ATHENS, Ga. -- Georgia Tech's season did not get off to quite the start that Paul Johnson would have hoped, but he's certainly got no complaints with the ending after his Yellow Jackets came from two touchdowns down to beat Georgia 28-27 in Saturday's regular-season finale.

Talk about dramatics.

Down by 13, the Yellow Jackets (8-4) cut the margin to six on a 5-yard run by Dedrick Mills before an interception by Lance Austin set up Georgia Tech one more time, resulting in a touchdown dive by Qua Searcy from the 6-yard line with 30 seconds left to play.

That would not be enough time for Georgia (7-5) to come back.

Quarterback Jacob Eason got the Bulldogs as close as their own 39 before a final pass was intercepted, bringing the Yellow Jackets pouring onto the field.

"We just keep playing," Johnson said. "This team doesn't get a whole lot of respect, nor does this program. So, you just keep playing. I think they've done a really good job of doing that. We don't listen to anybody. We just play."

After dropping three straight to Clemson, Miami and Pittsburgh earlier this season, Saturday's win over the Bulldogs (7-5) marked the fifth victory in six games for the Yellow Jackets, who know await word on what bowl they will attend.

Justin Thomas led Georgia Tech by completing 6-of-10 passes for 164 yards, while four different ball carries -- Mills, Clinton Lynch, Searcy and Marcus Marshall -- accounted for the team's four scores.

"I thought it was a great college football game," Johnson said. "Both teams played hard, but we finally got that break at the end with the turnover and were able to take advantage of it."

Sony Michel led Georgia with 19 carries for 170 yards and one touchdown.

"We just didn't finish," Bulldog linebacker Davin Bellamy said. "With that offense, they're going to make plays, we're going to make plays, but we didn't finish and that's what mattered the most."

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart did not disagree.

"I think that game was kind of indicative of our season," Smart said. "It was a little good here, a little bad there, but we didn't play with enough consistency. It's a 60-minute game, we've got to play all 60 minutes and we've got to play each play like it's got a history and life of its own.

"We as coaches have got to do a better job and that starts with me. I'm the leader of the organization, I'm the one responsible for it."

With the game tied at 14, Dominick Sanders -- who earlier intercepted a pass -- was again in opportune position when he recovered a fumble early in the third quarter, returning the ball 13 yards to the 28 to set up a 27-yard field goal by Rodrigo Blankenship to put the Bulldogs 17-14.

Following a third-down sack of Thomas, the Bulldogs went on their second straight scoring drive, going 67 yards on just five plays with Nick Chubb's 3-yard run pushing the lead to 24-14.

"They are great backs," Yellow Jacket linebacker Pat Gamble said of Michel and Chubb. "I can't say enough about those guys. They played hard and played a good football game."

Blankenship's second field goal extended the lead to 27-14 late in third before Georgia Tech answered with 6:28 left on a 5-yard run by Mills to draw within 27-21.

"I certainly thought there was a point in the game where we had kind of taken it over," Smart said. "But then we lost that momentum on that coming out drive. We didn't play for 60 minutes."

The first half ended with both teams knotted at 14-14.

For Georgia Tech, big plays were the name of the game, including its opening drive when a run of 32-yards by Searcy set up a 42-yard touchdown gallop by Lynch as the Yellow Jackets took just 1:44 to drive 75 yards for the opening score.

The Bulldogs answered right back -- getting a 10-yard run from Michel -- before Georgia Tech regained the lead in the second on a 4-yard run by Marshall.

Marshall's touchdown was set up by a 65-yard pass to Brad Stewart from Thomas, who completed 3 of 4 passes the first half for 86 yards before Eason brought the Bulldogs back, tying the game on a 6-yard pass to Isaiah McKenzie.

"Those passes hurt bad," Smart said of Georgia Tech. "They did a nice job with their play-action game, which we know they've got. We talked all week about not giving up the big plays but were not able to do that."

NOTES: Georgia beat the Yellow Jackets in 13 of 16 meetings before Saturday, including three in a row. ... Marcus Marshall, who scored Georgia Tech's second touchdown, is the brother of former Bulldog Keith Marshall, now with the Washington Redskins. ... Nick Chubb's 88 yards allowed him to move into third place behind Todd Gurley on Georgia's all-time rushing list behind Garrison Hearst with 3,282 yards.