TALLAHASSEE, Fla. _ The team picked to finish last in the ACC had something to say Saturday.
In a game delayed twice by lightning, Georgia Tech scored perhaps the most significant victory of coach Geoff Collins' tenure, defeating Florida State, 16-13, at Doak Campbell Stadium.
Taking the field as 12.5-point underdogs, Tech rallied from a 10-0 halftime deficit behind the playmaking of freshman quarterback Jeff Sims in his highly awaited debut.
Becoming the first Tech freshman quarterback to start a season opener since Reggie Ball in 2003, Sims led second-half touchdown drives of 80 and 72 yards to drive the comeback. Defensive end Curtis Ryans, who began last season on the scout team, was a star in his own right, ending one FSU fourth-quarter drive with a strip sack of Seminoles quarterback James Blackman to set up the go-ahead field goal and FSU's next possession with a tackle and forced fumble on a fourth-down scramble by Blackman to preserve Tech's lead.
Tech (1-0, 1-0 ACC) ruined the first game of FSU coach Mike Norvell's tenure, a game delayed 30 minutes before kickoff and another 79 minutes in the first quarter by lightning in the vicinity.
After an up-and-down start in the first half, when he ended two promising drives with interceptions and nearly threw a third, Sims shined in the second half, standing coolly in the pocket and firing on-target passes. Among them was a looped 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Malachi Carter that tied the score at 13-13 with 13:17 left in the fourth quarter. He finished the game 24-for-35 passing for 277 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. It was the most completions in a game by a Tech quarterback since 2005 (Reggie Ball), according to sports-reference.com
After kicker Jude Kelley's point-after try following the tying touchdown was blocked _ the third miss of the game for the freshman walk-on after two field-goal tries in the first half were blocked _ Ryans sped around the right side of FSU's line to jar the ball loose from Blackman, with linebacker David Curry picking up the fumble and returning it 19 yards to the FSU 11-yard line.
From there, Kelley came on and connected from 32 yards to give the Jackets their first lead of the game at 16-13, a clutch make after his rocky start.
The Jackets pulled off the win with four key players sidelined _ defensive tackle T.K. Chimedza, defensive end Antonneous Clayton, running back Jahmyr Gibbs and cornerback Tre Swilling. Chimedza and Swilling are returning starters, Clayton was expected to start after transferring last year from Florida and Gibbs was to make his eagerly awaited debut. Gibbs was on the sideline, but did not dress.
Safety Tariq Carpenter, a two-year starter, did not play in the second half after leaving the game following a collision with FSU wide receiver Tamorrion Terry.
Tech's defense, which struggled to pressure quarterbacks last season, racked up three sacks and limited the Seminoles to three points in the second half. Tech held FSU (0-1, 0-1) to 307 yards of offense, fewer than the Jackets allowed in all but one game last season.
