No. 22 Georgia Tech toasted in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, loses to No. 12 BYU

ORLANDO, Fla. — No. 22 Georgia Tech nearly ended its season with a miraculous, game-winning drive Saturday at Camping World Stadium, but the final pass of Haynes King’s college career was intercepted in the end zone by Evan Johnson to secure No. 12 BYU’s 25-21 win in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

King had completed a 66-yard pass to Eric Rivers earlier in the drive, a fourth-and-15 completion that kept the Yellow Jackets’ hopes alive. But from there, at the BYU 16, King threw three incomplete passes before his final throw was intercepted in the back of the end zone.

“The last four plays, they zoned us up pretty good. I either didn’t make a play or missed a throw,” King said. “When you get down there, you gotta make throws. It happens quicker and tighter and faster. You gotta make the play, especially when it comes down to that.”

King finished 23-of-41 passing for 275 yards and two scores, but the Jackets were held scoreless over the final two quarters. BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier threw for 325 yards and a score, and BYU tight end Carsen Ryan caught eight balls for 120 yards.

Tech ended its season at 9-4, losing three in a row and four of its final five games. The Cougars ended the year 12-2.

“Whether you win or lose these games, the feeling at the end is a lot of times the same, because we know we can’t control the outcome of games, we control what we put into it and how we play, you also can’t control the emotions that you feel when 26 guys that meant this much to your program play in their last game with you. That’s what this is about tonight,” Tech coach Brent Key said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t make plays down the stretch to be able to come out with the win. But I’m gonna soak in every last moment I have with these guys.”

Tech had a 21-10 lead with the third quarter waning and was driving for more. But the Jackets stalled at the 18 and Aidan Birr’s 35-yard field-goal attempt was blocked by BYU lineman Keanu Tanuvasa.

That gave BYU momentum which it turned into an 11-play, 80-yard touchdown drive capped by Enoch Nawahine’s 2-yard scoring plunge. Bachmeier ran in the two-point conversion, cutting the score to 21-18 with 11:13 to play.

The Jackets continued to struggle to move the ball and punted the ball back to BYU with 5:44 to play. Three minutes and 44 seconds later, running back Jovesa Damuni pushed in a 4-yard touchdown, giving the Cougars a 25-21 lead with two minutes on the clock.

Tech, which has made a habit of playing close games not only this season but throughout Key’s tenure, looked like it would pull off a two-minute drive to steal victory. But it wasn’t to be.

“Our middle name is chaos,” Key added. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to come out on top.”

BYU opened the scoring with a five-play, 62-yard drive that ended with Bachmeier’s 7-yard touchdown strike to receiver Chase Roberts at the 4:56 mark of the first quarter.

Tech answered with a touchdown drive of its own, a possession that ended with a fake field goal that went for a touchdown. Kicker Aidan Birr trotted onto the field for a 20-yard attempt, then the team shifted into a traditional formation with Trelain Maddox at running back — Maddox took a direct snap and ran three yards up the middle, stretching the ball just over the goal line to tie the score at 7-7.

The Cougars retook the lead with a 22-yard field goal off the right foot of kicker Will Ferrin with 9:49 remaining in the second quarter.

Tech countered with a 10-play, 76-yard scoring drive that King completed with a 6-yard touchdown throw to Eric Rivers, who celebrated in the end zone with one of the Pop-Tarts Bowl mascots. On the ensuing kickoff, BYU’s Cody Hagen muffed the return and Tech’s Will Kiker was on the spot at the 6 to fall on the loose ball.

King dumped a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end J.T. Byrne on the next play from scrimmage, making the score 21-10. That series of events gave Tech 14 points in 10 seconds.

The Jackets took that 11-point lead into the half. They had scored on three consecutive possessions before a Hail Mary pass at the buzzer at halftime fell incomplete. BYU had possession for more than 17 minutes and piled up 220 yards, yet could come away with only 10 points in the opening 30 minutes.

Tech began the third quarter by marching to the BYU 9, but after a loss of 2 yards and an incompletion, wide receiver Jordan Allen caught a pass behind the line of scrimmage and linebacker Nusi Taumoepeau, on the ground, threw his leg up and jarred the ball loose with his foot. Linebacker Isaiah Glasker recovered for the Cougars.

But Rodney Shelley saved the day for the Jackets moments later when he intercepted Bachmeier on a third-down pass from the Tech 4, ending a 65-yard drive.

Those developments kept the score at 21-10 going into the fourth quarter.

Of Tech’s five second half possessions, one ended with a fumble, one ended with a blocked field goal, two ended with punts and one ended with King’s pick.

Malik Rutherford caught eight passes for 105 yards in the loss for the Jackets.