BYU tight end Carsen Ryan (20) is tackled by a Georgia Tech defensive player during the first half of the Pop-Tarts Bowl NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)

ORLANDO (AP) — Jovesa Damuni scored on a 4-yard run with two minutes remaining and No. 12 BYU rallied from an 11-point deficit in the second half for a 25-21 win over No. 24 Georgia Tech on Saturday in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

Damuni’s scoring run capped a nine-play, 70 drive by the Cougars (12-2), who were led by freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier. Bachmeier passed for 57 yards in the drive.

Bachmeier was 27 for 38 passing for 325 yards with a touchdown and an interception as the Cougars piled up 426 total yards. It was the freshman’s third 300-yard passing game of the season.

Georgia Tech (9-4) had a chance to tie the game when senior quarterback Haynes King found Eric Rivers down the sideline with a 66-yard pass on fourth-and-15 to the BYU 18-yard line with 35 seconds to play. Facing fourth down, King threw to the end zone for Jamal Haynes, but BYU’s Evan Johnson intercepted the pass in the end zone to secure the victory.

King was 23 for 41 passing for 254 yards, two touchdowns and the game-ending interception.

GATOR BOWL

NO. 20 VIRGINIA 13, NO. 25 MISOURI 7

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Harrison Waylee ran for a touchdown, Chandler Morris threw for 198 yards and No. 20 Virginia edged 25th-ranked Missouri.

The Cavaliers bounced back from a crushing loss to Duke in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game — an overtime stunner that cost them a spot in the College Football Playoff — and reached 11 wins for the first time in the program’s 122 years.

Virginia (11-3) was a four-point underdog, according to BetMGM, and was short-handed on both sides of the ball. Coach Tony Elliott’s team played without star running back J’Mari Taylor, leading receiver Trell Harris and linebackers Kam Robinson and Maddox Marcellus.

Waylee and Xay Davis picked up the slack, combining for 109 yards on 32 carries.

Virginia’s defense was equally impressive, holding the Tigers (8-5) to 260 total yards. The Cavaliers forced four punts, intercepted a pass and stopped UVA three times on fourth down.

NEW MEXICO BOWL

NO. 23 NORTH TEXAS 49, SAN DIEGO STATE 47

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Caleb Hawkins ran for two touchdowns and caught a scoring pass, Ashton Gray added a pair of rushing touchdowns and Cameron Dormer had two scoring catches as No. 23 North Texas beat San Diego State.

Hawkins carried 30 times and gained 197 yards, scoring on runs of 9 and and 3 yards, along with a 23-yard TD reception. Gray ran for 152 yards on 16 rushes. Dormer had six receptions for 66 yards, including TD catches of 1 and 31 yards.

North Texas (12-2) quarterback Drew Mestemaker was 27 of 47 passing for 250 yards and three TDs.

San Diego State (9-4) stayed close thanks to the rushing of backup quarterback Bert Emanuel Jr., who ran for 170 yards and two scores, including a 72-yarder, before injuring his wrist and leaving the game with 6:07 remaining in the second quarter.

Although his backup, Kyle Crum, did complete his first pass for a 3-yard touchdown to make it 28-20, he was not the same rushing threat as Emanuel and he had trouble moving the Aztecs through the air.

FENWAY BOWL

ARMY 41, UCONN 16

BOSTON (AP) — Cade Hellums accounted for three touchdowns, and Godspower Nwawuihe rushed for two in an Army win over UConn.

Hellums tied the game 7-7 after an opening UConn score by finding Noah Short for a 40-yard strike. Short was the only Army player with a reception, finishing with seven for 108 yards.

Nwawuihe gave the Black Knights (7-6) their first lead of the day with 3:04 left in the second quarter, scampering for a 43-yard touchdown run. He broke free for a 70-yard score less than a minute into the second half, putting Army up by 10. He had 171 yards on 12 attempts.

Hellums added two touchdown runs of 1 and 6 yards in the second half. He was 7-of-8 passing for 108 yards with 45 on the ground. Jake Rendina had 14 carries for 87 yards, and Carson Smith had 49 yards and a touchdown in a 368-yard rushing day for the Black Knights.

Cam Edwards had the opening score of the game on a 12-yard rush for the Huskies (9-4). He had 108 yards on 11 carries. Ksaan Farrar also scored on a quarterback keeper in the fourth quarter. He was 11-of-17 passing for 84 yards.

UConn was without star quarterback Joe Fagnano, who, after throwing for 3,448 yards, 28 touchdowns and one interception, opted out of the game to prepare for the NFL Draft. UConn was led by interim head coach Gordon Sammis. Head coach Jim Mora will take over at Colorado State next season.

PINSTRIPE BOWL

PENN STATE 22, CLEMSON 10

NEW YORK (AP) — Ethan Grunkemeyer threw for a career-high 262 yards and two TDs, including a 73-yard strike to Trebor Pena early in the fourth quarter, and Penn State beat Clemson.

In his seventh start since Penn State lost Drew Allar to an injury, Grunkemeyer completed 23 of 34 passes, setting career bests for completions and attempts.

Grunkemeyer also made a 35-yard throw to Devonte Ross to get the Nittany Lions deep into Clemson territory that set up an 11-yard TD toss to Andrew Rappleyea with 4:56 left for a 22-10 lead.

Pena finished with five catches and 100 yards.

Penn State (7-6) won its final four games under interim coach Terry Smith, who took over for James Franklin following a 22-21 loss to Northwestern on Oct. 11 and will be succeeded by Matt Campbell.

Clemson’s Cade Klubnik completed 22 of 39 passes for 110 yards in his final collegiate game while getting sacked four times. He also had eight passes broken up by Penn State defenders.

MILITARY BOWL

EAST CAROLINA 23, PITTSBURGH 17

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Chaston Ditta threw two second-half touchdown passes, and East Carolina overcame an inadvertent whistle that negated a long touchdown in a victory over Pittsburgh.

ECU faced fourth-and-1 from its own 32 in the third quarter when Marlon Gunn Jr. shed a couple of tacklers and went all the way to the end zone. That would have put the Pirates up 17-7, but the play was called back because of a whistle, and Gunn was credited with a 14-yard gain instead.

Two plays later, Ditta fumbled on a sack by Pitt’s Rasheem Biles, who recovered the ball and returned it 23 yards to the end zone to give the Panthers a 14-10 lead.

The Pirates rebounded quickly when Ditta threw a 72-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Smith, and ECU led the rest of the way.

ARIZONA BOWL

FRESNO STATE 18, MIAMI (OH) 3

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — E.J. Warner threw for 214 yards and a touchdown, Dylan Lynch kicked four field goals and Fresno State defeated Miami of Ohio.

On defense, Fresno State kept Miami out of the red zone the whole game, except for the RedHawks’ opening possession when they reached the 15-yard line before Dom Dzioban kicked a 33-yard field goal for their only points of the game.

The Bulldogs, one of 15 teams in FBS to keep their opponents under an average of 300 yards per game (293.5), allowed 192 yards.

After Miami’s early field goal, Lynch made three of his 3-pointers in the second quarter, leading to a 9-3 halftime lead. That advantage held into the fourth quarter when Warner hit Richie Anderson III with a 2-yard touchdown pass. Looking for a 14-point lead, the Bulldogs went for two on the conversion, but Warner’s pass failed, leaving the score at 15-3.

Lynch added his fourth field goal, in five attempts, with 2:56 remaining. The 37-yarder was his long for the game as the other three were all from less than 30 yards.

Fresno State, playing in its fifth consecutive bowl game, got the win for first-year coach Matt Entz. Miami, which also played in its fifth-straight bowl game, lost in its repeat appearance in the Arizona Bowl. The RedHawks defeated Colorado State 43-17 last year.

Warner completed 16 of 23 passes and was not intercepted. Josiah Freeman had 143 yards receiving on seven catches for Fresno State (9-4).

Freshman Thomas Gotkowski was 6-of-22 passing for 72 yards for Miami (7-7). He threw one interception.

News from © The Associated Press, 2025