Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets running back Jamaal Haynes celebrates with Jordan Brown after scoring a touchdown. (Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
The first game of the 2024 college football season also brought its first surprise.
Georgia Tech defeated No. 10 Florida State 24-21 in the Irish season opener, winning on a 44-yard field goal by Aidan Barr with time running out.
The Yellow Jackets were trailing by 10.5 points at the start of the game, but never let that be the case for a second and led for most of the game.
Haynes King put Georgia Tech within field goal range on the game-deciding drive, but a botched shotgun snap pushed the Yellow Jackets back to the FSU 38-yard line. But he found Eric Singleton on third down for an 11-yard gain to put the team in field goal range and set up the kick that sealed the win for Beer.
King completed 11 of 16 passes for 146 yards and rushed for 54. Running back Jamaal Haynes rushed 11 times for 75 yards and two touchdowns.
DJ Uiagalelei, making his FSU debut, completed 19 of 27 passes for 193 yards and completed two key passes on fourth down on a drive that tied the game midway through the fourth quarter, but he never took the field again as King and company drained the remaining 6 minutes, 33 seconds on the game-winning drive.
Saturday’s schedule includes four games featuring six FBS teams. Here’s a look at the rest of the day’s schedule.
Detailed schedule:
Georgia Tech 24, Florida State University 21
McNeese vs. Tarleton State | 3:30 PM ET | ESPNU
Montana State vs. New Mexico | 4:00 PM ET | FS1
North Alabama vs. Southeast Missouri State | 7:00 pm ET | ESPN
Florida A&M vs. Norfolk State | 7:30 pm ET | ABC
SMU vs. Nevada | 8pm ET | CBSSN
Delaware State vs. Hawaii | 11:59 PM ET | Spectrum Sports PPV
Live42 Update
Here’s the game-winning 44-yard kick by Aidan Barr.
Saturday, August 24, 2024 1:54 PM PDT
New Mexico 17, Montana 0
Keep in mind, FCS powerhouse Montana State came into this game as a 13.5-point favorite at BetMGM, and the Lobos have not lived up to those expectations so far.
Saturday, August 24, 2024 1:19 PM PDT
New Mexico defensive TD!
There are still college football games remaining today, but the University of New Mexico opened the scoring against Montana State by returning a fumble 41 yards.
Saturday, August 24, 2024 12:14 PM PDT Saturday, August 24, 2024 12:09 PM PDT
Great! Georgia Tech won!
Aidan Barr scores the winning goal to start the season in style!
Saturday, August 24, 2024 12:07 PM PDT
Eric Singleton makes a move in the flat to get GT back in field goal range with 21 seconds left, needing a 44-yard goal for the win.
Saturday, August 24, 2024 12:06 PM PDT
Oh no! Haynes King fumbled the shotgun snap and the Yellow Jackets fell back to the FSU 39.
Saturday, August 24, 2024, 12:03 PM PDT
GT was down 2nd and 7 at the FSU 28 and the Seminoles called a timeout.
Saturday, August 24, 2024 11:58 AM PDT
There’s 1 minute, 11 seconds left and Georgia Tech is on the edge of field goal range.
Saturday, August 24, 2024 11:53 AM PDT
With just two minutes left in this game, Tech has the ball on the FSU 39 yard line.
Saturday, August 24, 2024 11:51 AM PDT
The Yellow Jackets got going with just four minutes left in the game and broke through midfield, and Haynes King made some key plays throughout the game, including a third-down conversion that kept GT’s offense going.
Saturday, August 24, 2024 11:42 AM PDT
Touchdown, Noles!
The Seminoles got into the end zone on a 1-yard rush by Roydell Williams, a 15-play, 84-yard drive that included two game-winning passes on fourth down by DJ Uiagalelei. The Irish have a game to play.
Saturday, August 24, 2024 11:39 AM PDT
The Seminoles are putting their own drives together nicely here, as they strike on fourth down and move the ball inside GT’s red zone.
Saturday, August 24, 2024 11:30 AM PDT
Touchdown at Georgia Tech!
Once again, Jamal Haynes leapt over an opponent’s body on the goal line to give Tech the lead early in the fourth quarter.
Haynes found the end zone for the second time this afternoon, giving Georgia Tech a 21-14 lead over No. 10 FSU early in the fourth quarter. #CFB
pic.twitter.com/5bGzct0oW7
— OutOfSightSports🚀™️ (@OOSSports) August 24, 2024
Saturday, August 24, 2024 11:26 AM PDT
End of 3rd quarter: Georgia Tech 14, Florida State 14
GT’s Haynes King ran 21 yards on a draw to bring the ball to the FSU 1-yard line to end the quarter.
Saturday, August 24, 2024 11:22 AM PDT
The Yellow Jackets are moving the ball their way with chunk plays in the air, and they are now inside FSU’s red zone.
Saturday, August 24, 2024 11:18 AM PDT
But FSU’s final punt may have been the highlight of the game, as GT’s Rodney Shelley tried to catch the ball without calling for a fair catch, only to be slammed by FSU’s Edwin Joseph.
Saturday, August 24, 2024 11:15 AM PDT
The two teams traded punts, and as the third quarter approached the middle, both teams’ offenses started to slow.
Saturday, August 24, 2024 11:04 AM PDT
The Seminoles got the ball all the way to GT territory but were forced to punt, and Tech got the ball back at their own 20-yard line.
Saturday, August 24, 2024, 10:54 AM PDT
However, the drive stalled at the FSU 34 and GT’s Aidan Barr missed a 51-yard field goal, leaving the score at 14-14.