College football bowl games: Who plays today Friday December 22? | Venue, weather and matchups

The Gasparilla Bowl is set to take place on Friday, December 22nd, at 6:30 p.m. ET, featuring the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the UCF Knights in Tampa, Florida. UCF, being located close to the bowl venue, is expected to have a slight advantage over Georgia Tech.

Georgia Tech - UCF: Weather, stadium surface, matchup information...

The game starts at 6:30 p.m. ET and will be played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The stadium is home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and has a bermuda grass surface. The weather should be ideal for this college football clash between these two teams from the south. Temperatures will be in the 70s and no rain is expected in the area until later at night after the game has finished.

Key players and injuries for the 2023 Gasparilla Bowl

The notable portal action for this game is relatively subdued. Georgia Tech’s starting edge rusher Kyle Canard and cornerback Keenan Johnson are in the portal. Meanwhile, UCF is dealing with the absence of starting quarterback Cory Thoron and backup center Drake Metcafe. Additionally, UCF’s safety, Wilson, and defensive back Marshall could be sidelined with injuries.

Both teams had to fight hard in their final games to secure a bowl appearance. UCF won three of their last four games, and Georgia Tech claimed victory in three of their final five matchups.

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The matchup presents a compelling battle between two excellent teams at running the ball against defenses that struggle to stop the run. UCF ranks fifth in the country in yards per carry, while Georgia Tech sits ninth. On the defensive side, both teams are in the top 25 in explosiveness allowed, making for an intriguing clash of strengths.

UCF’s rushing capacity, led by RJ Harvey, who has gathered 1300 yards with 3.48 yards after contact per attempt, poses a significant challenge for Georgia Tech’s 113th-ranked rushing defense. UCF’s run game has been a force, with 80 plays of 20 yards or more this season.

While both teams are good at generating successful plays, it remains to be seen whether the pace and running focus will translate into enough big plays to have a high-scoring game.

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Analysts expect an exciting and closely contested game, with UCF’s rushing dominance potentially proving decisive. At full strength, the Knights are favored by the numbers, making them a solid pick in this 2023 Gasparilla Bowl edition.