On a rainy, gloomy day in Alabama, things got chippy between the Yellow Jackets and the Commodores. By the time it was over, Vanderbilt beat Georgia Tech 35-27 in a messy Birmingham Bowl. The gameplay became as messy as the weather did, which included a 54-minute lightning delay in the fourth quarter. As expected, this game was decided by the quarterbacks. Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia accounted for five touchdowns, and Georgia Tech’s Haynes King reaffirmed the toughness and leadership he brings to the team.
Heading into the Birmingham Bowl, both Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech could be described as well-disciplined and smashmouth. They exude the personalities of their head coaches. Brent Key, the coach at Georgia Tech, was an offensive lineman for the Yellow Jackets. Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea was a fullback for the Commodores. The Birmingham Bowl was what you would expect from teams led by a right guard and a fullback. However, the discipline devolved in the second half, as the intensity grew. There were questionable penalties on Georgia Tech players and even Georgia Tech’s coach. There was a scrum and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. The collective passion of these teams was on display, and the game clearly mattered to both squads.
Key Takeaways: Vanderbilt Beats Georgia Tech in Messy Birmingham Bowl
The Birmingham Bowl was a reunion of old-time rivals and original members of the SEC. It is the first postseason meeting for the schools. The first matchup was in 1892 and was Georgia Tech’s second football game ever. Through time, the programs have evolved and Georgia Tech moved to the ACC. The teams had not met since 2016. Not surprisingly, this game was a hard-nosed, tough football game. Between the weather and the intensity of the coaching staffs, these teams would not have it any other way. It was messy and it was old-school.
Wait’ll We Get Our Haynes on You
Georgia Tech looked to balance its attack between the run and the pass. The team turned to a Haynes in either instance. Quarterback Haynes King, coming off a very gritty performance against Georgia, ran the offense and threw the ball effectively. Running back Jamal Haynes contributed through both the running game and passing game. However, the Georgia Tech offense starts and ends with the performance of the quarterback of the Yellow Jackets.
King has been the leader of the offense, and his toughness spreads to the rest of the team. Not surprisingly, he embodies the smash-mouth mentality of the Yellow Jackets. The redshirt junior is dependable and makes good decisions. This year, he has worked on cleaning up his throwing fundamentals to become a more complete quarterback. In the Birmingham Bowl, King took a few big hits. Consequently, his offensive linemen and/or the trainers had to literally and figuratively pick him up. Not surprisingly, he kept coming back for more.
When a quarterback feels pressure to do too much, bad things can happen. The end of the third quarter of this game is a testament to that. Following a Vanderbilt touchdown to put the Commodores up 21-13, King tried to do too much. He forced the ball into coverage. Instead of moving the chains, he threw only his second interception of the season. Georgia Tech had the second-lowest turnovers in the country entering the game. Pushing in the second half, they turned the ball over twice (a fumble in addition to the interception).
The lightning delay reinvigorated King and the Georgia Tech offense. The Yellow Jackets outscored Vanderbilt 14-0 once the game resumed. However, it was too little too late for the Yellow Jackets.
Stay Classy Diego
On the other sideline, quarterback Diego Pavia continued to lead the Vanderbilt offense, as he did during most of the season. The 2024 SEC Newcomer of the Year is an on-field extension of the coaching staff. With ample experience running the offense, both with Vanderbilt and New Mexico State, helped him in this game. Pavia, a senior, was recently granted another year of eligibility by the NCAA. This will provide continuity to the Commodores entering 2025. Speaking of the win after the game, Pavia said “This is just a stepping stone.”
Vanderbilt’s offense is methodical, and not one that will produce multiple highlight reel plays. However, in this game, the Commodores did take selective chances down the field. For example, Pavia went long in the first quarter to complete a 40-yard pass to set up a first and goal on Vanderbilt’s first touchdown drive. That touchdown was on a run-pass-option (RPO). As expected, it was a good read by Pavia.
When the intensity greatly accelerated in the second half, Pavia’s game reached a new level as well. Consequently, he became harder to tackle. At times, Pavia looked like a magician as he scrambled. He also threw the ball crisper and led his team to the endzone when a score was needed to quiet a potential Georgia Tech comeback. Then, following an interception, Pavia threw another touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it a two-score game. At that point, the game was as good as over.
By the Numbers: Vanderbilt Beats Georgia Tech in Messy Birmingham Bowl
Offense
Passing: Georgia Tech threw for 204 yards, compared to 160 for Vanderbilt. King completed 25 of 33 for 204 yards, with three touchdowns and an interception. For Vanderbilt, Pavia completed 13 of 21 for 160 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Rushing: Georgia Tech had 190 yards, compared to 146 yards for Vanderbilt. Haynes led Georgia Tech, and all players, with 136 rushing yards on 17 carries. Malik Rutherford added 29 yards on one carry. Vanderbilt was led by Pavia, who had 85 yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns. Sedrick Alexander rushed 13 times, gaining 32 yards.
Receiving: Abdul Janneh Jr. led Georgia Tech with 34 yards on three catches. The Georgia Tech receiving touchdowns were scored by Haynes, Bailey Stockton, and Ryland Goede. For Vanderbilt, Eli Stowers led the team with a game-high 55 yards on four receptions with a touchdown. Cole Spence and Quincy Skinner Jr. had the other Vanderbilt receiving touchdowns.
Defense/Special Teams
Defense: Zachary Tobe had seven tackles to lead Georgia Tech. Zeek Biggers had the only Georgia Tech sack. Nicholas Rinaldi and Bryan Longwell led Vanderbilt with a game-high nine tackles each. Rinaldi added two sacks, with Yilanan Outtara contributing a sack. The Vanderbilt interception was by CJ Taylor, and the fumble recovery was by Aeneas DiCosmo.
Special Teams: For Georgia Tech, Aidan Birr converted both of his field goal attempts. He converted all three of his extra-point attempts. David Shanahan punted three times, averaging 41.7 yards per punt. For Vanderbilt, Brock Taylor did not attempt any field goals but converted all five of his extra-point tries. Jesse Mirco punted four times, averaging 48.8 yards per punt.
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