Bowl roundup: BYU holds off Georgia Tech in Pop-Tarts Bowl

BYU settled for a sweet consolation prize following its College Football Playoff snub.

The 12th-ranked Cougars savored a Pop-Tarts Bowl win Saturday, beating No. 24 Georgia Tech 25-21 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

BYU (12-2) was left out of the CFP after suffering a big loss to Texas Tech in the Big 12 title game. But the Cougars ended the year in good spirits after overcoming a 21-10 fourth-quarter deficit. They snacked on handfuls of the frosted pastry after a couple of human-sized Pop-Tarts got sent through a giant toaster.

BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier, the game’s MVP, completed 27 of 38 passes for 325 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Yellow Jackets QB Haynes King went 22 of 40 for 254 yards and two touchdowns, but threw a game-sealing pick in the end zone on the final play of his college career with six seconds left.

BYU improved to 6-2 in bowls under coach Kalani Sitake. Georgia Tech (9-4) started the season 8-0 and was ranked as high as No. 7, but stumbled down the stretch.

• North Texas 49, San Diego State 47: The 23rd-ranked Mean Green (12-2) capped their best season in program history with another impressive offensive showing in their New Mexico Bowl win over the Aztecs (9-4) at UNM’s University Stadium.

The nation’s No. 1 team in total offense, UNT piled up 618 yards and withstood a late rally from the Aztecs, who had 27 fourth-quarter points. Mean Green tailbacks Caleb Hawkins and Ashton Gray combined for 350 yards and four TDs, and QB Drew Mestemaker, the FBS leader in passing yards, threw for 250 yards and three TDs with two interceptions.

UNT coach Eric Morris, the former Washington State offensive coordinator, left the program earlier this month to take the head-coaching job at Oklahoma State.

The Mean Green secured their fist bowl win since 2013. They were 0-7 in bowl games between 2014-24.

• Virginia 13, Missouri 7: The 20th-ranked Cavaliers (11-3) forced an incompletion in the end zone with one second left to deny the 25th-ranked Tigers (8-5) in the Gator Bowl at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida.

Virginia, which fell a win short of a CFP bid, set a program record for wins in a season. Mizzou’s normally potent offense, coordinated by Kirby Moore before he took the head-coaching job at Washington State earlier this month, was held to a season-low 260 yards. Mizzou played without starting QB Beau Pribula (transfer portal).

Virginia senior QB Chandler Morris was named game MVP after completing 25 of 38 passes for 198 yards.

• Penn State 22, Clemson 10: The Nittany Lions (7-6) closed their tumultuous season with a win in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium over the Tigers (7-6), who also failed to meet big expectations this year.

In a matchup of programs that both started the season in the top five of the AP poll, Penn State freshman QB Ethan Grunkemeyer threw for 262 yards and two TDs, outdueling Clemson’s early-season Heisman candidate, Cade Klubnik (193 yards).

The Nittany Lions finished with four straight wins, salvaging the year with a bowl win after firing longtime coach James Franklin in October.

East Carolina 23, Pittsburgh 17: The Pirates (9-4) upset the Panthers (8-5) in the Military Bowl at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland.

ECU recorded five takeaways to make up for a yardage deficit – the Pirates totaled 249 total yards to Pitt’s 376.

ECU was without both coordinators – recently hired by bigger programs – plus its starting QB and top rusher (transfer portal).

• Army 41, UConn 16: The Black Knights (7-6) beat the shorthanded Huskies (9-4) in the Fenway Bowl at the Boston Red Sox’s iconic ballpark.

UConn star quarterback Joe Fagnano (3,448 yards, 28 TDs, one interception) opted out of the game and top receiver Skyler Bell (1,278 yards, 13 TDs) decided to sit after appearing on one play, and UConn’s best season in almost 20 years ended with a whimper.

But Army played at full strength and racked up 368 yards and five TDs on the ground to win its sixth bowl game since 2016.

• Fresno State 18, Miami (Ohio) 3: The Bulldogs (9-4) held the RedHawks (7-7) to under 200 yards of offense to win the Arizona Bowl in Tucson.

Fresno State used four field goals to pull away from the MAC runner-up en route to its sixth bowl win since 2017.

Perhaps the most exciting part of the game was when bowl sponsor Snoop Dogg interrupted his sideline interview and dove to catch a kickoff at the back line of the end zone.