The Miami football team’s hopes of an undefeated season came crashing down with a 28-23 loss at Georgia Tech on Saturday in a game sure to shake up the College Football Playoff rankings.
No. 4 Miami (9-1, 5-1 in ACC) couldn’t find the comeback juice two weeks in a row after similarly falling behind Duke last week. Quarterback Cam Ward was stripped on a sack by Romello Height on the Hurricanes‘ final possession, and Haynes King and Eric Singleton Jr. iced the game for the Yellow Jackets.
It’s the second straight season Georgia Tech (6-4, 4-3) has upset UM. Last year, coach Mario Cristobal opted to run the ball instead of taking a knee, leading to a fumble and King leading a last-second touchdown drive.
This one might hurt even more. Miami entered with the No. 1 offense in the nation, and while Ward still put up 348 passing yards with three touchdowns, they had to work a lot more for their yards than they have all season. The Hurricanes were 3 for 10 on third downs and 1 for 4 on fourth down, missing their first three attempts.
Even with lead running back Jamal Haynes out most of the game and backup Chad Alexander missing the second half, Georgia Tech was able to move the ball efficiently. And that’s with King still battling a shoulder injury and needing to split snaps with Aaron Philo. King finished 6 of 6 for 32 yards and a touchdown but also was the Yellow Jackets’ leading rusher with 20 carries for 93 yards and another score.
Jacolby George led Miami with seven catches for 88 yards and left the field briefly twice with injuries. Defensive tackle Simeon Barrow Jr. and safety Jaden Harris both were injured in the first half, leaving the Hurricanes defense vulnerable.
Damien Martinez ran 15 times for 81 yards. Elijah Arroyo (82 yards), Xavier Restrepo (78) and Isaiah Horton (37) each caught a touchdown. Miami’s next game is Nov. 23 at home against Wake Forest.
On third down, Haynes King slung the ball to Eric Singleton for the game-winning first down. Singleton slid in bound to keep the clock running, and Miami’s undefeated season is over.
Score: Georgia Tech 28, Miami 23 | Final
Curiously, Mario Cristobal called a timeout with the clock not moving. He was sprinting to the official to call it, so he might have seen something that signified a fake punt was coming.
Georgia Tech wound up punting it away, and Miami took over at its 19-yard line. After a first-down incompletion, Cam Ward tried to buy time in the pocket, but Romello Height caught him from behind for a sack. Jordan Van Den Berg recovered to set up Georgia Tech in prime position to put the game away.
Score: Georgia Tech 28, Miami 23 | 1:48 in 4th
Aaron Philo hit Malik Rutherford on third-and-8 to keep Cam Ward from getting the ball back. But on the next third-down try, Jaylin Alderman stopped Haynes King’s keeper to take us to the 2-minute timeout. It’s fourth-and-3, and Miami has all three timeouts.
Score: Georgia Tech 28, Miami 23 | 2:00 in 4th
Miami finally converted on fourth down on its fourth try of the game. Then Cam Ward finally found his favorite target, Xavier Restrepo, for a big play, a 38-yard seed down the sideline for a touchdown.
ESPN sideline reporter Kris Budden said Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King has been bleeding from both knees throughout the game, but he’s still out there to try and ice the win for the Yellow Jackets.
Score: Georgia Tech 28, Miami 23 | 6:07 in 4th
Miami receiver Jacolby George was out for a play on their previous drive, but re-entered a play after the injury timeout. On the next possession, he caught a crucial fourth-down pass from Cam Ward and stayed on the ground after taking a big hit.
He returned to the field shortly after.
Jacolby George was briefly out with an injury, but he came back after a timeout. On fourth-and-6 from the Georgia Tech 12, Cam Ward bought time in the pocket and found Isaiah Horton in the end zone. But a holding penalty and an ineligible man downfield made it fourth-and-16 instead, and Georgia Tech sacked Ward on the next play.
Score: Georgia Tech 28, Miami 16 | 10:04 in 4th
Haynes King is killing Miami’s hopes at an undefeated season. After recovering an Eric Singleton fumble, he found Bailey Stockton for a 27-yard pass, just about doubling the Yellow Jackets’ passing yardage total for the day. King then ran in a 5-yard touchdown to put the Hurricanes on alert.
Score: Georgia Tech 28, Miami 16 | 13:09 in 4th
Trey Cooley had his facemask grabbed by C.J. Clark on a handoff, but that was only the first personal foul on the play. Defensive lineman Ahmad Moton Sr. then leveled Cooley under the facemask, sending his helmet flying. Moton was ejected for targeting.
Cam Ward looks like he’s starting to get hot. After starting Miami’s drive with an incompletion, he hit on his next five attempts. His next pass went over Jacolby Geroge’s head, but Georgia Tech was called for pass interference. Ward then found Isaiah Horton on a gorgeous lob in the corner for a much-needed touchdown.
Ward was strip-sacked on the 2-point conversion, so the Hurricanes are still down by a touchdown.
Score: Georgia Tech 21, Miami 16 | 2:43 in 3rd
Haynes King led another methodical drive down the field for Georgia Tech with three runs for 28 yards. The Yellow Jackets finished it with backup quarterback Aaron Philo’s first career touchdown pass, a 15-yard lob to Chase Lane over Daryl Porter Jr. Miami will need another rally like they had last week against Duke to stay undefeated.
Score: Georgia Tech 21, Miami 10 | 6:46 in 3rd
Miami started the second half with solid runs by Damien Martinez, but once again they faltered around midfield. Facing fourth-and-1 on the Georgia Tech 39, Cam Ward faked a handoff to Mark Fletcher Jr., then rolled left to pass. But Fletcher wasn’t ready to receive down the sideline, and Ward held onto the ball longer than he meant to, floating a pass that fell incomplete at Fletcher’s feet.
Score: Georgia Tech 14, Miami 10 | 11:17 in 3rd
Miami safety Jaden Harris seemed to favor his side after diving for an interception attempt late in the second quarter. A few plays earlier, Georgia Tech running back Chad Alexander had his ankle rolled on by a few linemen. The Yellow Jackets are already out starting RB Jamal Haynes the rest of the game with a concussion.
Cam Ward again failed to convert on a third down, forcing Miami to punt near midfield on their final possession of the first half. Haynes King scrambled for 30 yards to give the Yellow Jackets another chance to score before the half, but the drive sputtered from there.
Ward goes into the locker room 9 of 18 for 133 yards and the 74-yard bomb to Elijah Arroyo. Damien Martinez has seven carries for 42 yards, while Xavier Restrepo has just two catches for 22 yards. The Hurricanes are 1 for 5 on third downs and are being outgained 209-198.
Haynes King and Aaron Philo are just 5 of 8 for 20 yards, but the Jackets have 183 yards rushing. Jamal Haynes is still the leading rusher with 83 yards and a touchdown, but he’s out with a concussion. King has 10 carries for 55 yards. Miami will start the second half with the ball.
Score: Georgia Tech 14, Miami 10 | Halftime
The vaunted Miami offense has looked sluggish aside from the big play on their opening drive. Facing fourth-and-3 on the Georgia Tech 23, the Hurricanes opted to go for it, but Cam Ward was slung to the ground as he flung a pass that fell incomplete. Ward is 7 of 14 for 123 yards, but he has missed some prime opportunities for bigger plays.
Score: Georgia Tech 14, Miami 10 | 2:12 in 2nd
Miami defensive tackle Simeon Barrow Jr. left the game in the first quarter with a knee injury. He has not yet returned and was seen on the sideline with a brace on his left knee. Barrow is Miami’s leader with 5.5 sacks this season.
Score: Georgia Tech 14, Miami 10 | 7:54 in 2nd
Georgia Tech held onto the ball for 10:45 between the first and second quarters as Haynes King and Aaron Philo split snaps at quarterback. Sometimes they were on the field at the same time.
King showed he was still capable of throwing short passes as the Yellow Jackets slowly moved the ball downfield. A 5-yard pass to Malik Rutherford put the Yellow Jackets back on top.
Score: Georgia Tech 14, Miami 10 | 12:02 in 2nd
Cam Ward couldn’t quite finish off the Hurricanes’ ensuing drive with a touchdown, just missing Sam Brown Jr. in the end zone. Andres Borregales’ 41-yard field goal gave Miami the lead.
Georgia Tech running back Jamal Haynes went into the blue medical tent for a possible concussion after he was hit in the head and was seen on the following possession without his helmet on the sideline. ESPN sideline reporter Kris Budden said Haynes was seen giving away his gloves. Quarterback Haynes King did return to the game, though. It’s unknown whether that’s strategic or if by necessity after Haynes’ exit.
Score: Miami 10, Georgia Tech 7 | 5:45 in 1st
Several injury concerns popped up right after the kickoff. Freshman Aaron Philo came onto the field in place of quarterback Haynes King. He handed off to Jamal Haynes, who was tended to on the field after the tackle. Miami’s Simeon Barrow Jr. also stayed on the turf after the play with an injury.
Score: Miami 7, Georgia Tech 7 | 11:54 in 1st
Defense is optional once again in a Miami football game. After Mark Fletcher Jr. ran for a minimal gain, Cam Ward seemingly threw a dart behind Sam Brown Jr., but it was directly at tight end Elijah Arroyo in stride, running it untouched for a 74-yard touchdown. That’s 30 touchdowns for Ward on the season.
Score: Miami 7, Georgia Tech 0 | 11:57 in 1st
Georgia Tech started with the ball. ESPN sideline reporter Kris Budden said the decision to start Haynes King was made minutes before the team exited the locker room before kickoff. She said he can’t reinjure the shoulder running the ball and throwing was the only question.
On the second play of the game, Jamal Haynes took a read option handoff up the middle for 65 yards. Soon after, he took another handoff up the middle for a 16-yard touchdown. The threat of King has opened up a ton of space in the Miami defense.
Score: Georgia Tech 7, Miami 0 | 12:49 in 1st
Would the “College GameDay” cast pick Georgia Tech to knock off Miami for the second year in a row? As Lee Corso would say, not so fast, my friend!
It’s time for kickoff.
Miami quarterback Cam Ward is one of the favorites to win the 2025 Heisman Trophy, along with Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Here are the players with the best odds to win the Heisman according to BetMGM:
Haynes King seems to be in line to be the Georgia Tech starting quarterback today vs. Miami. The dual-threat QB has missed the Yellow Jackets’ past two games with a shoulder injury, but was seen taking snaps with the starting center about 35 minutes before kickoff.
Without King, Georgia Tech has scored a combined 19 points in road losses to Notre Dame and Virginia Tech. His return would be a significant boost to their upset chances today.
ESPN’s “College GameDay” judged a handful of teams on a sliding scale from “long shot” to “playoff worthy” and “championship contender.” Where did Miami land? Not all the way at the top, according to Desmond Howard.
“I think Cam Ward’s got a lot of magic in him, a lot of heroism,” Howard said. “I love what they’re doing on offense, but the defense, I don’t think that’s a championship-worthy defense.”
Miami is wearing orange jerseys and pants with white helmets today at Georgia Tech.
Miami defensive back Damari Brown has been out with a lower-body injury since the season-opener vs. Florida. Defensive back Jadais Richard injured his leg last week vs. Duke and is out today.
Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King has missed the past two games with a shoulder injury. He is questionable for today’s game, and he was seen throwing passes during warmups about 90 minutes before kickoff.
Georgia Tech running back Trey Cooley is out, while Chad Alexander and Trelain Maddox are questionable. Tight end Brett Seither is also also with Ryland Goede listed as questionable.
Miami vs. Georgia Tech will broadcast nationally on ESPN in Week 11 of the 2024 college football season. Bob Wischusen and Louis Riddick will call the game from the booth at Bobby Dodd Stadium, with Kris Budden reporting from the sidelines. Streaming options for the game include ESPN+ and Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
The 2024 Hurricanes boast five preseason All-ACC players, the most of any team. They are led by quarterback Cam Ward, a Washington State transfer and the preseason ACC Player of the Year. The other selections: receiver Xavier Restrepo, defensive end Rueben Bain Jr., linebacker Francisco Mauigoa and kicker Andres Borregales.
The 2024 Yellow Jackets are led by quarterback Haynes King, who has 1,568 yards and eight touchdowns passing plus 353 yards and six TDs rushing. Running back Jamal Haynes is ninth in the ACC with 598 rushing yards, and wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. is tied for eighth with 546 receiving yards..
Jason Fragoza, College Football Network: Miami 38, Georgia Tech 16
“Of course, facing a Miami defense tied for 11th in sacks per game (3.00) in your return from injury isn’t ideal. Opposing teams have needed to air it out to keep pace with Cam Ward and Co., as the ‘Canes rank eighth in run defense (95.2 YPG). Can King’s shoulder hold up? I wouldn’t bet my hard-earned money on it. Thus, take Miami to win and cover with the total going under, especially if Georgia Tech trots out a combination of Zach Pyron and Aaron Philo at QB.”
Game lines and odds from BetMGM as of Thursday:
Weather.com predicts 69 degrees with cloudy skies at kickoff in Atlanta. Winds are expected to blow out of the east at 11 mph. There is about a 5% chance of rain that increases to 15% by 3 p.m.
*- ACC game
*- ACC game
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
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