BYU (11-2, 8-2) vs. Georgia Tech (9-3, 6-2)
- Kickoff: Saturday, 1:30 p.m. MST
- Venue: Camping World Stadium (capacity: 60,219)
- TV: ABC
- Livestream: espn.com/live
- Radio: KSL 1160 AM/102.7 FM/BYU Radio Sirius XM 143
- Series: BYU leads, 3-1 (last meeting: 2013)
The trends
For BYU: While having fallen in the Big 12 championship game earlier this month to lose the opportunity to play in the College Football Playoff, the Cougars could still clinch their first 12-win season since 2001 with a victory on Saturday.
BYU ranks No. 4 in the Big 12 in scoring offense (31.9 points per game) and No. 4 in scoring defense (19.0 points per game).
For Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets are searching for their first 10-win season since 2011, with a victory Saturday most certainly guaranteeing they will finish the season ranked in the final AP Top 25 poll.
Georgia Tech ranks third in the ACC in scoring offense (33.1 points per game) and 10th in scoring defense (25.0 points per game).
Key player
Bear Bachmeier, freshman, quarterback, BYU. The Cougars will be without their starting running back and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in LJ Martin, with another dynamic back in Sione Moa missing the bowl as well.
With a depleted stable of rushers behind him, Bachmeier will have to shoulder much of the load on the ground while also likely passing more than 30 times. It will be a tall task for the freshman, especially against a fellow top-25 squad.
But it’s been the Bachmeier show all season for the Cougars, and they’ll need one more great performance from him to capture the Pop-Tarts Bowl crown.
Quotable
“It is not going to be easy, but I know that I really care and want to go out and have fun and enjoy the game and play tough and take advantage of the opportunities that we have” — BYU coach Kalani Sitake
“We are really excited to play BYU, a team that I’ve said now numerous times is a team that really should have been in the playoffs this year, with their body of work and what they’ve done. It is a great opportunity for Georgia Tech to go compete. That’s what we want” — Georgia Tech coach Brent Key
BYU schedule
- Aug. 30 — defeated Portland State, 69-0
- Sept. 6 — defeated Stanford, 27-3
- Sept. 20 — defeated East Carolina, 34-13
- Sept. 27 — defeated Colorado, 24-21
- Oct. 3 — defeated West Virginia, 38-24
- Oct. 11 — defeated Arizona, 33-27
- Oct. 18 — defeated Utah, 24-21
- Oct. 25 — defeated Iowa State, 41-27
- Nov. 8 — lost to Texas Tech, 29-7
- Nov. 15 — defeated TCU, 44-13
- Nov. 22 — defeated Cincinnati, 26-14
- Nov. 29 — defeated UCF, 41-21
- Dec. 6 — lost to Texas Tech, 34-7 in Big 12 championship game