The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets took on the Mississippi State Bulldogs on New Year’s Eve at the Orange Bowl. The Orange Bowl has been held every year since 1935, and it is one of the most prestigious bowl games in college football. Georgia Tech earned their spot in the Orange Bowl by finishing the regular season as the 12th ranked team in the country and finishing in second place in the ACC, which is a nice finish and a credit to Georgia football programs. Mississippi State came into the game as the 7th best team in the country and second place finishers in the SEC West.
The Orange Bowl was a battle of two of the best offenses in the country. Georgia Tech loves to run the ball as much as possible, which led them to averaging 342 yards a game. Mississippi State entered the game with one of the most balanced offenses in the nation, and they also boasted a very impressive rushing defense. The conflicting styles made for one of the most exciting Orange Bowls in recent history. Georgia Tech fans were not disappointed and for those who enjoyed betting on the Georgia Tech football team, they were able to breath easy by the end of the game.
Georgia Tech started off quickly with a short three yard touchdown run by Synjyn Days two minutes into the game. The short touchdown run was setup by an interception on Mississippi State’s third play of the game. The two teams would trade punts most of first quarter until the Yellow Jackets surprised everyone with a 41 yard touchdown pass to Darren Waller with less than two minutes remaining.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs would quickly respond in the second quarter kicking two field goals and scoring a touchdown on their first three drives to make the game 14-13. Georgia Tech would finally get back on track on their third drive of the second quarter when they had Justin Thomas run for a 13 yard touchdown with 35 seconds remaining in the first half. Mississippi State would not get discouraged, and they would look to respond with very little time left on the clock. After getting three first downs on their first four plays, the Bulldogs threw a Hail Mary into the end zone with five seconds remaining. The pass was somehow caught by Fred Ross for a 42 yard touchdown to send the game into halftime with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets leading 21-20.
Georgia Tech showed off their rushing ability throughout the second half. Synjyn Davis took the second play to the end zone for a 69 yard touchdown. After making a defensive stop, Georgia Tech would tack on another seven points when Justin Thomas scored a 32 yard rushing touchdown. Justin Thomas would add another 15 yard rushing touchdown with five minutes left in the third quarter to make the score 42-20.
Mississippi State would start the fourth quarter with a short touchdown pass on their first play, but that would not be enough. The teams would trade touchdowns the rest of the fourth quarter. After a close first half, the Yellow Jackets got their groove in the running game on their way to a 49-34 victory. There may not have been a more exciting bowl game with nearly 1,200 yards of offense, but Mississippi State is certainly going to want to forget the 2014 Orange Bowl.
It’s unknown how many fans made money with betting on this game, but sports betting in Georgia remains a very popular past time for residents in the state.