Eye-Opening Win: Yellow Jackets Sting Seminoles in Ireland

© Tom Maher/INPHO via USA TODAY Sports

We've reached the start of the 2024 college football season and this year we saw an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup in the Aer Lingus Classic in Ireland. The 10th-ranked Florida State Seminoles took the field against the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech. The result was a hard-fought battle that saw the Yellow Jackets sting the Seminoles, 24-21 with a field goal as time expired.

This game gave fans a great battle, with several ties and lead changes. For the Seminoles, it gave fans a chance to see how the new additions to the team looked. For the Yellow Jackets, the team showed a lot of growth in Year 2 of a new offense. Heading into the game, both the Seminoles and Yellow Jackets knew it would be a battle and the game lived up to it.

Battle of Attrition

The Seminoles and Yellow Jackets clashed in a battle of attrition, with several lead changes and the game tied at 21-21 late in the fourth quarter. Some of the highlights for the Seminoles were kicker Ryan Fitzgerald blasting two field goals—one of 52 yards and one of 59 yards in the first half. The 59-yard field goal tied the game at 14-14 going into halftime. For FSU quarterback DJ Uiagalelei and the Seminoles, a key 15-play drive brought the game even at 21-21 with several key plays on fourth down.

Turning Point

With the Yellow Jackets in possession of the ball in Seminoles territory, the defense had pushed them to a third-and-long situation after a bad snap for the offense that resulted in a 10-yard loss. On the very next play, Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King remained poised and found wide receiver Eric Singleton for a crucial 12-yard reception to bring the Yellow Jackets back to field goal range for kicker Aidan Burr. Burr then nailed the 44-yard FG as time expired to give Georgia Tech the upset win.

What the Upset Means

For the Yellow Jackets, this was a signature win against one of the top teams in the ACC and defending conference champion Seminoles. The Yellow Jackets took care of business, led by their dynamic duo of King and running back Jamal Haynes. The win will give the Yellow Jackets a lot of confidence heading into next week's game and as they get ready for their ACC schedule.

For the Seminoles, it is a difficult loss. It was a close hard-fought game for the full 60 minutes. The Seminoles learned a good deal about themselves and the team will continue to improve. There is enough here to build off and learn from. The Seminoles will now have a week to regain their form before their next ACC game against Boston College on Sept. 2. The game now carries more importance for the Seminoles as they are 0-1 on the season. An 0-2 to start could be too big of a hole to climb out of.

© Tom Maher/INPHO via USA TODAY Sports

This was going to be a hard-fought win. The Yellow Jackets are a solid team that wants to make the jump and the Seminoles are finding their identity after a roster overhaul.