Yellow Jackets Hand Canes First Loss of Season
ATLANTA — The recipe for trying to slow down the nation’s most prolific offense? Keep them on the sidelines as much as possible.
Georgia Tech rushed 48 times for 271 yards, possessed the ball for nearly 35 minutes and held on late for a 28-23 win over the fourth-ranked Miami Hurricanes Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
The loss ended Miami’s nine-game winning streak as the Canes fell to 9-1 overall and 5-1 in ACC play. The Yellow Jackets improved to 6-4 overall and 4-3 in conference play.
Quarterback Cam Ward threw for 348 yards and three touchdowns as Miami racked up 436 total yards. But Tech quarterback Haynes King – splitting duties behind center with Aaron Philo – accounted for 125 total yards and two touchdowns, leading a balanced ground attack. The Jackets averaged 5.6 yards per rush and secured the game’s lone takeaway, a late strip and sack that clinched the victory.
Ward broke Steve Walsh’s Miami single-season record for touchdown passes and now has 32 on the season. Wide receiver Xavier Restrepo had four catches for 78 yards and a touchdown, passing Mike Harley to become the school’s all-time receptions leader with 186.
Wide receiver Jacolby George paced Miami with seven catches for 88 yards, while fellow wideout Isaiah Horton caught five passes for 37 yards and a score. Tight end Elijah Arroyo recorded three catches for 82 yards, including a 74-yard touchdown. Running back Damien Martinez had 15 carries for 81 yards. Linebacker Jaylin Alderman posted nine stops and 2.5 tackles for loss, while defensive end Rueben Bain had eight tackles. Cornerback OJ Frederique, Jr. registered five tackles and two passes defensed.
Jackets running back Jamal Haynes rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown on just three carries before leaving the game with an injury. Philo completed 5 of 10 passes for 67 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Malik Rutherford had four catches for 28 yards and a score. Tech’s defense held Miami to 3 of 10 on third down and 1 of 4 on fourth down.
On the game’s second snap, Haynes broke free up the middle for a 65-yard run to the Miami 21. Two plays later Haynes rushed into the end zone from 16 yards out and Tech had an early 7-0 lead. But on Miami’s second snap Ward hit Arroyo in stride for a 74-yard catch-and-run. It was 7-7 after just three minutes.
The Canes forced a three-and-out and got the ball back at their 33. Ward went back to work, finding wide receiver Sam Brown, Jr. for 14 yards before connecting with Restrepo for 21 down to the Tech 28. But the Jackets’ defense held from there and Andy Borregales nailed a 41-yard field goal to give Miami its first lead.
On the ensuing drive, Tech rushed on 14 of 16 plays before King threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Rutherford, capping a 75-yard march in which the Jackets converted five third downs. The 10:45 consumed marked the second longest drive in Tech history and the Jackets were back on top 14-10.
Miami moved the ball to midfield but was stopped there and Dylan Joyce pinned the Jackets back to their 11-yard line. The Canes forced a three-and-out and got the ball back at their 33. Miami picked up three first downs but on 4th and 3 from the Tech 23 Ward threw incomplete and the Jackets took over.
The teams exchanged punts, and Tech ran out the clock ran out on the first half. The Canes trailed at halftime for the second straight week and the Jackets had 189 rushing yards in the first 30 minutes, 12 more than their per game average coming in.
The Canes started the second half with six straight runs from Martinez, which moved the ball to the Tech 39. But on 4th and 1, Ward rolled left and his pass to running back Mark Fletcher, Jr. fell incomplete. The Jackets took advantage with another run-heavy drive, rushing on six straight plays before Philo threw incomplete to wide receiver Eric Singleton in the end zone. But on the next snap Philo lofted a 15-yard scoring toss to wide receiver Chase Lane. Tech’s lead was 11 points.
But Ward went back to work, completing four straight passes, the last to Restrepo, who made a diving catch for 18 yards at the Tech 22. The Jackets were flagged for pass interference on the next play, giving Miami first and goal at the eight-yard line. Ward then threw a gorgeous strike to Horton in the left corner of the end zone. The Canes went for two and Ward was sacked but Miami was within 21-16.
Wide receiver Eric Singleton rushed 16 yards for Tech and two plays later defensive end Ahman Moten was flagged for targeting, moving the ball to the Miami 37. On 3rd and 18, Philo completed a 27-yard pass to wide receiver Bailey Stockton and Tech was back inside the red zone. Three plays later, King faked a handoff and ran around the right end for a five-yard touchdown. Tech’s lead was back up to 12 points.
Ward quickly connected with George on consecutive completions of 23 and 22 yards before dumping the ball off to Fletcher on a screen for 14 yards to the Tech 16. Three plays later it was 4th and 6, and Ward rolled right to find Horton again in the end zone. But the Canes were called for holding. The Jackets sacked Ward on 4th and 16 and took over at the 28-yard line with 10:04 left in the game.
Miami forced a three-and-out and got the ball back at its 22. Ward was sacked by linebacker Kyle Efford on first down but threw a 16-yard dart to George on 4th and 8 to give the Canes a new set of downs. Three plays later, Ward rolled left and fired a 38-yard scoring strike to Restrepo, cutting Tech’s lead to 28-23 with 6:07 on the clock.
The Jackets soon faced 3rd and 8 and Philo came up with a clutch throw down the middle to Rutherford for 16 yards. But Alderman stuffed King three plays later and Tech had to punt at the two-minute timeout. Miami took over at its 19-yard line with one final chance.
But on 2nd and 10 Ward scrambled for breathing room and defensive end Romello Height sacked him, forcing a fumble that the Jackets recovered to seal the upset win.
The Canes are off this coming week and next face Wake Forest in the regular season finale at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday, November 23.
