The BYU Cougars will be without star linebacker Jack Kelly for BYU’s Pop-Tarts Bowl vs. Georgia Tech on Saturday. Head coach Kalani Sitake made the announcement hours before kick off from Orlando.
Sitake said, “I don’t think it’s smart for us to push him through when he hasn’t logged enough practice hours…I just don’t think it would be smart for us to put him in a position where he could possibly hurt himself and ruin his career. He’s got an NFL career, so we’ve got to preserve that for him.”
Kelly is the leader of the defense as a co-captain of the team. The Weber State transfer was a First Team All-Big 12 selection by College Football Network and a Third-Team All-Big 12 selection by Phil Steele. Despite dealing with injuries throughout the season, Kelly finished with 55 tackles, including 10 sacks, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.
Kelly is also the BYU record holder for single-season quarterback hurries (14) since 2000. BYU finished the regular season with a 11-1 record before then losing to Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship Game to go 11-2.
BYU and Georgia Tech kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT. Georgia Tech comes in at 9-3, looking to cap off a strong season. Saturday’s Pop-Tarts Bowl is in Orlando, Florida, and will air on ABC.
