The University of North Carolina football team (3-4, ACC 0-3) suffered a 41-34 defeat against Georgia Tech (5-2, ACC 3-2) on Saturday at Kenan Stadium, marking the Tar Heels’ fourth consecutive loss this season. UNC has not secured a victory over the Yellow Jackets since 2019.
In a critical moment of the game, the North Carolina defense failed to produce a final stop that could have forced overtime. The decisive blow came when Georgia Tech’s Jamal Haynes delivered a 68-yard rushing touchdown with just 16 seconds remaining.
Junior running back Omarion Hampton was a standout for the Tar Heels, rushing for 137 of the team’s total 201 rushing yards, but his efforts were insufficient to save the game for UNC.
“It’s like Duke and Pittsburgh; we said they’re all coming down to a play,” remarked head coach Mack Brown. “There’s a thin line between winning and losing. This team’s had a lot placed on them, so we just need to keep improving.”
The first quarter began with UNC making steady advancement down the field during their opening drive, but graduate quarterback Jacolby Criswell was pressured and sacked on third and ten, resulting in a fumble that Georgia Tech recovered at the North Carolina 38-yard line.
On their ensuing drive, the Yellow Jackets quickly moved toward the end zone, culminating in a rushing touchdown from GT running back Chad Alexander with six minutes left in the first quarter.
With three and a half minutes remaining in the period, Criswell launched a career-long completion to graduate wide receiver J.J. Jones, reaching the Georgia Tech 25-yard line. A subsequent pass interference penalty and a rush from Hampton pushed the Tar Heels deeper into the red zone, where Criswell scored on a quarterback keeper.
After the first quarter ended in a 7-7 tie, UNC showcased its goal-line defense with pass break-ups and tackles for loss, limiting the Yellow Jackets to a field goal early in the second quarter, giving Georgia Tech a 10-7 lead.
Just after the two-minute warning, King found an opening in the defensive line and rushed 20 yards for a touchdown, extending Georgia Tech’s lead to 17-7.