Duke tight end Jake Taylor bobbles pass, then taps it over Georgia Tech DB before tracking down wild reception

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Jake Taylor is playing backyard football in Durham, North Carolina. The Duke redshirt junior tight end pulled off a jaw-dropping bobble catch late in the second quarter against No. 12 Georgia Tech Saturday.

Taylor caught a third-and-3 pass that he deflected not once but twice before making a catch past the line to gain for a critical first down in a first half defined by costly Duke mistakes.

Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah located the 6-foot-5 Taylor across the middle. Mensah's pass hit Taylor in the hands, but the ball bounced off Taylor's gloves. He immediately redirected the deflection with his right hand, tapping it up and over the head of Georgia Tech defensive back Jon Mitchell. Taylor barreled forward and tracked down the ricochet for the diving reception.

Taylor's heads-up play moved the chains and set the stage for Duke's game-tying touchdown before halftime.

Mensah found another one of his tight ends, Landen King, for a 20-yard score to make it a 7-7 game with only 33 seconds on the clock before intermission.

Mensah fumbled at the mesh point of a zone-read play near the Georgia Tech goal line on Duke's first drive. Yellow Jackets defensive back Omar Daniels picked up the loose ball and went all the way for a 95-yard scoop-and-score touchdown.

The Blue Devils' second drive reached the Georgia Tech 12-yard line but also ended with 0 points after holder Kade Reynoldson muffed the snap on a field goal attempt.

Duke outgained Georgia Tech 238-110 in the opening half. Mensah completed 16-of-21 passes for 193 yards.

Despite how well the Blue Devils were moving the ball, it didn't look like the ball was bouncing their way.

That is, until Taylor made his juggling catch.