The No. 4 ranked Miami Hurricanes were unable to secure a comeback, losing 28-23 to Georgia Tech. This defeat has complicated the College Football Playoff picture and the ACC championship race with just three weeks remaining in the season.

Despite narrowly avoiding prior upset losses against teams like California, Virginia Tech, Louisville, and Duke, the Hurricanes managed to score a touchdown with six minutes left in the game but could not reclaim the lead during their final drive starting with under two minutes on the clock.

From their own 19-yard line and facing a second down after a missed pass, Miami quarterback Cam Ward attempted to find an opening against a three-man rush. However, the pressure led to him being sacked, resulting in a fumble that was recovered by the Yellow Jackets.

Georgia Tech has now won two consecutive matchups against Miami. Last year, the Hurricanes could have locked in a win with under a minute to go but fumbled the ball, allowing the Yellow Jackets to score a game-winning 44-yard touchdown pass.

This is the second victory for the Yellow Jackets this season against a top-10 team, having previously defeated then-No. 10 Florida State in their opening game. They controlled the game with 271 rushing yards, which helped keep Miami’s high-powered offense off the field.

Ward had an impressive performance with 348 yards and three touchdowns, maintaining a record of scoring in all but one game since transferring from Washington State. For Georgia Tech, quarterback Haynes King returned from injury, contributing 125 total offensive yards, including 93 rushing yards from 20 attempts and two touchdowns. He split snaps with freshman Aaron Philo, who had 67 passing yards and one touchdown.

No lead had been considered safe for Miami all season, largely due to Ward’s late-game prowess. He entered Saturday’s game with seven touchdowns and only one interception in the fourth quarter, boasting a remarkable 203.4 quarterback efficiency rating.

This loss halted the Hurricanes’ bid for their first 10-0 start since 2017. In the ACC standings, Miami still holds the head-to-head tiebreaker against Louisville and has an advantage over No. 23 Clemson due to the Tigers’ loss to the Cardinals. Despite the setback, the Hurricanes remain in contention for the ACC championship game. The only unbeaten team in conference play is No. 13 SMU.

However, losing to the Yellow Jackets raises concerns that another defeat to teams like the Mustangs in December could eliminate Miami from playoff consideration in favor of a Big Ten or SEC team. The Hurricanes have four victories against opponents with winning records but have yet to claim a win against any teams ranked in this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll. Louisville debuted at No. 22 in this week’s playoff rankings.