Matchup Details

No. 12 BYU (11-2) will face No. 22 Georgia Tech (9-3) on Saturday, December 27, at 3:30 p.m. ET at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, airing on ABC. This marks the fifth all-time meeting between the teams and the first since 2013, with BYU holding a 3-1 series advantage.

The “People’s National Championship”

Bowl organizers have branded this edition as “The People’s National Championship”, and it will be the 36th edition of the game and the 25th to be played in Orlando.

The Famous Edible Mascots

This year’s Pop-Tarts Bowl will feature a record six mascots — Team Sprinkles and Team Swirls — who will go head-to-head in a first-of-its-kind showdown, and after the final whistle, an entire team of Edible Mascots will be selected to be devoured by the champions. Both teams have unveiled special “sprinkled” helmets for the game.

Key Storylines

BYU’s Season:

• Led by Big 12 Coach of the Year Kalani Sitake, BYU achieved its fourth double-digit victory season in the past six years
• Lost to Texas Tech twice, including in the Big 12 Championship Game, which ended their CFP hopes
• Notre Dame was initially rumored to be BYU’s opponent, but it opted out of bowl season entirely
• BYU is 5-2 in bowl games under Sitake

Georgia Tech’s Season:

• Looking for their second bowl win since 2016 and first double-digit win campaign since 2014
• Offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner departed earlier this month, so quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke will serve as coordinator for the bowl game

Key Players & Matchups

BYU Offense:

• True freshman QB Bear Bachmeier (Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year)
• RB LJ Martin ranks sixth in the nation in rushing yards at 1,305 and led the Big 12 in rushing yards per game at 102.4
• However, LJ Martin had surgery and will miss the bowl game
• BYU has the top red zone offense in the Big 12, scoring on 49 of 53 trips inside the 20

BYU Defense:

• Red zone defense ranks ninth in the nation
• Safety Tanner Wall led BYU with four interceptions, and linebacker Jack Kelly was third in the Big 12 in sacks with nine

Georgia Tech Offense:

• QB Haynes King (ended career with program record for touchdowns)
• Kicker Aidan Birr leads the country with 2.08 field goals per game and ranks fourth nationally in total points scored with 117

Georgia Tech Defense:

• Linebackers Kyle Efford and E.J. Lightsey finished the regular season with 72 and 70 total tackles, respectively

Game Prediction

Analysts expect BYU to control the game through time of possession and their rushing attack, potentially running the ball 40 times. The loss of LJ Martin could be significant, but BYU has been strong in bowl games under Sitake.

Broadcast Information

The game will be called by Mark Jones (play-by-play), Roddy Jones (analyst), and Quint Kessenich (sideline) on ABC.

The Pop-Tarts Bowl has become one of college football’s most beloved and entertaining bowl games, thanks to its unique tradition of the edible mascot being “toasted” and devoured by the winning team after the game!

2025 BYU Football Season Overview

Overall Performance

BYU finished the regular season 11-2 with an 8-2 Big 12 Conference record, earning the #12 ranking in the final College Football Playoff rankings. This marks one of the best seasons in school history, with the Cougars winning 10 or more games in four of the past six seasons.

Head Coach Kalani Sitake

Kalani Sitake is in his tenth year as head coach. Penn State attempted to recruit him away this season. Still, BYU’s administration and prominent donors stepped up with a contract extension and increased funding for the program, keeping Sitake in Provo.

Historic Season Highlights

• First appearance in the Big 12 Championship Game in program history
• Won 11 regular-season games for the first time since 2001
• Opened with a 69-0 shutout of Portland State, setting a program record for a shutout victory
• Started 8-0 before losing to Texas Tech
• Notable comeback victories over Colorado (24-21), Arizona (33-27), Utah (24-21), and Iowa State (41-27)

The Bear Bachmeier Story

One of the season’s biggest narratives was true freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier. The 18-year-old didn’t participate in BYU’s spring practice because he was at Stanford; when Stanford’s coach was fired, Bachmeier transferred to BYU in May. He threw for 2,304 yards, rushed for 525 yards, and scored 24 total touchdowns during the regular season.

Key Players & Awards

• Twenty BYU players earned All-Big 12 awards, including four First Team selections: running back LJ Martin, center Bruce Mitchell, linebacker Jack Kelly, and safety Tanner Wall.
• LJ Martin was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, and Bear Bachmeier earned Offensive Freshman of the Year honors.

Season Statistics

BYU ranked No. 3 in the Big 12 in scoring offense (34.0 points per game) and No. 2 in scoring defense (17.8 points per game).

Significant 12 Championship Game Loss

BYU lost to Texas Tech 34-7 in the Big 12 Championship Game on December 6. A heavily wrapped left ankle clearly hampered quarterback Bear Bachmeier, and he was unable to extend plays. The Cougars turned the ball over four times and managed just 110 yards on 45 plays after their opening touchdown drive. The loss ended their College Football Playoff hopes.

Regular Season Results

• August 30: Beat Portland State 69-0
• September 6: Beat Stanford 27-3
• September 20: Beat East Carolina 34-13
• September 27: Beat Colorado 24-21
• October 3: Beat West Virginia 38-24
• October 11: Beat Arizona 33-27
• October 18: Beat Utah 24-21
• October 25: Beat Iowa State 41-27
• November 8: Lost to #8 Texas Tech 29-7 (only regular season loss besides championship)
• November 15: Beat TCU 44-13
• November 22: Beat Cincinnati 26-14
• November 29: Beat UCF 41-21

Pop-Tarts Bowl

BYU will face #22 Georgia Tech in the Pop-Tarts Bowl on December 27, 2025, in Orlando. However, star running back LJ Martin underwent surgery and will be unavailable for the bowl game.

This was a remarkable season for BYU, featuring dramatic comebacks, a breakout freshman quarterback, and its first Big 12 Championship Game appearance, even if it ended in disappointment against a dominant Texas Tech team.

2025 Georgia Tech Football Season Overview

They are coming off a 9-3 season, in which they beat Colorado in the first game. They lost to #4 Georgia Bulldogs in a close match. 

Overall Performance

Georgia Tech finished the regular season with a 9-3 record (6-2 in ACC play), ranking 24th in the AP poll. This is their best regular-season record since 2014 and only the 16th nine-win regular season in program history.

Historic Start

The Yellow Jackets started 8-0 for the first time since 1966, marking their best start since joining the ACC. However, they lost three of their final four games, finishing at 9-3.

Head Coach Brent Key

Brent Key is in his third full season as head coach and was named AFCA Region 1 Coach of the Year. In December 2024, he received a five-year contract extension through 2029, which has been updated to run through 2030.

Key Players & Achievements

• Haynes King (QB): Finished his Tech career with 7,653 passing yards, 2,246 rushing yards, and 89 total touchdowns, setting a new program record for career touchdowns
• Aidan Birr (PK): Set a single-season school record with 25 field goals, breaking the previous record of 23
• Five All-ACC performers returned from 2024: Keylan Rutledge, Jordan van den Berg, Kyle Efford, Jamal Haynes, and Malik Rutherford.

Notable Wins

• Season opener: Won 27-20 at Colorado
• Beat #12 Clemson
• Started with impressive victories over Gardner-Webb (59-12) and Temple

Bowl Game

The Yellow Jackets will face BYU in the Pop-Tarts Bowl on December 27, 2025.

Statistical Rankings

The team averaged 33.1 points per game (25th nationally) while allowing 25.0 points per game (72nd nationally).

Challenges

The team struggled defensively late in the season, particularly against the run. They lost to rival Georgia 16-9 in the “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate” game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, extending their losing streak against the Bulldogs to eight games.

This has been a breakthrough season for Georgia Tech under Brent Key, establishing the program as competitive in the ACC once again.