The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly From Georgia Tech's Pop Tarts Bowl Loss vs BYU

What are the main takeaways from Georgia Tech's loss to BYU in the Pop Tarts Bowl?

Dec 27, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) throws the ball as BYU Cougars linebacker Nusi Taumoepeau (5) pressures during the second half at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

At halftime of the Pop Tarts Bowl, it looked like Georgia Tech was in complete control against BYU. The Yellow Jackets were leading 21-10 heading into the locker room and were getting the ball to start the second half.

Then things got sideaways.

A fumble in the redzone, a blocked field goal, and an interception (plus poor time management) on the last drive of the game allowed BYU to score 15 unanswered points and win the Pop Tarts Bowl against the Yellow Jackets 25-21. BYU spoiled Georgia Tech's chances of winning their 10th game of the season and sent the Yellow Jackets to their 4th loss in the last five games.

For the last time this season, here is the good, the bad, and the ugly from Georgia Tech.

The Good

Dec 27, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) throws the ball against the BYU Cougars during the second half at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

• No. 22 Georgia Tech closes the season at 9-4, its best record since 2016
• Georgia Tech’s nine wins are tied for the 10th-most in its 133 seasons of football.
• Georgia Tech fell to 26-22 in 48 all-time bowl games. Its 26 postseason wins are tied for the 14th-most in NCAA Division I FBS history and its 48 bowl appearances are the 15th-most all-time.
• Georgia Tech lost to an opponent from the Big 12 Conference for the first time since a 28-25 loss at Kansas on Sept. 11, 2010, snapping the Yellow Jackets’ three-game winning streak against the Big 12.
• Georgia Tech fell to 18-13 all-time against current members of the Big 12.
• Georgia Tech lost for the first time in three appearances in what is now known as the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
• Georgia Tech lost for the first time in three games at what is now known as Camping World Stadium.
• Georgia Tech scored two touchdowns in a 13-second span in the second quarter, turning a 10-7 deficit into a 21-10 lead.
• Georgia Tech lost for the first time this season when leading after three quarters (Tech led 21-10 going into the fourth quarter).
• Georgia Tech had two 100-yard receivers (r-Sr. WR Malik Rutherford – 105 and r-Sr. WR Eric Rivers – 102) for the second time in the last four games (Rutherford and Rivers also had 100 receiving yards each on Nov. 15 at Boston College). It marks only the eighth time in Georgia Tech history that two receivers had 100 yards each in the same game. Before this season, Georgia Tech didn’t have two 100-yard receivers in the same game since 2005 (Demarius Bilbo and Calvin Johnson vs. North Carolina).

• In the 38th and final game of his illustrious Georgia Tech career, r-Sr. QB Haynes King became only the second Yellow Jacket to ever surpass 10,000 yards of total offense. With 301 total yards in Saturday’s game (270 passing, 31 rushing), King finished with 10,200 total yards as a Yellow Jacket (7,923 passing, 2,277 rushing). King joins College Football Hall of Famer Joe Hamilton (10,640 yds. – 1996-99) as the only Georgia Tech players with 10,000 yards of total offense.
• King is the first player to reach the 10,000-yard plateau in just three seasons at Georgia Tech.
• King set a new Georgia Tech single-season record with 3,920 yards of total offense this season (2,967 passing, 953 rushing).
• King’s 2,967 passing yards this season are the third-most in Georgia Tech single-season history (behind only George Godsey’s 3,085 in 2001 and Hamilton’s 3,060 in 1999).
• King became Georgia Tech’s all-time leader with 674 completions as a Yellow Jacket, breaking the previous record of 662, set by Reggie Ball in four seasons from 2003-06.
• King also set a new Georgia Tech record for career completion percentage at .676 (674-for-997), shattering the previous record of .633, set by Godsey from 1998-2001.
• With two touchdown passes on Saturday, King finished with six TD passes in three bowl games at Georgia Tech, which are the most postseason TD passes ever by a Yellow Jacket, breaking the previous school record of five that was held by Pepper Rodgers (two bowl games – 1953 and 1954 Sugar Bowl).
• r-Sr. WR Malik Rutherford had eight receptions for 105 yards, good for his second 100-yard game of the season and fourth of his career.
• Rutherford passed College Football Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson for second all-time at Georgia Tech with 182 career receptions. Johnson had 178 receptions as a Yellow Jacket from 2004-06.
• Rutherford also became the seventh player in Georgia Tech history with 2,000 career receiving yards, finishing with 2,014 yards.
• Rutherford moved into a tie for eighth in Georgia Tech history with his 53rd career game played.
• r-Sr. OL Joe Fusile moved into a tie for sixth in Georgia Tech history with his 47th career start.
• Sr. DB Rodney Shelley’s interception in the third quarter was his team-leading second of the season.
• r-So. DB Will Kiker’s fumble recovery in the second quarter was the first of his career.
• Fr. DB Fenix Felton and r-Fr. RB Trelain Maddox both made their first-career starts.
• Maddox’s 3-yard touchdown run on a fake field goal in the first quarter was his first TD of the season and second of his career.

The Bad

• Georgia Tech's second half offense. The Yellow Jackets were held scoreless, had a fumble in the red zone, a blocked kick, and an interception on the final possession. The Yellow Jackets had several chances to seize control of the game, but they let them slip away and it resulted in a loss.

• Georgia Tech's defense gave up 6.7 yards per play.

• Georgia Tech's defense had only one sack and one TFL

• The Yellow Jackets were 4-13 on third down

• Georgia Tech could not disrupt Bear Bachmeier and the passing game. Bachmeier finished the day 27-38 for 325 yards and one touchdown.

• Georgia Tech only averaged 4.7 yards per carry

The Ugly

• A loss is always ugly.

• This was the 4th loss in the last five games to end the season for Georgia Tech

• The clock management in the final drive was dreadful.