By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo Credit: BYU Photo
No. 12 BYU Cougars came back to beat No. 22 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 25-21, to win the Pop Tarts Bowl on Saturday.
The Cougars came back from an 11-point deficit to win the game. Freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier stepped up when his team needed him the most. Bachmeier completed 27 of his 38 passes for 325 yards to go with one touchdown and one interception.
Bachmeier’s only touchdown came in the first quarter when BYU scored its first touchdown of the game. He threw a 7-yard touchdown to Chase Roberts.
The fourth quarter will be known as the “Cougar Magic,” as the team scored 15 unanswered points to complete the comeback. Enoch Nawahine scored on a 2-yard touchdown to cut the lead 21-16, and then Bachmeier ran for a 2-point conversion to make it 21-18.
With two minutes left in the quarter, running back Jovesa Damuni scored the game-winning 4-yard touchdown run to give the Cougars a 25-21 lead.
Georgia Tech quarterback completed 22 of his 40 passes. He threw for 270 yards to go with two touchdowns and one interception. Wide receiver Eric Rivers had four receptions for 102 yards with one touchdown. J.T. Byrne added a touchdown for the Yellow Jackets. Malik Rutherford didn’t catch a touchdown, but he led the receivers with eight receptions and 105 yards.
Courars wide receiver Carson Ryan led the team’s receivers in receptions (8) and receiving yards (120). His longest play was for 35 yards. Parker Kingston added five receptions and 76 yards.
BYu’s defense came up huge in the second half. Their defense forced three straight incompletions from King, which caused a 4th & 10. Linebacker Nusi Taumoepeau led this defense with his incredible plays. BYU must keep him for next season. His leadership is parallel.
The Cougars finish the season with a 12-2 record, their first 12-win season since 2001. Georgia Tech finished with a 9-4 record.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
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