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

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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.

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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