2011 Sun Bowl Line
El Paso has been the home of a college bowl game for more than 75 years. Utah was a participant in one of the very first Sun Bowls, and now the Utes return as a member of one of the Big Six conferences for the first time. On New Year’s Eve, Utah will face Georgia Tech of the ACC in the 78th annual Hyundai Sun Bowl.
The only previous meeting between the schools came in the 2005 Emerald Bowl in Seattle, with Utah posting a 38-10 win over a nationally ranked Georgia Tech squad. The Utes’ only other Sun Bowl appearance came in 1939 with a 26-0 win over New Mexico.
Our latest college football odds list Georgia Tech 3-point favorite, while the over/under has been set for 51 points.
Georgia Tech
The Yellow Jackets started the season 6-0, but struggled to a 2-4 finish, capped by a 31-17 loss to in-state rival Georgia in the season finale. The team did beat Duke, 38-31, in its league closer to finish tied for second in the ACC Coastal Division (5-3). Tech was 3-2 away from home this year,
Offensively, the Yellow Jackets rank 19th nationally in points scored (35 points per game) while compiling 462 yards of offense per game (319 rushing, 143 passing).
The spread-option running game is headed by three players – quarterback Tevin Washington with 890 yards and 14 touchdowns (4.0 yards per carry), David Sims with 698 yards and seven TDs (5.2 ypc) and Orwin Smith with 616 yards and 11 scores (10.3 ypc). Washington completes 57 percent of his passes for 1,515 yards and 10 TDs with eight INTs. His top receiving threat is Stephen Hill with 26 catches for 785 yards and four TDs.
Defensively, Georgia Tech ranks 60th in points allowed (26 ppg) and allows 361 yards per game (198 passing, 163 rushing) while compiling 20 sacks and forcing 20 turnovers – two of which were returned for TDs (Rod Sweeting and Isaiah Johnson, interceptions).
Julian Burnett leads the defensive unit with 113 tackles (44 more than anyone else), adding a sack, a forced fumble and a recovery, while Jeremiah Attaochu has six sacks, 52 tackles, a pick, forced fumble and fumble recovery.
Utah
The Utes’ first season as a Pac-12 member started unevenly, but steadied with a late four-game win streak that ended with a 17-14 loss to Colorado to close the season tied for third in the Pac-12 South Division (4-5). Utah did post a 4-2 record away from home, winning the last two and three of four.
Utah is one of the better defensive teams in the country, ranking 18th nationally in points allowed (20 ppg) and surrendering 343 yards per game (246 passing, 97 rushing) while compiling 30 sacks and forcing 32 turnovers – four of which were turned into TDs (V.J. Fehoko and Derrick Shelby, fumbles; Shelby and Conroy Black, interceptions).
Chaz Walker paces the defensive unit with 103 tackles (27 more than anyone else), adding two forced fumbles, while Black has four interceptions, 35 tackles and a fumble recovery. Shelby and Trevor Reilly each have five sacks and combined for 87 tackles, four forced fumbles, three recoveries and an interception.