Georgia Tech stuns North Carolina, a notable triumph as program looks to 2023

Georgia Tech upset No. 13 North Carolina 21-17 in Chapel Hill. The Yellow Jackets' defense hounded quarterback Drake Maye. Tech's interim coach Brent Key praises his team's resiliency. Tech played a role in the College Football Playoff discussion. North Carolinians have enjoyed the best season in decades. They lost by double-digit margin in five of their last six games. Georgia Tech has been through a difficult season. It's the program's most notable victory in years. Its victory spoiled North Carolina's chances to play in CFP. There's no front-runner for the Heisman Trophy.

Georgia Tech beat North Carolina 21-17 on Saturday. The Jackets are now 4-3 under interim coach Key. Geoff Collins never won more than three games in any of his three full seasons. Key has won with multiple quarterbacks, including Jeff Sims, Zach Pyron and Taisun Phommachanh. If Key is not the coach long term, it will be appealing to other candidates. He has helped guide the program through a dark period and into presumed better days. If Georgia Tech were playing a mediocre opponent instead of No. 1 Georgia next week, they would be talking about bowl eligibility.