Few moments cut through a college football season like a 55-yard kick that lands as time expires. Georgia Tech’s Aidan Birr hit that exact kick on September 13, 2025, and the Yellow Jackets stunned No. 12 Clemson 24-21, ending a nine-game Clemson series run (Associated Press).

4 related posts

Final score: Georgia Tech 24, Clemson 21 (NCAA) ·
Game-winning kick: 55-yard field goal as time expired (FOX Sports) ·
Clemson’s streak before 2025: 9 consecutive wins, 2015–2023 (Clemson Athletics) ·
Georgia Tech titles: 4 claimed, most recent 1990 (Georgia Tech Athletics) ·
Clemson titles: 3 claimed, 1981, 2016, 2018 (Clemson Athletics) ·
2025 betting line: Clemson -3 (CBS Sports)

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
  • Georgia Tech 24, Clemson 21 on September 13, 2025 (NCAA)
  • Aidan Birr’s 55-yard field goal came as time expired (FOX Sports)
  • Georgia Tech improved to 3-0; Clemson dropped to 1-2 (NCAA)
2What’s unclear
  • The exact all-time series ledger after 2025, including ties, isn’t included in the cited game reports.
  • Admission rates and test-score profiles change annually; residency and intended major also matter.
  • Published cost-of-attendance figures need to be checked against each university’s net price calculator.
3Timeline signal
  • Clemson won nine straight series meetings from 2015 to 2023 (The State)
  • The 2025 game was tied 21-21 with 3:26 left (The State)
  • Georgia Tech’s previous series win was 28-6 in 2014 (Georgia Tech Athletics)
4What’s next
  • Georgia Tech was chasing its first AP Top 25 ranking since September 9, 2024 (Associated Press)
  • Clemson’s ACC-title margin for error shrank with the 1-2 start. (Associated Press)
  • The next ACC tiebreakers will be measured against this result. (Associated Press)

Seven facts, one pattern: Clemson had the ranking, the streak, and the betting line, but Georgia Tech had the ball last.

Fact Value
Game date September 13, 2025
Venue Bobby Dodd Stadium, Atlanta (ESPN)
Final score Georgia Tech 24, Clemson 21
Game-winning play 55-yard field goal by Aidan Birr as time expired
Clemson ranking entering the game No. 12 (ESPN)
Betting line Clemson -3
Clemson series streak entering 2025 9 straight wins, 2015–2023

Who was favored to win: Clemson or Georgia Tech?

Clemson walked into Bobby Dodd Stadium as the safer pick. The Tigers were 3-point favorites, ranked No. 12 in the AP poll, and had won nine straight in the series. None of that stopped Georgia Tech from owning the final 38 yards.

What were the Clemson vs Georgia Tech predictions?

  • Clemson -3 at sportsbooks (CBS Sports)
  • Clemson No. 12 in the AP poll (Associated Press)
  • Georgia Tech unranked and looking for a statement win in Atlanta (Associated Press)

What was the final score of Clemson vs Georgia Tech?

  • Georgia Tech 24, Clemson 21
  • Aidan Birr made a 55-yard field goal as time expired (FOX Sports)
  • The game was tied at 21-21 with 3:26 remaining (The State)
  • Georgia Tech drove 38 yards on 10 plays before the winning kick (FOX Sports)

What did the Clemson vs Georgia Tech stats show?

  • Clemson out-gained Georgia Tech 381-358 in total offense but lost the turnover margin 2-0 (The State)
  • Haynes King passed for 216 yards and ran for 103 (FOX Sports)
  • Cade Klubnik threw for 207 yards and a touchdown to Bryant Wesco (Clemson Wire)
The pattern

Clemson moved the ball 381 yards and still lost because the turnover margin flipped two scores. A field-goal favorite that gives away possession against an ACC opponent loses the math.

What this means: the better yardage total did not matter. Georgia Tech got one decisive stop, then trusted a 55-yard kick with the game on the line.

Has Georgia Tech ever won a football championship?

Yes. Georgia Tech claims four football national championships: 1917, 1928, 1952, and 1990 (Georgia Tech Athletics). Clemson claims three: 1981, 2016, and 2018 (Clemson Athletics).

When was Georgia Tech’s last championship season?

  • 1990, when Georgia Tech shared the national title with Colorado (Georgia Tech Athletics)
  • Georgia Tech has won 16 conference championships overall (Georgia Tech Athletics)
  • Clemson’s most recent title came in 2018 (Clemson Athletics)
  • Both programs currently compete in the ACC (Clemson Athletics; Georgia Tech Athletics)

The pattern: in the ACC, Georgia Tech carries the older championship pedigree, but Clemson’s three modern titles came in a concentrated run from 2016 to 2018. The 2025 upset did not erase that difference; it made the rivalry feel real again.

Has Georgia ever played Clemson?

Yes, but this is where the name gets confusing. The “Georgia” in that question is the University of Georgia, not Georgia Tech. The 2025 game that produced the walk-off field goal was Clemson vs Georgia Tech.

What is the Clemson vs Georgia Tech football series history?

  • Entering 2025, Clemson had won nine straight series games and owned 36 all-time wins against Georgia Tech (Clemson Athletics)
  • Georgia Tech’s previous series win was 28-6 in 2014 (Georgia Tech Athletics)
  • The 2025 meeting at Bobby Dodd Stadium ended with Georgia Tech 24, Clemson 21 (ESPN)

The distinction matters: Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Clemson form a regional triangle, but the 2025 shocker belongs to the Tech series.

Is it harder to get into Georgia or Clemson?

Both are selective public research universities, and both admitted roughly 4 in 10 applicants in recent cycles (University of Georgia; Clemson University). Typical admitted students at each school arrive with weighted GPAs around 4.0 and test scores well above national averages.

Can I get into Clemson with a 2.7 GPA?

  • A 2.7 GPA sits below the middle 50% range Clemson typically reports for admitted freshmen (Clemson University)
  • Direct admission from high school would be unlikely unless another part of the application is exceptional (Clemson University)
  • In-state status and intended major can change how competitive an applicant looks at both schools (University of Georgia)

The implication: there is not a wide selectivity gap. Georgia and Clemson are both competitive public universities; the real difference is what a student studies and what the final price turns out to be.

Is Georgia Tech a Little Ivy?

Not in the formal sense. “Little Ivy” is a label usually applied to small Northeastern liberal-arts colleges, not a large public research university. Georgia Tech is more often grouped as a Public Ivy because of its research output and academic reputation (Georgia Tech).

Is a degree from Clemson respected?

  • Clemson’s engineering, business, and agriculture programs carry strong regional and national reputations (Clemson University)
  • Clemson’s undergraduate body is close to a 50/50 gender split (Clemson University)
  • Clemson students are known for strong school spirit and a community-oriented campus culture (Clemson University)

What kind of kids go to Clemson?

  • Mostly students who want a traditional campus experience with big-time athletics at the center of it.
  • Clemson’s size and culture attract a mix of in-state students, out-of-state transplants, and first-generation college students.
The catch

A Public Ivy label only helps if it matches the student. Georgia Tech’s reputation is strongest in STEM; Clemson’s is broader, with a culture that leans heavily on football and alumni connection.

Why this matters: a “prestige” comparison is really a fit comparison. Both degrees hold up, but they signal very different undergraduate lives.

How much does 1 year at Clemson cost?

Clemson’s published total cost of attendance has been roughly $38,000 per year for in-state students and about $62,000 for out-of-state students in recent rates (Clemson University). Georgia Tech’s out-of-state sticker price lands in a similar neighborhood (Georgia Tech).

Is Clemson generous with scholarships?

  • Clemson awards both merit-based and need-based aid, but generosity varies by applicant profile (Clemson University)
  • National Merit finalists and top-tier academic applicants tend to get the most competitive offers (Clemson University)
  • Families should use Clemson’s net price calculator instead of the sticker price to estimate a real bill.

Why is Clemson so expensive?

  • Limited state funding, heavy facility investment, and out-of-state demand all push the published price up (Clemson University)
  • Out-of-state tuition runs roughly 2.5 times the in-state rate (Clemson University)
  • Georgia Tech’s published cost is comparable, which makes the net price question more important than the sticker price (Georgia Tech)
The trade-off

A similar sticker price can hide a very different bill. In-state Clemson families may pay close to $38,000, while out-of-state families can face a $62,000 price before aid; the only honest comparison is the net price both schools quote for a specific family.

Bottom line: The published price is not what most families pay. In-state residents: compare Clemson’s net price before ruling it out. Out-of-state applicants: run Georgia Tech’s calculator too, because a similar sticker can produce a different bill.

The trade-off: Clemson and Georgia Tech look close on paper, but the aid formulas and academic portfolios differ. For a family comparing colleges, the published price is only the starting line.

Three levels of the matchup — football, brand, and price — produce one pattern: Clemson and Georgia Tech are close enough that the right fit depends on the student.

Measure Clemson Georgia Tech
Conference ACC ACC
Claimed football national titles 3 (1981, 2016, 2018) 4 (1917, 1928, 1952, 1990)
2025 head-to-head Lost 24-21 Won 24-21
Admissions profile Selective public research university Selective public research university, often called a Public Ivy

Clemson vs Georgia Tech series timeline

  • , , : Georgia Tech claims three early national championships (Georgia Tech Athletics)
  • : Georgia Tech claims its most recent national championship, sharing the title with Colorado (Georgia Tech Athletics)
  • : Georgia Tech beats Clemson 28-6 (CBS Sports)
  • : Clemson beats Georgia Tech 43-24 and begins a nine-game series winning streak (Clemson Athletics)
  • : Clemson beats Georgia Tech 42-21 for its 36th all-time series win (Clemson Athletics)
  • : Georgia Tech stuns No. 12 Clemson 24-21 on a 55-yard walk-off field goal (ESPN)

What this means: the streak was real, but it was built in a different era of both programs. Georgia Tech’s 2025 win is the first crack in Clemson’s modern dominance of the matchup.

Confirmed facts vs open questions

Confirmed facts

  • Georgia Tech 24, Clemson 21 on September 13, 2025
  • Aidan Birr’s 55-yard kick won the game as time expired
  • Clemson had won nine straight from 2015 to 2023
  • Georgia Tech claims four national titles; Clemson claims three

What’s unclear

  • The full all-time series ledger after 2025, including ties, is not given by the main game reports.
  • Current-year tuition and total cost-of-attendance figures need verification against official university sources.
  • Exact admission rates for Georgia and Clemson shift annually and by applicant pool.

The catch: the football result is locked in, but the school comparison will keep moving as tuition, aid, and admissions data are updated.

What the coverage said

The result ended Georgia Tech’s nine-game losing streak against Clemson.

The State

Georgia Tech improved to 3-0, while Clemson fell to 1-2 and lost its first ACC game of the season.

NCAA

Haynes King accounted for 216 passing yards and 103 rushing yards in the upset.

FOX Sports

For Clemson, the coverage is now framed around turnovers and a missed chance to control the ACC race. For Georgia Tech, the same night is a proof point.

The 2025 upset is a useful correction: Georgia Tech is not just a school that beats Clemson once a decade. The Yellow Jackets showed that a decisive turnover margin and a 55-yard kick can reset a rivalry’s momentum. For Clemson, the margin for error is now clear: fix the turnover math that cost the Tigers in Atlanta, or watch Georgia Tech treat this result as a recruiting and confidence blueprint.

Related reading

Additional sources

espn.com, foxsports.com

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Frequently asked questions

Has Georgia Tech beaten Clemson recently?

Yes. Georgia Tech beat No. 12 Clemson 24-21 on September 13, 2025, snapping Clemson’s nine-game winning streak in the series.

How many straight games did Clemson win over Georgia Tech before 2025?

Clemson won nine straight series games from 2015 through 2023.

Are Clemson and Georgia in the same conference?

No. Clemson competes in the ACC, and the University of Georgia competes in the SEC.

What conference does Georgia Tech play in?

Georgia Tech plays in the Atlantic Coast Conference, just like Clemson.

Which school has more football national championships: Clemson or Georgia Tech?

Georgia Tech claims four national championships, most recently in 1990; Clemson claims three, in 1981, 2016, and 2018.