Connect with us

Published

on

Bowl season has begun, and our reporters are breaking down all of it.

Below you’ll find takeaways from every game as well as game MVPs and the top moments from social media.

At the end of each day, we’ll crown the current MVP of bowl season. The leader at the moment is Ohio freshman running back Rickey Hunt, who scored five touchdowns in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.

Full schedule | Results

Friday, Dec. 22

Georgia Tech fell behind 17-3 midway through the second quarter, and it appeared Central Florida was on its way. But the Yellow Jackets tied the game with two touchdowns in the final four minutes of the half and let their defense do the rest.

While the Knights were able to produce 424 yards of total offense, including 173 rushing yards from Javon Baker, Georgia Tech’s defense kept them out of the end zone — and off the scoreboard — in the second half. UCF averaged 9.7 yards per play in the first quarter while getting out to its fast start but averaged just 4.3 yards per after that, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King threw for just 87 yards but had a TD pass and rushing touchdown while picking up 89 yards on the ground. King entered the game tied for most single-season touchdowns in Georgia Tech history with 35 (Joe Hamilton, 1999), and set the record with his two against UCF.

The Yellow Jackets finished 7-6 in Brent Key’s first season, their first winning season since 2018, when they also went 7-6.

MVP: Running back Jamal Haynes, Georgia Tech. Though he didn’t score a TD, Haynes rushed for a career-high 128 yards and went over the 1,000-yard mark in rushing this season.


Thursday, Dec. 21

USF made an emphatic statement in its first bowl appearance since 2018, dominating Syracuse from start to finish in a 45-0 win that featured several record-setting performances.

First-year coach Alex Golesh did a remarkable job turning around a program that won eight games total in the four years before his arrival. USF finishes this season with seven wins — its first winning season since 2017 — and the largest margin of victory in a bowl game in school history. Like the Bulls did all season, they did it behind quarterback Byrum Brown and receiver Sean Atkins.

Brown threw for 213 yards and three touchdown passes to reach 26 on the season, breaking Quinton Flowers’ single-season school record of 25 set in 2017. Brown also joined Flowers as the only two players in program history with 4,000 total yards in a season.

Meanwhile, Atkins had six catches for 93 yards and two scores, becoming the first player in school history to go over 1,000 receiving yards.

But the USF defense took center stage. The Bulls came into the game ranked No. 128 out of 130 FBS teams in total defense but completely shut down the Orange, who were playing without starting quarterback Garrett Shrader (shoulder surgery).

Syracuse turned once again to converted tight end Dan Villari and Braden Davis at quarterback, but nothing was working. USF forced four turnovers — including a strip-sack fumble that Tramel Logan Jr. returned for a 61-yard score. USF special teams got involved, too, when Syracuse muffed the hold on a field goal attempt, and Aamaris Brown returned the fumble 64 yards for a score. Those two scores helped USF build a 31-0 lead at halftime, and the Bulls never looked back.

It was a disappointing end for Syracuse, which fired coach Dino Babers in November and had interim coach Nunzio Campanile in charge for the bowl. Incoming coach Fran Brown was in Boca to watch, and so was Ohio State transfer quarterback Kyle McCord, whom the Orange hope will help them improve next season. — Andrea Adelson

MVP: Quarterback Byrum Brown, USF. The freshman threw for 213 yards and three scores, and his third TD pass gave him 26 for the season, breaking the school’s single-season record.


Tuesday, Dec. 19

The pregame news that UTSA’s record-setting quarterback Frank Harris would sit out because of a shoulder injury — ending a transcendent seven-year career that included 11,858 passing yards and 92 touchdowns — momentarily put a damper on the matchup. After Marshall intercepted UTSA backup QB Owen McCown on two of UTSA’s first four drives and stormed out to a 14-0 lead, a blowout seemed possible. But McCown and the Roadrunners stormed back, scoring touchdowns on three consecutive drives against a veteran Marshall defense with star power. In a matchup pitting two backup quarterbacks whose fathers played QB in the NFL — Owen is the son of Josh McCown, while Marshall’s Cole Pennington is the son of former Thundering Herd great Chad Pennington — UTSA pulled away in the second half to record the first bowl win in team history. The Roadrunners outscored Marshall 35-3 in the final 41:26 as McCown had 251 passing yards and two scores, and a ferocious defense swarmed the backfield. Marshall’s second half was both bad and bizarre, as the Herd entered UTSA territory three times without scoring, and star running back Rasheen Ali (92 first-half rushing yards) sat out because of a coach’s decision to preserve his health. — Adam Rittenberg

MVP: Quarterback Owen McCown, UTSA. In place of the best quarterback in program history, McCown passed for 251 yards and two touchdowns.


Monday, Dec. 18

Famous Toastery Bowl: Western Kentucky 38, Old Dominion 35 (OT)

The inaugural Famous Toastery Bowl was a classic, with Western Kentucky, without star quarterback Austin Reed, rebounding from a 28-0 deficit to win 38-35 in overtime for the fourth-largest comeback in FBS bowl history.

The Hilltoppers started redshirt freshman Turner Helton, WKU coach Tyson Helton’s nephew (and son of Georgia Southern coach Clay Helton) but he was benched in the first quarter after losing a fumble and throwing an interception. In came Caden Veltkamp, who had made one appearance all season, going 1 of 2 for four yards against FIU. Against ODU, Veltkamp went 40 of 52 for 383 yards with five touchdowns to one interception.

It marked the first win after facing a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit since 2015 when Houston beat Pitt in the Armed Forces Bowl. According to ESPN Stats & Info, each of the last 109 teams trailing by that much have lost.

This was Old Dominion’s 11th game of the season that was decided by a single score. The Monarchs finished 6-5 in such games while finishing 6-7 on the season, but they reached a bowl game for the third time in school history after becoming eligible in 2015. Western Kentucky (8-5) saw its quarterback throw for more than four TDs in the Hilltoppers’ third straight bowl game (Bailey Zappe with six in 2021, Reed with four in 2022 and Veltkamp with five this year) and won their third straight bowl game, tying the longest such streak in program history. — Dave Wilson

MVP: Quarterback Caden Veltkamp, Western Kentucky. The third-string Hilltopper threw for five touchdowns and 383 yards.


Dec. 16

Ohio secured consecutive 10-win seasons for the first time in program history and extended its bowl game winning streak to five behind a stifling first-half defensive effort against Georgia Southern. The Bobcats (10-3) intercepted quarterback Davis Brin three times (twice in the first half) from the safety position — by sixth-year senior Jeremiah Wood, sophomore Adonis Williams Jr. and sixth-year senior Walter Reynolds. The Eagles (6-7) were held to 35 total yards in the first half, turning the ball over three times as the Bobcats jumped out to a 20-0 advantage. Ohio freshman running back Rickey Hunt broke out by registering 133 total yards (115 rushing) and five total touchdowns (four on the ground). Hunt tied the NCAA bowl record for touchdowns from scrimmage as the 12th player in history with five and established a new Bobcats bowl game record. Ohio fifth-year senior quarterback Parker Navarro, taking over the reins of the offense after Kurtis Rourke entered the transfer portal, managed the game effectively, despite the team being outgained 383-352 in total yards. Navarro completed 11 of 16 passes for 120 yards and threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Hunt. — Blake Baumgartner

MVP: Running back Rickey Hunt, Ohio. The freshman scored five touchdowns and had 133 all-purpose yards.


Florida A&M senior quarterback Jeremy Moussa didn’t hang his head long after throwing a fourth-quarter pick-six that allowed Howard to reclaim the lead. Moussa recovered quickly, utilizing a flea-flicker to connect with sixth-year senior wide receiver Jah’Marae Sheread for a 38-yard game-winning score. In guiding the Rattlers (12-1) to their first HBCU/FCS national championship since 1998, Moussa completed 19 of 32 passes to nine different receivers for 289 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. Howard (6-6) scored touchdowns on its first two possessions, and it didn’t trail until Moussa found senior running back Kelvin Dean (three receptions for 87 yards and two scores) for a 21-yard score early in the fourth quarter. Senior defensive back Carson Hinton had a fumble recovery and a 27-yard interception return for a Bison touchdown, which took Howard’s upset bid of the heavily favored Rattlers down to the wire. The Rattlers’ defense made life difficult for Howard quarterback Quinton Williams, intercepting him three times — resulting in 14 points — and holding the Bison to 187 total yards (106 passing). Howard was up at halftime despite being outgained 107-98 and passing for only 41 yards. — Baumgartner

MVP: Wide receiver Kelvin Dean, Florida A&M. He scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns, including a 53-yarder.


All Jacksonville State wanted was an opportunity. Afforded the chance to play in a bowl game during its FCS to FBS transition because not enough teams qualified for bowls, coach Rich Rodriguez and his Gamecocks took advantage. Freshman Garrison Rippa‘s 27-yard field goal — his second career attempt — completed a win over Louisiana in overtime. Jacksonville State (9-4) ran 109 plays, the second most in a bowl game since major classification started in 1937. The Gamecocks held a 526-247 edge in total yardage but nearly lost because they couldn’t take care of the ball. Three of the team’s four turnovers were returned for touchdowns, including redshirt sophomore safety Tyree Skipper‘s 43-yard pick-six with 5:32 left in regulation, which gave Louisiana its last lead of the game at 31-24. The Ragin’ Cajuns (6-7) became the first team in the past 20 years to score three defensive touchdowns in a bowl game. With Jacksonville State quarterbacks Zion Webb (leg) and Logan Smothers (arm) both sustaining injuries during the game and rotating in and out, junior running back Ron Wiggins churned out 126 yards and a touchdown to carry the Gamecocks — Baumgartner

MVP: Cornerback Jalen Clark, Louisiana. Even in a losing effort, it’s worth recognizing Clark, who returned a fumble 46 yards for a touchdown and an interception 16 yards for another score.


Little went Appalachian State’s way during the first half of 2023. The Mountaineers lost in overtime at North Carolina, blew a 19-7 lead at Wyoming and lost to Coastal Carolina on a field goal as time expired and to Old Dominion on a touchdown with 48 seconds to play. The Mountaineers were 3-4 through seven games, and the season looked lost. Then something clicked. App State won its final five of the regular season, got a shot at the Sun Belt title game thanks to James Madison being ineligible and ended things on a high note in the bowl game. Anderson Castle carried 20 times for 119 yards, and Kaedin Robinson caught eight balls for 118 yards despite difficult rainy conditions. The Mountaineers have now hit the nine-win mark in eight of 10 seasons since moving up from the FCS level, and they’re 7-1 in bowl games as an FBS member. For Miami, it was a brutal way to cap an otherwise remarkable season. The Redhawks finish 11-3, the most wins by the program since 2003, when Ben Roethlisberger was the team’s quarterback. Their lone regular-season losses came to Miami (Florida) and Toledo, a defeat the Redhawks avenged on Dec. 2 to claim the MAC championship. — David Hale

MVP: Mother Nature. The game was played in a downpour from start to finish, causing nonstop mishaps. But if we’re picking a player, it’s Appalachian State quarterback Joey Aguilar, who somehow managed to pass for 211 yards and rushed for his team’s only touchdown.


Fresno State was without coach Jeff Tedford, but the Bulldogs didn’t miss a beat in a win over New Mexico State. Tedford stepped aside from bowl prep and coaching due to health concerns, though he is expected to return for the 2024 season. In his absence, the Bulldogs snapped a three-game skid and showcased their share of vintage Tedford offensive fireworks. Quarterback Mikey Keene completed 31 of 39 passes for 380 yards and three touchdowns, adding a fourth score on the ground, while seven different Fresno State receivers caught at least three passes each. In all, the Bulldogs racked up an impressive 491 yards of offense. For New Mexico State, it was a disappointing end to a magical season. The Aggies opened the 2023 campaign with an embarrassing home loss to UMass then turned things around and finished with 10 wins — including a road victory against Auburn — and a berth in the Conference USA title game. The 10-win season was just the second in program history, and through two years at the helm, coach Jerry Kill has just one fewer victory (17) than the Aggies had in the six seasons preceding his arrival. — Hale

MVP: Quarterback Mikey Keene, Fresno State. Completed 31 of 39 passes for 380 yards and had four overall scores.


play

1:37

Gronk sings special rendition of national anthem for the LA Bowl

NFL legend Rob Gronkowski shows off his vocals as he sings the national anthem ahead of the Starco Brands LA Bowl.

After ending their regular season with a disappointing 33-7 loss to Cal that made many Bruins fans anticipate Chip Kelly’s firing, UCLA bounced back in the LA Bowl, beating Boise State not too far away from the Bruins’ home stadium. With Kelly still at the helm after UCLA announced it would retain him, the Bruins compiled 510 yards of offense and ran the ball for 280 yards thanks to quarterback Collin Schlee‘s 128 yards on the ground. After transferring from Kent State last offseason, Schlee saw limited time behind Ethan Garbers and Dante Moore, who is now in the transfer portal. But against the Broncos, Schlee showed exactly what he does best, leading the Bruins’ rushing attack while also throwing for two touchdowns. Many questions remain for Kelly’s team as it heads to the Big Ten, but Saturday night’s bowl win was a strong finishing note after an up-and-down season. — Paolo Uggetti

MVP: Quarterback Ethan Garbers, UCLA. The Bruins turned to Garbers while trailing 16-7 to start the second half, and he completed his first eight passes, resulting in three consecutive touchdown drives.


On the heels of his announcement that he would return to Cal next season, Golden Bears star running back Jaydn Ott struggled against Texas Tech’s defense. Ott, who totaled 1,260 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns this season, accounted for 45 yards on 16 carries and one touchdown in the bowl game. The Red Raiders’ offense, meanwhile, scored four touchdowns thanks to three touchdown passes from Behren Morton. The sophomore quarterback spread the ball around to seven different receivers, three of whom averaged more than 12 yards per catch. Tech defense stepped up in its own way, picking off Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza three times and forcing him into two fumbles that proved too much to overcome. — Uggetti

MVP: Quarterback Behren Morton, Texas Tech. The sophomore tossed three first-half touchdowns.

Continue Reading

Sports

Scenes from the ultimate FCS grudge match: North Dakota State against South Dakota State

Published

on

By

Scenes from the ultimate FCS grudge match: North Dakota State against South Dakota State

BROOKINGS, S.D. — When Scott Peterman, a South Carolina season-ticket holder, examined the Oct. 25 football schedule, he realized he had two options: He could stay at home and watch his Gamecocks play Alabama. Or he could travel 1,300 miles to the fourth-largest town in South Dakota to watch some FCS football.

But this wasn’t just any FCS game. It was No. 1 North Dakota State vs. No. 2 South Dakota State. The Bison vs. the Jackrabbits for the Dakota Marker, the arena where champions are forged. So Peterman, obviously, decided to make the pilgrimage.

“Small college football is about the old-school rivalries where they dislike each other a good bit and it shows,” said Peterman, who played linebacker at Wofford before graduating from South Carolina. “It’s hard-nosed football. College football has become more like a business now. I’m not saying these kids are not going to make it [to the NFL]. Some will, but the vast majority of ’em are not. But these kids are playing football to play football.”

And, boy, do they play some football. Since 2011, North Dakota State has won 10 national championships. South Dakota State has won two, as many as every school from the other 48 states combined. (James Madison won the title for the 2016 season and Sam Houston won the spring COVID title game in 2021, beating SDSU.) Each year, the road to those titles really begins with this rivalry game in October, in either Brookings down south or Fargo up north. This would be just the fourth No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in the regular season in FCS history. Three of those came in the Dakota Marker.

It’s one of the most unique rivalries in college football. A heated matchup with mostly polite fans who will tell anyone that will listen about the virtues of football in the Dakotas and how proud they are of all their small-town boys that come to play for the state’s de facto professional teams. Fans brag about how the two programs make each other better.

“It’s a bitter respect,” Bison fan Les Ressler said.

The agricultural schools have played for nearly 125 years, but for the first century or so, it was a bit of a secondary rivalry. NDSU’s venom was originally mostly reserved for North Dakota. SDSU had it out for South Dakota. But in 2004, the States decided to move from Division II to D-I, and the original rival schools opted to stay put.

Two coaches, two athletic directors and two administrators from NDSU and SDSU met at the state line between the two and shook on their new partnership of sorts. They would move together. A quartzite stone nearby marked the spot where north and south were split by an imaginary line. A Dakota Marker.

“It’s very similar to a Michigan-Ohio State or Alabama-Georgia, where it’s a border battle,” said Ryan McKnight, who played offensive line at South Dakota State from 2006-2010 and hosts a huge tailgate party as the president of the Jackrabbit Former Players Association. “It’s a national championship feel for a regular-season game,” McKnight said. “You don’t get that everywhere. You don’t get that in other rivalries.”

At the JFPA party, the air was filled with the light fragrance of livestock and an occasional waft of beer. A massive smoker that would be the envy of any Texan rose into the sky on a huge trailer. The entire rig was built by former Jacks. Brookings was buzzing with the opportunity for revenge.

The Jackrabbits, winners of 33 straight home games, had lost twice to the Bison last year, once in the Marker in Fargo, and once in the FCS playoff semifinals. In that game, North Dakota State QB Cam Miller had four total touchdowns, and during a TV interview on the field, he let loose. “Now I can say it,” Miller said. “I hate them. I hate the Jackrabbits.”

Mikey Daniel, a Brookings native and former SDSU running back, who spent three seasons in the NFL, was eager for them to be back in South Dakota, because he said the Jackrabbits defend their turf.

“We can’t stand each other,” he said. “I was here from 2015-2019. Never lost [to] these guys at home. Carson Wentz. Trey Lance, any of [the NDSU stars], we don’t like them.”

Most of the players on both teams are from this part of the country — the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin — and often are recruited by both schools. Things sometimes get personal.

But at other times, NDSU-SDSU is one of the most polite rivalries in college football. Fans will tell you that the two teams make each other better. SDSU fans begrudgingly acknowledge that NDSU is one of the great programs in all of sports. NDSU fans admire how SDSU has stepped its game up.

Fans walk up and down Main Ave., hitting classic bars like Ray’s Corner, where Kari Westlund dishes some vicious trash talk.

“Everybody wants to live in South Dakota,” Westlund said, while wearing a “Buck the Fison” T-shirt. “Blue and yellow are much prettier colors than green and gold. We’re warmer.”

The weather is a frequent topic of discussion when canvassing fans on what the biggest differences are between the two Dakotas.

Vern Muscha of Bismarck, North Dakota, thinks it’s a badge of honor.

“We’re tougher. We’re up north,” he said. “You boys in the south here, it’s warmer. You can’t take the tough s—.”


Nick’s Hamburger Shop has been open since 1929. Owner Justin Price, who bought it in July and serves as just the fourth steward since the counter-service spot opened, says the SDSU-NDSU rivalry has always been a strange mix of politeness and pride.

“I think there’s that Midwest friendliness to it until the game starts,” he said. “Then after it’s over, we just kind of both go our ways.”

The game didn’t kick off until 7 p.m. CT, but a record crowd of 19,477 packed the Jackrabbits’ Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium. It was mostly blue-and-yellow-clad fans, with NDSU fans admiring how SDSU has gotten better at protecting its stadium from the invading Bison horde.

Fans in striped overalls stood in line for cheese curds and chislic, the “official nosh of South Dakota,” red meat cubes (usually beef, lamb or venison) grilled, seasoned with garlic salt and eaten with toothpicks, like a bar snack.

All week, there were concerns about the availability of SDSU quarterback Chase Mason, who had injured his foot last week. One local podcaster compared rumors of Mason’s health to conspiracy theories about the moon landing.

Then the game started, and Mason was on the sideline in a boot. The game was effectively over quickly. NDSU quarterback Cole Payton racked up for 380 yards and four touchdown runs to lead North Dakota State to a 38-7 victory. The Bison had 500 yards, the Jackrabbits just 166. It was a bitter defeat. As the final seconds ticked off, the green and gold sprinted to the corner of the end zone to hoist the 75-pound Dakota Marker.

So, it’s been settled. North Dakota State has the inside track to this year’s national title, with likely home-field advantage in the playoffs. The Bison are now up one more game in the all-important series (12-10 since the move to Division I). But NDSU fans know South Dakota State will be back at the end of the year.

“If their starting quarterback wasn’t hurt, it would’ve made things a little bit different,” Bison fan Brandon Miller said. “I still feel we are the better team this year in the grand scheme of things, but it would’ve been a little bit better ball game today.”

As fans dispersed, a disappointed Jackrabbits fan, whose team had just lost its four-year-long home winning streak, walked by Miller and his tailgating crew and apologized. “Sorry about that,” she said, of SDSU’s lack of competitiveness.

In the hotel lobby by campus, NDSU fans walked in and saw a group of SDSU fans and apologized to them for the beatdown.

“Are you buying?” one Jackrabbits fan said, pointing to the hotel bar. “If we won, we would be.”

“That’s called North Dakota Nice and South Dakota Nice,” Miller said.

Peterman said games like this are more important now that NIL and the transfer portal have altered the fabric of the sport.

“For 99% of them, this is it for their football career,” he said. “They’re going to be going right back to work. They’ll be farmers and doctors and lawyers. That’s the heart of America right there.”

Continue Reading

Sports

After Kelly ouster, LSU fires top assistant Sloan

Published

on

By

After Kelly ouster, LSU fires top assistant Sloan

LSU offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joe Sloan has been fired effective immediately, the school announced on Monday, just a day after firing head coach Brian Kelly.

Sloan, in his fourth season with the Tigers, joined the LSU staff in 2022 as quarterbacks coach. He was promoted to offensive coordinator following the ReliaQuest Bowl win over Wisconsin in January of 2024 after Mike Denbrock left the position for the same job at Notre Dame.

Tight ends coach/run game coordinator Alex Atkins, who was formerly the offensive coordinator at Florida State and Charlotte, will take over as LSU’s playcaller, per the school.

LSU’s offense has struggled this season, ranking No. 124 in the country in rushing yards per game (106.3), and No. 91 in red zone efficiency (58.6%). The Tigers are also No. 83 in points per game (25.5).

Last year in his first season as co-offensive coordinator, the Tigers ranked No. 2 in the SEC with 315 passing yards a game. The Tigers were also No. 5 in the league and No. 25 nationally in total offense with 431 yards per game.

Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, who has battled injury this season, is No. 34 in Total QBR, No. 104 in yards per attempt (6.76) and has thrown 12 touchdowns, five interceptions and been sacked 14 times. Last year, in his first season as a starter for the Tigers, Nussmeier ranked No. 2 in the SEC and No. 5 nationally in passing yards per game (312), while also leading the league in completions (337) and finishing second in passing TDs (29).

As LSU’s quarterbacks coach in 2023, Sloan helped Jayden Daniels capture the school’s third Heisman Trophy with a record-setting season that saw the signal-caller lead the nation in total offense and rushing yards by a quarterback.

Continue Reading

Sports

Texas Tech optimistic Hammond will return in ’26

Published

on

By

Texas Tech optimistic Hammond will return in '26

LUBBOCK, Texas — Texas Tech backup quarterback Will Hammond is out for the season after tearing the ACL in his right knee in the No. 13 Red Raiders’ 42-0 victory over Oklahoma State.

The injury came in Hammond’s second start filling in for Behren Morton, who is expected to return when Texas Tech (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) visits Kansas State on Saturday.

Coach Joey McGuire said Monday he is optimistic that Hammond will return next season, although he probably won’t be part of spring practice. Morton is a senior, so the Red Raiders will have a new starter in 2026.

“If it’s gonna be somebody that’s going to be totally dedicated to getting back and attack the situation, there’s nobody that attacks anything like Will Hammond,” McGuire said. “Feel real confident that he’ll have himself ready to go.”

Hammond’s injury elevates Mitch Griffis to the backup job. Griffis was out of football last year after appearing in nine games in 2023 at Wake Forest. Griffis threw for a touchdown and ran for a score after Hammond exited the Oklahoma State game.

Morton injured a knee in a 67-7 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the opener and re-aggravated the injury in a 41-17 win over Kansas on Oct. 11. Morton also was knocked out of the 34-10 win at Utah after taking a hit to the helmet.

Continue Reading

Trending