No. 12 BYU, No. 22 Georgia Tech to face off in the 2025 Pop-Tarts Bowl
ORLANDO, Florida (Sunday, Dec. 8, 2025) — No. 12 BYU and No. 22 Georgia Tech will play in the 2025 Pop-Tarts Bowl, Florida Citrus Sports announced Sunday. The game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 27, at Camping World Stadium and will air live on ABC.
The contest will mark the fifth all-time matchup between 12th-ranked Cougars (11-2, 8-1 Big 12) and 22nd-ranked Yellow Jackets (9-3, 6-2 ACC) and the first since 2013. BYU has won three of the four previous meetings between the teams.
BYU, the runner-up in Saturday’s Big 12 championship game, will be appearing in its first Pop-Tarts Bowl and third Orlando bowl game overall. The Cougars lost two previous Citrus Bowl appearances, including a match-up against Ohio State in the 1985 game and a meeting with Oklahoma State in 1976.
This year’s Pop-Tarts Bowl will mark the Yellow Jackets’ third appearance in the game. Led by then-offensive-lineman Brent Key, Georgia Tech defeated West Virginia in the 1997 game before the contest relocated to Orlando, and later beat Syracuse in the 2004 edition, the fourth to be played in Central Florida. Additionally, Georgia Tech topped Nebraska in the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1, 1991, claiming a share of that year’s national championship in the process.
The 2025 Yellow Jackets squad boasts one of the most balanced offenses in football and ranks 12th nationally in total yardage, averaging 466.3 yards per game. Georgia Tech also ranks 19th nationally in rushing offense (203 yards per game) and 29th in passing offense (263.3 yards per game) and averaged 33.1 points per game this season, good for 25th among FBS programs.
The unit is led by quarterback Haynes King, the 2025 ACC Player of the Year and ACC Offensive Player of the Year, who finished the regular season with 2,697 passing yards, 12 TDs and five interceptions to go with 922 rushing yards and an ACC-leading 15 touchdowns on the ground. Additional offensive standouts include running backs Malachi Hosley (634 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jamal Haynes (504 yards, five touchdowns) and leading receiver Eric Rivers, who caught 42 passes for 556 yards this season.
On defense, the Yellow Jackets are paced by linebackers Kyle Efford and E.J. Lightsey, who finished the regular season with 72 and 70 total tackles, respectively. Additionally, on special teams, Georgia Tech kicker Aidan Birr leads the country with 2.08 field goals per game and ranks fourth nationally in total points scored with 117.
The Cougars, meanwhile, are led on offense by true freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier and running back LJ Martin, who teamed up to help BYU become the top red zone offense in the Big 12 in 2025. The Cougars averaged 397.5 total yards of offense per game this season and scored on 49 of 53 trips inside the 20.
Martin ranks sixth in the nation in rushing yards (1,305) and led the Big 12 in total rushing, rushing yards per game (102.4) and all-purpose yards (1,453) this year. The Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year, Bachmeier threw for 2,708 yards on the season, good for fifth in the conference; he is also second on the Cougars team in rushing with 137 carries for 529 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns.
On the defensive side of the ball, BYU’s red zone defense ranks ninth in the nation. Safety Tanner Wall led BYU with four interceptions, good for second in the Big 12, and was second on the Cougars with 57 tackles. Linebacker Jack Kelly was third in the Big 12 in sacks (9) and fifth in forced fumbles (2).
Dubbed ‘The People’s National Championship,’ the 2025 Pop-Tarts Bowl will be the 36th edition of the game and the 25th to be played in Orlando after 11 years in South Florida. Last year, Iowa State defeated Miami 42-41 in the second edition of the bowl to feature Pop-Tarts as a title sponsor. In 2023, Kansas State defeated NC State 28-19 in the first bowl game to feature an Edible Mascot.
In addition to the action on the field, this year’s Pop-Tarts Bowl will also feature a record six mascots — Team Sprinkles and Team Swirls — who will go head-to-head in a first-of-its-kind showdown. After final whistle, an entire team of Edible Mascots will be selected to be devoured by the 2025 Pop-Tarts Bowl Champions..
Pop-Tarts Bowl tickets are available now. Click here or visit PopTartsBowl.com to buy or to learn more about group, premium and other special ticket offers.