2023 Georgia Tech vs. Miami football game

The 2023 Georgia Tech vs. Miami football game was a regular season college football game held on October 7, 2023, between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Miami Hurricanes. The game is most notable for Miami's decision to run the ball instead of taking a knee in the final 40 seconds, leading to a fumble recovered by Georgia Tech and subsequent touchdown on the ensuing drive to defeat the previously undefeated Hurricanes.

Background

Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech came off a 5–7 season in 2022. They were picked to finish 12th out of 14 in the 2023 ACC preseason poll.

The Yellow Jackets lost their first game of the season to Louisville 34–39. They would beat FCS South Carolina State in their second game, lose to Ole Miss in their third game, and beat Wake Forest in their fourth game.

After starting the season 2–2, Tech was set to play 1–3 Bowling Green in week five. Georgia Tech entered the game as 22-point favorites but saw themselves down 17–14 at half-time. Bowling Green scored three unanswered touchdowns in the third quarter to extend their lead to 38–14. Georgia Tech scored two more touchdowns to finish with a final score of 38–27 in favor of Bowling Green.

After being upset, the Yellow Jackets headed to Miami, Florida to take on 17th ranked Miami. They entered the game as 19.5 point underdogs.

Miami

Miami was coming off a 5–7 season in 2022, led by first year head coach Mario Cristobal who previously served as the head coach for the Oregon Ducks.

The 2023 Hurricanes were picked fifth in ACC preseason poll and started the season strong beating Miami (Ohio) 38–3 in their first game, and then beating No. 23 ranked Texas A&M in their second game. After beating Texas A&M they entered the week 3 AP Poll, ranked 22nd. They would then beat FCS Bethune-Cookman 48–7, then Temple 41–7. After starting the year 4–0 for the first time since 2017, the Hurricanes landed at No. 17 in the week 6 AP Poll.

No. 17 Miami was set to play Georgia Tech at home, their first conference game of the year. They entered the game as 19.5-point favorites.^[1]

Game summary

First half

Georgia Tech received the opening kickoff for a touchback. The drive resulted in a quick three-and-out leading to a punt from the Yellow Jackets. Miami started their first possession at their own 25; after 9 plays Miami saw themselves at Georgia Tech's 43 yard line on 4th and 4 and elected to go for it. However, the Yellow Jackets' defense stopped them short, resulting in a turnover on downs.

The first half saw offensive struggles from both teams, with every drive resulting in either a punt or turnover, except for Miami's final drive where they started on their own 23. Miami gained 65 yards in 11 plays and on their 12th play, Miami kicker Andres Borregales made a 30-yard field goal to end the second quarter with a score of 3 to 0 in favor of Miami.

Second half

Miami received the second half kickoff at their own 24. They punted on fourth down after getting to their own 49. Georgia Tech started their first drive of the second half at their own 13 and after a three-and-out punted out of bounds to Miami's 40 but due to a 10-yard holding penalty on Georgia Tech, Miami started at the 50-yard line. After some successful runs and a pass, Miami had the ball at Georgia Tech's 22 yard-line on 3rd and 3. Miami Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke passed to Riley Williams for 22-yards and the first touchdown of the game at 6:44 in the 3rd quarter and extend their lead to 10 to 0. The ensuing kickoff resulted in a touchback.

Georgia Tech started at their own 25 and after a big gain on 3rd and 6 they were at Miami's 37. After a few plays Georgia Tech's quarterback Haynes King rushed for a 6-yard touchdown to make the score 10 to 7.

After a touchback on the kickoff, Miami threw an interception to Georgia Tech's Ahmari Harvey on 2nd and 10.

Georgia Tech gained possession on Miami's 26 yard line and after 3 plays running-back Jamal Haynes would rush for a touchdown to take the lead 14 to 10. Miami regained possession with 1:03 left in the third quarter and would continue possession into the fourth quarter. On their second play in the fourth quarter Miami threw another interception, this time intercepted by Tech's Jaylon King. Georgia Tech started at Miami's 15 but would get stopped by the Hurricane defense and settle for a field goal to extend their lead to 17 to 10.

On Miami's next drive they would get to the Georgia Tech 3-yard line and Henry Parrish Jr. would rush for a 3-yard touchdown to tie the game 17 to 17 with 9:55 remaining in the 4th quarter.

Georgia Tech started their next possession at their 25 after a touchback. They would end up throwing an interception to James Williams of Miami who would return it 44-yards to the Georgia Tech 14. After a three-and-out Miami's Andres Borregales kicked and made a 39-yard field goal to take the lead 20 to 17 with 6:23 left in the 4th quarter. Georgia Tech would end up punting on 4th and 15 on the ensuing possession.

Miami started their possession up 20 to 17 with 5:32 left in the 4th quarter. Over the span of about the next 5 minutes Miami would gain three first downs to run out the clock, and Georgia Tech would use up all their timeouts trying to stop the clock.

Final minute and fumble

Georgia Tech had no timeouts and the clock was under 40 seconds.^[4] Instead of taking a knee to run out the clock, Miami ran the ball on third down. Paul Moala forced a fumble that was recovered by Kyle Kennard at Georgia Tech's 26 yard line with 26 seconds remaining, which let quarterback Haynes King march the Yellow Jackets 74 yards in four plays, capped by a 44-yard touchdown pass to Christian Leary with two seconds to go that lifted the Jackets to a 23–20 lead.^[5] Water bottles were thrown on the field from outraged Miami fans after Georgia Tech's touchdown.^[6]

Following the Tech touchdown, the Hurricanes received the ball back. With just two seconds left on the clock, they attempted to score with a six-lateral try on the final play of the game but got stopped near midfield.^[7][8]

Aftermath and impact

Georgia Tech improved to 3–3, Miami fell to 4–1. When asked about the decision to not take a knee, Mario Cristobal said; "I'm not going to make an excuse for it, say we should've done this or that, that's it. We should've done it. Sometimes you get carried away with just, finish the game and run it. I should've stepped in and said, 'Hey, just take a knee.'"

During and after the game, controversy arose surrounding whether or not Miami's running back had actually fumbled the ball, with some claiming he was down before the ball came out.^[9] ACC officials responded by defending the fumble call.^[10]

Georgia Tech finished 6–6, and this win would ultimately allow them to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2018. They clinched eligibility with a 31-22 win over Syracuse on November 18. Miami went on to lose four of their seven remaining games to finish 7-5.

Reception

Miami head coach Mario Cristobal was widely criticised for his decision.

During the live broadcast, after Georgia Tech's game-winning touchdown, commentator Tim Hasselbeck said:

“That’s one of the biggest coaching mistakes at this level that I have ever seen in my lifetime.”^[11]

Fox Sports published an article debating if the decision to run was the worst coaching decision ever, comparing it to other major notable coaching mistakes.^[12]

During Paul Finebaum's weekly appearance on The Matt Barrie Show, he said:

"It will transcend sports, the stupidity of Mario Cristobal. People are going to be talking about that. There are very few times in our industry when you see something so bone-headed and moronic as what we saw from Miami and [Cristobal]. And it pains me to say that because I actually keep in touch with Mario all the time — but that doesn't matter. We would be a derelict in our job by not calling him out as he was in his job. I had a coach text me this morning saying, 'Have you ever seen a more egregious of a display of coaching malpractice as that?' The answer is no."^[13]

Sportscaster Dan Le Batard deemed it the worst loss in Miami's football history.^[14]

See also

• Miracle at the Meadowlands

References

This page was last edited on 20 February 2024, at 23:44