ORLANDO, Fla. — As soon as once more, the Pop-Tarts Bowl, cheekily marketed because the “Other folks’s Nationwide Championship” and the most efficient bowl sport no longer a part of the School Soccer Playoff, lived as much as its billing.
Loopy excellent for No. 12 BYU.
Undergo Bachmeier finished 71% of his passes for 325 yards, a landing and an interception; and Evan Johnson intercepted a move in any case zone with six seconds left to lend a hand the Cougars overturn a 21-10 halftime deficit to overcome No. 22 Georgia Tech 25-21 in entrance of 34,126 fanatics at Tenting International Stadium.
Carsen Ryan had a career-high 120 yards on 8 catches to steer BYU, and Parker Kingston added 96 yards on offense and 38 extra on punt go back for the Cougars.
Nevertheless it used to be Jovesa Damuni, who had 63 yards ahead of Saturday evening, who received the sport with a 4-yard dashing landing with two mins left.
Haynes King threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns with a pick out for Georgia Tech (9-4), and Eric Rivers stuck 4 passes for 102 yards and a rating for the Yellow Jackets.
Nusi Taumoepeau, the previous Stanford dedicate who flipped to BYU in overdue March, had six tackles, 3 quarterback hits, a take on for loss and a a career-first compelled fumble, and Faletau Satuala and Isaiah Glasker each and every made six tackles for BYU’s protection within the second-half shutout.
No prevent used to be larger than Johnson, despite the fact that, who admitted he “were given beat” by means of Rivers for a 66-yard reception at the ultimate power ahead of sealing the win 4 performs later along with his 5th interception of the yr.
“I used to be truly simply enthusiastic about the play after that,” Johnson stated with a grin, later joking that he loves to remind his coaches he used to play receiver in highschool. “It got here to me, trainer Hill made a perfect name, and I were given my alternative to head make a play.
“I had a play like that in opposition to Texas Tech that I did not cross get. My handiest concept in my thoughts after that used to be to make a play on that ball.”
Lacking its most sensible rusher — Giant 12 main rusher LJ Martin — and a most sensible linebacker in Jack Kelly, BYU were given down in a large manner. The Yellow Jackets took good thing about a pivotal 13 seconds of sport time within the first 1/2, too.
King discovered Rivers for a 5-yard landing with 5:28 left within the 1/2 to present Georgia Tech its first lead of the sport 14-10.
Moments later, Cody Hagen muffed the following kickoff popping out of his finish zone and King hit J.T. Byrne for his 3rd landing of the 1/2 to head up 21-10 on the damage.
“Haynes King is a truly excellent participant,” BYU trainer Kalani Sitake stated. “I felt like he led them from a tricky spot … It is exhausting to run clear of that child.”
Bachmeier, too, pulled himself up by means of his one wholesome ankle and received a sport along with his arm, throwing for the second-most yards of his freshman marketing campaign and essentially the most since going for 351 yards in a 38-24 win over West Virginia again on Oct. 3.
It helped to have Ryan, the journeyman tight finish from American Fork who confirmed what he can do after being underutilized in stops at UCLA and Utah ahead of his season season with the Cougars.
His 120 yards had been sufficient to conquer King, who led the Yellow Jackets to 401 overall yards with 27 of Georgia Tech’s 131 dashing yards, along with 5 passes to Malik Rutherford for 105 yards.
And Bachmeier did it on one — OK, possibly one-and-a-half — ankle, after being injured within the Giant 12 championship sport in opposition to No. 4 Texas Tech.
Difficult child. Either one of them.
“The ball got here my manner so much, and I used to be in a position to get the chance to make performs,” Ryan stated.
“It is simply particular. I have had a special adventure right here; that is my one season with this group and those guys,” he added. “However I am so particular for the danger I needed to be right here: the friendships I have made, the brotherhood I have discovered, the whole thing I have realized … I want I may just spend extra time with those guys. However hindsight’s 20/20, and the whole thing occurs for a explanation why. For this night and these days, I am thankful for that.”
However BYU’s protection dialed in after the damage. Taumoepeau stripped King to open the second one 1/2, and Glasker recovered to present BYU a possibility to get again into the sport.
The following power ended with Bachmeier’s 7th interception of the season, as Rodney Shelley compelled BYU to come back up empty for the 3rd time in its first 5 possessions.
After Keanu Tanuvasa — who introduced on postgame radio he used to be coming again to BYU for his senior season — blocked Lou Groza Award finalist Aidan Birr from 35 yards out, Damuni had a couple of huge runs for 31 yards to energy an 80-yard power capped by means of Enoch Nawahine’s first landing since an 18-15 win over SMU final yr.
King discovered Rivers for a 66-yard strike with lower than a minute left. However Johnson secured the win within the sprinkle-covered finish zone to present BYU its twelfth win for the primary time since 2001.
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