Georgia Tech 42, Georgia Southern 38: Justin Thomas hit Deon Hill on a 13-yard touchdown with 23 seconds remaining as the host Yellow Jackets held off furious a second-half rally to improve to 3-0.

Thomas, who finished 11-for-24 for 188 yards and four touchdowns and added 137 yards rushing, directing the game-winning drive for Georgia Tech after the Eagles (1-2) scored 28 unanswered points to take a 38-35 lead. Jamal Golden recovered a Georgia Southern fumble at the Georgia Tech 28 with 4:12 remaining to give the Yellow Jackets one last chance.

Matt Breida rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns for Georgia Southern (1-2), which took a three-point lead on Alfred Ramsby’s 11-yard touchdown run with 10:46 to play. Quarterback Kevin Ellison completed 7-of-10 passes for 164 yards and added 107 yards and a TD on the ground.

After Georgia Tech scored two touchdowns in the first eight minutes of the first quarter, Breida broke free for a 69-yard touchdown run down the left sideline with 6:43 left in the period to pull Georgia Southern within 14-7. The Yellow Jackets looked poised for a blowout after that, with Tim Byerly’s 1-yard sneak on fourth-and-goal early in the second quarter, Thomas’ 4-yard score midway through the period and Thomas' 57-yard strike to DeAndre Smelter down the right sideline making it 35-10 with 1:50 left in the half.

Georgia Southern stormed back after intermission, Ellison keeping on fourth-and-short for a 32-yard touchdown, Breida capping an 85-yard drive with a 2-yard run and Ellison finding B.J. Johnson down the right sideline for a 68-yard touchdown to bring the Eagles within 35-30 with 1:41 left in the third. Ramsby’s score capped a 94-yard drive on the ensuing Georgia Southern possession and Ellison hit Johnson on the two-point try to make it 38-35, but after Golden recovered the fumble, Thomas led the Yellow Jackets 72 yards on 11 plays.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Yellow Jackets needed just 1:15 to score first, Thomas’ 8-yard run capping a 75-yard drive, and his 12-yard screen pass to Zach Laskey made it 14-0 midway through the opening quarter. … The Yellow Jackets rolled up 385 yards of total offense in the first half, finishing with 536. … Georgia Southern, which led most of the way before falling 24-23 two weeks ago at North Carolina State, totaled 528 yards of offense.