ATLANTA- Georgia Tech shocked the college football world with a 28-23 win over #4 Miami in Bobby Dodd Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Jackets beat the Canes as a big underdog for the second straight year and led the game from the second quarter on putting away Miami late with some key defensive stops and a final score to start the fourth quarter.

Tech improved to 6-4 on the season and 4-3 in ACC play while Miami fell to 9-1 and 5-1 in league play. Head coach Brent Key improved to 6-1 against ranked ACC teams as a head coach and the Jackets improved to 4-0 in Bobby Dodd Stadium this season marking the longest home win streak for the Jackets time since an eight-game win streak from mid-2016 to part of 2017.

"First off I just want to say that this was a credit to this coaching staff. We talk about the players all the time and rightfully so, but credit to this coaching staff and the game plans they put together. It was complimentary football and we knew we had to play that way to win," Key said. "I stood in front of the team Sunday night after practice and everyone took a knee and I talked about capacity. What is your max capacity and can you increase your capacity? Can we make a 10% increase in our capacity over the week?"

It was the first win for Tech over a top 5 team since the 2009 season when the Jackets also knocked off a fourth-ranked team Virginia Tech on October 17, 2009. The win snapped a 13-game losing skid against top 5 opponents.

"We had a quiet confidence all week," Key said of his team, "If we just went out there and did our job and played four individual quarters, one play at a time within those individual quarters and reset at halftime like it was a new game, we knew we had a good game plan and we just had to execute it."

The big question going into the game was whether quarterback Haynes King would be able to play after missing two games and most of the fourth quarter of the North Carolina game as well with a shoulder injury. King started the game, but alternated with freshman Aaron Philo depending on the down and distance and playcall.

"We were hopeful," Key said of King's status going into the game. "We practiced yesterday and we were waiting to see in pre-game warmups what he'd be able to do and we knew we were going to have to piece together a game together. It is something that we've done before. There was a little bit of just the flow of the guys in and out early in the game and getting that going."

Tech used two quarterbacks in 2022 when Key was the interim head coach to knock off

King was limited throwing the ball, but he said he was not going to miss this game.

"I was telling (Coach Key) I was playing. I was going to fight through it no matter what role I was going to play because I wanted to play whether or not my should was ready or not. I knew a big part of my role was going to be operating the offense and having some run plays as well," King said.

King was 6-6 passing for 32 yards and a touchdown, but his legs were his biggest weapon. He ran for 93 yards on 20 carries and the game-clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter.

"(Haynes) is pretty special in my book," Key said. "There was no way he was missing this game and I don't care what we kept saying."

The true freshman Philo was 5-10 passing for 67 yards including two big fourth quarter passes to extend drives. Philo said he was prepared for the way they were going to rotate and he just wanted to execute the gameplan offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner and the offensive staff put together.

"It was kind of a thing early in the week," Philo said of the two-QB system. "We knew what the game plan was going to be and the coaches put together a great game plan and we executed it," Philo said.

It was the Tech run game against a stout Miami run defense that was the difference and it started from the first drive of the game. Miami opted to defer and Jamal Haynes broke off a 65-yard run on the second play of the game. Haynes scored on that drive, but was injured on Tech's second drive and didn't return.

Chad Alexander came in off the bench and ran three times for 18 yards before leaving with an injury as well. That moved the Jackets down to Trey Cooley who had not played since the season opener against FSU when he got hurt on the first kick return of the game and freshman Anthony Carrie Jr. Cooley ran for 26 yards on six carries in his offensive debut of his final season on the Flats.

Tech ran for 271 yards on 48 carries for a 5.6 yards per carry average. King said he thanked the offensive line during the game for their work upfront against a stout Miami defense.

"Shout out to the offensive line. We wouldn't have had a game like this and being that successful running the football and operating the offense it it wasn't for them, those five guys up front did a helluva job," King said. "I kept looking them each and every one of them in the eyes and I was like let's find a way and there are no more excuses. We are gonna find a way to win this one."

Malik Rutherford had 28 yards receiving and a touchdown and both Rutherford and Singleton were big in the run game on jet-sweeps. Singleton racked up 34 yards on six rushes to go with his two catches for 14 yards.

It was Singleton's second catch that proved the game-winner. He slid to the ground after picking up a first down allowing the Jackets to take two knees to end the game.

Georgia Tech's defense went with the plan to make Miami one-dimensional. The Canes entered the game rushing for over 200 yards a game and were held to 106 yards on 24 carries. Star running back Damian Martinez ran for just 81 yards on 15 carries.

Key was pleased with the work of his defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci and his staff as they held Miami in check throughout the game.

"The results speak for themselves," Key said of the defense. "We still have a long way to go from building the defense, having all the different answers to things. We have to continue recruiting which is so important and vital for us, but week-to-week we've shown so much improvement. We held them to 88 yards rushing for a team that is averaging just under 200 a game. You've got make teams one-dimensional and we were able to do that and we had a game plan to take certain players out of the same from a schematic standpoint. I've been extremely pleased with Tucc and his staff and what they've been able to do."

Heisman candidate quarterback Cam Ward did his part for Miami passing for 348 yards and three touchdowns but he was sacked three times including a strip sack on the final drive by Tech defensive end Romello Height that Jordan van den Berg recovered to ice the game or the Jackets.

"It was like a dream come true," Height said of his game-winning play. "You play college ball and you live for moments like this. That play, man, I'm gonna forever look back on it."

It was the second straight game that Height had a strip sack.

Tech came into the game with a plan to slow down Miami and they held star receiver Xavier Restrepo to 78 yards on four catches with a touchdown.

The pass defense played well despite several key injuries including starting shutdown corner Warren Burrell and starting nickel Syeed Gibbs who did not dress due to injuries. The Jackets shuffled the lineup moving nickel Rodney Shelley to corner for Burrell and safety Clayton Powell-Lee moved into the nickel spot for Gibbs.

The revamped Tech defense held Miami to 3-10 on third downs and 1-4 on fourth downs. The lone fourth-down conversion came on their final scoring drive. Two of the fourth down stops came around the red zone with one in the red zone for a turnover on downs and another just outside the red zone at the GT28 with a little over 10 minutes left in the game.

Reserve defensive back Omar Daniels who moved from nickel to safety after several injuries in the secondary led the team with eight tackles, third down PBU that stopped a potential scoring drive and a TFL. Daniels said with Burrell out he wanted to step up for the team.

"I was excited to be back on the field and I knew had I had to step up for my brothers because Warren Burrell was down and I was going to have to play my best game. I can't thank the crowd more. The crowd had me hyped," Daniels said.

Starting Tech middle linebacker Kyle Efford had a key sack of Ward that helped Tech burn off more clock on Miami's final scoring drive. Efford had missed the last two games with a shoulder injury.

The only big explosive Miami hit was a first quarter 76-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Arroyo that came on a funky play that looked like the ball was intended for a receiver closer to the LOS and slipped behind the defense that moved up to make a play on that receiver.

On special teams, Aidan Birr hit all of his PATs and had four of his five kicks turn into touchbacks. The one returned kickoff only went 17 yards to the UM17.

David Shanahan had one of his best games punting for 220 yards on five punts with one inside the 20 that helped set up the defensive stand that won the game.

The one lowlight as the kick return game as Singleton had three kick returns for 47 yards with the longest return going to the GT17. That impacted field position greatly.

Of note, defensive ends and outside linebacker coach Kyle Pope injured his leg when he got rolled up during pre-game warmups. He had to be carried into the coaches box during the game and stayed up there during halftime. Key said he didn't have an injury update on him and hadn't seen anything like that happen.

Miami won the toss and deferred to the second half. Eric Singleton returned the opening kickoff to the GT15. Singleton lost one yard on a pop pass on first down. Jamal Haynes ran 65 yards on the next play to the UM21. King moved the Jackets into the red zone on a five-yard run to the UM16. Haynes went 16 yards on the next play to put the Jackets up 7-0 on Miami after an Aidan Birr PAT.

After a touchback on Birr’s kickoff, Miami started at their own 25. Mark Fletcher Jr. ran for one yard on first and then Cam Ward connected with Elijah Arroyo on a 74-yard touchdown on a play where two receivers crossed deep downfield to tie the game at 7.

Singleton had another short kickoff return of 17 yards to the GT17. Aaron Philo entered the game at quarterback. Haynes ran for two yards on first down and both Haynes and Miami DT Simeon Barrow left the game with injuries. Singleton caught a short pass for three yards on the next play. Daryl Porter Jr. broke up a third-down pass for Malik Rutherford to force a punt. David Shanahan’s punt went 45 yards and Christian Pritchett drilled Ray Ray Joseph for no gain at the UM33.

Cam Ward’s first down pass was batted down at the LOS. Ward hit Samuel Brown for 14 yards and a first down near midfield. Fletcher slipped on the next play for a four-yard gain. Ward connected with Xavier Restrepo for 21 yards to the GT35. Ward overshoot Brown in the end zone on the next play. Fletcher ran for five yards to set up third and five at the GT23. Ward threw the ball away on third down to set up a 41-yard field goal by Andres Borregales. The field goal put Miami up 10-7 with 7:47 left in the first quarter.

The Miami kick was a touchback and GT started at the 25. King after losing three yards on first down, picked up nine on a pass to Jackson Hawes. Rutherford picked up the first down on a jet-sweep. Singleton ran for six yards. King picked up three yards on a QB keeper to the GT45. King picked up four yards on first down to the UM49. King ran two more times to convert to the UM42. Philo and King both were in the backfield on the next play which failed to gain. Miami declined a penalty on an illegal shift on a short run by Philo setting up third and nine. Philo scrambled for 12 yards for a first down. King ran for one yard. Chad Alexander ran for 21 yards to the UM7. A false start backed up gT and Singleton ran for eighty yards to the UM4. Alexander was bottled up for a loss on the next play then King hit Rutherford for a five-yard touchdown to put Tech up 14-10 over Miami with 12:02 left in the half. The scoring drive was 17 plays and took up 10:45 of game time.

After a touchback on the kickoff, Damian Martinez ran for nine yards on his first carry of the day. Martinez picked up the first down on the next play to the UM37. Ahmari Harvey was called for defensive holding on the next play to move UM to the 47. Martinez picked up four yards on the next play to the GT49, Ward overshot Isiah Horton on second down to set up third and six. Sylvain Yondjouen pressured Ward on third down to force a throwaway and Miami was forced to punt for the first time. Bailey Stockton fair caught the Miami punt at the GT11.

Anthony Carrie ran for two yards on first down and King ran for six yards on second down. Rutherford caught a short pass and it was reviewed for targeting by the booth. It was ruled no targeting and GT was forced to punt for the second time. Shanahan’s punt was downed at the UM33 after 47 yards.

Martinez ran for four yards on first down and Ward scrambled for seven yards and a first down to the UM44. Horton hauled in a seven-yard pass and then Martinez picked up the first down on a good run to the GT41. Martinez ran for five yards on first down and Ward missed on a shot to Restrepo setting up third and five at the GT36. Ward hit Horton for a first down at the GT30. Omar Daniels had a TFL on a throwback screen on the first down. Ward scrambled for six yards to set up third and five at the GT25. The screen to Horton failed to pick up the first down and Miami went for it on fourth and three, Sylvain Yondjouen forced Ward to throw the ball away and a turnover on downs.

Tech took over at the GT23 with Philo at quarterback. Alexander lost two yards on first down and left the game with an injury. Philo missed on a deep shot for Singleton on second down just underthrowing the ball rolling to his left. Rutherford dropped a third-down pass to force a Shanahan punt. A hold wiped out Miami’s short return and set the Canes up at their own 28 with 1:38 left.

Ward hit Jacolby George for nine yards on first down and Martinez picked up the first down with a nine-yard run. Ward overshot George on first down from the UM46. Restrepo picked up one yard on a screen that Daniels sniffed out. Mario Cristobal burned his first timeout ahead of 3rd and 9 with 57 seconds left and GT used their second timeout as well. Daniels broke up the third down pass for Brown and forced Miami to punt. The punt was downed at the GT9 with 42 seconds left in the half.

King ran for 30 yards on first down to the GT39. Philo tried a QB follow but was stopped at the LOS for no gain and Tech used their final timeout. Carrie ran for two yards to end the half.

After nearly fumbling the opening kickoff, Miami started at their own 25 on a touchback. Martinez ran two times for 22 yards just short of midfield. Martinez was bottled up on second down at the UM48 to set up third and short. Martinez picked up the first down with a four yard run to the GT48. Tren Tatum stood up Martinez on first down. Martinez ran two times for nine yards to set up fourth and one at the GT39. Ward couldn’t find his running back on fourth down and the Canes turned it over on downs.

Tech started at their own 39 with the best field position of that day through the third quarter. King ran to midfield on first down for 11 yards. Singleton ran for nine yards on first down to the UM41. King picked up five yards to the UM36 on the next play and a first down. Trey Cooley on his first touch of the season ran for eight yards to the UM28. King ran for 12 yards on the next play to the UM16. Carrie ran for one yard. Philo after missing Singleton in the end zone hit Chase Lane for a 15-yard touchdown to put Tech up two scores 21-10 on Miami with 6:46 left.

Abdul Janneh had a great open-field tackle on the kickoff return by Chris Johnson Jr. after just 17 yards. Ward on first down was flushed by Romello Height and Sylvain Yondjouen and forced to throw the ball away. Daniels stuck Arroyo short of the sticks to force third and short from the UM26. Martinez converted on a short run to the UM29. A pair of short passes to George moved the ball to the UM44. Horton hauled in a 14-yard pass to cross midfield to the GT42. Ward hit Restrepo for 18 yards to the GT22. Zachary Tobe picked up a pass inference to move the Canes to the GT8. Ward connected with Horton on an 8-yard touchdown pass on the next play. Kyle Efford had a strip sack on Ward on the two-point conversion attempt making it 21-16 Georgia Tech with 2:43 remaining.

After the touchback on the kickoff, Tech started at their own 25 with King at quarterback. Singleton took a jet-sweep for 16 yards on first down to the GT41. Cooley ran for four yards. Cooley on the next play got drilled by Ahman Moten Sr. who was ejected for targeting. That moved the ball to the UM37. King fumbled the jet-sweep on the next play for a four yard loss to the UM41. King was dropped for a loss on the next play to end the third quarter. On third and 17, Philo hit Bailey Stockton for 27 yards and a first down at the UM18. King ran for nine yards on first down to the UM9 and then hit Cooley on a play-action pass for four yards to set up first and goal. King scored on the next play on a five-yard run. Birr hit the PAT to put Tech up 28-16 with 13:09 left.

After a touchback on the kickoff, Miami started at their own 25. Ward hit George for 24 yards on first down to near midfield. Ward hit Fletcher for 14 yards to the GT16. Efford had a QB hit on Ward to force a throw away on first down. George went down with an injury on a three-yard screen pass on the next play setting up 3rd and 7 at the GT13. Tech stuffed the Canes for one yard on a pass to Brown to set up fourth and six. A hold on fourth down wiped out a Canes touchdown. Height and Thomas Gore sacked Ward on fourth down to force a turnover on downs.

King came in at QB and ran for one yard on first down. Rutherford caught a screen from Philo on second down. Key had to use his second timeout thanks to an officiating error as the play clock ran down too low to run a play. Philo threw the third down pass just behind Singleton leading to Shanahan punt that was fair caught at the UM22.

Efford sacked Ward on first down for -10 yards but left the game with an injury. Fletcher dropped a pass out of the backfield on second down to set up third and 20. Ward hit Fletcher for 13 yards and then converted on a fourth down pass to George at the UM40. Harvey blasted George after the catch from behind and George had to leave the game. Brown picked up a first down at the GT48 on a pass. Martinez picked up a first down on a delayed release catch out of the backfield for 10 yards to the GT38. Ward hit Restrepo for a 38-yard touchdown on the next play. After the PAT, Miami trailed 28-23 with 6:07 to go.

Singleton took the sky kick out of the end zone just 15 yards to put the Jackets at the GT15. King picked up two yards on first down. Carrie was dropped for no gain on second down. Philo under pressure hit Rutherford for 16 yards to the GT33 and a first down. Cooley ran two times for nine yards to set up third and short. King was stopped for a two yard loss on the next play to set up fourth and three. Key sent the punt team out and Cristobal called a timeout. Shanahan’s 41-yard punt rolled out at the UM19.

Tobe broke up the first down pass from Ward to Horton. Height strip sacked Ward on the next play and JJ van den Berg recovered the ball.

Tech started the next drive at the UM17. Cooley ran for two yards and Cristobal called a timeout with 1:32 left. King ran for no gain on second down and Miami used their final timeout with 1:29 remaining. Singleton picked up the first down on a pop pass for 11 yards and slid down. Tech took two knees to end it.