Georgia Tech vs. UCF Football: A Gridiron History
The football history between Georgia Tech and UCF, though relatively short, is marked by interesting coaching connections and competitive matchups. This article delves into the history of the series, highlighting key games, coaching overlaps, and the recent Gasparilla Bowl clash.
A Series Overview
The series between Georgia Tech and UCF is relatively young, with only five games played to date. Georgia Tech holds a 4-2 lead in the all-time series. The teams first met in 1996, and have had intermittent matchups since then.
The O'Leary Connection
A significant subplot in the Georgia Tech-UCF rivalry is the shared coaching history of George O'Leary. O'Leary served as the head coach at Georgia Tech from 1994 (interim) until 2001, amassing a 52-33 record. During his time with the Yellow Jackets, he faced UCF twice, in 1996 and 1999.
O'Leary later took over the UCF program in 2004, inheriting a team that went 0-11 in his first year. He transformed the Knights into a formidable program, leading them to multiple double-digit win seasons and BCS bowl appearances. O'Leary's tenure at UCF concluded in 2015, with an overall record of 81-68.
Previous Matchups
- 1996: Georgia Tech won their first-ever matchup against UCF in Atlanta by a score of 27-20.
- 1999: Georgia Tech again defeated UCF in Atlanta, with a score of 41-10.
- 2020: UCF visited Georgia Tech, a week after the Yellow Jackets' victory over Florida State. The Knights' offense dominated, racking up nearly 700 yards, with quarterback Dillon Gabriel throwing for four touchdowns. UCF won.
- 2022: UCF was defeated by Georgia Tech 27-10 on Sept. 24, in Orlando.
The 2023 Gasparilla Bowl
The most recent encounter between the two teams was in the 2023 Gasparilla Bowl, played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Georgia Tech emerged victorious, defeating UCF 30-17.
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Game Summary
UCF started strong, taking an early lead of 14-0 and extending it to 17-3. However, Georgia Tech responded, scoring 14 unanswered points to tie the game by halftime. The Yellow Jackets dominated the second half, outscoring UCF and securing the win.
Key Performances
- Jamal Haynes (Georgia Tech): Haynes was named the Gasparilla Bowl MVP, rushing for a career-high 128 yards on 18 carries.
- Haynes King (Georgia Tech): King passed for a touchdown and rushed for another, contributing significantly to the Yellow Jackets' offense.
- Kyle Efford (Georgia Tech): Efford led the Yellow Jackets' defense with nine tackles.
- Ahmari Harvey (Georgia Tech): Harvey sealed the victory with an interception in the fourth quarter.
Team Notes from the 2023 Gasparilla Bowl
- The bowl victory was Georgia Tech’s first since its 33-18 win over Kentucky in the 2016 TaxSlayer (Gator) Bowl.
- Georgia Tech moved into 26-20 all-time in bowl games.
- Georgia Tech moved into a tie with Clemson, Nebraska and Ohio State for 10th all-time with 26 bowl wins.
- Georgia Tech moved into 11th all-time with a .565 bowl winning percentage (min. 15 bowl wins).
- The win was Georgia Tech’s third in its last four bowl games.
- The 14-point deficit is also tied for the fourth-largest that Georgia Tech has ever overcome in any win and the largest deficit that the Yellow Jackets have overcome since they trailed 17-0 in last season’s 21-17 win at No. 11 North Carolina (Nov. 19, 2022).
- Georgia Tech moved to 4-3 this season when its opponent scored first.
- Georgia Tech closed the season with wins in four of its last six games.
- Georgia Tech moved to 4-2 all-time against UCF.
- After UCF gained 243 yards and scored 17 points on its first four possessions, Georgia Tech held UCF scoreless and limited the Knights to 181 yards over their final seven possessions.
- After Georgia Tech was held scoreless on its first two possessions, it scored on seven of its final nine possessions (not including kneel-downs at the end of the end of each half).
- Georgia Tech held a 2-1 edge in turnover margin and moved to 7-2 this season when it was even or better in turnover margin.
- The win was Georgia Tech’s second in three all-time games at Raymond James Stadium.
Individual Notes from the 2023 Gasparilla Bowl
- 2023 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl MVP Jamal Haynes (r-So. RB) ran a career-high 128 yards on just 18 carries (7.1 avg.).
- The 100-yard rushing game was Haynes’ fourth of the season and his career.
- Haynes finished the season with 1,059 rushing yards, good for the first 1,000-yard rushing season by a Yellow Jacket since QB Ta’Quon Marshall (1,146) and RB KirVonte Benson (1,053) both went over the 1,000-yard mark in 2017.
- Haynes’ 1,059 rushing yards are the 15th-most in Georgia Tech single-season history.
- r-So. QB Haynes King finished the season with 2,842 passing yards, 737 rushing yards, 27 touchdown passes and 10 touchdown runs. Since 2000, the only other ACC quarterbacks that have had at least those same numbers in a season are Louisville’s Lamar Jackson (2016 and 2017), Virginia Tech’s Jerod Evans (2016) and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson (2015).
- King set a new Georgia Tech single-season record with 37 touchdowns responsible for, breaking the previous record of 35 set by Joe Hamilton in 1999.
- King’s 2,842 passing yards are the fourth-most in Georgia Tech single-season history and the most since George Godsey’s school-record 3,085 in 2001.
- King’s 27 touchdown passes are the second-most in Georgia Tech single-season history, behind only Hamilton’s school-record 29 in 1999.
- King’s 3,578 yards of total offense are the second-most in Georgia Tech single-season history, behind only Hamilton’s 3,794 in 1999.
- King’s 737 rushing yards are tied for the sixth-most by a quarterback in Georgia Tech single-season history and the most since Marshall’s 971 in 2018.
- King’s 10 touchdown runs are tied for the sixth-most by a quarterback in Georgia Tech single-season history and the most since Tobias Oliver’s 11 in 2018.
- r-Fr. LB Kyle Efford had a team-high nine tackles and finished the season with team-high 81 stops. Despite not entering the starting lineup until the seventh game of the season, Efford became the first freshman to lead Georgia Tech in tackles since Daryl Smith tied for the team lead with 99 tackles in 2000 and is the first freshman to lead the Yellow Jackets outright since Ricardo Wimbush in 1999 (91).
- r-Fr. DL Horace Lockett’s forced fumble in the first quarter was the first of his career.
- r-Sr. DB Myles Sims’ recovery of Lockett’s forced fumble was his first fumble recovery of the season and third of his career.
- r-So. DB Ahmari Harvey’s interception in the fourth quarter was his third of the season and third of his career.
- Harvey’s three total passes defended (2 PBU, 1 INT) were a career-high.
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