The Bobby Dodd Club

We relaxed in the morning at the hotel after breakfast before heading to catch the DART to the stadium. We ended up catching an earlier train than we expected so we walked around the stadium and then stood and talked to some Tech fans before going into the stadium. We were seated in the Bobby Dodd Club with other Georgia Tech fans. We had a beer as we entered and then wine and beer as various dishes were served for lunch. Tech AD J Batt spoke as did President Angel Cabrera and we had a chance to chat with former head coach George O'Leary as he passed our table. The music was a bit loud which made it hard to talk but we enjoyed the Irish music and an appearance by a group of Irish dancers.

The Game

We headed to our seats a half hour before kickoff. We were rueing the overhang over our section since we could not see the A330 flyover from Aer Lingus but we were happy when it started raining heavily later. Our hopes for the game were let down on the opening drive as Florida State went the length of the field to score and get the two point conversion, but Tech answered with a Zach Pyron touchdown run. FSU added a 52-yard field goal in the second quarter but Tech went on a 14-play, 75-yard drive that consumed nearly eight minutes, ending in a Jamal Haynes 1 yard run to give Tech a 14-11 lead. FSU hit a 59-yard field goal with one second left to tie the game at the half.

There was no score in the third quarter as Tech's Aidan Birr missed a field goal. Haynes capped an 11-play, 89-yard drive on a 2-yard touchdown leap for Tech that erased 6:22 off the clock in the fourth. FSU countered by completing two fourth-down passes and tied the game with 6:33 left. After a trade of possessions, Tech got the ball back late and drove into FSU territory. Aidan Birr hit a 44-yard field goal as time expired to give the Yellow Jackets the upset victory.

We joined the group of happy Tech fans in the Bobby Dodd Club after the game for some food and drink before taking the train back to our hotel and packing up for the trip home.

Flying Home

Our "friends" at American Airlines had emailed us Monday to tell our connecting flight in Chicago had been cancelled and we now had a nearly seven hour layoff in O'Hare. We got an early morning cab to the airport and tried to check in but the AA attendant could not check us in due to the flight change. She made a phone call and it took about a minute for the person to fix the issue and we had our boarding passes. We had to run the gauntlet of security where J. R.'s bag was flagged because the bin did not scan. Then USA pre-clearance was not open. Finally we got through and were able to get into the 51st and Green Club for some snacks before our flight. We were in Flagship business on the way back so we were able to stretch out. We landed in Chicago and went to the Flagship Lounge and sat around for six hours. We decided to get a hotel at Orlando airport for the night before driving home the next day.

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