Duke football loses to Georgia Tech: ACC Coastal Division

Beat up by accidents on each side of the ball, Duke received a spark from its particular groups and a gutsy drive within the ultimate seconds of regulation earlier than falling brief in additional time Saturday.

After tying the rating within the ultimate seconds of regulation, Duke noticed Charlie Ham’s 52-yard field-goal try fall brief and to the left in additional time, permitting Georgia Tech to beat the Blue Devils, 23-20, at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Duke (4-2, 1-1 ACC) rallied from 14 factors down within the fourth quarter, tying the rating with eight seconds left in regulation on Riley Leonard’s landing move to Nicky Dalmolin.

Georgia Tech scored on a 37-yard Gavin Stewart discipline objective on its first possession of additional time.

On their additional time possession, the Blue Devils appeared to maneuver contained in the Georgia Tech 10 when Leonard accomplished a move to Sahmir Hagans on third-and-4 from the 19. However an offensive move interference penalty on extensive receiver Jontavis Robertson pushed Duke again to the 34.

Requested what he noticed on the penalty or what the officers advised him, Duke coach Mike Elko demurred.

“Yeah, I’m gonna wait and watch the movie on that one,” Elko mentioned.

After an incomplete move, Ham’s 52-yard field-goal strive was off track.

Trailing 20-6 halfway by the fourth quarter, Duke lastly discovered the tip zone when Hagans returned a punt 81 yards for a landing with 5:55 to play.

The Blue Devils protection, regardless of lacking beginning linebacker Shaka Heyward following a concentrating on ejection within the first half, stopped Georgia Tech on its ultimate two possessions of regulation.

After the second, Leonard engineered an 80-yard landing drive with no timeouts, connecting with Dalmolin to tie the rating. Duke was helped on that late landing drive by three Georgia Tech penalties — roughing the passer, private foul for palms to the face and a move interference.

“By way of all of it, you already know, we received the ball with two minutes left and no timeouts and put the ball down the sphere and gave ourselves an opportunity to win the sport in additional time,” Elko mentioned. “I like the battle.”

The late rally gave Duke an opportunity on a day its offense wasn’t at its finest because it was crushed up with accidents.

Duke began the sport with out its main rusher, operating again Jaylen Coleman (lower-body harm). Alongside the best way, the Blue Devils misplaced two extra beginning gamers on offense in beginning left guard Maurice McIntyre (decrease physique) and extensive receiver Jalon Calhoun (higher physique). One other operating again, Jordan Waters, was injured and left the sport within the fourth quarter.

With these three starters unavailable, Duke’s offense turned in its lowest output of the season. The Blue Devils managed a season-low 278 complete yards. Duke entered the sport averaging 35 factors and 444.2 yards of offense per recreation.

Leonard accomplished 20 of 42 passes for a measly 136 yards. He was sacked 3 times, and Georgia Tech was credited with 5 quarterback hurries. Leonard additionally threw an interception contained in the Yellow Jackets’ 10.

“I believed he battled,” Elko mentioned of Leonard. “He didn’t have his finest recreation for positive. We didn’t do the perfect job defending him for positive. We didn’t put him in the perfect conditions to achieve success at present.”

With out Coleman, and with Waters leaving the sport with an harm within the fourth quarter, the Blue Devils gained solely 142 dashing yards. The Blue Devils transformed simply 6 of 17 third downs.

That made the duty of beating the Yellow Jackets (3-3, 2-1 ACC), who’re taking part in below an interim head coach, too tough for Duke.

As a substitute, Georgia Tech received its second consecutive recreation with Brent Key teaching them following Geoff Collins’ firing.

Quarterback Jeff Sims paced Georgia Tech’s offense. In his third season as a starter, Sims fired a pair of landing passes to stake his staff to a 17-3 lead within the third quarter.

Sims accomplished 23 of 34 passes for 227 yards. He additionally rushed 17 occasions for 95 yards as Georgia Tech ran for 180 yards earlier than being injured on Georgia Tech’s first play of additional time.

For simply the second time in six video games this season, Duke fell behind within the first half. Georgia Tech took a 3-0 lead on Stewart’s 22-yard discipline objective within the first quarter and pushed its result in 10-0 when Sims fired an 18-yard landing move to Nate McCollum within the second quarter.

Duke added a Ham discipline objective, from 45 yards out with 2:03 left within the second quarter, to path 10-3 at halftime.

The rating, although, was solely a part of the dangerous information, as McIntyre and Calhoun didn’t make it to halftime.

The scenario grew worse late within the first half when Heyward was ejected on Georgia Tech’s ultimate possession of the primary half. Heyward hit Sims excessive because the Yellow Jackets quarterback began his slide on a operating play. The officers’ replay evaluate confirmed the Duke linebacker focused Sims with a helmet-to-helmet hit.

Duke was already taking part in with out linebacker Tre Freeman, who began final week’s 38-17 win over Virginia, as a consequence of a lower-body harm. Freeman is anticipated to overlook a number of video games.

A lower-body harm has restricted one other Duke linebacker, Dorian Mausi, for the previous month. He missed two of the final 4 video games and didn’t begin at Georgia Tech. However he did play in a reserve function.

This story was initially revealed October 8, 2022 7:39 PM.