Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets running back Jamal Haynes celebrates with Jordan Brown after scoring a touchdown. (Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
The first game of the 2024 college football season provided the first surprise as well.
The Yellow Jackets were 10.5-point underdogs coming into the game, but didn’t play like it for a second and led the majority of the game.
Haynes King had moved Georgia Tech into field goal range on the game-winning drive before a calamitous botched shotgun snap pushed the Yellow Jackets back to the FSU 38-yard line. But on third-and-long, he found Eric Singleton for an 11-yard gain to put them back into field goal range for Birr’s winning kick.
King finished 11-for-16 for 146 passing yards to go along with 54 rushing yards. RB Jamal Haynes rushed 11 times for 75 yards and two touchdowns.
Playing in his FSU debut, D.J. Uiagalelei was 19-for-27 with 193 passing yards and made two clutch fourth-down completions on the drive that tied the game midway through the fourth quarter. But he wouldn’t see the field again as King and Co. bled the final 6:33 off the clock on their game-winning drive.
Saturday’s slate includes four games involving six FBS teams. Here’s a look at what’s on tap for the rest of the day.
Full schedule:
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Final: SMU 29, Nevada 24
SMU gets the stop on 4th down and kneels it out and that completes the 11-point comeback! As a 27.5-point favorite, Mustangs avoid a massive upset to open the season.
SMU takes the lead!
Touchdown Mustangs! Preston Stone drops a 35-yard dime to RJ Maryland for the go-ahead score. After a failed 2-point try, SMU now leads 29-24 with 1:18 to play.
Can Nevada respond?
SMU is driving and has the ball into Nevada territory, still trailing 24-23, as we hit the 2-minute timeout in Reno. Another fun finish on the way!
Nevada 24, SMU 23
It’s a safety for the SMU defense! Anthony Booker Jr. stops Nevada’s Savion Red in his own end zone after the Wolf Pack botched the kick return and started on their own 1. Disaster for Nevada. Life for SMU with 7:19 to play.
Here was the strange kick return that set up the safety:
Nevada 24, SMU 21
SMU caps an impressive and fast-paced 98-yard drive with a 4-yard TD run by Brashard Smith. The successful 2-point try cuts the Wolf Pack lead to a field goal. 8:01 to play.
We’ve got a ballgame here!
Nevada 24, SMU 13
Savion Red takes a direct snap for a 1-yard TD run and the Wolf Pack extend their lead! The drive was kept alive by a big unsportsmanlike penalty on SMU when Nevada was punting. Mustangs have a big problem here.
Halftime: Nevada 17, SMU 10
We’re very much on upset watch in Reno. Wolf Pack (27.5-point underdog) score the go-ahead TD on Brendon Lewis’ 10-yard pass to Cortez Braham Jr. just before halftime. SMU has work to do coming out of the break.
SMU-Nevada getting heated
Hard to imagine there could be bad blood between two teams that haven’t faced off since 2009, but we’ve got some early fireworks after the whistle in Reno.
FINAL: Montana State 35, New Mexico 31
The Bobcats rally from 17 down in the 4th quarter to stun New Mexico in Albuquerque. We have our first FCS over FBS victory of the season!
Montana State takes the lead!
MSU marches down and Scottre Humphrey punches it in from 4 yards out to take a 35-31 edge over New Mexico with 10 seconds left! What a rally by the Bobcats.
New Mexico 31, Montana State 28
Whoa! Adam Jones goes 93 yards to the house for the Bobcats to cut the lead to 3 and this thing is not over yet! 4:35 to play.
Montana State still fighting
Bobcats score to cut the New Mexico lead to 31-21 early in the 4th. Is there enough time for an MSU comeback?
New Mexico 24, Montana State 14
Who has the ball!? It’s the guy running untouched to the end zone 😏
New Mexico 17, Montana State 14
MSU scores again and this thing is getting interesting.
Montana State answers with a TD
Bobcats get a needed TD to halt New Mexico’s momentum. Lobos lead cut to 17-
New Mexico 17, Montana State 0
Keep in mind, Montana State, an FCS power, entered this game as a 13.5-point FAVORITE at BetMGM. Lobos aren’t having any of that so far.
Defensive TD for New Mexico!
We’ve still got more college football today, and New Mexico got the scoring started against Montana State by returning a fumble 41 yards for a score!
Here’s the game-winning 44-yard kick by Aidan Birr:
IT’S GOOD! Georgia Tech wins it!
Aidan Birr makes the game-winner to start the season off with a bang!
