For the second time this season, it can be said that Georgia played one of its worst first halves in recent memory.

For the first time since 2019, Georgia found itself scoreless at halftime and trailing Georgia Tech 17-0. Yet, just like they did versus Alabama, the Bulldogs crawled their way back into it. This time Georgia ended up pulling out a 44-42 win over Georgia Tech in an eight-overtime classic.

The Bulldogs will surely learn plenty about what they did wrong in the coming days. But they also learned, once again, that they have what it takes to win even when it is all seemingly going wrong.

“Our seniors, our team, our leadership, they don't flinch,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said. “They find a way 14 points down with, I don't know, five minutes left. Carson never blinked, and defense made a stop and got a turnover.”

Georgia Tech held a 14-point lead at two different points in the fourth quarter. The first lead was cut to just a touchdown with a one-yard Nate Frazier run. Then adversity struck again as Haynes King led the Yellow Jackets down the field in six plays, finding the endzone with an 11-yard scramble.

However, with their backs once again up against the wall, Georgia responded. First there was an eight-play, 75-yard drive capped off with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Carson Beck to Dominic Lovett.

Then came the fourth-quarter heroics of senior safety Dan Jackson, whose hit on King forced the fumble that helped the Bulldogs force overtime following another touchdown strike to Lovett.

From there on the overtime epic ensued. Once again, the Bulldogs overcame adversity. Yet, the challenges weren’t just limited to on the field for Georgia.

“This was a really short week. It was a tough week,” Smart said. “Remember Tech played on Thursday night in this deal and caught us on two days. You don't usually get that in our league, but you get that when you cross leagues and you move the game up.”

While Georgia did send the Yellow Jackets back home with a seventh straight loss in the rivalry, things won’t get any easier for the Bulldogs. They will quickly begin preparations for next Saturday’s SEC Championship Game, where they will face the winner of Texas-Texas A&M.

“That no matter if you've got the hardest schedule in the country, hardest schedule probably in the history of Georgia, you keep fighting,” Smart said when asked about his biggest lesson. “You keep fighting, and everybody wants a shot at you.”