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The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets were not expected to win, but they pulled off a major upset to beat the Florida State Seminoles on Friday in Dublin, Ireland. The game was close throughout, as neither team led by more than a touchdown. Heading into the fourth quarter, the exhilarating matchup was tied 14-14 after an exciting first half.
Georgia Tech took a 21-14 lead early in the fourth quarter, but FSU responded to tie the game at 21-21. The Yellow Jackets then methodically played out time on the final drive before kicking the game-winning field goal.
With less than a minute left, Georgia Tech appeared to run out of bounds, which should have stopped the clock. It's unclear whether the runner got out of bounds before or after the whistle was blown. But the play elicited a response from the former Florida State QB-turned-analyst Danny Kanell.
He called out officials for mismanaging the clock on the play, tweeting:
"Whatever you do FSU fans, do NOT blame the loss on the refs screwing up this call by not noticing the ball carrier clearly out of bounds, which would have left probably 45 seconds on the clock for the Noles."
Florida State playoff hopes dwindle after season-opening loss to Georgia Tech
The Florida State Seminoles' surprising upset against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets re-contextualizes expectations for a team that was expected to finish first in the ACC preseason media poll.
The Mike Norvell-led squad's defensive tackle tandem and edge rushers struggled, as Georgia Tech rushed for 190 yards on 5.3 yards per carry, while the Seminoles failed to record a sack. The offensive line, which was expected to be a strength, looked inconsistent, with Georgia Tech recording seven tackles for loss.
The schedule for the Seminoles is a tough one and filled with pitfalls, including three preseason AP Top 25 teams, the 2023 conference champions and their in-state SEC rivals.
FSU doesn't play a non-FBS team until Nov. 23 and faces a daunting stretch from Sept. 28 to Oct. 26, including games against SMU, Clemson and Miami.
With little margin for error, Florida State must win to reach the ACC Championship Game to bolster their chances of a playoff berth.
The loss was even more surprising because the team was equipped with healthy players, raising concerns about their depth and ability to maintain an 11-1 record during the season.
Even a 10-2 record would put the Seminoles close to a College Football Playoff berth, but if Florida State's performance stays the same, it could be a challenge to achieve.
