MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. _ The Miami Hurricanes just cannot get it right for two consecutive games.
And this time it led to a defeat against a Georgia Tech team that came into Saturday winless in the Atlantic Coast Conference with one win overall on the season and a loss to The Citadel.
Miami, plagued by more kicking woes, an injury to star running back DeeJay Dallas and losing the time of possession battle in the second half, lost an overtime heartbreaker, 28-21, to the Yellow Jackets on Saturday afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium.
The Hurricanes (3-4, 1-3 ACC), although not eliminated, are essentially out of the ACC Coastal race with the loss. Georgia Tech (2-5, 1-3) got its first conference win under coach Geoff Collins.
It ended with tight end Brevin Jordan _ on fourth-and-4 _ called down by inches on his forward progress spot. A measurement revealing the spot was short sealed UM's fate and brought Georgia Tech players rushing the field to celebrate a victory where they came in as 18 {-point underdogs.
Georgia Tech running back Jordan Mason scored the 1-yard touchdown on the Yellow Jackets' opening possession of overtime to force the Hurricanes to need a touchdown to force another OT, but they couldn't have had much trust in their kicking game had it come down to a field goal.
Miami missed three field-goal attempts in regulation. Redshirt sophomore walk-on Turner Davidson had a potential game-winning field goal blocked with 26 seconds left, his second miss on Saturday after Bubba Baxa also missed a short one.
Quarterback N'Kosi Perry, who left the game momentarily after hurting his left shoulder while lowering into a defender on a scramble, was 16 of 28 for 188 yards, threw two touchdowns and ran for another score.
Perry started for the second consecutive game for Jarren Williams, who UM coach Manny Diaz has continued to call the starter this past week when he's 100% healthy from his upper-extremity injury. Williams stepped in for the drive that Perry missed.
Running back Cam'Ron Harris, seeing more snaps after Dallas' injury, had a career-high 136 yards on 18 carries. The UM defense also saw linebacker Michael Pinckney and cornerback Trajan Bandy exit without returning in a second half where Georgia Tech put together two eight-minute drives.
Baxa, who entered with four field-goal misses and two extra-point fails on the season, missed a potential go-ahead 27-yard field goal that kept the game tied at 21 with 5:41 remaining. Baxa was back on place kicking duties after Davidson missed an earlier attempt from 34 yards.
Georgia Tech missed its own opportunity to take the lead after a 16-play, 72-yard drive that took 8:26 off the clock resulted in a Shaq Quarterman fumble recovery to give UM the ball back.
Miami gave up a touchdown in all three phases of the game _ offense, defense and special teams _ in a first half that had the Hurricanes tied at, 21, with Georgia Tech.
The Hurricanes' opening possession resulted in Perry getting strip-sacked by Yellow Jackets outside linebacker Demetrius Knight, coming free untouched off the edge, and a fumble recovery in the end zone by defensive tackle Ja'Quaon Griffin for the opening touchdown.
After Miami responded with a pair of touchdowns, Georgia Tech evened things at 14 before the end of the first quarter with its special teams touchdown. On a fake punt on fourth-and-7 from the UM 41-yard line, cornerback DJ Ivey stopped running with the Georgia Tech gunner he was set to block. It resulted in Nathan Cottrell catching the touchdown pass from Pressley Harvin.
Ivey was then burned for a touchdown again on defense when receiver Ahmarean Brown beat him on a post-corner route for a 35-yard score at the front pylon delivered to the outside shoulder by Graham.
Perry threw touchdown passes to K.J. Osborn and Harris in the first half while also rushing in a 1-yard score.
The 13-yard pass to Osborn followed Osborn's 52-yard punt return, in place of Jeff Thomas in return duties on Saturday. Harris' touchdown was on a 19-yard screen that was sprung by a block from center Corey Gaynor.
As injuries to Miami's defense began to pile up between Pinckney and Bandy in the third quarter, the Yellow Jackets went on a 14-play, 56-yard drive that didn't result in points but ate up 7:58.
Miami plays at Pittsburgh at noon next Saturday.
