The Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl has gone by a lot of different names, but regardless of what it has been called, the bowl game has been dominated by UCF. The Knights are once again in the Gasparilla Bowl, and they will be taking on Georgia Tech this year. In this article, we will explain how you can watch that game.
When and where is the Gasparilla Bowl?
The Gasparilla Bowl is at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The game between Georgia Tech and UCF will start at 6:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Dec. 22.
How to watch Georgia Tech vs. UCF
You can watch the Gasparilla Bowl on ESPN, and it will be available via live stream with fuboTV.
Date: Friday, Dec. 22 | Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Location: Raymond James Stadium ā Tampa, Florida
TV channel: ESPN | Live stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)
Odds: UCF -5.5 | O/U 66.5
Georgia Tech vs. UCF storylines
š“āā ļø Hoist the sails! The 2023 Gasparilla Bowl will host the @Big12Conferenceās @UCF_Football & @theACCās @GeorgiaTechFB on Fri, Dec 22 at @RJStadium, marking the 1st appearance for the Yellow Jackets and 6th for the Knights. Who's taking the treasured Gasparilla Bowl Trophy?? pic.twitter.com/a1Tixc0LQs
ā Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl (@GasparillaBowl) December 4, 2023
UCF will be making its sixth appearance in the Gasparilla Bowl. That is more appearances than any other team in the bowl game. It is also the bowl game that the Knights have most frequently played in throughout their history. UCF is 3-2 in the Gasparilla Bowl, and a win against Georgia Tech would give UCF the most wins in the history of the Gasparilla Bowl.
UCF will look to continue to do what they do best, and that is run the football. With 2,798 yards on the ground, UCF has the fourth-best rushing attack in the nation. R.J. Harvey leads the way for the Knights. He has 1,296 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns. He also has an impressive backup, as Johnny Richardson has 557 rushing yards in his own right. Georgia Tech is also vulnerable against the run. The team allowed 225.7 yards per game on the ground this season, and UCF is sure to take advantage.
While stopping the run will be the biggest key for Georgia Tech, they can't forget about John Rhys Plumlee, either. UCF's quarterback is in his fifth season and will be playing in his last game in this one.
Bowl games are big games, and Georgia Tech has had some success this year in big games. The Yellow Jackets have wins over Miami and North Carolina when those two were both ranked 17th during those respective games.
Haynes King is Georgia Tech's dual-threat quarterback. The sophomore had 2,755 yards and 26 touchdowns through the air to go with 648 rushing yards and nine touchdowns with his feet.
Gasparilla Bowl history
The Gasparilla Bowl has been played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida since 2018. Before that, it was at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
The bowl game was originally called the St. Petersburg Bowl, and its first sponsor was magicJack. In 2009, one year after its debut, the name was changed to the St. Petersburg Bowl presented by Beef O'Brady's. UCF made their debut in the bowl game that year, but they lost to Rutgers. In 2010, the name was shortened to the Beef O'Brady's Bowl.
A new sponsor took over in 2013, and the bowl game was changed to the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl. In 2017, we saw the first iteration of the Gasparilla Bowl, as the name was changed to Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl. Tampa has a Gasparilla Pirate Festival that the bowl game was named after.
The final name change came in 2020, and the āUnion Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl' name has stuck ever since. However, the first game under that name was canceled due to COVID-19-related problems.
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