2012 Sun Bowl The 2012 Hyundai Sun Bowl , the 79th edition of the game , was a post - season American college football bowl game , held on December 31 , 2012 at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso , Texas as part of the 2012 – 13 NCAA Bowl season . The game , the 79th edition of the Sun Bowl , was televised in the United States on CBS . The game featured the USC Trojans from the Pacific - 12 Conference ( Pac - 12 ) against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets from the Atlantic Coast Conference ( ACC ) . The Trojans accepted their invitation to the game after attaining a 7 – 5 regular - season record , while the Yellow Jackets entered the game with a 6 - 7 record ( 5 - 3 ACC ) , after losing to Florida State in the 2012 ACC Championship Game . Georgia Tech had to request for a bowl bowl waiver that was granted in order to participate . Georgia Tech won the game in a 21 - 7 upset , thanks to a strong performance by the Yellow Jacket ' s defense . USC , which came into the game averaging more than 30 points per game , was limited to only 7 points and 205 total yards . Georgia Tech cornerback Rod Sweeting was named the game ' s most valuable player . Teams . The 2012 Sun Bowl marked the 4th meeting between USC and Georgia Tech , with USC holding a 2 - 1 advantage coming into the bowl game . The previous meeting was on September 22 , 1973 , in a 29 - 18 win for the Trojans . USC . Coming off a two - year postseason ban , the Trojans had high hopes to return to their former glory in 2012 , which were undoubtedly heightened by their preseason # 1 ranking . USC started the season 6 – 1 and they appeared likely to at least make it back to the Rose Bowl . However , these plans were quickly dampened by the Trojans losing four of their last five games to finish at 7 – 5 and a second - place tie in the Pac - 12 South Division . In addition , the Trojans lost their star quarterback Matt Barkley to injuries suffered in a game against rivals UCLA , leading to redshirt freshman Max Wittek to start the remaining USC games , including the 2012 Sun Bowl . The Trojans came into the bowl game averaging more than 30 - points per game . The USC offense was led by wide receivers Robert Woods and Fred Biletnikoff Award winner Marqise Lee , with the later coming into the game with 2 , 588 all - purpose yards . USC ' s offense was prone to turning the ball over , however , coming into the game with 31 turnovers . On defense , USC was led by defensive end Morgan Breslin , who came into the game with 12 sacks . The Trojans ' rushing defense was average , however , as USC ranked 59th nationally against the run . This was the Trojans ' third Sun Bowl ; they had previously appeared in the 1990 game against the Michigan State Spartans and again in the 1998 game against the TCU Horned Frogs , losing both games by scores of 17 – 16 and 28 – 19 , respectively . The Sun Bowl also marked USC ' s first bowl game since the 2009 Emerald Bowl . Georgia Tech . Georgia Tech started the season poorly , going 2 - 4 in their first 6 games . However , the Yellow Jackets were able to win four of the their last six games to end the regular season with a 5 – 3 conference record and a 6 - 6 record overall , making them bowl - eligible initially . The Yellow Jackets finished in a three - way tie for first - place in the ACC ' s Coastal Division . However , both teams they were tied with ( the North Carolina Tar Heels and Miami Hurricanes ) were banned from the postseason that year ( one by the NCAA and another self - imposed ) , leaving the Yellow Jackets as the only such team eligible for the 2012 ACC Championship Game . The ACC and the school filed a bowl waiver with the NCAA , which was promptly granted , to assure that the Yellow Jackets would be able to play in a bowl game in case they were to drop to a 6 - 7 record after a loss in the championship game . As fate would have it , they would indeed lose to the Florida State Seminoles by a score of 21 – 15 , but still be in solid position for the Sun Bowl ' s invite . Like with USC , Georgia Tech came into the game with an offense that averaged more than 30 points per game . With its triple option offense , Georgia Tech averaged 312 . 5 rushing yards per game , which was fourth in the FBS . Leading the offense was quarterback Tevin Washington , who led the team with 19 rushing touchdowns . The Yellow Jacket ' s defense was less impressive , however . The Yellow Jacket ' s defensive unit came into the game allowing an average of 30 points per game . Defensive coordinator Al Groh was fired midway through the season after poor defensive performances against Miami Hurricanes , MTSU and Clemson . Due to Georgia Tech ' s porous defense , the Yellow Jackets came into the game as underdogs . This was the Yellow Jackets ' third Sun Bowl ; they had previously won the 1970 game over the Texas Tech Red Raiders by a score of 17 – 9 , and they would later lose the 2011 game to the Utah Utes by a score of 30 – 27 in overtime . The 2012 Sun Bowl also marked Georgia Tech ' s 16th consecutive bowl game . Georgia Tech was coming into the game with a 7 - game bowl losing streak . Game summary . First half . In the first quarter , USC appeared to have scored first on a 38 - yard field goal . However , the play was reviewed and the field goal was overturned after replay showed the kick sailing wide left . The rest of the first quarter remained scoreless . In the second quarter , the Yellow Jackets went up 7 - 0 on a 3 - yard touchdown pass from quarterback Vad Lee to David Sims . Georgia Tech ' s defense was then able to force USC to punt . However , on the ensuing drive , quarterback Vad Lee threw an interception to USC ' s Lamar Dawson . USC was unable to take advantage of the interception , however , and quickly gave the ball back to Georgia Tech after Georgia Tech ' s Rod Sweeting intercepted Max Wittek . Georgia Tech ' s next possession was also short lived , after USC ' s Morgan Breslin forced Tech ' s Vad Lee to fumble . Taking advantage of the fumble , USC tied the game 7 - 7 on a 9 - yard touchdown pass from Max Wittek to Silas Redd . The score remained tied 7 - 7 going into the half . Second half . Georgia Tech ' s defense forced USC to punt on the Trojan ' s first possession of the second half . On the ensuing punt return , Georgia Tech ' s Jamal Golden returned the punt 56 - yard to the USC 1 - yard line . Two plays later , Georgia Tech took the lead 14 - 7 on a 1 - yard touchdown run from quarterback Tevin Washington . Near the end of the third quarter , USC drove to Georgia Tech ' s 38 - yard line . However , the Trojans were unable to convert a 4th and 4 play , turning the ball on downs . Taking advantage of the turnover on downs , Georgia Tech further extended their lead 21 - 7 on a 17 - yard touchdown pass from Tevin Washington to Orwin Smith . After being forced a three - and - out , Trojan punter Kyle Negrete pinned Georgia Tech at the Yellow Jacket ' s 5 - yard line . Georgia Tech was able to drive from their own 5 - yard line to USC ' s 26 - yard line . However , the Yellow Jackets gave the ball back to the Trojans after being unable to convert a 4th and 4 play . On the ensuing USC drive , the Trojans drove to the Yellow Jacket ' s 4 - yard line . The Trojans were unable to score , however , after Georgia Tech ' s Quayshawn Nealy intercepted USC ' s Max Wittek ' s pass in the endzone . USC had one more chance to cut into the lead after forcing Georgia Tech to punt with 1 : 41 left in regulation . Helped by several Tech penalties , USC once again drove deep into Georgia Tech territory , this time to the 14 - yard line . The Trojans were still unable to score , however , and Georgia Tech sealed its first bowl victory since 2004 after Max Wittek threw an interception to Georgia Tech ' s Jamal Golden with 1 : 04 remaining in regulation . Statistical summary . Georgia Tech ' s defense dominated the game , as Georgia Tech allowed only 205 yards of total offense and held USC to a season low 7 points . USC quarterback Max Wittek completed only 14 of his 37 passes for 107 yards and threw 3 interceptions . In addition , wide receivers Marqise Lee and Robert Woods were held to only 41 - yards and 33 - yards of receiving respectively . The Yellow Jackets also did not have a lot of passing yards , as Georgia Tech had a combined 75 passing yards from quarterbacks Tevin Washington and Vad Lee . Georgia Tech ' s leading rusher was David Sims , who rushed the ball 17 times for 99 yards . Zach Laskey was Georgia Tech ' s no . 2 rusher , who rushed the ball 6 times for 60 yards . Overall , Georgia Tech rushed the ball for 294 yards . USC ' s leading rusher was Silas Redd , who rushed for 88 yards on 17 carries . Curtis McNeal was USC ' s no . 2 rusher , rushing the ball only 5 - yards on 3 carries .