Third-string QB rallies Ga

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.– Zach Gibson tossed for 174 yards and Georgia Tech scored 21 straight points for a 21-17 road win against No. 13 North Carolina on Saturday.Gibson, a transfer from Akron, got the start on Saturday with previous starter Jeff Sims nursing a foot injury and No. 1 backup Zach Pyron out with a broken collarbone. Clemson transfer Taisun Phommachanh likewise took some snaps, running for a score and helping Georgia Tech milk the clock late in the 4th quarter.The Yellow Jackets were a 21-point underdog at Caesars Sportsbook, making them the 3rd group because the 1978 FBS-FCS split to win twice in the exact same season as a 21-point underdog, according to ESPN Statistics & Info research. They likewise beat Pittsburgh previously this season as a 21.5-point underdog.Georgia Tech (5-6, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference )routed 17-0 late in the very first half however

began to methodically move the ball. All three of its scoring drives were for 68-plus yards and culminated with hurrying touchdowns.A 6-yard rating on the ground by Hassan Hall with just over 11 minutes staying in the fourth proved to be the ticket for the Yellow Jackets

, who kept their bowl hopes alive and improved to 4-3 under interim coach Brent Key.”I do not believe there was anybody in the locker space that could inform you that it was 17-0,”Secret stated.”That is who this team is. Regardless of the score, hardship and what takes place in a game, they take it one play at a time.”North Carolina( 9-2, 6-1 ACC )was riding a six-game winning streak and had actually clinched the ACC’s Coastal Division last week. The Tar Heels had an opportunity to gain back the lead late

in the fourth quarter, but Josh Downs dropped a fourth-and-11 pass from quarterback Drake Maye in the end zone with simply over 4 minutes remaining.Maye, who had actually become a possible Heisman Trophy competitor as a redshirt freshman, stopped working to score a touchdown for the very first time this season. He likewise was sacked a season-high six times by Georgia Tech, 3 of which came through Keion White.After UNC went on 17-0 with a bit more than 3 minutes left in the very first half, Georgia Tech held the Heels to 97 lawns of offense on their final 33 plays.”I believed we were mature enough to play in what would be called a trap game,”

UNC coach Mack Brown said.” I thought we were beyond that after Virginia, however we clearly weren’t. I thought we did a bad job of preparing them and didn’t play well adequate to win.”THE TAKEAWAY Georgia Tech: For the 2nd time this season, the Yellow Jackets looked unfazed on the road versus a ranked opponent. Georgia Tech’s balanced effort on offense(187 passing lawns and 186 rushing yards )stymied North Carolina. And the Yellow Jackets’defense did something few have actually done versus UNC

‘s offense this year: limit the huge plays and defend well at a loss zone.UNC: The Tar Heels looked flat on offense for much of the night. After running back Elijah Green’s 80-yard rushing rating on their first play from scrimmage, they accumulated just 285 yards the rest of the night and scored just 10 points on four red zone visits.POLL IMPLICATIONS The Tar Heels are most likely to see a substantial drop after being up to a Georgia Tech group that had lost 3 of its previous 4 tilts. The loss also effectively ends any outside shot the Tar Heels had at considering the College Football Playoff.The Associated Press contributed to this report.