With bowl season fast approaching, injury concerns are keeping head coaches up at night, and Georgia Tech’s Brent Key is feeling the pressure. The Yellow Jackets are dealing with a wave of troubling health updates that could significantly impact their matchup against BYU in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

Brent Key delivered a rough injury update for Georgia Tech: Clayton Powell-Lee is out with an ankle injury, Brayden Manley is out after shoulder surgery, Chad Alexander is doubtful as he clears scar tissue, Savion Riley is battling a hamstring issue, and Isiah Canion is out with an undisclosed injury.

Georgia Tech enters the game shorthanded, with several key players ruled out or limited. It creates real challenges on both sides of the ball. On the other end, BYU head coach Kalani Sitake has far less to worry about. The Cougars come in healthy and confident, with no opt-outs announced for the bowl game. The contrast can be very difficult for the Yellow Jackets to handle during the game. Georgia Tech is taking some real hits, especially in the secondary.

Losing senior safety Clayton Powell-Lee, along with other defensive backs, is a big blow. And that could open the door for BYU’s passing attack to take some shots downfield. Freshman QB Bear Bachmeier already runs a confident offense, and fewer bodies in the back end only help his case. Up front, the loss of defensive end Brayden Manley after shoulder surgery hurts too. That weakens the defensive line and could give BYU’s running backs more room to work.

On offense, Georgia Tech may also be short-handed. Wide receiver Isiah Canion, the team’s leading touchdown catcher with four scores, is doubtful. That in turn shrinks the playbook and puts extra pressure on guys like Tyler Brown and T.J. Moore to step up. Oddsmakers seem to like BYU’s side here. Oddsmakers favor the Cougars by around a field goal to 4.5 points, showing confidence in their overall roster and quarterback edge.

BYU is 11–2 this season and 9–4 against the spread, while Georgia Tech sits at 9–3 and 7–5 ATS. The biggest positive for BYU is that Bachmeier has cleared his left ankle injury from the Big 12 title game and is expected to play. But their traditional run game might take a hit.

It’s not all good for the Cougars

Yes, BYU clearly looks like it has the edge here. No opt-outs and a strong regular season put the Cougars in a good spot. But they’ve taken a hit in the one area they can least afford, the running game. The Cougars’ offense leaned heavily on junior RB LJ Martin all season, and for good reason. He was a straight-up workhorse, leading the conference with 1,305 rushing yards on 236 carries while averaging 5.5 yards per pop.

He also punched in 12 touchdowns on the ground. Offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick made it clear that the game plan was simple every week: “LJ has to carry the ball 20 times, and then everything else follows.” That plan unraveled against Iowa State on October 25, when Martin suffered a shoulder injury. He gutted it out and played the rest of the season, but the drop in production was noticeable right after the injury.

Following the Big 12 Championship game, Martin underwent shoulder surgery to avoid further damage and begin rehab. Now, he’s officially out for the Pop-Tarts Bowl. And the concern doesn’t stop there. BYU’s running back depth has been shaky all season thanks to injuries, and that continues into the bowl game. Sione Moa and Preston Rex also dealt with issues, and both Martin and Moa will miss this matchup. With their top backs sidelined, BYU will have to rethink how it moves the ball on the ground.

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