Georgia Tech stuns North Carolina in Chapel Hill
The North Carolina Tar Heels were in an ACC Coastal battle Saturday night, where second-half struggles led the Heels to accept defeat against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
UNC started on the right foot, forcing Georgia Tech into a punt, then answered with a one-play 80-yard rushing touchdown from running back Elijah Green. The first quarter became a game of lockdown defenses, as both teams would punt, and the Yellow Jackets missed a 45-yard field goal in the process.
The second quarter showcased North Carolina’s ability to keep a drive going as they went 16 plays, taking 7:17 off the clock. The drive didn’t end with a touchdown, but it did end with three points on the board for the Heels to give them the 10-0 lead.
On Georgia Tech’s next drive, UNC’s stout defense came up with a significant turnover, with Storm Duck intercepting quarterback Taisun Phommachanh. North Carolina couldn’t turn that turnover into points, turning it over on downs in six plays.
After forcing the Yellow Jackets to their third punt, North Carolina found the end-zone again, with Green scoring his second rushing touchdown, capping off a 55-yard drive with a one-yard rushing touchdown. Georgia Tech answered right back, scoring their first points of the game with a two-yard rushing touchdown from Dontae Smith.
UNC entered the half on top, 17-7, over the Yellow Jackets.
In the second half, Georgia Tech got on the board first, scoring a touchdown off quarterback Phommachanh rushing in for a 4-yard touchdown. Following that, UNC’s struggles continued as they would go three and out in just 2:11 of action.
The struggles got worse for UNC as they struggled to find any offensive groove, with quarterback Drake Maye throwing his first interception in 196 pass attempts. Georgia State’s offense responded with a touchdown and gained the lead over UNC 21-17.
As the game began to dwindle, so did any hope UNC had left as the Yellow Jackets continued to move the chains down the field. The Yellow Jackets held on to the lead to win the game 21-17, ending UNC’s six game winning streak.
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