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Georgia Tech Fans Storm Field After Dramatic Upset Win Over Clemson

The Yellow Jackets' Aidan Birr drilled a 55-yard field goal to send the Tigers home with a loss.

Dan Lyons

Georgia Tech fans stormed the field after their dramatic last-second win over Clemson.
Georgia Tech fans stormed the field after their dramatic last-second win over Clemson. / ESPN via Fox Sports on X
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Clemson football is accustomed to fans gathering at midfield after college football games. It isn't such a celebratory occasion for the Tigers, however, when those are rival fans hitting their home turf after a big upset win.

That was the case today in Atlanta, after a perfectly executed 55-yard field goal sent Georgia Tech past the Tigers, 24–21, in the game's final seconds. Aidan Birr drilled the game-winning kick, and moments later, thousands of Yellow Jackets fans hit the field, virtually all clad in white, making for an impressive scene at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Georgia Tech, 3–0 after the win, outlasted the Tigers in a back-and-forth battle. After going up 13–0 early, Tech saw the Tigers storm back, taking a 14–13 lead on a 73-yard touchdown from Cade Klubnik to Bryant Wesco Jr.

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After trading unsuccessful drives, Haynes King put the Yellow Jackets back on top with a one-yard touchdown run, followed by a successful two-point conversion on a Philly Special pass from Malik Rutherford to Dean Patterson. Adam Randall tied the game back up on a short touchdown run with just 3:26 remaining in the game, but that was just enough time for the Rambling Wreck to go 38 yards on 10 plays and set up the Birr game-winner.

To add some potential insult to injury, Georgia Tech officials put on "Sandstorm"—a song most often connected to Clemson's hated in-state rival South Carolina—as fans celebrated on the field.

Clemson falls to 1–2 with the loss, putting some real heat on Dabo Swinney's program, which entered the season with College Football Playoff aspirations as the ACC favorite. Instead, with a pretty light schedule until a Nov. 28 showdown with rival Georgia, Tech may have the inside track to a conference championship and playoff trip.

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Dan Lyons
DAN LYONS

Dan Lyons is a staff writer and editor on Sports Illustrated's Breaking and Trending News team. He joined SI for his second stint in November 2024 after a stint as a senior college football writer at Athlon Sports, and a previous run with SI spanning multiple years as a writer and editor. Outside of sports, you can find Dan at an indie concert venue or movie theater.

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