Georgia Tech Shocks Florida State In Dublin! | Andy Staples Instant Reaction | 08.24.24
Georgia Tech pulled off a big upset in Dublin, Ireland, last weekend when it defeated No. 10 Florida State, recording the Yellow Jackets’ first win over an AP top-10 opponent since 2015. The viewership numbers ESPN drew from the Week 0 showdown are just as big.
Austin Karp of the Sports Business Journal reported Tuesday that the ACC head-to-head brought in 4.99 million viewers for ESPN Saturday afternoon, which, according to Karp, is a 31% increase from 3.8 million viewers in last year’s Aer Lingus College Football Classic between Navy and then-No. 13 Notre Dame. Go back one more year, and Northwestern-Nebraska in Aviva Stadium yielded 4.42 million viewers for FOX in 2022.
Georgia Tech stunned FSU, 24-21, thanks to a game-winning, 44-yard field goal from Aidan Birr as time expired. The Yellow Jackets have now won three of their last four games against the Seminoles. What’s more, Georgia Tech’s last two wins versus AP top-10 opponents have both come against FSU.
Quarterback Haynes King and running back Jamal Haynes bulldozed their way to victory, combining for 129 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Complete with an array of counter runs, the Yellow Jackets controlled the line of scrimmage and finished the day with 190 rushing yards, including 5.3 yards per carry.
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Meanwhile, FSU — which went 13-0 and won the ACC Championship before its first loss last season — struggled to move the ball offensively. Now quarterbacked by former Clemson and Oregon State starter D.J. Uiagalelei, the Seminoles amassed only 291 total yards. Uiagalelei completed 19-of-27 passes for 193 yards. He converted a pair of fourth downs on a 15-play, game-tying touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.
That’s when Georgia Tech milked the clock while working its way into Birr’s range. The Yellow Jackets went 49 yards in 12 plays to set up Birr for the game-winning kick with just five seconds to go.
The teams combined for a mere seven drives on the day, so every possession was important. While FSU disappointed in the opener, Georgia Tech turned some heads and has already built on last season’s 7-6 campaign, Brent Key’s first go-around as full-time head coach.
The Aer Lingus College Football Classic, which debuted in 2016, has now been played three straight years. Of that trio of Dublin openers, last weekend’s thriller generated the best viewership numbers, according to Karp.
