Pop-Tarts Bowl Preview: BYU’s Defense Faces a Tall Task Against High-Powered Georgia Tech Offense
ORLANDO, Fla. - The Pop-Tarts Bowl is serving up more than just a quirky trophy and a malfunctioning toaster this week. On Saturday, it’ll deliver a high-stakes clash between two top-25 teams with very different identities - and one very intriguing subplot.
No. 12 BYU (11-2) will square off against No.
22 Georgia Tech (9-3) at Camping World Stadium in Orlando (1:30 p.m. MST, ABC), and while the weather in central Florida is expected to be in the high 70s - a far cry from winter in Provo - the real heat will be coming from Georgia Tech’s offense.
The Yellow Jackets enter the game with one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the country, Haynes King, who earned ACC Offensive Player of the Year honors after a regular season that saw him rack up 2,697 passing yards and 922 more on the ground. That dual-threat ability has powered Georgia Tech to a top-15 national ranking in total offense (466.3 yards per game) and a top-20 mark in rushing (203 yards per game). King tossed 12 touchdowns against just five interceptions - efficient, explosive, and dangerous on the move.
For BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill, this is the kind of challenge that gets the adrenaline going.
“These are the challenges that you get excited for as a coach,” Hill said earlier this week. “They pose a lot of problems for us.”
Hill knows he’ll need his unit locked in. Georgia Tech’s offense uses a heavy dose of motion, misdirection, and layered play-calling - a style that demands discipline, particularly in the secondary.
“The run game, I would say it is pretty similar to the University of Utah,” Hill noted. “There’s a lot of shifts and motions, and zigging and zagging.
Eye discipline on the back end is going to be very critical. I really like the way they call the game.
You see how one play sets up the next. They are very creative in what they do.
They’ve got obviously very good talent.”
Hill has good reason to respect Georgia Tech’s scheme - and good reason to be confident in his own group. In his third year as BYU’s defensive coordinator, Hill has orchestrated a turnaround that’s seen the Cougars climb to No. 21 nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 19.6 points per game. That’s no small feat in a Big 12 loaded with offensive firepower.
But there’s another layer to Hill’s week - and it’s not just game prep. With former Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham reportedly on the verge of taking the reins at Michigan, Hill’s name has surfaced as a potential candidate for the Wolverines’ defensive coordinator job.
The connection is obvious: Hill coached under Whittingham at Utah from 2005 to 2013 before taking the head job at Weber State, then joined Kalani Sitake’s staff at BYU in 2023. The mutual respect runs deep.
While Hill wasn’t available for comment Friday when the reports broke, the buzz around his future added a bit of intrigue to the lead-up in Orlando. Sitake, who recently signed a long-term extension with BYU that included raises for his staff, was asked Friday whether those resources might help him retain key assistants like Hill.
“It is tough because you don’t want to lose any of your guys - just like we’re losing our seniors tomorrow,” Sitake said. “We don’t want to lose any of our family members. … But that’s just attrition, and that’s life.”
It’s a realistic, if bittersweet, perspective from a coach who knows how quickly things can change in college football. Sitake acknowledged that some of his assistants have head coaching aspirations, and while he didn’t directly address the Michigan rumors, he emphasized the trust he has in his staff.
For now, Hill’s focus is on slowing down one of the most creative and balanced offenses BYU has faced all season. And if the Cougars want to cap their 2025 campaign with a statement win, it’ll start with their defense.
“One thing we are lucky about at BYU is we get to coach some of the greatest young men in the country,” Hill said. “They are very motivated guys.
They do well in the classroom. They do pretty well on the football field.
We are pretty blessed with who we get to coach.”
On Saturday, those players will need to be at their best. Because if Haynes King gets rolling early, it won’t just be the Orlando weather turning up the heat - it’ll be Georgia Tech’s offense, and BYU’s defense will have to answer the call.