College Football Classic delivers in Dublin

A sold-out Aviva Stadium hosted a thrilling opening game as this year’s NCAA College championship season got under way in Dublin. An Atlantic Coast Conference match between Georgia Tech and Florida State saw the 10th-ranked Seminoles beaten 24-21 by a last-second field goal.

The game was a neutral venue for all but one of the players involved. It’s not often that a punter is the centre of attention in the match build-up but in David Shanahan, Georgia Tech have a history maker.

Three years ago Shanahan, from Castleisland in County Kerry, became the first Irishman ever to earn a full scholarship to play college football.

Now in his senior year, the cheers for Shanahan’s punts from the near 50,000 crowd were among the very loudest of the night.

There were also outstanding special teams performances in the game from FSU kicker Ryan Fitzgerald, who impressed with two long-range field goals, and the Georgia Tech’s Aidan Birr, who held his nerve to deliver the game-winner.

The contest had started ominously for Shanahan’s team, who had no answer to Florida State’s ground game on the opening possession.

A 28-yard touchdown run by Lawrence Toafili ended a seven-play, 75-yard drive for the Seminoles. But Georgia Tech responded well, quarterback Zach Pyron powering through for a touchdown to cap a rapid, six-play drive.

Shanahan was first called into action towards the end of the first quarter after Georgia Tech’s second drive of the game stalled. The Kerryman placed a tactical 44-yard punt to the FSU 25-yard line.

The Seminoles had to settle for a field goal on their subsequent drive, Fitzgerald landing a 52-yard attempt.

The Yellow Jackets took a 14-11 lead with running back Jamal Haynes surging into the endzone three minutes from half-time. But there was enough time for FSU to get into field-goal range – Fitzgerald nailing a monster 59-yard attempt to send the sides in level at 14-14 at half-time.

After the break, Shanahan’s second punt of the night was a 49-yarder, returned just three yards, after both sides spluttered on their opening drives of the second half.

The next score came at the start of the fourth quarter as Haynes made the endzone for 21-14. Now forced to chase the game, the Seminoles went for it on a fourth-and-seven on the Georgia Tech 20-yard line.

Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei showed great composure to nail a 19-yard pass to wide receiver Malik Benson – and the teams were level at 21-21 with Roydell Williams’ subsequent one-yard run into the endzone.

For the finale, the Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King led his side into field goal range on an exciting 14-play drive from the Georgia Tech 25-yard line. Kicker Aidan Burr hit the winning kick from 44 yards, to roars from the Georgian fans, as well as the many locals backing Shanahan’s side.

The Irish connection to American Football has never been stronger, not just among the fans enjoying tonight’s spectacle, but also on the pitch.

As well as Shanahan’s pioneering college career, the recent years have seen Wicklow-born Dan Whelan secure the punter’s berth at the Green Bay Packers, while kickers Jude McAtamney and Charlie Smyth are looking to secure first-team roster positions with the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints respectively, as the NFL pre-season comes to its conclusion this weekend.

The prospect that a regular-season NFL game could be hosted in Dublin continues to loom large, with the NFL recently confirming that Ireland “is being considered as a future host market and the NFL are in early exploration stages of that feasibility process.”