State of the Group of 5: The challenges facing smaller conferences
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David Hale, ESPN Staff Writer
JERRY KILL KNEW when he took the head coaching job at New Mexico State in 2022 that the program was strapped for cash, but it wasn’t until a few weeks into his tenure that he really understood the severity of the budget shortfall.
That’s when they came for his coffee.
The budget was so tight, the school threatened removal of free coffee in the coaches’ offices, which, for Kill, was a bridge too far.
“That didn’t last too long,” said Kill, who left New Mexico State after 2023 for a role at Vanderbilt. “I’m going to drink coffee.”
These are perilous times for schools outside the Power 4 — the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC — and behind every major concern lies the same root cause: money. In addition to New Mexico State’s great coffee revolt, smaller schools across the country are facing increasingly difficult choices in how to fund athletic budgets in the new era of college football where cash is king.
An incomplete list of potentially existential threats to schools in the Group of 5: realignment, revenue sharing, increased scholarships, the transfer portal, an autonomy conference breakaway, playoff access, control over NCAA governance, consolidation by the newly revived Pac-12 and, apparently, coffee.
Even for the best of the bunch, Boise State, there’s little room for comfort, despite being the No. 3 seed in the College Football Playoff. Head coach Spencer Danielson lamented the fact that more than a dozen of his current players — guys set to participate in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl — are being actively recruited into the portal by Power 4 schools.
“The more you win, it makes it easier for every other school to recruit your roster,” Danielson said. “That’s a constant battle.”
Just three years ago, Cincinnati became the sport’s most successful underdog story of the modern era by forcing its way into the four-team College Football playoff. It did so with a roster of NFL prospects, like Desmond Ridder and Sauce Gardner. But now, even former Bearcats coach Luke Fickell doesn’t think it’s possible to build a team that good without the resources and cache of a power conference affiliation.
“It’s not happening [now],” Fickell said, “and either you can bang your head against the wall or kind of embrace it.”
The landscape is changing quickly, and with each new step in the process, the foundation for the Group of 5 becomes less secure.
Add it all up, and from the cream of the crop at Boise State to the bottom of the financial barrel at New Mexico State, the challenges for the teams outside the power conferences are bigger than ever.
JUST ONE ROUND of the 12-team playoff model is in the books, and structural changes are already being debated. The current deal expires after next season, and odds are, the next iteration won’t be as kind to the Group of 5.
At the very least, there are likely to be tweaks to seeding rules, which currently guarantee the top four slots to the four highest ranked conference champs, which included Boise State this year. Without that guarantee, the Broncos would’ve likely had to play on the opening weekend and, quite possibly, on the road.
More concerning, however, is the potential for the Group of 5 to lose its guaranteed bid entirely. Multiple Power 4 athletic directors who spoke to ESPN suggested the industry was leaving money on the table by handing a playoff spot to a program that was unlikely to draw viewership or even play a competitive game.
“There’s a gap between us and them,” Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez said. “There’s always been a gap. It’s gotten wider, but as long as this expanded CFP has access, it doesn’t matter what brand or conference you’re from, that’s what makes us relevant and allows us to compete.”
In other words, protecting that automatic bid is paramount, and that puts the onus on Boise State to perform well against Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl.
A loss — especially a lopsided one — will only throw gasoline onto a fire already burning hot, as criticism mounts over postseason blowouts and whether there’s real value in assuring top seeding or even basic access for the have-nots.
Multiple ADs who spoke with ESPN noted the increasing disparity in talent between the Group of 5 and the power conferences, and they pointed out that what recently had been the best programs outside the power conferences — Cincinnati, Houston, BYU and UCF — are now in the Power 4.
And the numbers tell a blunt story.
While the 2024 season has had its share of upsets — Northern Illinois toppling Notre Dame, Memphis upending Florida State, James Madison steamrolling North Carolina — teams outside the Power 4 (minus Notre Dame) finished the regular season 9-88 against the power schools.
Working on a story about the separation of power between the haves/hate nots.
Win% by non-power conference schools vs. P4/5
2006-2012: .240
2014-2021: .189
2022-2024: .142Wins vs. P4/5 teams 7-5 or better:
2024: 1
2023: 7
2022: 5
2021: 12 pic.twitter.com/pnT2WL8fkY— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) December 24, 2024
So while the Broncos can make a run at a national championship and the occasional upset can still happen, more often Cinderella will arrive at the ball to find the gates to the castle are already locked.
American Athletic Conference commissioner Tim Pernetti said he’s not worried, but he also suggested any attempt to keep Group of 5 teams out of the playoff would result in quick antitrust litigation.
But lawsuits aren’t the only option for the Group of 5. This past summer, those conferences began discussing the possibility of creating their own playoff — something Pernetti advocated for as a means to grow revenue.
“There’s four [conferences] that are going to get left out of the CFP and will be assigned to whatever bowl tie-in they have,” Pernetti said. “There’s no guarantee they have something truly meaningful to play for in the postseason. So what’s the downside of something new? What’s the downside of more meaningful postseason football if it’s additive?”
The idea, Pernetti said, would be to create an NIT-style postseason tournament for football featuring the best teams from the Group of 5 — and potentially the power conferences — who didn’t make the College Football Playoff. A number of Group of 5 coaches said they’d be eager to see this system come to pass, but this, too, illustrates the line of demarcation in today’s game.
“I’m not interested in playing in a G5 playoff,” San Diego State AD John David Wicker said. “I’m interested in the College Football Playoff.”
Boise State’s first-round bye guarantees a payout of at least $8 million for the Mountain West, a boon for a league and a school that need every penny to remain competitive.
But the question of financial viability is about more than just cash in hand today. Look no further than SMU, another 2024 College Football Playoff participant, which effectively bought its way into the ACC by agreeing not to take any of the conference’s TV money for its first nine seasons in the league, just for the chance to count itself among the Power 4.
Other programs, including Boise State, are working to find their own path to solid ground, even if it means paying an exit fee from the Mountain West to do so.
In the summer of 2023, San Diego State was on the cusp of joining the Power 5 — “we were item No. 2 on the agenda,” Wicker noted — before the Pac-12 fell apart. The Aztecs, along with Boise State, Colorado State and Fresno State, will now join a reconstructed Pac-12 in 2026, with eyes toward regaining “power conference” status. In recent months, UConn has had conversations with the Big 12 about membership, though those talks hit a snag. Assuming the Mountain West or Pac-12 continues the realignment reshuffling, the logistics of the Group of 5 could look entirely different by 2026, when the next iteration of the playoff begins.
The potential consolidation of the best programs currently outside the Power 4 creates another image problem though. Administrators at the bigger schools see a landscape that bears little resemblance to the setting when Cincinnati crashed the playoff party in 2021. The wealthiest Group of 5 schools from 2021 are now mostly in the Power 4, and many others are angling for invites. Everyone else faces such a shortfall of both money and talent that there’s no realistic path for them to consistently compete at the highest level.
“You have to think at some point they’re going to say, ‘Why do we want the G5 to be represented?’ Because the money has made every decision,” Liberty coach Jamey Chadwell said. “The whole reason they expanded is so the top conferences can get as many of their programs into the tournament. I hope there’s a seat at the table, but you have to be realistic with it. Would they rather see us vs. whoever or another SEC team?”
TO PAY FOR the coffee at New Mexico State — in addition to a new practice field, a football operations center and a nascent NIL collective — Kill hit the road. He lobbied local legislators. He hobnobbed with potential donors. He spoke at booster events. He spent an inordinate amount of time doing something that had nothing to do with coaching, but everything to do with winning in college football’s new era: He asked for money. He even donated $120,000 out of his own pocket to help make the budget work.
“The biggest payout we got was $1.8 million for beating Auburn [in 2023],” Kill noted. “But that went toward the deficit, so we didn’t see any of it.”
Bronco Mendenhall served as head coach at BYU and Virginia for 18 years, but when he took over at New Mexico in 2024, he said he spent more time fundraising in his first months there than at any of his previous jobs.
Northern Illinois coach Thomas Hammock said it’s nearly impossible to fully engage with his team because of all the fundraising demands. He has instituted a schedule in which he spends a sizable chunk of his time from January through June working on raising money, then turns his focus toward coaching from July through the end of the season.
When Pernetti met with his league’s coaches after taking the commissioner job last year, the most frequent complaint was the time spent on recruiting and fundraising over coaching and player development.
It’s a constant refrain among coaches, but at the Group of 5 level, the needs are existential.
Group of 5 coaches who spoke to ESPN suggested the money needed just to retain the bulk of their starters has grown — doubled or tripled by some estimates — in the past year. But even that line on the expense report is probably drastically underestimating the problem. With the House settlement ushering in a new era of revenue sharing, where most Power 4 schools are expected to use upward of $15 million on direct payments to football players, the market is likely to shift heavily again. This time, it’s doubtful many Group of 5 schools will be able to ante up with anything comparable to a Power 4 school.
After leading New Mexico to a surprisingly strong 5-7 record in 2024, Mendenhall sat down with a number of his stars to discuss the future. In nearly every case, it was clear there was no way to retain them. The Lobos waved goodbye to their starting quarterback, top receiver, starting tailback and best O-lineman — all of whom transferred to Power 4 schools. Ultimately, Mendenhall also departed, taking the head coaching job at Utah State. His move was about family, he said — his sons all live or go to college in Utah — but there are numerous examples of coaches burned out on the grind of fundraising for the job who just want to get back to coaching players.
Just last year, three head coaches of Group of 5 programs — South Alabama‘s Kane Wommack, Georgia State‘s Shawn Elliott and Buffalo ‘s Maurice Lindquist — left for jobs as assistants at Power 4 schools. This offseason, Washington State coach Jake Dickert left what would once have been considered a solid job to take over at struggling Wake Forest.
For Kill, the onus of coaching at the Group of 5 level wasn’t the main reason he left New Mexico State after the school’s most successful season in a half-century, but it certainly played a part.
“I worked a whole lot of hours along with our staff, and in this era of football, I was going to have to do more next year and the next year,” Kill said. “You knew this thing was going to get bigger and bigger, and I said there was no way I could do it.”
Not long after he announced his retirement, however, he got a call from Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea with an offer to come aboard as an advisor. No fundraising, no glad-handing — just program-building and coaching.
“You don’t have any time to develop players anymore,” Kill said. “If he’s good, he’s going to leave. If he’s not playing, he’s going to leave. To build a team at this level, you’ve got two years.”
He took the job, and he’s making just shy of what he earned at New Mexico State. Five players, including QB Diego Pavia, also left the Aggies for Vandy.
Even the success stories, such as Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, come with a bit of an asterisk.
“[Jeanty] didn’t stay for free,” Mendenhall said. “He’s praised for staying and that’s great, but he didn’t stay out of the goodness of his heart. Boise State did all it could to keep him.”
The Broncos are one of the few programs at the Group of 5 level that can afford to keep a star. Danielson said his priority is retaining homegrown talent, and Boise State — while hardly flush with cash — has donors willing to step up to maintain success at what has been, for the past 20 years, the best program outside the power conferences.
Elsewhere, however, times are tough. In 2005, the average power conference football program generated about $10.9 million in annual revenue, compared with about $4.4 million for the average Group of 5 team. By the 2022-23 academic year, that gap in football revenue had grown to more than $30 million — a more than four-fold increase. And that was just the tip of the iceberg. Add in a marked difference in cash on hand for their respective collectives and the investment already made in football-related facilities, and the difference might be better measured in light years than dollars.
“The money doesn’t just fall out of the air,” said Pernetti, who said the American is exploring numerous outside-the-box options to fill the gaps, including selling naming rights for the conference, adding advertising to uniforms and talking with investors in the private equity space. “Conferences have a responsibility more than ever before to figure out new revenue streams.”
Pernetti said he’s working with AAC schools on setting a minimum required revenue share for athletes with a focus on football, though the details remain fluid.
For many athletic directors at smaller schools, however, there’s seemingly no feasible way to come up with the cash to match what bigger schools will spend.
“Everyone is trying to figure out the maximum investment to have success,” Pernetti said. “The hard part is, it creates some gaps in what some institutions will do versus others.”
Hammock said he’s keenly aware which side of the ledger Northern Illinois is on, but he refuses to concede defeat just because he’ll be trailing on the balance sheet. Bigger schools can offer money, and that’s enticing. But he can offer relationships, growth and development, and he hopes there are still enough players out there eager for those things for NIU to keep pace.
“We’re trying to find the right type of people and families that want to have their sons developed,” Hammock said. “That still matters to certain people.”
That’s been the blueprint for Boise State, Danielson said. In an era in which every relationship is at least partially transactional, he has decided the key to success is finding players who appreciate what the Broncos can offer in any deal.
“Do we have what everybody else has? No. But do we have enough? Yes.” Danielson said. “There’s extremely high expectations here. Embracing those things and pushing forward to grow to where you can be closer. We don’t need to find 1,000 recruits that fit Boise State. We need to find 25.”
JEANTY FINISHED SECOND in this year’s Heisman race, demolished records for rushing and became a household name in college football. He’ll get a chance to play on one of the sport’s biggest stages in the Fiesta Bowl. He got paid.
That’s a pretty sweet deal, Danielson said, and it’s one Boise State is unique in being able to offer.
“It’s not a pipe dream. You can have it all at Boise State,” he said. “Do you want to win the Heisman? Come on. Do you want to make the playoff and get a first-round bye? Come on. It doesn’t mean it’s easy, but you can do it here, and we have the stats to back it up.”
What Danielson hopes will be a winning sales pitch moving forward may also be an exception rather than the rule, and the talent drain from the have-nots up to the haves figures to get worse with added scholarships, reduced roster spots and a ton of new revenue-sharing dollars entering the market.
Last season, 273 players transferred from Group of 5 schools to power conference programs, an average of more than four per program. And unlike at the Power 4 level, where the bulk of outgoing transfers are leaving due to a lack of playing time, the portal departures from the Group of 5 are often stars. Last year, 88 of the players who left Group of 5 schools — nearly one-third of the total — had been named to all-conference teams the prior year.
With the settlement in the House case, schools in 2025 can offer up to 105 scholarships for football — 20 more than in years past — which makes for even more bleak math for the small schools trying to keep pace. Should all power-conference schools opt for the maximum, that would create nearly 1,400 new scholarships at the Power 4 level — and a sizable portion of those spots could be filled by players transferring up from the Group of 5.
“What will happen is it’ll give them more opportunities to get kids who might be good at this level to go up there and be third-team guys,” Chadwell said. “It’ll widen that gap even more…. If you didn’t have the portal, you could have some success. But it’s going to be harder and harder, because you don’t have the money to keep your top players, and the bigger schools will have the money and the scholarships.”
When Mendenhall first arrived at New Mexico after two years out of coaching, he said he was confident he could bridge the gap between his long-held belief in relationships and development and the new world order created by the transfer portal and NIL.
“I’m having to frame what success might look like in helping young,” Mendenhall said before the 2024 season. “That might not be longevity at an institution. It might just be helping them reach a new level in today’s market.”
And yet, when the season ended and Mendenhall sat down with stars like QB Devin Dampier, he realized he didn’t have the cash to keep them, and relationships he thought were strong ended quickly.
That’s when things really hit home for Mendenhall.
“The frustration of the relationship built, time spent and a player choosing to leave your program, that still hurts,” he said. “That’s the main difference I learned this year…. I still love these kids, and I’m thrilled for them now. But as a coach, you can end up becoming cynical. Or you can frame it — and I hate this idea — that you’re just going to have them for one year.”
In the future, he said, he plans to hire for a general manager position who will serve as a financial buffer for the head coach in those situations. It’s too hard, he said, to maintain an emotional relationship with players when money gets in the way, so he thinks it’s imperative to separate business and development.
Still, said Fickell, it’s impossible to completely wall off the coaching relationship from the financial one these days.
“I never wanted to be involved in money with kids because I thought it changed your relationship,” Fickell said. “And if I still felt that way, then I wouldn’t be able to coach in college football right now.”
TO WORK AT one of the sport’s have-not programs is to accept a certain amount of adversity with the job, so coaches and ADs at the Group of 5 level are accustomed to searching for silver linings.
The portal works both ways, as Chadwell noted, and that means a host of talented — if underdeveloped — players may leave the Power 4 for a chance at more playing time. Without film, a player isn’t making it to the NFL, so for all the allure of NIL dollars and a Power 4 pedigree, ultimately everyone prizes playing time.
Pernetti said the House settlement could also potentially open the door to multiyear contracts that would keep players in the fold longer, though the details on how that could work remain vague.
And some schools like Boise State have been able to parlay success on the field with strong fan enthusiasm to at least build an NIL collective strong enough to compete with bigger brands when it comes to retaining talent.
But there was a moment during last year’s Mountain West league meetings, Mendenhall said, that clarified the status of schools outside the Power 4 hierarchy. Administrators were discussing the House settlement and other changes coming to college football, debating how his conference could respond.
Mendenhall threw up his hands. What was the point in even debating strategy when it wouldn’t be the Group of 5 coaches or athletic directors making the decisions?
“We don’t decide,” Mendenhall said. “We adjust and adapt and react to what’s decided for us.”
And yet, Danielson and the Broncos are still eager to ante up. It’s a program, he said, “born with a chip on its shoulder,” and winning against long odds is the only way he knows how to do it.
Maybe there isn’t a foolproof blueprint to do more with less these days, but Danielson said there’s a path to success for programs with a clear vision and the right approach. The Broncos won’t win every battle. They just need to win enough.
“I believe, if you want to be developed on and off the field, for the NFL or for professional life, there’s not a better place than Boise State,” he said. “Does that mean we’ll never lose a player? No. But you’ll keep the right ones.”
Takeaway: Quarterback Brady Cook‘s record-setting career ended appropriately with a one-score win and an impressive comeback. Missouri faced a talented Iowa defense without wide receiver Luther Burden III, who declared for the NFL draft, and starting tight end Brett Norfleet (knee surgery). The Tigers also lost leading receiver Theo Wease Jr. to an injury in the first half. But Cook, who became only the fourth Missouri player to eclipse 10,000 career yards of offense — joining Chase Daniel (13,485), Brad Smith (13,088) and Drew Lock (12,630) — led three straight scoring drives in the second half after Iowa took a 24-14 lead with 5:19 left in the third quarter. After a tough start on special teams that included a 100-yard kick return touchdown by Iowa’s Kaden Wetjen, Missouri held the edge there thanks to Blake Craig field goals of 51 and 56 yards, the latter marking his fourth go-ahead make from 50 yards or more this season, most in the FBS. Six of Missouri’s 10 wins this season came by seven points or fewer, a testament to Cook, who had 287 passing yards and two touchdowns and added a team-high 54 rushing yards. The Tigers’ defense also deserves credit for limiting Iowa to 32 yards in the fourth quarter and stuffing a quarterback sneak to seal the win.
MVP: Cook is the pick after accounting for 341 yards of offense in his final college game, but mentions also go to kicker Craig and wide receiver Marquis Johnson, who stepped up for injured teammates to post career highs for receptions (7) and receiving yards (122) and had a 7-yard touchdown catch. — Adam Rittenberg
Takeaway: After Sun Belt champion Marshall dropped out of this game following the departure of its coach, Charles Huff, and a mass exodus to the transfer portal, a bowl matchup with Louisiana Tech — which went 5-7 during the regular season — wasn’t exactly a fitting end for AAC champion Army. So, considering the mismatch, it shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise to see the overwhelming win by the Black Knights.
Army quarterback Bryson Daily capped a brilliant season by running for 127 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries. He broke the single-season FBS record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 32. Only Oklahoma State‘s Barry Sanders (37) and Wisconsin‘s Montee Ball (33) ever rushed for more scores in a campaign. Hayden Reed added 114 rushing yards and a touchdown as Army set a single-season school record with its 12th win.
MVP: Daily wrapped up one of the best seasons in college football history with another standout performance. — Kyle Bonagura
Takeaway: What started as “the people’s Big 12 championship,” as BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff called it this week, turned into a BYU blowout. The Cougars took out a month of frustration after a 9-0 start — including a win over College Football Playoff pick SMU — that gave way to an Alamo Bowl berth, after successive losses to Kansas and Arizona State by a total of eight points knocked them out of contention for the Big 12 title game.
Colorado arrived with the star power of Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter as well as quarterback Shedeur Sanders, but the BYU defense held the Buffaloes scoreless until midway through the third quarter, with BYU already leading 27-0. Sanders threw two interceptions, the Buffaloes gave up a 64-yard punt return touchdown to Parker Kingston and LJ Martin ran for two touchdowns for the Cougars. Both teams had remarkable seasons after being picked at the bottom of the conference, but they will head into the offseason on different notes.
MVP: Linebacker Isaiah Glasker had eight tackles (one for a loss), an interception and was the face of a defense that frustrated Colorado’s high-flying offense that came in averaging 34.5 points. — Dave Wilson
Takeaway: What had been a thrilling game ended in a melee that left one official bleeding as coaches for NC State and East Carolina struggled to get their players back to their respective sidelines with less than a minute remaining. Frustrations boiled over after NC State’s potential game-winning drive ended with an interception with under a minute to play. It was a significant blow to the ACC, which is currently 1-9 in its bowl games. With NC State’s loss, the league went 0-4 on Saturday, with Miami, North Carolina and Boston College also losing.
In what was a dreary, rainy day in Annapolis, Maryland, the two teams located 83 miles apart in North Carolina battled to the bitter end for bragging rights, but the fight that broke out overshadowed what had otherwise been a seesaw game. NC State has lost five straight bowl games, the longest streak in team history, and Dave Doeren suffered his third losing season (along with 2013 and 2019) in his 12th overall campaign as the Wolfpack’s head coach. East Carolina won consecutive bowl games for the second time in school history, along with the 2022 Birmingham Bowl.
MVP: With 44 seconds left and NC State driving in ECU territory, ECU defensive back Dontavius Nash snagged an interception that was intended for Hollywood Smothers but was tipped, sealing the win for the Pirates as he held onto it while hitting the ground. — Heather Dinich
Takeaway: Miami-Ohio‘s defense had been dominant during the latter half of the season and was again the difference against Colorado State.
Miami-Ohio has earned 20 wins over a two-year span, the program’s most since winning 21 games from 2003 to 2004 (13 and 8 respectively). Miami overcame a 1-4 start this season and won seven straight games before losing to Ohio in the Mid-American Conference championship game. During that span, it allowed just 12.9 points per game — the second best in the FBS behind Notre Dame. The RedHawks were again stifling, snagging three turnovers in the first three quarters. Sixth-year quarterback Brett Gabbert threw for 184 yards, and his 10-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter put the RedHawks up 22-3. Miami has won at least nine games in back-to-back seasons for just the third time in school history (1973, 1974 and 1975.) Colorado State, which was appearing in its first bowl in seven seasons, dropped to 6-12 in bowl games, including five straight losses.
MVP: Running back Kevin Davis scored on a 97-yard touchdown run — the second longest in program history and the school’s longest play of any kind in a bowl game — with 6:46 remaining in the third quarter to give the RedHawks a commanding 29-3 lead. He finished with 148 yards rushing and two touchdowns on just eight carries. — Heather Dinich
Takeaway: The “It was a tale of two halves” cliché is tired and dreadfully overused, but the Pop-Tarts Bowl was literally a tale of two halves. The first was a track meet in which the teams combined for 625 total yards, Cam Ward threw for 190 yards and three touchdowns and Miami outscored Iowa State 31-28.
The second, with Ward having arranged to play only one half in his final collegiate game, was a rock fight in which ISU topped the Hurricanes 14-10 thanks to a late 15-play touchdown drive and a scoring plunge by quarterback Rocco Becht. Add the two halves up, and the Cyclones won by a cumulative 42-41. Miami’s Damien Martinez and Mark Fletcher Jr. combined for 241 rushing yards and two scores to nearly fend off the Cyclones. But in the end Matt Campbell’s Cyclones made a late defensive stop, lifted the glorious Pop-Tarts Trophy and, of course, cannibalized the giant, cinnamon roll-flavored pastry.
MVP: Becht earned easy player-of-the-game honors with 270 passing yards — 117 of those went to wideout Jaylin Noel — plus three passing downs, a number of key scrambles and the game-winning touchdown run. — Bill Connelly
Takeaway: TCU averaged nine wins per season in Sonny Dykes’ first two years in charge, but the Horned Frogs did it in just about the wildest possible way, surging to 13-2 in 2022 and then plummeting to 5-7 in 2023. This year they took the direct route, wrapping up a 9-4 season with an easy 34-3 win over Louisiana in the New Mexico Bowl. Josh Hoover threw touchdown passes to four different receivers, but the story of this one was a dominant defense. Louisiana gained just 113 yards in the first three quarters and didn’t top 200 yards until the final 30 seconds of the game. After allowing 30.8 points per game in its first six games under new defensive coordinator Andy Avalos, TCU gave up just 19.3 per game over the past seven.
This bowl season has been loaded with close games, but this one was over quickly. The four TD passes by Hoover and two field goals gave TCU a 34-0 lead barely five minutes into the second half, and UL didn’t get on the board until early in the fourth quarter.
MVP: Hoover was awesome, but you have to go with someone on the defensive side here, and with more pass breakups (3) than tackles (2) — you can’t make a tackle if your guy doesn’t catch the ball — corner LaMareon James was one of the main reasons UL’s Ben Wooldridge went just 7-for-20 passing. — Bill Connelly
Takeaway: Matt Rhule has led Nebraska to its first winning season since 2016 and its first bowl victory since 2015. The Cornhuskers secured the win on a rainy day inside Yankee Stadium in dramatic fashion, holding on in the final minutes of what turned into a tight one-score game. Nebraska took a 20-2 lead into the fourth quarter thanks to its stout defense, which delivered four fourth-down stops in the Huskers’ first game since losing defensive coordinator Tony White to Florida State. But the Eagles answered in the final six minutes with a 64-yard touchdown drive, then a blocked punt to set up an easy 2-yard touchdown with 4:18 remaining. Dylan Raiola and Nebraska’s offense managed to run out the clock from there, driving 45 yards in nine plays with a clutch fourth-down conversion by running back Rahmir Johnson. It was a fitting finale and a big step in the right direction after the Huskers had lost 10 of 12 games decided by one-score margins over Rhule’s first two seasons.
MVP: Johnson clinched the win on a fourth-and-1 conversion, breaking tackles on an inside run for an 11-yard gain. The senior from Harlem made the most of his homecoming game with 69 total yards on 11 touches and his first rushing touchdown since 2021. — Max Olson
Takeaway: Jim Mora has achieved one of the more impressive turnarounds in college football at UConn, taking the program from 1-11 to 9-4 in just three years. He closed out the Huskies’ first nine-win season since 2007 with a dominant performance against North Carolina. UConn’s defense had no trouble shutting down the Tar Heels, allowing just 67 yards through three quarters with seven drives ending in three-and-outs. North Carolina went 0-for-9 on third downs and got 86 passing yards from backup quarterback Michael Merdinger. The Huskies pulled away quickly in the first half, with quarterback Joe Fagnano leading them to scores on five of their first seven possessions to power the program’s first bowl win since 2009. UConn also secured its second victory over a Power 4 opponent since 2017. Both wins have come under Mora’s leadership. North Carolina endured a 6-7 finish for the second time in four years, but it has plenty of reason for optimism now that the Bill Belichick era is officially underway. Belichick did not attend the game while he focuses on roster building for 2025.
MVP: UConn defensive lineman Pryce Yates earned defensive MVP honors after recording six tackles, including a team-high three tackles for loss and a sack of Merdinger that helped stop the Tar Heels’ final drive of the day. — Max Olson
Takeaway: Just when it looked as if USC was going to limp to the finish line in coach Lincoln Riley’s third season, the Trojans found some late magic for an improbable comeback win in Las Vegas. Both teams struggled to find a rhythm on offense in the first half, but Texas A&M blew things open with 17 straight points to start the third quarter for a 24-7 lead. At that point, it seemed unlikely the stagnant USC offense would bring the Trojans back. But it did.
Ja’Kobi Lane‘s third touchdown reception of the game came with 4:30 left to put the Trojans up 28-24. Texas A&M quickly answered with a touchdown, only for the Trojans to put together a 75-yard winning touchdown drive, capped by a 7-yard pass from Jayden Maiava to Kyle Ford with 8 seconds left. The win prevented USC (7-6) from finishing with a losing record, which is a small consolation for what was an otherwise disappointing season in Los Angeles.
Riley has been mostly immune from serious hot-seat talk because of his pricey buyout, but if a third straight season of irrelevance comes next year, that could change. Meanwhile, Texas A&M’s (8-5) once-promising season finished with four losses in the final five games.
MVP: USC’s Lane turned in a memorable game with 7 catches for 127 yards and three touchdowns. — Kyle Bonagura
Takeaway: Washington State entered the game as depleted as any team in the country without its head coach, both coordinators, star quarterback and several other key players. And for much of the first half Friday, the Cougars were able to hang around thanks in large part to the inspired play of quarterback Zevi Eckhaus, who guided Washington State to a 21-14 first-quarter lead. But Syracuse scored three unanswered touchdowns in the second quarter and continued to pile it on offensively (607 total yards) against a Washington State team that didn’t quit fighting despite being down so many players. Eckhaus, who had attempted only seven passes all season (all in the season opener) as John Mateer’s backup, threw three touchdown passes and ran for another. But Syracuse’s quick-strike offense, with quarterback Kyle McCord passing for 453 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions, was too much for Washington State to overcome. Syracuse ended the season on a four-game winning streak in Fran Brown’s first year as coach, and the Orange won 10 games for only the second time in the past 23 seasons.
MVP: McCord became the ACC’s single-season record holder for passing yards, and it was the 12th time in 13 games this season that he passed for 300 or more yards. The Ohio State transfer completed passes to seven different players and averaged 13.3 yards per attempt. — Kyle Bonagura
Takeaway: After a disappointing close to the regular season, Arkansas erupted with one of its best offensive showings in this meeting of old Southwest Conference rivals. The Hogs jumped to a 21-3 lead in the first quarter, but the Red Raiders pulled within 21-19 in the second quarter. The Hogs regained control in the second half and made some key adjustments on defense and shut out Texas Tech until the Red Raiders scored with 3:03 to play.
The win moved Arkansas to 7-6, helping to ease the pain from a 4-8 finish a year ago. The two teams combined for 1,056 total yards, and both rushed for more than 200. Texas Tech (8-5) was playing without Tahj Brooks, who opted out of the bowl game. Brooks is Texas Tech’s all-time rushing leader.
MVP: Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green passed for 341 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 81 yards and a score. His 97-yard touchdown pass to Dazmin James with the Hogs backed up against their own goal line late in the first quarter changed the complexion of the game. — Chris Low
Takeaway: Vanderbilt led 14-13 with a little over five minutes to go in the third quarter. But a string of questionable calls went against the Yellow Jackets, who then imploded with turnovers as the Commodores pulled away.
Georgia Tech coach Brent Key was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct following a controversial defensive pass interference call on Trenilyas Tatum. The two penalties gave Vanderbilt a first down and possession at the Georgia Tech 22-yard line. Diego Pavia finished off the drive with a three-yard touchdown pass to Eli Stowers.
Georgia Tech’s Haynes King was intercepted on the ensuing snap, setting up another Pavia touchdown pass three plays later. Then, off a Georgia Tech fumble, Pavia put the Yellow Jackets away with a six-yard scoring run.
The Commodores led 35-13 with 7:17 to play when the game was delayed due to lightning. Play resumed almost an hour later. The Yellow Jackets scored two late touchdowns after the delay but failed to recover a late onside kick.
The victory snapped Vanderbilt’s 13-game losing streak to Georgia Tech dating to 1941, when the Commodores last won 14-7.
MVP: Pavia totaled five touchdowns (three passing, two rushing), the most by a Vandy player in a bowl game. — Jake Trotter
0:51
Navy wins Armed Forces Bowl after denying Oklahoma’s 2-point conversion
Oklahoma scores a touchdown with six seconds left, but elects to go for a win, and the Sooners are stopped by Navy on a 2-point conversion attempt.
Takeaway: The Sooners went for a 2-point conversion and the win after Oklahoma quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. found Jake Roberts for a 10-yard touchdown pass with six seconds remaining. But Navy‘s Justin Reed sacked Hawkins on the 2-point try, sealing the victory for the Midshipmen. With the bowl defeat, the Sooners finished with a losing record for the second time in three years under coach Brent Venables; until 2022, Venables’ first season, OU had not had a losing record since 1998.
Quarterback Blake Horvath led the way offensively for Navy (10-3), which reached double-digit wins for the first time since 2019.
He sliced through the Oklahoma defense for a school-record 95-yard touchdown run to tie the score in the third quarter, then engineered the game-winning drive in the fourth.
Hawkins had his moments too after taking over for Jackson Arnold, who transferred to Auburn earlier this month. But Hawkins got little help from his receivers, who dropped several passes. Though Hawkins is expected back, the Sooners are banking that transfer quarterback John Mateer — who followed his offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle, from Washington State — can elevate an OU offense that struggled in its first year in the SEC.
MVP: With his 155 rushing yards and two touchdowns, Horvath became the first FBS player since Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts in 2019 to reach 1,250 rushing yards and 30 total touchdowns in a season, according to ESPN Research. — Jake Trotter
Takeaway: The first bowl game after Christmas featured 17 lead changes, multiple scuffles, two pick-sixes, a handful of premature celebrations and the first six-overtime finish in FBS bowl game history. Pitt entered Thursday decimated at the quarterback position with starter Eli Holstein (leg) sidelined by injury and backups Nate Yarnell and Ty Dieffenbach in the transfer portal. The Panthers’ remaining quarterbacks — redshirt freshman walk-on David Lynch and true freshman Julian Dugger — combined for just 137 passing yards and prompted Pitt to run the ball 60-plus times in a game for the first time in more than a decade, leaning heavily on junior Desmond Reid (33 carries, 169 yards, one touchdown). Dugger eventually settled in and delivered a gutsy performance in the loss, but the quarterback battle decidedly belonged to Toledo junior Tucker Gleason, who threw for 336 yards and two touchdowns with an interception and accounted for five scores in overtime, including his winning connection with Junior Vandeross III in OT No. 6. Down 30-20 before Darius Alexander‘s 58-yard, fourth-quarter pick-six, Toledo stormed from behind to claim its second victory in seven bowl appearances under head coach Jason Candle. Meanwhile, Pitt, which opened the season 7-0, became the second bowl team in FBS history to end its season on a six-game losing streak.
MVP: Wide receiver Junior Vandeross III. On the day Gleason reached a career-high yardage total, he found the junior wide receiver on roughly 46% of his completions. Vandeross hit career bests with 12 receptions for 194 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown grab in regulation, before completing the game-sealing 2-point conversion. — Eli Lederman
Rate Bowl: Kansas State 44, Rutgers 41
Kansas State ranked 16th nationally in rushing during the regular season (204.5 yards per game), and the Wildcats rode a dominant run game to erase a 14-point, second-half deficit in Phoenix. Dylan Edwards‘ searing speed was the platform as Kansas State exploded for 340 rushing yards Thursday night, representing the program’s second-best total of the season and second-highest bowl game rushing tally. Missing star running back Kyle Monangai (opted out), Rutgers delivered an impressive rushing performance of its own, leaning on Antwan Raymond and Ja’shon Benjamin (25 carries, 146 rushing yards, 5 touchdowns combined) to build a 34-17 lead six minutes into the second half. But Kansas State clawed back with Edwards’ pair of long rushing scores and two second-half passing touchdowns from Avery Johnson, scoring 27 second-half points to secure the program’s largest comeback win since 2020. Wildcats coach Chris Klieman has back-to-back bowl wins and three straight nine-plus win seasons.
MVP: Running back Dylan Edwards, who averaged a whopping 10.9 yards per carry and bookended Kansas State’s second-half scoring with electric rushing touchdowns of 65 and 35 yards, the second of which put the Wildcats ahead 44-41 with 4:15 remaining. Edwards’ 196 yards on 18 carries were the most in a bowl game in Kansas State program history. — Eli Lederman
68 Ventures Bowl: Arkansas State 38, Bowling Green 31
Takeaway: Despite being outgained by more than 100 yards, Arkansas State emerged from Thursday night’s bowl with the program’s first eight-win season since 2019. The Red Wolves did not have a particularly explosive day on the ground or in the air, but they made plays in every facet of the game and were opportunistic in the face of the Falcons’ mistakes. The Arkansas State defense forced a key fumble, made a crucial fourth-down stop in the second half and played a role in three missed field goals from Bowling Green. Special teams did its part, too, as Courtney Jackson returned a punt for a touchdown in the first quarter that put Butch Jones’ team up 10 early and gave the Wolves the necessary momentum for the rest of the game. And when Arkansas State needed it most, the offense stitched together an eight-play, 68-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter that ate up the clock and ended up being the difference. Red Wolves quarterback Jaylen Raynor was a steady presence, while running back Zak Wallace ran for 99 yards, including several clutch runs late in the game that kept the chains moving and ended any slim chance the Falcons had at a comeback.
MVP: It’s not common to give this honor to a player on the losing side, but it’s hard not to recognize Harold Fannin Jr., who capped his incredible season with a 17-catch, 213-yard, one-touchdown performance. The junior tight end finished his season with 117 catches for 1,555 yards and 10 touchdowns. — Paolo Uggetti
Hawai’i Bowl: South Florida 41, San José State 39 (5 OTs)
Takeaway: The only football game (college or pro) on Christmas Eve did not disappoint, technically ending on Christmas Day in the Eastern time zone but not in Hawai’i, where South Florida prevailed in a record fifth overtime. No bowl game had exceeded three overtimes since the overtime rules were implemented in 1996. Coach Alex Golesh’s team ultimately had the upper hand in key situations, especially on special teams, as the Bulls had a 93-yard kick return touchdown, connected on two field goals to extend the game and received a 72-yard punt from Andrew Stokes — one of three that traveled 50 yards or longer — that backed up San José State at the end of regulation. The Bulls scored on four of their five overtime possessions and could have won the game in the fourth extra session if wide receiver Michael Brown-Stephens had stayed in bounds on a creative 2-point conversion attempt. Quarterback Bryce Archie started strong, completing his first 12 pass attempts, before going cold and throwing a near pick-six that appeared to cost South Florida the game. But he responded well late in regulation and in overtime as the Bulls improved to 10-1 in overtime games, the best mark in FBS history. San José State received a career performance from Matthew Coleman (12 receptions, 119 yards), filling in for FBS receiving yards leader and Biletnikoff Award finalist Nick Nash. But some situational miscues ultimately doomed the Spartans.
MVP: South Florida linebacker Mac Harris had a big night for a playmaking defense, recording two tackles for loss, eight total tackles, a quarterback hurry and a pass breakup. — Adam Rittenberg
Takeaway: Never say the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl doesn’t give you your money’s worth. In the fourth quarter and overtime alone, we got two missed go-ahead field goals (one from each team), three quick overtime touchdowns, endless overtime trickery from NIU and, eventually, a crushing, game-winning fourth-down sack from Jordan Hansen to give the Huskies a 28-20 victory. And after the celebrations and french fry baths, we got the winning team lifting Spuddy Buddy on its shoulders. What else could you possibly want from your bowl experience?
The ending was worth it, but both teams had chances to seize the game in regulation. Fresno State led 13-3 at halftime, but NIU scored 10 points early in the second half — including six on a beautiful 26-yard touchdown catch from Grayson Barnes — to tie the game heading into the fourth quarter. NIU drove the length of the field late but settled for a 35-yard field goal attempt on fourth-and-1 (violating the swashbuckling spirit of the Potato Bowl) and missed with 3:02 left. Then Fresno State missed a 34-yarder at the buzzer, too. Destiny demanded overtime, and the Huskies took all the potato glory.
MVP: Josh Holst. The freshman quarterback threw for 182 yards and two touchdowns, led NIU with 65 rushing yards and caught a 2-point conversion pass in the second OT. — Bill Connelly
Takeaway: With Coastal Carolina playing at home, and UTSA having lost each of its six road games this season, Monday’s game between 6-6 teams figured to be competitive. But the Chanticleers were decimated by losses in the transfer portal, including their top two quarterbacks, as well as a few star players on defense. After a slow start in the first quarter, UTSA scored touchdowns on three straight possessions to take a 21-0 lead at the half. The Roadrunners added two field goals in the third quarter. After Coastal Carolina finally got on the scoreboard on Tad Hudson‘s 50-yard touchdown pass to Bryson Graves on the first play of the fourth quarter, UTSA answered with Chris Carpenter’s 93-yard kickoff return for a score to make it 34-7. The highlight of the game came when UTSA players celebrated Jakevian Rodgers‘ interception on a fake punt by jumping into the makeshift beach at Brooks Stadium. They were flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. It was one of 10 such penalties in the game. After starting 3-5, the Roadrunners won four of their past five games to finish 7-6. After starting 4-1, the Chanticleers dropped six of their last eight to finish 6-7.
MVP: UTSA quarterback Owen McCown accounted for touchdowns passing and running, completing 23 of 30 passes for 254 yards with one TD pass and one interception. He also ran four times for 37 yards with one touchdown, helping the Roadrunners set bowl records for points and total yards (513). — Mark Schlabach
Takeaway: It took a while for Florida to get going on offense, as DJ Lagway struggled at times — throwing two interceptions, including one in the red zone. Indeed, the early trips to the red zone ended in field goals — keeping Tulane in the game. But once the Gators started converting their long drives into touchdowns in the second half, they put the game out of reach. Tulane struggled without quarterback Darian Mensah, who has already transferred to Duke. The Gators, meanwhile, rolled up 529 yards — the most against an FBS team this year — and Lagway ended up throwing for 305 yards, moving to 6-1 as the starter this season. The defense was stellar, with three interceptions and a near shutout, giving up a touchdown with 29 seconds left. Florida finishes the season with eight wins for the first time since 2020 — a somewhat unexpected result considering the way the season began. But since athletic director Scott Stricklin announced Billy Napier would return for 2025 in early November, Florida went 4-1 — including a four-game winning streak to end the season. Lagway returns next season, along with his top receivers and young running backs, too. There should be reason for optimism in Gainesville based on the way the season ended and who is set to come back.
MVP: Desmond Watson. The 449-pound defensive lineman had multiple viral moments — lifting Tulane’s running back in the air to make a tackle, then later in the game, carrying the ball and gaining a yard on third-and-1 to pick up the first down. –– Andrea Adelson
Takeaway: The Bobcats took a 20-point lead at the half and then held on in the final two quarters for their seventh straight victory. After the Gamecocks pulled within a field goal with about 3½ minutes left, Ohio ran out the rest of the clock with a long drive. It was an impressive debut for Ohio coach Brian Smith, who was promoted from offensive coordinator on Wednesday after Tim Albin left for Charlotte. The Bobcats captured 11 victories in a campaign for the first time in the 63-year history of the program. They’ve also won six straight bowl games; their last loss was at the 2016 Dollar General Bowl. After punting on each of its first two possessions in the Cure Bowl, Ohio scored touchdowns on four of its next five to grab a 27-7 lead at the half. The Bobcats piled up 309 yards of offense in the first 30 minutes, including 153 rushing. Jacksonville State, which won a Conference USA title in its second season as an FBS member, didn’t put up much of a fight in the first half. The Gamecocks were led by interim coach Rod Smith, after former coach Rich Rodriguez agreed to return to West Virginia. Jacksonville State is hiring Auburn defensive coordinator Charles Kelly to replace Rodriguez, sources told ESPN on Friday. The Gamecocks had only 8 rushing yards and five first downs in the first half. They had more than a dozen players enter the transfer portal after Rodriguez’s departure, including top edge rusher Reginald Hughes (Colorado) and safety Zechariah Poyser (Miami), who didn’t play against Ohio.
MVP: Ohio quarterback Parker Navarro, who was the offensive MVP of the MAC championship game, accounted for four touchdowns in the first half against Jacksonville State, scoring on three runs and throwing an 11-yard pass to running back Anthony Tyus III. — Mark Schlabach
Takeaway: Sam Houston captured its first bowl victory as an FBS team. The Bearkats nabbed three first-half interceptions that they turned into 14 points. QB Hunter Watson had 14 straight completions at one point in the first half, tying the New Orleans Bowl record previously set by Louisiana’s Terrance Broadway in 2014. Sam Houston’s defense and special teams continued to overwhelm Georgia Southern in the second half, intercepting JC French a fourth time and forcing a fumble on a punt return. The Bearkats put the finishing touches on what would become a 10-3 season with a strong defensive performance against one of the better teams in the Sun Belt this season.
MVP: Sam Houston DB Jaylon Jimmerson had his first and second interceptions with the Bearkats in this game, and it’s part of what helped them build a 21-7 lead in the first half. He also had nine total tackles and a TFL. — Harry Lyles Jr.
Takeaway: It would have been easy for UNLV to not show up for this one. After finishing off a 10-3 season during which two of their losses came to the same team (Boise State) with the second one preventing them from making the College Football Playoff, plus watching their head coach Barry Odom take the Purdue job, not many would have blamed the Rebels for being beaten by a feisty Cal team. Instead, interim head coach Del Alexander stepped up and kept UNLV rolling as it forced two turnovers and limited the Bears to only 13 points. The Rebels had the seventh-best turnover margin in the nation this season and looked the part of a top-25 team all year long. Incoming head coach Dan Mullen will have a lot to live up to after an 11-win season and the program’s first bowl win since 2000.
0:36
UNLV executes fake punt to perfection
UNLV’s Marshall Nichols fakes a punt and shovels a pass to Greg Burrell for 52 yards vs. California.
MVP: UNLV’s Marshall Nichols punted the ball eight times Wednesday night, but he’ll be remembered for his arm after pulling off an incredible fake-punt pass play that was drawn up and executed to perfection. — Paolo Uggetti
Boca Raton Bowl: James Madison 27, Western Kentucky 17
Takeaway: Taylor Thompson hauled in the winning touchdown with superhero flair, and Khairi Manns finished off the Hilltoppers with the defensive play of the night. With the score tied in the fourth quarter, Thompson capped off JMU’s 75-yard drive by snagging a pass in the end zone over the top of Western Kentucky linebacker Terreance Ellis. After keeping his body in bounds, Thompson slapped his own helmet three times, then jumped and flashed his hands as if he were shooting Spider-Man webs. The acrobatic score gave JMU a 24-17 lead. Later in the fourth quarter, Manns ended Western Kentucky’s last chance to tie the score. He beat the blocker off the edge, swatted the ball out of the hands of quarterback Caden Veltkamp and recovered the fumble himself. The Dukes finished 9-4 including their first bowl win, an impressive accomplishment for a program that lost coach Curt Cignetti to Indiana and several key players from last season’s team.
MVP: JC Evans. According to ESPN Research, the freshman quarterback became the first FBS player since Washington’s Richard Newton (2019) to rush for a touchdown and also throw a touchdown on his only passing attempt in a bowl game. — Jake Trotter
Takeaway: A game that began with three straight drives resulting in punts turned into an offensive shootout as the Tigers and Mountaineers combined for more than 1,000 yards of total offense and 79 points.
While 10-2 Memphis looked to be in control, going up by as many as 18 in the third quarter, West Virginia scored back-to-back touchdowns to get back in it. The Tigers added another touchdown to go up five points in the fourth. That’s when the fun began. A 50-yard field goal that would have sealed the result for Memphis missed with under a minute left. Then, WVU quarterback Garrett Greene threw what looked to be a game-deciding interception, but Elijah Herring appeared to fumble the ball giving interim coach Rod Smith one last chance to give West Virginia the improbable win before the Rich Rodriguez era begins again. Not so fast. A replay review then determined Herring was sliding and thus, ruled down before the fumble, put an end to the madness and gave Memphis’ head coach Ryan Silverfield an 11-win campaign and a bath of iced coffee his players joyously dumped on him. This is what bowl season is all about!
MVP: Memphis wide receiver Demeer Blankumsee. The senior had one of the best games of the season, totaling a game-high 120 receiving yards, including an 89-yard chunk play, an 18-yard touchdown and a two-point conversion. — Paolo Uggetti
Takeaway: After picking up their first bowl win in school history a year ago, the Jaguars added No. 2 with a convincing win against Western Michigan to cap their first season under coach Major Applewhite. Early in the season, it didn’t seem like this was likely. South Alabama went 2-4 to open the season before winning four of five — with a win against Louisiana — to reach bowl eligibility.
Shortly before the game began, it was reported that South Alabama quarterback Gio Lopez would not play against Western Michigan as he continues to deal with a turf toe injury. This gave Bishop Davenport the opportunity to make his second start of the season and first since a 27-20 loss to Ohio in the second week of the season. The Jaguars got off to a slow start, falling behind 10-0, but they went on a 23-3 run to take control.
MVP: Davenport. The fill-in starter completed 15 of 24 passes for 271 yards with two scores and ran for 85 yards on 11 carries with a 50-yard touchdown run. — Kyle Bonagura
Takeaway: Things looked promising early for Jackson State despite running back and SWAC Offensive Player of the Year Irv Mulligan having just 29 yards on 13 carries (with a touchdown) in the first half, and two other touchdowns wiped off because of penalties. The Tigers took a 14-0 lead into the break, with South Carolina State unable to find a rhythm on offense. It was much of the same in the second half, as the Bulldogs came out flat, perhaps a product of rust, having not played a game since Nov. 23. Jackson State’s defense was stout throughout the game, holding South Carolina State’s offense to just 212 total yards.
Despite Chennis Berry leading South Carolina State to a Celebration Bowl appearance in his first year, replacing the legendary Buddy Pough, it was T.C. Taylor’s team that came out with more vigor in avenging its 2021 loss in this same football game to the Bulldogs. The win was also Jackson State’s first in the Cricket Celebration Bowl, after losing consecutive appearances during the Coach Prime era in 2021 and 2022.
MVP: Sophomore WR Joanes Fortilien had seven receptions for 55 yards, including two great touchdown grabs and one last catch to seal the game for Jackson State. — Harry Lyles Jr.
Previews
Buffalo
Season storyline: The Bulls rebounded nicely from a 3-9 season in 2023 under first-year coach Pete Lembo, who returned to the MAC and helped Buffalo to its highest wins total since 2019. Buffalo recorded notable MAC wins against Northern Illinois (in overtime on the road) and Toledo, and after several blowout defeats, it won its final four regular-season contests. Lembo’s team has a balanced offense that limits turnovers and a defense with some star power but some inconsistent play. The Bulls boast one of the nation’s most prolific linebacker tandems in Shaun Dolac and Red Murdock, who have combined for 302 tackles to lead the MAC, including 30.5 for loss and eight quarterback hurries.
Player to watch: Dolac. The senior linebacker won MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors after leading the FBS in total tackles with 159, while leading the conference in both tackles for loss (16.5) and interceptions (five). He also led the league in tackles last season with 147, which ranked second nationally. Dolac earned MAC defensive player of the week honors five times, a program record, and had two interceptions (including a pick-six) in a late-season win against Eastern Michigan. Liberty will need to craft its offensive game plan around identifying the 6-1, 225-pound Dolac, who is all over the field for coordinator Joe Bowen’s defense.
Liberty
Season storyline: The Flames won a team-record 13 games and reached the Fiesta Bowl in 2023, and returned star quarterback Kaidon Salter and other key pieces for coach Jamey Chadwell. But after a 5-0 start, Liberty saw its nation-leading win streak end against previously winless Kennesaw State, marking the first time in 23 years — and just the sixth time in the AP poll era — that a team 5-0 or better fell to an opponent 0-5 or worse. The Flames would drop two more games and failed to qualify for the Conference USA championship game. Led by Salter and running back Quinton Cooley, Chadwell’s offense remained solid but didn’t reach its standard productivity level.
Player to watch: Cooley. After a 1,400-yard season in 2023, Cooley continued to consistently pile up yards, even for a less-potent Liberty offense. He had eight 100-yard rushing performances and four multi-touchdown games, finishing the regular season with 1,254 yards and 13 touchdowns in 11 contests (Liberty’s game against Appalachian State was canceled). A bowling ball at 5-7 and 220 pounds, Cooley averaged at least 4.1 carries in every game and 6 yards per carry in six games. He will be a challenge for a Buffalo team that ranks 62nd nationally in defending the run. — Adam Rittenberg
ESPN BET early line: Liberty -2
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Jesse Rogers, ESPN Staff Writer
The Los Angeles Dodgers are in agreement with Korean infielder Hyeseong Kim on a three-year, $12.5 million contract, sources confirmed to ESPN on Friday.
Kim, 25, was posted by the Kiwoom Heroes on Dec. 5, marking Friday as a deadline to sign with a major league team. He’s known an an elite defender at multiple positions as he played second base, shortstop, third base and in the outfield for the Heroes over his eight-year run with the team.
His current fit with the Dodgers could be as a super utility player, depending on what other moves the team makes this winter. Kim is a career .304 hitter with 37 home runs and 211 stolen bases in 953 games while playing in the KBO. His speed alone can affect games, especially with the newer MLB rules that put an emphasis on base stealing.
The deal includes team options for 2028 and 2029, while the Dodgers also have to pay a $2.5 million release fee to Kiwoom. Per rules, the release fee is 20% of the total package.
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