Birmingham Bowl: Georgia Tech vs Vanderbilt
By Stiofán Mac Fhilib
Bowl season is in full swing and we will be previewing some of the bigger matchups over the next couple of weeks. This year’s Birmingham Bowl will be contested between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Vanderbilt Commodores. Stiofán Mac Fhilib takes a look at the key matchups.
Where and When

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets take on the Vanderbilt Commodores in the Birmingham Bowl at Protective Stadium, Birmingham, Alabama on Friday 27th at 3.30pm ET/8.30pm UK. The game is being broadcast by ESPN, and in the UK you can watch on Sky Sports NFL (channel 408).
Story So Far...
Both charter members of the SEC – though Tech left in 1964 – these teams have met 38 times. The Yellow Jackets lead the series 20-15-3 and have won all four of the meetings this century, including the last one, 38-7 in 2016. Thus, they are currently in possession of the rivalry trophy associated with this match-up: a cow bell, which has remained in Atlanta since Tech’s 13-0 win in 1948.
Second-year Head Coach, Brent Key, has led the Yellow Jackets to a 7-5 regular season record that included a notable win over #4 Miami. A bowl victory would give Georgia Tech their first eight-win season since 2016, as well as back-to-back bowl victories for the first time in 20 years. And with QB, Haynes King, indicating that he is likely to return next year, the bowl game represents an excellent opportunity to build some further momentum as they head into the 2025 season.
Fourth-year Head Coach, Clark Lea, led Vandy to an impressive, if surprising, 5-2 start, highlighted, of course, by a program-defining 40-35 home win over #1 Alabama that saw the goalposts famously end up three miles away at the bottom of the Cumberland River. The second half of the season, however, ended with three straight defeats, and the Commodores also need a result and performance in the bowl game to try to restore some confidence ahead of Spring practice next year.
The Quarterbacks
GEORGIA TECH: HAYNES KING
Redshirt Junior and Texas A&M transfer, Haynes King, built on his 2023 breakthrough campaign to become a real game-changing threat this year, before an injury against North Carolina in mid-October derailed his, and his team’s, season.
He was unavailable for defeats to Notre Dame and Virginia Tech and played only sparingly in wins over Miami and NC State, before a heroic performance against SEC Champs, Georgia, that saw the Yellow Jackets finally fall just short after eight OT periods. Having thrown for almost 2,000 yards and running for over 5 yards per carry, Tech will be a very dangerous team next year should he return.
VANDERBILT: DIEGO PAVIA
Senior and New Mexico State transfer, Diego Pavia, first made the headlines this season with his inspirational performance in the epic win over Alabama in early October. More recently, he then was involved in potentially an even bigger story when he won the first stage of his legal action to be allowed another year of eligibility next year rather than lose it for his year at a Junior College.
His dual-threat ability was key to Vandy’s successes in 2024. He ran for over 4 yards per carry and 6 TDs and had a 17-4 TD-INT ratio through the air. His completion percentage did vary widely, though, and was a lot less impressive against the tougher opposition in the second half of the season.
Who to Watch
Georgia Tech
Malik Rutherford, Wide Receiver – With the departure of WR1, Eric Singleton Jr, to the transfer portal and thence to Auburn, the redshirt junior from Miami, FL, will get his chance to shine in Birmingham. With almost 1,500 yards receiving in his Tech career to date, he will be King’s primary target against the Commodores.
Vanderbilt
Randon Fontenette, Linebacker – A TCU transfer, the Texas native had an impressive sophomore season for the Commodores. He led the team with 3.5 sacks, including 1.5 against Texas. He led the team in tackles in several games and, most memorably, had a pick-six on the very first possession of that Alabama game.
Prediction
With both teams having motivation to see how their QBs can lead them into next season, I expect a competitive battle undecided until the fourth quarter. But Tech should have just a little more in the tank, with the stronger offense, to allow them to prevail in the end.
Georgia Tech 27-24 Vanderbilt

STIOFÁN MAC FHILIB
COLLEGE FOOTBALL ANALYST
A VERY LONG-DISTANCE SUBWAY ALUMNUS OF NOTRE DAME, COUNTY ANTRIM-BASED STIOFÁN HAS BEEN A FAN OF THE FIGHTING IRISH SINCE 2000. FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER @SMACFHILIB.