With 25,000 fans reportedly travelling from the USA, Dublin was awash with the gold and white of Georgia Tech and the garnet and gold of Florida State.

Background

The Florida State University Seminoles, who won 10 games in 2022 and 13 games in 2023, are the only team in the ACC and one of just 12 nationally to reach double-digit wins in 2022 and 2023. Prior to kick-off today, Florida State has won 12 consecutive conference games, the 3rd-longest active conference win streak in the nation.

Georgia Tech returned 16 starters from last year’s team, which went 7-6 overall, 5-3 in ACC play (good for a tie for fourth place in the 14-team conference standings), earned its first bowl berth since 2018 and its first bowl victory since 2016 with a season-ending 30-17 triumph over UCF in the Gasparilla Bowl.

The last meeting of the sides, at Tallahassee, Florida, on November 5^th 2022 saw the Mike Norvell-coached side come out on top, on a score line of 41-16. Florida State who lead Georgia Tech 2-0 in games played at neutral sites

Early lead for Florida State

A 28 yard rushing touchdown from Lawrance Toafili at the end of his side’s first drive of the game, put Florida State, the number 10 ranked US college team, into the lead. A two-point conversion attempt was successful when Brian Courtney successfully crossed to give his side an 8-0 advantage.

The designated home team, Georgia Tech, immediately responded with a 79 yard 6-play drive which saw quarterback Zach Pyron rush over from one yard out, before Aidan Birr had little difficulty in adding the conversion to leave just a point between the sides with 7:26 remaining in the first quarter.

Backup Q̶B̶ Bulldozer

@espn
pic.twitter.com/iJnFez6pRL

— Georgia Tech Football (@GeorgiaTechFB) August 24, 2024

Shanahan sees early action

Kerry’s David Shanahan came on to punt with just over a minute remaining in the opening quarter. The Georgia Tech kickers punt went 44 yards, to the Florida State 25, where it went out of bounds. A second punt later from the Irishman – in the third quarter – travelled further, this time 49 yards to the Florida State 33 yard line.

Exactly as they had done at the start of the game, Florida State began the second quarter sprightly. A scoring dive of 8 plays, covering 41 yards and taking 5:11 minutes gave Ryan Fitzgerald the opportunity to kick for points. He duly obliged, increasing the Seminoles’ advantage to 11-8 with 11:06 to play to half-time.

Georgia Tech take the lead

The Brent Key-coached Georgia Tech finally took the lead in the game with over three minutes to play to the half-time interval. Wide receiver Jamal Haynes was push over by his team for a rushing touchdown at the end of a 7:53 drive, which covered 75 yards and involved 14 plays. An Aidan Birr kick dissected the posts to put the Bobby Dodd Stadium-based side into a 14-11 lead with 3:13 still on the second-quarter clock.

Just when Georgia Tech looked as those they would head to the half-time locker room with the lead on the scoreboard, Ryan Fitzgerald kicked an incredible 59 yard field goal as they clock was running out, to level the scores. The Fitzgerald kick, his second successful attempt matching his haul in the last clash between the sides, was a fitting end to a 9-play 34 yard drive.

Half-time score: Georgia Tech 14 Florida State 14

The first and only score of the third quarter came early in the period saw an Aidan Birr field goal attempt for Georgia Tech from 51 yards drift right and wide of the posts, leaving the score at 14-14 heading into the deciding 15 minutes of the opening game of the 2024 college football season.

Final Quarter

Georgia Tech, who had ended the previous quarter camped on the Florida State line, ran in for a touchdown through Jamal Haynes on the resumption of play. His two yard run in touchdown was converted by Aidan Birr, to seven points [21-14] between the Yellow Jackets and the Seminoles.

HAYNES HAYNES@GeorgiaTechFB TAKES THE LEAD.

@ESPNCFB x @cfbireland

pic.twitter.com/v1lExEqYFf

— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) August 24, 2024

A one-yard rushing touchdown scored by Roydell Williams was the the final of 15 plays in an 8:18 drive by Florida State. Ryan Fitzgerald stepped up again to deliver a successful conversion, tying the sides with 6:33 minutes remaining in the game.

In the dying second of a tight game, Aidan Birr kicked a 44 yard field goal for Georgia Tech go give them a tight 24-21 win in a game which had a great atmosphere throughout.

Final score:  Georgia Tech 24  Florida State 21

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The 97th meeting of the Fighting Irish and the Midshipmen of the US Naval Academy was the third edition of the Aer Lingus Classic, which was played in 2016 (Georgia Tech v Boston College) and 2022 (Northwestern v Nebraska).

The game, broadcast live on NBC throughout the USA, attracted a full-house at the Lansdowne Road venue, where the game kicked off at 7.30pm Irish time.

The 2023 Aer Lingus College Football Classic marked the third meeting between the Notre Dame and Navy in Ireland, but the first time that the Fighting Irish were the designated home team. The teams met in 1996 at Croke Park where Notre Dame won 54-27 and at Aviva Stadium in 2012 where they achieved a 50-10 victory.

In a dominant opening first two quarters, Notre Dame scored four touchdowns, each of them converted. The side had 17 first downs and passed for 200 yards. They added another two touchdowns during the third and fourth quarters to complete their comfortable victory.

Notre Dame took the lead through a rushing touchdown scored by Audric Estimé, the 13th play of the drive, which covered 81 yards and took 6 minutes 28 seconds of the opening quarter. Estimé just missed out on a 1,000-yard season in 2022 (he finished with 920 yards), with his specialty is wearing down the defence throughout the game.

7⃣@AudricEstime #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/SVSn6pOIHg

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) August 26, 2023

The kick which followed from Spencer Shrader was successful giving the designated ‘home’ side a 7-0 lead. Shrader, a former professional soccer player, decided to play his final year at Notre Dame, claiming the starting kicker duties, has rushed twice in his career (once for a 22-yard touchdown), caught a pass for seven yards, made two tackles on kick offs, punted once for 36 yards and has converted 28 career field goals.

A 19-yard rushing touchdown from Jadarian Price, followed by another successful kick from Shrader, saw Notre Dame double their advantage to 14-0 with over a minute remaining in the opening quarter.

There he goes! @Jadarian15 #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/iMCQKbK9oS

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) August 26, 2023

Jaden Greathouse worked well to gather the ball from quarterback Sam Hartman at the end of a Notre Dame four-play drive. The 6-pointer extended the South Bend, Indiana college’s advantage over their great rivals. With Shrader maintaining his accuracy at the posts, Notre Dame were 21-0 ahead, with 10 minutes still remaining in the first half.

Hartman Greathouse

YES#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/eEnbFlIhEd

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) August 26, 2023

Placekicker Evan Warren failed to get his side on the scoreboard at the end of Navy’s next possession. His effort failed to dissect the posts. This miss was soon punished as Notre Dame’s wide receiver Jayden Thomas got in on the scoring act when claiming his side’s fourth touchdown on the cusp of half-time.

Thomas, the leading returning receiver for the Irish offence, catching 25 passes for 361 yards and three touchdowns in 2022, received a 14-yard pass from quarterback Hartman in the ninth move of the drive which saw his side move 80 yards down the field. Shrader succeeded with his fourth kick at the posts and moved his team into a comfortable 28-0 at half-time.

Hartman Thomas

28-0 at the half #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/XG4wSuMrVQ

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) August 26, 2023

Jaden Greathouse scored his second touchdown of the game early in the third quarter. Receiving an accurate 20-yard pass from quarterback Hartman, wide receiver Greathouse brought his personal points tally for the night to 10 points, before Shrader again kicked the extras for a 35-0 lead.

Hartman makes it happen

Another TD for @jadengreat1 #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/MUgqBjvrZR

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) August 26, 2023

Shrader’s impeccable record at kicking for the posts ending with 4 minutes remaining in the third quarter. A 42-yard field goal attempt went right and wide of the uprights, as Shrader’s 100% success record on the night ended.

A 25-yard reception for Deion Colzie, who posted his best game of the season against Navy last year when catching two passes for 50 yards, saw the ‘home’ team extend their lead early in the final quarter. Seven plays in the drive saw Notre Dame move 60 yards in 3:43 minutes. With Shrader adding the extra score, it was a 42-0 advantage for Irish.

COLZIE

4⃣ touchdowns on the day for @sam_hartman10 #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/L9xdl2vKzZ

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) August 26, 2023

An Evan Warren field goal attempt from 31 yards out finally put Navy on the score board, but it was all too little, to late. The score came at the end of a 15-play 62-yard drive which lasted 8 minutes 21 seconds.

This one-sided game saw Notre Dame run out easy 42-3 victors over Navy.

The next instalment of US college football in Dublin, the 2024 Aer Lingus College Football Classic, will see Florida State University and Georgia Tech visit the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, 24 August 2024.

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