College football officially is back.
The first big weekend of the 2017 slate already had witnessed a historic 34-point comeback and a major injury blow for one of the best teams in the country. But Week 1 had one more crazy twist Monday night in Tennessee’s stunning 42-41, double-overtime win over Georgia Tech at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in New Orleans.
The 25th-ranked Vols overcame two 14-point deficits in the second half, rallying back from Tech leads of 21-7 and 28-14 to force overtime.
The end of regulation was crazy enough: Tennessee scored the game-tying touchdown with 1:29 remaining, then blocked Georgia Tech’s 36-yard field goal attempt as time expired.
Georgia Tech quarterback TaQuon Marshall and Tennessee running back John Kelly tallied touchdowns in each of the two overtime sessions. But after Marshall’s second TD brought the score to 42-41, the Yellow Jackets decided to go for the two-point conversion and the win.
They very nearly pulled it off, too: Marshall incredibly flipped the ball to running back KirVonte Benson as he was being tackled, but his desperation pass attempt barely hit the turf and was ruled incomplete, allowing the Vols to escape with a victory.
The wild affair also produced a mind-boggling stat, as Georgia Tech rushed for 535 yards behind its potent triple option attack — and still lost.
Week 2 has some pretty big shoes to fill.
Thumbnail photo via Jason Getz/USA TODAY Sports Images
