5 unranked teams that beat an AP Top 10 opponent in a season opener ft. Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech opened the 2024 college football season with a stunner on Saturday in Dublin, Ireland. The unranked Yellow Jackets claimed a 24-21 victory over the No. 10 Florida State Seminoles in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic at Aviva Stadium. The Yellow Jackets jumped into the national spotlight even before Week 1 came around.
This isn't the first time an unranked opponent has beaten a top-10 team in a season opener, far from it. It's been a regular occurrence in the 2020s, with an unranked school overcoming an AP top 10 in a season-opening game every season of the current decade. Here's a list of teams that have matched Georgia Tech's achievement.
5 unranked teams that overcame a Top 10 opponent in a season opener
#5 2020: Mississippi State beats No. 6 LSU
The Bulldogs surprised the No. 6-ranked LSU Tigers in the opening game of the shortened COVID-19 2020 season. In late September of that year, Mississippi State quarterback K.J. Costello put up a show, recording 623 yards with five touchdown passes and two interceptions in the 44-34 victory over the Tigers.
#4 2021: Virginia Tech beats No. 10 North Carolina
We now turn to the ACC, where in 2021 the Virginia Tech Hokies defeated the No. 10-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels in a highly physical game that ended 17-10 in a Week 1 opener. Braxton Burmeister threw for 169 yards, with one touchdown pass and interception. Burmeister also had 42 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.
The Tar Heels loss went down to quarterback Sam Howell throwing three interceptions in the game.
#3 2022: Florida beats No. 7 Utah
In the only non-conference season-opener on this list, the Florida Gators pulled a difficult victory over the No. 7-ranked Utah Utes in a close encounter that ended 29-26 in their favor. The game saw a clash between two great signal-callers, with Anthony Richardson and Cam Rising suting up for the Gators and the Utes, respectively.
Rising did better in the air with 216 yards, one touchdown and an interception to Richardson's 168. However, it was on the ground that the Florida quarterback put in a show. He ran for 106 yards with three rushing touchdowns.
#2 2023: Duke beats No. 9 Clemson
In a season-opening game at Durham, North Carolina, which looked to be in the bag for the No. 9-ranked Clemson Tigers until halftime, the Duke Blue Devils defense managed to hold Cade Klubnik and the Tigers' offense to zero in the second half.
That, paired with a performance by Riley Leonard that brought three touchdowns, was more than enough for the Blue Devils to get a 28-7 win that put them on the national map. Leonard threw for 175 yards and ran for 98 while also recording a rushing touchdown.
#1 2024: Georgia Tech beats No. 10 Florida State
The No. 10-ranked Florida State Seminoles traveled to Ireland in Week 0 as one of the favorites to win the national title, after an undefeated 2023 regular season and an ACC championship. While coach Mike Norvell had lost quarterback Jordan Travis in the offseason, he brought in DJ Uiagalelei from Oregon State to replace him. However, Haynes King and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets had other plans.
In a highly physical game where Georgia Tech ran the ball all it could, the Yellow Jackets won 24-21 with a walk-off 44-yard field goal. Three Georgia Tech players, led by Jamal Haynes, ran for 40-yards or more.