Originally Posted by
FriscoDawg
In the Skip Holtz era at Tech through the 2021 Mississippi State game, Holtz has a 61-42 record.
4TH QUARTER COMEBACK WINS
Of those 61 wins (as of 9/4/2021), just 5 have come through 4th quarter comebacks. All 5 of those wins have been from 2017 forward with two in both 2019 and 2020. The only double-digit 4th quarter deficit erased was in last year's UAB game.
2017 at Western Kentucky (won 23-22)
Tech was down 22-13 at the 6:09 mark left in the game and kicked the game-winning FG to make it 23-22 Tech with 0:02 left.
2019 at Rice (won 23-20, OT)
Game was tied 14-14 until Rice went ahead on a FG with 2:51 left. Tech forced OT with a tying FG with 1:10 left. Rice kicked a FG in the 1st OT, but Tech won it on a 12-yard TD run.
2019 vs Southern Miss (won 45-30)
Tech was down 27-24 until taking the lead for good with 12:02 left. USM closed it to 38-30 but Tech added another TD to finish out a 21-3 4th quarter.
2020 at Southern Miss (won 31-30)
Tech was down 27-24 before USM added a FG to make it 30-24 with 5:06 left. The Anthony to Hebert 4-yard TD pass with 0:14 left plus the extra point won it.
2020 vs UAB (won 37-34, 2OT)
Tech was down 31-17 until scoring converted TDs with 14:54 and 0:10 left to tie it. The teams swapped FGs in the first OT before Zach Hannibal's goal line fumble recovery set up Tech's winning FG in OT2.
4TH QUARTER COME-FROM-AHEAD LOSSES
Of the 42 Holtz losses at Tech (as of 9/4/2021), the Bulldogs have held leads in the 4th quarter in 13 (31%) of those losses. Tech has suffered at least one 4th quarter come-from-ahead loss in each season of the Holtz tenure except for 2019. Tech held a double-digit 4th quarter lead in 6 of those 13 losses, and it had at least a 6-point 4th quarter lead in all 13 games.
The main point of several of these losses was that Tech settled for FGs instead of extending leads with TDs when it got into scoring position in the 4th quarter. And that doesn't mention taking FGs instead of TDs earlier in these games.
2013 at Kansas (lost 13-10)
Tech was up 10-3 before Kansas tied it with 9:54 left. The Jayhawks kicked the game-winning 52-yard FG as time ran out.
2014 vs Northwestern State (lost 30-27)
Tech was up 20-10 and 27-17 until a Demon TD made it 27-24 with 4:20 left. The Demons tied it with 1:05 left, and then got a tipped interception to set up the winning 47-yard FG as time ran out.
2014 at Old Dominion (lost 30-27, OT)
Tech was up 24-17 before ODU tied it with 6:17 left. Tech kicked a FG in OT, but the Monarchs scored on an 8-yard pass to win it.
2014 at Marshall (C-USA Championship Game, lost 26-23)
Tech was up 23-16 until a Marshall FG made it 23-19 with 8:34 left. The game winning TD by the Herd came with 1:50 left to complete a 68-yard 11-play drive.
2015 at Kansas State (lost 39-33, 3OT)
Tech led 20-13 before the Wildcats tied it with 7:04 left and went ahead by a FG with 2:44 left. Tech forced OT on a 45-yard FG to end regulation. The teams traded TDs and FGs in the first 2 OTs before a 3rd and 16 31-yard pass put the Wildcats up 39-33 in OT3. Four Tech incomplete passes ended the game.
2016 at Arkansas (lost 21-20)
Tech led 20-14 until Arkansas scored the eventual game-winning TD with 6:37 left. A 4th down conversion by Arkansas with 3:35 left allowed the Razorbacks to run out the clock.
2016 at Middle Tennessee (lost 38-34)
Tech led 27-17 until the Blue Raiders scored two straight TDs with 11:11 and 6:58 left. Tech regained the lead with 3:56 left, but a 5-play 75-yard drive put the Blue Raiders up for good with 2:36 left. Tech got to the MT 6 but turned the ball over on downs with 50 seconds left.
2017 at South Carolina (lost 17-16)
Tech led 13-0 and was driving before J'Mar Smith threw an interception at the Gamecock 3 with 3:42 left in the 3rd. South Carolina then went on a 16-play, 97-yard drive to cut the margin to 13-7 with 11:06 left. The Gamecocks took the lead 14-13 with 4:52 left before Jonathan Barnes put Tech back up 16-14 on a 25-yard FG with 0:55 left. South Carolina then drove 65 yards on 6 plays for the game-winning FG with 0:04 left after a 24-yard 3rd down scramble and a 41-yard batted catch provided all of the yardage.
2017 vs Southern Miss (lost 34-27, 2OT)
Tech led 27-16 until a 49-yard FG made it 27-19 with 1:23 left. USM recovered the onside kick and completed a 22-yard TD pass with 0:31 left. A 2-point conversion pass tied it to force OT. Both teams threw interceptions in the first OT, but the Golden Eagles scored on the first play of OT2, and Tech was unable to convert.
2017 vs North Texas (lost 24-23)
Tech led 23-17 on a FG with 13:35 to play. North Texas took the lead on a 9-play, 78-yard drive with 6:04 left. A missed 53-yard FG attempt with 2:39 left was Tech's last chance.
2018 at Southern Miss (lost 21-20)
Tech led 20-14 on a FG with 13:40 left. A 14-play, 85-yard TD drive put USM up for good with 6:02 to play. Tech drove but had to punt and was unable to get the ball back.
2020 at UTSA (lost 27-26)
Tech led 26-13 before two Roadrunner drives in the 4th quarter led to TDs with 10:28 and 6:16 left. Tech had two more drives but couldn't get into scoring range.
2021 at Mississippi State (lost 35-34)
Tech led 34-14 after a 33-yard FG with 13:11 left. A long kickoff return set up Mississppi State for a 3-play, 21 yard drive to make it 34-21 with 12:01 to play. Two 3-and-out drives that gained 9 yards total set up MSU drives of 77 and 52 yards to make the score 35-34 with 3:37 left. Tech drove 47 yards but missed a 46-yard FG try as time expired.