ATLANTA — In a miraculous performance, Georgia Tech did it.
For the first time since defeating ranked Florida State the first week of the season, the Yellow Jackets upset another ranked opponent in 2024, this time No. 4 Miami. This is their first top-five upset since 2009.
Take a look at how Georgia Tech pulled off the major upset.
Haynes King making all the difference
The Yellow Jackets certainly missed the Longview, Texas native.
After several weeks without him, King's return revitalized a disappointing offense and got them back to what they do best: running the football.
He led the team in rushing with 93 yards and a touchdown. He carried the ball a whopping 20 times to get his team positive yardage. Running back Jamal Haynes only carried the ball three times, but made each attempt count. He nabbed 83 yards and a touchdown before going out with an injury.
While King didn't throw much — he attempted only five passes — he did complete all of them for 21 yards and a touchdown. It was freshman Aaron Philo who served as the team's primary passer. He completed 50% of his attempts for 67 yards and a touchdown and made key plays when necessary.
King's shoulder appears to still be bothering him, but it didn't stop him from dominating on the ground and overall, revitalizing the offense too.
Bend, don't break
This old adage rang true for the Yellow Jackets against the fourth-best team in the country.
Facing a potential top-10 NFL draft pick in Cam Ward was always going to be a difficult task. Ward was able to drive down the field a few times, as he and the Miami playmakers connected for positive gains.
He threw for nearly 300 yards, and the team ran for nearly 100. However, when it came down to it, Georgia Tech never fully broke.
On Miami's final offensive drive, Central Georgia native Romello Height broke through the Miami offensive line and took down Ward and forced the ball out. Jordan Van Den Berg recovered the fumble and secured a victory for Georgia Tech.
On other drives, the team came up with a sack in a fourth and long situation to prevent a touchdown — one Ward and Miami picked up the play before but was called back due to a penalty.
Linebacker Kyle Efford was nearly in on every play, as he impacted the game one way or another. Defensive back Omar Daniels led the team in tackles with eight and was also impactful. Height's key play late and Van Den Berg's recovery were crucial to win the game.
Overall, even if Miami's stats look better than the Yellow Jackets', the team still got it done and upset the Hurricanes for the Yellow Jackets' second year in a row.
What's next?
The Yellow Jackets did it. They nabbed the crucial sixth win to be bowl-eligible for the second year in a row.
After that celebration though, its back to work for head coach Brent Key and his team. There's good news and bad news for Georgia Tech though. The good news? The team doesn't have to leave the state for the rest of the year, including a home game against N.C. State next week.
The bad news is one of those games is against Georgia in Athens. While a tough matchup, if the Yellow Jackets can take down the No. 4 team in the country, maybe there's a chance they can defeat the current No. 3 team in the country too.