Georgia Tech (7-5, 5-3 ACC) vs. Vanderbilt (6-6, 3-5 SEC)

Birmingham Bowl, Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabam)

Date and Time: Friday, 3:30 p.m. Eastern/2:30 p.m. Central

Spread: Georgia Tech -2.5, O/U 51.5

TV: ESPN, ESPN App, WatchESPN.com

Broadcast Team: Dave Neal (play-by-play), Aaron Murray (Analyst), Ashley ShahAhmadi (Sideline reporter)

Radio: 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan/SiriusXM 371

Radio Team: Andy Demetra (play-by-play), Andrew Gardner (Analyst), Chris Mooneyham (Sideline reporter)

Series History: Georgia leads 20-15-1 (Georgia Tech has won the last six)

Last Meeting: Georgia Tech won 38-7 at Georgia Tech on Sept. 17, 2016

Last Game: Georgia Tech lost at Georgia 44-42 (8 OTs) on Nov. 29; Vanderbilt lost at home vs. Tennessee 36-23 on Nov. 30

Stat Comparison: Points per game (Georgia Tech 29.1, Vanderbilt 26.7), Points allowed per game (Georgia Tech 24.3, Vanderbilt 23.1), Total offense (Georgia Tech 427.1 yards per game, Vanderbilt 319.4 yards per game), Total defense (Georgia Tech 345.9 yards allowed per game, Vanderbilt 375 yards allowed per game)

GEORGIA TECH Key Offensive Players: Haynes King (QB, RS-Jr.), Jamal Haynes (RB, RS-Jr.), Jordan Williams (RT, Sr.)

VANDERBILT Key Offensive Players: Diego Pavia (QB, Gr-Sr.), Eli Stowers (TE, Jr.), Steven Hubbard (QT, Gr-Sr.)

GEORGIA TECH Key Defensive Players: Jordan van den Berg (DT, RS-Jr.), Trenilyas Tatum (LB, Sr.), Clayton Powell-Lee (SS, Jr.)

VANDERBILT Key Defensive Players: Miles Capers (Rush End, Sr.), Bryan Longwell (LB, Soph.), Randon Fontenette (Star, Soph.)

Game Preview Analysis: It's rare this day in age when you get two teams equally motivated and bought in for a non-New Year's Six/Playoff bowl matchup, but that's exactly the scenario for Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt when the two squads square off in the Birmingham Bowl. Each is in the middle of trying to elevate its program to a new level, and a bowl win to springboard itself into 2025 would go a long way in helping that process.

On the Georgia Tech side, the program is playing in back-to-back bowl games for the first time since the 2013 and 2014 seasons and looking to close out seasons with a bowl win in back-to-back years for the first time since 2003 and 2004 when the Jackets won the Humanitarian Bowl and Champs Sports Bowl

Vanderbilt is in its first bowl game since the 2018 season and looking for its first bowl win since the 2013 BBVA Compass Bowl.

The two head coaches, Georgia Tech's Brent Key and Vanderbilt's Clark Lea, share similar stories as well as each are alumni of the school they are leading and would love nothing more than to lead those schools near and dear to their hearts to great success.

On the field the way the two teams play from an attitude and nastiness standpoint are similar as well as each try to leave their mark on their opponents with physical play in the trenches, multi-headed run games and improving defenses. To that end, the Georgia Tech defense's first priority is to limit Commodores' QB Diego Pavia's playmaking ability. The experienced signal-caller may not look physically overwhelming, but he has shown time and time again that he can hurt opponents with his tough running style and improvising on the fly.

The Jackets need to try to pack the box and limit Pavia and the Vanderbilt running backs to force the Commodores to have to try to gain chunk yardage through the passing game. If they can do that, it will make things a lot harder for Vanderbilt to put up a lot of points.

Georgia Tech is a little more balanced offensively but also relies heavily on its run game, including QB Haynes King, who said recently that he feels as healthy as he's been in a while following a season marred by lingering shoulder injuries. Leading rusher Jamal Haynes has also benefitted from a little bit of a break to get healthy after dealing with his own bumps and bruises during a tough 2024 season so with that combo and a motivated offensive line, the Jackets will look to establish the run early and often on Friday.

Vanderbilt's secondary has improved a good bit this season so the fewer times Georgia Tech has to face third-and-medium to third-and-long situations the better. The Commodores have six different players with at least one interception this year and 11 different players with at least one sack.

It should be a fun atmosphere as much like the teams, each fan base should be motivated to show up for a pretty conveniently-located bowl game to close out promising 2024 seasons.

Expect a battle between two tough, stubborn, determined teams, but Georgia Tech's edge in the ability to create a few more explosive plays pushes the Jackets to their eighth win and sets the table for a much-anticipated 2025 season that should come with raised expectations.

Alex Farrer Score Prediction: Georgia Tech wins, 30-21.

Kelly Quinlan Score Prediction: Georgia Tech wins, 24-18.