Aidan Birr made a 55-yard field goal as time expired and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets upset the No. 12 Clemson Tigers

Georgia Tech place kicker Aidan Birr (33) gets ready to high-five a fan after kicking a game-winning field goal in the closing seconds of the second half of an NCAA college football game against Clemson, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)

ATLANTA (AP) — Aidan Birr made a 55-yard field goal as time expired and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets upset the No. 12 Clemson Tigers on Saturday.

With no timeouts left and the clock running with under 20 seconds to play, the Georgia Tech special teams squad sprinted onto the field and lined up.

And on fourth-and-3, Birr connected and the home crowd rushed the field.

Quarterback Haynes King returned from a lower-body injury that kept him out of Georgia Tech’s Sept. 6 win over Gardener-Webb.

King was 19 for 27 for 216 yards and added 25 carries for 103 yards and a touchdown on a 1-yard quarterback sneak in the fourth quarter for the Yellow Jackets (3-0, 1-0 ACC).

King's score and the 2-point conversion gave the Yellow Jackets a 21-14 lead.

Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik had an uneven performance in which he turned the ball over twice — one fumble and one interception.

Klubnik was 15 for 26 for 207 yards, including a 73-yard touchdown pass to Bryant Wesco early in the second half to give the Tigers a 14-13 lead. Klubnik added 62 yards and one touchdown on the ground.

For the second straight week, Clemson (1-2, 0-1) had to overcome a slow start and halftime deficit.

The Takeaway

Clemson: The Tigers have been on a slide in the AP poll, having lost ground every week since opening the season at No. 4.

Georgia Tech: With the win, Georgia Tech could enter the AP Top 25 poll for the first time since Sept. 9, 2024, in which the Yellow Jackets were ranked No. 23 after starting 2-0.

Up next

Clemson will host ACC conference foe Syracuse.

Georgia Tech will play at home against nonconference opponent Temple.

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Georgia Tech place kicker Aidan Birr (33) reacts after kicking the game-winning 55-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the second half of an NCAA college football game against Clemson, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)

Georgia Tech running back Jamal Haynes (1) scores a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Clemson, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)

Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) dives over the goal line and scores a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Georgia Tech, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)

Clemson wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. (12) catches a pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Georgia Tech, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)