3 things to know for the Taxslayer Bowl

Need a brief primer before you attempt to watch all 40 bowl games this season? We’ve got you covered. Here are three things you need to know about the Taxslayer Bowl.

TAXSLAYER BOWL
Georgia Tech (8-4) vs. Kentucky (7-5)
Dec. 31, 11 a.m. ET
ESPN

— Like every Georgia Tech opponent, Kentucky will have its hands full trying to defend the Yellow Jackets’ option attack. In his third year as Tech’s starting quarterback, Justin Thomas is pretty much an expert at running Paul Johnson’s attack. He was one of three Yellow Jackets to rush for more than 500 yards on the season. Thomas put up 562 yards and four scores alongside freshman Dedrick Mills’ 602 yards and team-leading 11 touchdowns. However, leading rusher Marcus Marshall (624 yards) opted to transfer.

Even without Marshall, the Yellow Jackets look to have the edge over a Kentucky defense that gave up 225 yards on the ground per game — No. 107 in the country. Tech played its best football of the season down the stretch, too. The Yellow Jackets enter this one on a three-game winning streak, including road wins over then-No. 14 Virginia Tech and in-state rival Georgia.

[Follow Dr. Saturday on social media: Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr]

— Kentucky is playing in its first bowl game since 2010 and its first with Mark Stoops as head coach. Things looked bleak for Stoops early on in the year. It’s his fourth season, so when the Wildcats started the year 2-3, the hot seat talk intensified. But from there the Wildcats rallied and won five of their final seven games, including a big upset over rival Louisville on a last-second field goal.

A win in this one would give Kentucky eight wins for the first time since 2007 and its first bowl win since 2008, when the Wildcats knocked off East Carolina in the Liberty Bowl.

— Kentucky has a strong offense of its own, especially on the ground. Top back Jojo Kemp dealt with injuries for much of the year, but junior Boom Williams (1,135 yards) and freshman Benny Snell (1,057 yards) emerged and put up big seasons for the Wildcats. Quarterback Stephen Johnson, who took over as starter when Drew Barker was injured, also is a rushing threat. Overall, the team averages 241.3 yards rushing per game. There should be room for success against an average Yellow Jackets defense.

And though Kentucky’s offense can put up big plays, it is also prone to turnovers. The Wildcats rank last in the SEC in turnover margin. They’ve given up the ball 27 times on the season — tied for sixth-worst in the country. By comparison, Georgia Tech has turned it over only 15 times this year.

[Related: NFL draft prospects to watch in the bowl games]

Mascot fight prediction: The average wildcat is a lot tougher than Nicolas Cage, but I picture this fight going something like this:

Real predictions:
Graham Watson: Kentucky 35, Georgia Tech 21
Nick Bromberg: Georgia Tech 40, Kentucky 34
Sam Cooper: Georgia Tech 35, Kentucky 31
Chris Herbert: Kentucky 31, Georgia Tech 24

More college football from Yahoo Sports:

– – – – – – –

Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

Follow @SamDCooper