The College Football Playoffs are raging on, but several other high-profile matchups are taking place across the country. That includes the Pop-Tarts Bowl, which pits #12 BYU against #22 Georgia Tech. The Cougars saw their postseason dreams dashed during a Big 12 championship game blowout. Still, this group will be looking to end the season on a high note. A terrific start for the Yellow Jackets went bad with three losses over their final four games. Can Brent Key get his group back on track this weekend?
BYU enters this contest as four-point favorites (-108) over Georgia Tech, with the over/under set at 55.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Cougars are favored at -180 on the moneyline.
BYU vs. Georgia Tech prediction, preview
These two teams share plenty of similarities, especially on offense. Both squads love nothing more than to run the ball. That includes under center with some of college football’s most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks. For Tech, it all starts with Haynes King. The signal caller has enjoyed a terrific season, even garnering some dark horse Heisman consideration. Through 11 games, he’s thrown for 2,697 yards, ran for 922 more, and picked up 27 total touchdowns. However, running room may be hard to come by for the senior on Saturday. BYU is holding opponents to 3.7 yards per rush attempt, fourth-best in the Big 12.
Neutralizing the run is key to slowing down the Yellow Jackets. As evidenced by King’s stats, they would prefer not to throw the ball downfield. Tech’s leading wideout is Eric Rivers, with just 556 receiving yards. Only three players on the team have surpassed 400 yards. BYU has snagged an impressive 16 interceptions this season. In comparison, King has only given up five picks. Whichever side wins the turnover battle will have a major edge in this one.
The Cougars are more than willing to pound the rock as well. Expect plenty of touches for star running back LJ Martin. The junior was dominant this season, leading the Big 12 with 1,305 rushing yards. In addition, he tallied 12 touchdowns for BYU. At quarterback, Bear Bachmeier has impressed. Over 13 games played, he’s accounted for 2,708 passing yards and 14 touchdowns. On the ground, the freshman has added 527 more yards and 11 scores. Together, the duo form one of the conference’s better offensive attacks. Brigham Young is putting up 31.9 points per game, fourth-best in the Big 12.
For all the talk about Bachmeier and Martin, BYU’s greatest strength may be its defense. The Cougs are allowing just 328.4 yards per game, fourth-best in the conference. Linebacker Jack Kelly leads the team with 10.0 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss. In the secondary, four different players have snagged multiple interceptions. Those ballhawks should give King second thought on the rare occasion he tosses the ball deep. As previously mentioned, making the Yellow Jackets one-dimensional changes the entire game.
Georgia Tech vs. BYU pick, best bet
The Big 12 may not be a ‘Power Two’ conference, but competition is still high. In comparison, Georgia Tech feasted all season on a mediocre ACC schedule. That’s not to say GT is overrated, but there haven’t been many impressive victories. BYU got shellacked in two meetings with Texas Tech, but picked up two ranked wins against Arizona and Utah. In what could be a hard-hitting, physical affair, I’ll back the more battle-tested Cougars on Saturday.
