7 Penn State, but the Bruins (3-6) have lost two straight and need to win out to become bowl eligible.
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