Following a completely insane victory over rival Georgia Tech on Friday, Kirby Smart maintained his composure.

At Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, the Bulldogs defeated the Yellow Jackets 44-42 in a game that went into octuple overtime—yes, eight overtimes. Nothing was going right for Georgia in the first half as Georgia Tech jumped out to a 17-0 lead. However, Georgia fought back in the second half, and a pivotal turnover by Haynes King gave the Bulldogs life in the closing seconds.

Nate Frazier’s run up the middle in the eighth overtime session helped the Bulldogs defeat the Yellow Jackets after eight overtime periods.

In his postgame interview following the exhausting game, Smart was sure to give credit to the other team and its coach, Brent Key. Georgia Tech was more physical than his No. 7 Bulldogs team that evening, the Georgia coach even acknowledged.

“They have an excellent football team,” Smart remarked. This football team is quite strong, and they outplayed us tonight. I really admire the way Brent and the team played, and their quarterback is a warrior.

Georgia Tech’s strong rushing assault gave them a significant lead against Georgia early in the game. Haynes King, the dual-threat quarterback for the Yellow Jackets, led the team with 110 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries. In addition, he passed for 306 yards and two touchdowns at a 26/36 pace.

However, in the second half, Georgia quarterback Carson Beck put on a strong show. After halftime, the Bulldogs signal-caller completed the incredible comeback by throwing all five of his touchdowns.

The victory gave the Bulldogs a double-digit win total for the fourth straight season. Additionally, it probably solidified 10-2 Georgia’s inclusion in the enlarged College Football Playoff.

Georgia Overcame Tech to Win in Eight

The Dawgs and Jackets rekindled their acrimonious rivalry as a cool Athens afternoon turned into a chilly night.

In front of a full house at Sanford Stadium, Georgia kicked to start the game by deferring. From the beginning, it was evident that the Bulldogs had been reading up on their playoff seeding instead of focusing on their old opponent. Naturally, my initial response to the game was more predicated on my expectations, which ultimately amounted to UGA’s late withdrawal following a fiercely contested match. I got the difficult bit correct, at least.

To start the game, Haynes King squirted for a 59-yard rush after slipping to the right side of a crowded line of scrimmage. The majority of the game was shaped by that run. In other words, King continued to run and throw on Georgia during the overtime periods.

Beck’s 4th down conversion to Dillon Bell helped the Dawgs take the ball and advance down the field, but after a second 4th down attempt on the drive failed, they surrendered the ball back to Tech at their 14.

Tech started the second quarter at the 36-yard line for Georgia. King threw one of his few incompletions as Tech pushed behind him and his keepers to the UGA 14. The drive was cut short by a third-down sack after Tech failed a short field goal to put Georgia back on the attack.

Tech continuously moved the ball outside the 20-yard line during the game, but after their first field goal, they were unable to turn yards gained into points. But Haynes King carried the ball in for the touchdown after a third-down conversion to the tight end placed the ball on Georgia’s two-yard line.

After Tech scored, Beck and Company took the kickoff and pushed the ball until a Dominic Lovett blunder returned the ball to the Jackets. In the first half, Georgia’s defense was unable to stop Tech’s attack, while the Bulldog offense appeared weak. For a large portion of the game, Tech controlled both the offensive and defensive lines of scrimmage.

I couldn’t understand why UGA appeared empty for this game versus its most vengeful opponent after witnessing them sleepwalk through the first half. In sharp contrast, Tech’s team was energized and kicking Georga’s ass at the half.

Georgia started from its 25 after receiving the second-half kickoff, but the drive stalled and a punt was forced. Tech had to punt after starting its possession from the ten. Despite Georgia’s poor punt, the fumble gods were forgiving.

Georgia took control at the 22nd thanks to a 30-yard run from Arian Smith. Frazier hurried to the 2 after Cash Jones’ catch put the ball on the 8. Following the play, play was halted for a review of the fumble. After the review favored Georgia, Carson Beck connected Oscar Delp for the touchdown on second and goal; however, a two-point attempt was unsuccessful, leaving the score at 6–17. In his postgame interview, Coach Smart stated that analytics were the basis for the decision to go for two.

With the help of some bad tackling, Tech started deep in its territory following the kickoff and quickly resumed its offensive drive, moving the ball steadily. The Bulldogs do not intimidate Tech. All night long, the Yellow Jackets’ offensive line outperformed Georgia’s front seven.

I was in position for the thrill of the late game when I made the transition from the press box to the field about the middle of the fourth.

I’m going to stop here and let the video tell the tale of the final score instead of attempting to go over the last few minutes.