After opening up the 2025 season with an 8-0 record, we came up short and did not make the ACC Championship or the College Football Playoff. However, we made the People’s National Championship, aka the Pop-Tart
bowl, which is clearly a much more favorable outcome anyway (I’m coping). As Georgia Tech fans, it’s been a tough few weeks. The frustration only grew with the news that Buster Faulkner was headed to Florida, taking most of the offensive staff and, most likely, Aaron Philo with him. Still, despite the disappointment and pain, the Jackets have an opportunity to close out the 2025 season on a high note. A win in the Pop-Tarts Bowl would not only shift the narrative but also give Tech fans a much-needed late Christmas present. So, as we head to Orlando to eat some Pop-Tarts and watch some football, here’s what I think I know about the Jackets.
Chris Weinke does an excellent job calling plays
On Tuesday of last week, Coach Brent Key officially announced that QB coach and Co-offensive coordinator Chris Weinke will call plays for the Pop-Tarts Bowl. This was the correct decision, as Weinke knows Haynes King better than anyone on the staff and can call plays that will give us the best chance at beating a very talented BYU team. There is an undeniable bond between these two, as King even stated that the team is in good hands with whichever quarterback follows in his footsteps, saying, “ And another reason why I say it’s in good hands is because of Coach Weinke. The things that he does throughout the week and the way he demands how we prepare and how we practice are just next level. They’re going to be in good hands regardless because of the way that he has the standard going each and every day. Nothing’s really going to change even when I’m gone because everything that I’ve done and progressed on has been because of Coach Weinke. ” Wow. That is some high praise from King for his position coach. Hearing that only makes me more excited to see what Weinke can do with the future of our quarterback room. During my time working with the football team, I saw firsthand how closely King and Weinke worked together and how dedicated both were to developing the quarterback position and the offense as a whole. It really feels full circle that Weinke will get the chance to call plays for Haynes King in his final game as a Yellow Jacket. And if things go well…who knows? We may just be watching our future offensive coordinator. That’s a stretch, but we’ve all been surprised before.
Haynes King goes out with a bang.
I think Haynes leaves it all out on the line in his last game and puts up numbers to show he belonged in New York. This will hopefully be a bittersweet day, not just a sad one, for all of us, as I know we all cherish how much of a Tech man Haynes King was and what a fantastic player and person he has been for this program. It’s nice to see a good player with some loyalty these days. I hope he has some fun, and Weinke draws up some exciting plays for him to go out on a good note.
It will be a fun game no matter who wins
The fun thing about the Pop-Tarts bowl is that both teams and both sets of fans will have a blast no matter who wins. The Pop-Tarts bowl has become a fan favorite over the last few years, as it is lighthearted and truly embodies the spirit of bowl season. Georgia Tech will be competing for a 10-win season, and BYU is trying to make a statement to the College Football Playoff committee that they shouldn’t have been left out. This will be an enticing game with two good teams that came up just short.
The team will perform despite all of the chaos and chatter around the program, and we will just see if it is enough to win.
Everyone is terrified of how this team will respond to the changes over the last several weeks. After almost the entire offensive staff left, and our future quarterback followed suit, there is no doubt that there is concern not only about the bowl performance but also about the seasons to come. I am not promising a win, but the team will come out ready to play, especially for the seniors who will be out there one last time. We don’t have a great track record against BYU, with an all-time record of 3-1. In our previous two matchups against the Cougs, we have lost by three possessions each. Will we do enough to turn the tide in the series and win? I cannot answer, but it would sure be nice to close out the season with 10 wins and a Top 25 ranking.
Question of the game: Will we see the same defense we did against uga?
With a defense that probably couldn’t stop your local peewee football team, we all walked into the georgia game thinking that if we had any chance at winning, this game would be an offensive shootout. Instead, we came out as a completely different team and did not score a single touchdown on offense and held georgia to their least amount of yards and points this season. This group was finally clicking and firing on all cylinders. georgia finished the game with only 260 total yards, and Gunner Stockton only had 70 yards passing with one touchdown and one interception. Will that same defense come to play in Orlando? I think that is the biggest question for all Jacket fans heading into the game. It is also worth noting that while we stopped uga, they still totaled 190 rushing yards. This season, BYU averaged 184.4 rushing yards per game, led by running back LJ Martin, who had 236 carries for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns. Through the air, freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier exceeded expectations, totaling 2,708 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. He also had 146 carries for 527 yards. Our defense will be tested as we try to bring down this QB and RB duo. We will see if they can stop the run and keep the momentum of a strong performance going.
Let’s see if this team can get to 10 wins and prove that this season wasn’t just a fluke. This would be a massive win for the program and the ACC, and it would give us the happy ending we all deserve.
Merry Christmas, and Go Jackets.
