Georgia Tech evades upset at Boston College, comes back from double-digit deficit

“Just make it,” Birr said of his final thoughts before his game-winner. “My teammates and coaches put me in a good spot to go out and make the kick, I could feel sorry for myself about missing that kick (earlier), but at that point it didn’t matter. I gotta go out there and make that one. Credit to Marshall (Nichols) and Ronnie (Thomas) and the rest of the guys protecting me, and just credit to my teammates for believing in me.”

Tech quarterback Haynes King threw for 371 yards and a touchdown. Malachi Hosley had 107 yards in 15 carries and a score and Malik Rutherford (121) and Eric Rivers (119) each went over 100 yards receiving.

Tech’s defense survived another horrid night after allowing 537 yards.

The Jackets play their home finale next Saturday, hosting Pittsburgh (7-3, 5-1 ACC). A kickoff time for that matchup has yet to announced.

“We made that commitment at the beginning of the season, we’re gonna enjoy it when we win. But I’m also not gonna blow smoke up people’s butts either,” Tech coach Brent Key said. “Disappointed in some things in the game. Obviously, I’m excited we won, but there was also some things that we gotta continue to improve on.”

Tech had the ball to start the fourth quarter Saturday at Alumni Stadium and drove to the 11, where it had a first down. But a 2-yard run and two incompletions forced Birr to kick a 26-yard field goal, making the score 28-20.

The Jackets got within 28-26 with 7:33 on the clock, a 2-yard touchdown run from Jamal Haynes getting Tech within two. King was stuffed on the 2-point conversion try, leaving the margin at two.

Tech’s beleaguered defense forced a three-and-out and a weak punt gave the Jackets the ball at its own 44 with 6:24 left. On the next snap, Jordan Allen took a sweep around left end and was gone for a 56-yard touchdown giving Tech the lead with 6:14 on the clock.

The Eagles, of course, would not go quietly into the night. The ensuing scoring drive included a 30-yard completion on third-and-19 and a 43-yard touchdown run from Turbo Richard that gave BC a 34-33 lead with 4:09 remaining.

That proved to be way too much time for the Tech offense, which put together a 69-yard drive in nearly four minutes to set up Birr’s winning kick, his second of the season.

“Game-winning kicks are what we dream about,” Birr said. “When you kind of see the game and you kind of see it unfolding that way, I’m in my head, ‘I want it.’ That’s just something you dream about since you started kicking.”

Said King: “We had to go down and win it. We knew we were gonna run the ball, we had to pass the ball a little bit. The biggest things that everybody was saying was, ‘Protect the ball.’ Six points of pressure. We did the job and we executed plays. Got it on the perimeter a little bit and continued, moved the ball when we needed to and converted on third down. I felt like we executed it really good.”

After the two teams traded punts to start Saturday’s game, Hosley put the Jackets on the board with a 27-yard touchdown run, shedding defenders downfield while running through the middle of the BC defense. That play capped an 83-yard drive and put Tech in front 10 minutes into the game.

Boston College was knocking on the door as the first quarter ended, and had a third-and-goal at the Tech 3 to start the second quarter. The Jackets got a stop on third down, but Richard burrowed in from a yard out on fourth down to tie the game at 7-all 41 seconds into the period.

On the ensuing possession, King’s 48-yard pass to Eric Rivers had Tech at the Boston College 26, but running back Trelain Maddox fumbled the ball away on the next play.

Tech’s defense, however, forced a BC punt and the Jackets needed just four plays to score, the last of which was a 71-yard touchdown reception from Malik Rutherford. Rutherford took a tunnel screen on the left side of the field, dodged an arm tackle and then was off to the races.

The Jackets couldn’t stand the prosperity, allowing a 93-yard touchdown drive in 64 seconds toward the end of the half. Quarterback Dylan Lonergan’s 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kaelen Chudzinski tied the game at 14 with 22 seconds remaining in the half.

Boston College completed three passes of at least 14 yards on the drive and another for 40.

Tech had one last scoring chance as time expired, but Birr’s 49-yard field goal died short of the goalposts.

The Eagles totaled 268 yards of offense in the first half, averaged 7.2 yards per play and went 3 of 6 on third down. Tech’s offense had six drives, punting on two and fumbling away another.

“Halftime was a come-to-our senses meeting,” Key said. “I don’t think I can say what I said at halftime. That’s why I sound like Kermit (the Frog) right now.”

Boston College began the second half with the ball and was quickly faced with a fourth down at midfield. Richard broke off a 36-yard run, bouncing the play around left end, and one play later Jordan McDonald ran in a 14-yard touchdown to put the Eagles in front, 21-14.

Tech countered with a drive that chewed up more than seven minutes, but a third-down pass to Haynes at the BC 17 was dropped and the Jackets had to settle for a 34-yard field goal from Birr that cut the deficit to 21-17.

Boston College was ignorant of that score, marching easily the other direction with a 75-yard drive in a little more than three minutes. Lonergan found Reed Harris on an 18-yard touchdown pass, allowing the Eagles to enjoy a 28-17 lead with 1:19 left in the quarter.

That would be how the scoreboard read going into the final 15 minutes.

Lonergan, a Brookwood High School graduate, threw for 362 yards and two scores for the Eagles.