ATLANTA -- Miami was on the right side of history on Saturday and it wound up being the deciding factor in its win.

The Hurricanes turned two fumbles in touchdowns, something that had never happened to Georgia Tech since it began playing football in 1892. Those scores completely changed the momentum of the game and sent the No. 14 Hurricanes to a 35-21 victory in their ACC opener.

A 21-point onslaught within a two-minute span in the second quarter, which included a pair of defensive scores by two prized freshmen, carried Miami to victory at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

"Without those, who knows what would be happening right now," Miami coach Mark Richt said. "You saw what they were doing on offense, how they controlled the ball and took every second off the clock between plays. It's so true that you'd better maximize your opportunities when you can. It just turned out it was on defense."

The wave of momentum started after Miami (4-0, 1-0 ACC) went ahead 14-7 on Mark Walton's 14-yard run with 6:42 left in first half.

On second-and-10 of the next possession, Georgia Tech quarterback Justin Thomas fumbled when taking a vicious blind-sided hit from Trent Harris. Freshman Shaq Quarterman picked up the loose ball and returned it 17 yards for a touchdown with 5:50 left.

Miami's defense was at it again when Georgia Tech got the ball back. The interior of the Miami defense was all over Thomas, who fumbled the ball. Freshman Joe Jackson grabbed it and ran 18 yards for a score with 5:04 left.

"Those two turnovers hurt us," Thomas said. "That was pretty much the turning point of the game."

The two-minute blitz gave Miami a 28-7 lead.

Georgia Tech scored before the half on a 9-yard pass from Thomas to freshman Dedrick Mills and drew to within 28-21 when Mills scored on a 1-yard run with 5:01 left in the third quarter.

But Miami regained its two-score advantage on its next possession when Stacy Coley hauled in a 31-yard touchdown pass from Brad Kaaya.

"I thought we came back and got back in the game in the third quarter, then to their credit they came back and, boom, they scored," Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said.

Miami was led by Kaaya, who competed 13 of 19 passes for 241 yards and one touchdown. Joe Yearby rushed for 65 yards and Walton ran for 44 yards as the Hurricanes had 355 yards in total offense.

Georgia Tech (3-2, 1-2) was led by Mills, who carried 19 times for 99 yards and two touchdowns and caught one touchdown pass. Thomas completed 11 of 19 passes with one interception for 94 yards and one touchdown.

"They had the two turnovers, which were gifts to us," Richt said. "Without those, they're probably still playing. There's a possibility that we're in overtime."

Until the 21-point barrage, the game was fairly even.

Miami scored on its only possession of the first quarter. The Hurricanes were pinned at their own 15 after Ryan Rodwell's 53-yard punt, but drove the 85 yards in eight plays for a touchdown. Yearby scored on a 27-yard run around the right corner.

Georgia Tech tied it with an 11-play 75-yard drive that included a pair of third-down conversions. Mills scored by bouncing around the side on a 7-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter.

NOTES: Miami coach Mark Richt has never had a team lose at Georgia Tech. He was 8-0 at Bobby Dodd Stadium while coaching at Georgia. ... Richt coached his 200th career game on Saturay. ... Miami has won seven of the last eight games against Georgia Tech. When Georgia Tech scored its first touchdown, that marked the first time an opponent has scored from inside the red zone against Miami this season. ... When Miami scored on a fumble return in the second quarter, it marked the first time it had happened to Georgia Tech since the Hurricanes did it a year ago. ... Shamire Devine was able to make the start at right guard for Georgia Tech. He left last week's game against Clemson early with an ankle sprain. Kyle Cerge-Henderson got the start at defensive tackle ahead of Francis Kallon. Lamont Simmons started at cornerback ahead of Step Durham. ... Miami had no changes in its starting lineup.