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Bowl season is in full swing, and we are breaking down all of it.

Below you’ll find takeaways from every contest as well as game MVPs and the incredible plays and increasingly bizarre celebrations from each game.

At the end of each day, we’ll crown the current MVP of bowl season. Ohio freshman running back Rickey Hunt set the bar pretty high with five touchdowns in the Myrtle Beach Bowl to open bowl season, but after a 22-game reign, we have a new king of the hill. In his first career start, USC quarterback Miller Moss threw for six touchdowns and 372 yards in a 42-28 win over Louisville in the DirecTV Holiday Bowl. Caleb who?

Full schedule | Results

Wednesday, Dec. 27

TaxAct Texas Bowl: No. 20 Oklahoma State 31, Texas A&M 23

The TaxAct Texas Bowl was the best of times, and it was the worst of times.

Oklahoma State finished off its second 10-win season since 2017 and Alan Bowman became the first Cowboys player to throw for more than 400 yards in school history.

In the process, OSU finished off a miserable season for Texas A&M that saw Jimbo Fisher get fired to go with a small exodus to the transfer portal and among the coaching staff. Quarterback Jaylen Henderson, who began the season as the third-stringer got the start — then left the game with an injury on the very first play and did not return, giving way to a true freshman, Marcel Reed.

Bowman and his receivers kept the young Aggies secondary guessing all game, with Brennan Presley (16 catches, 152 yards) and Rashod Owens (10 for 164 and 2 TDs) becoming the first teammates with 10 or more catches and 150 or more yards in a bowl since at least 1996. But that didn’t mean Ollie Gordon, the nation’s leading rusher, didn’t get his too. He finished with 27 carries for 118 yards and a touchdown.

There was a feel-good moment in the second quarter when Gunnar Gundy, the son of OSU coach Mike Gundy, who is in the transfer portal in search of more playing time, had a 10-yard touchdown run in what could be the last game he plays for his dad. The elder Gundy improved to 12-6 in bowl games, tying Lou Holtz, Urban Meyer and Tom Osborne for the sixth-most bowl wins all time. — Dave Wilson

MVP: We’ll split honors between Presley and Owens, who combined to catch 316 of Bowman’s 402 passing yards.

Over three seasons at USC, backup quarterback Miller Moss had thrown only 59 passes for 301 yards and one touchdown. But Wednesday night in San Diego, with Caleb Williams sitting out the DirecTV Holiday Bowl, Moss finally got his big moment and made the most of it. In a 42-28 win over Louisville, Moss threw for 372 yards and six touchdowns on 33 pass attempts, with only one major mistake — an end zone interception — in what otherwise was a dream night for the Trojans’ longtime backup.

Down several players at multiple positions, USC put together one of its complete performances of the season and gave Lincoln Riley and the program a much-needed win as it heads into an all-important offseason following a disappointing 7-5 regular season. In their bowl game last year, the Trojans followed up an impressive 11-1 year with a letdown loss to Tulane in the Cotton Bowl. That foreshadowed some of their struggles this past season, and USC can only hope that this year’s victory over the Cardinals can set the tone for next year.

Williams’ expected departure to the NFL will leave a void that USC is expected to fill with one, if not two, transfer quarterbacks, but after a breakout performance from Moss at the Holiday Bowl, USC’s 2024 season could feature a fierce quarterback competition as the Trojans try to bounce back. — Paolo Uggetti

MVP: Moss, whose six touchdown passes not only were a Holiday Bowl record but the most ever by a USC quarterback in his first start and the most for the Trojans in any bowl game.

Duke’s Mayo Bowl: West Virginia 30, North Carolina 10

When the Big 12 unveiled its preseason media poll and slotted West Virginia to finish dead last, coach Neal Brown didn’t hold back.

“It really kind of pissed me off because I really think it’s kind of lazy reporting in some senses,” Brown told ESPN at Big 12 media days in July. “We won’t finish where we’re predicted to finish.”

Brown finished the season Wednesday night doused in mayonnaise, a redemptive reward for a coach who came into the fall feeling some job pressure but left with the highest wins total (nine) in his WVU tenure. Already having invalidated the Big 12’s preseason outlook by tying for fourth in the league, West Virginia thumped North Carolina 30-10 in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. The Mountaineers eclipsed eight wins for just the second time since 2011, when they ended a stretch of seven consecutive seasons with nine or more victories.

The Mountaineers excelled in all three phases. They had a 75-yard touchdown pass from Garrett Greene to freshman Traylon Ray on the game’s first play. They recorded two interceptions deep in their own territory, including an insane one-handed pick by junior Tyrin Bradley early in the third quarter, and hounded UNC ball-carriers for six sacks and 10 tackles for loss. They had a 78-yard punt return touchdown by star defensive back Beanie Bishop Jr., and added three Michael Hayes field goals, the last after successfully executing a fake field goal despite a 17-point lead.

North Carolina got an extended look at freshman quarterback Conner Harrell after Drake Maye opted out, and ran the ball decently with Omarion Hampton and others. But the Tar Heels fell well short of expectations, dropping five of their final seven games. — Adam Rittenberg

MVP: Greene, who showed his versatility with 292 total yards (228 passing, a team-high 64 rushing).

Honorable mention: The mayo dumpers!

Virginia Tech was sitting at 1-3 heading into the final Saturday of September earlier this season, and the Hokies’ only win during that stretch was over Old Dominion. It would have been difficult at that point to find anybody in Hokie Nation thinking about the postseason.

But the Hokies, in Brent Pry’s second season, showed their mettle the second half of the season in winning four of their last six games to make a bowl game. It was a similar story Wednesday in the Military Bowl, as Virginia Tech dominated the second half in a 41-20 victory over Tulane in a driving rainstorm. There were nine loose balls in the game, and Virginia Tech came up with three turnovers. But the story of the game was the one-two punch of quarterback Kyron Drones and running back Bhayshul Tuten on the ground. The Tulane defense couldn’t tackle them, as they combined for 312 rushing yards.

The pressure was on Virginia Tech going into the game. Tulane, which won 11 games, was gutted with head coach Willie Fritz leaving to take the Houston job. Quarterback Michael Pratt, the school’s all-time leading passer, opted out to prepare for the NFL draft along with four other starters, and top receiver Chris Brazzell II entered the transfer portal. One of Tulane’s two touchdowns was a fumble return for a touchdown in the game’s first three minutes. After that, Virginia Tech took control of the rain-soaked game.

The win provided some much-needed momentum for Virginia Tech entering the offseason. It was the Hokies’ first winning season since 2019 and their first bowl win since 2016. — Chris Low

MVP: Drones, the Hokies’ 234-pound quarterback, bulldozed his way to a career-high 176 rushing yards and also threw a pair of touchdown passes, the last one a 10-yarder in the fourth quarter to give his team a two-touchdown lead.

Tuesday, Dec. 26

For a moment in the fourth quarter, it seemed like UNLV, which fell behind 28-7 in the second, just might have what it took to pull off a comeback. The Rebels scored a touchdown to make it 35-30 with 12:06 left and went for two to pull within a field goal. Optimism was warranted. Then the ball was snapped — and fumbled. Not much went UNLV’s way the rest of the game.

Kansas scored on touchdown drives of two (61 yards) and three plays (46 yards) on its next two possessions, putting the game away en route to a 49-36 win. Kansas’ nine wins are the most wins the Jayhawks have had since 2007 (12) and third most in more than 50 years.

UNLV’s unwillingness to go quietly meant Jayhawks quarterback Jason Bean got to keep slinging it. Bean finished with six touchdowns passes, which doubles as a Kansas and Big 12 bowl record. He shook off three interceptions and threw for a career-high 449 yards.

It was an entertaining way to cap a resurgent year for both programs. UNLV’s 22-year streak of losing seasons ended, while Kansas had gone 14 seasons without a winning record. — Kyle Bonagura

MVP: Bean finished with 449 passing yards and six touchdown passes, which were split almost evenly between Luke Grimm (4 catches, 160 yards, 3 touchdowns) and Lawrence Arnold (6 catches, 132 yards, 3 touchdowns).

Texas State’s defense came up big with five interceptions in its 45-21 win over Rice, two of which were pick-sixes by linebacker Brian Holloway. Rice quarterback AJ Padgett threw three interceptions, and Shawqi Itraish threw another two in the loss.

The two teams combined for 45 points in a 24-21 first half. Texas State then scored 21 points in the second half to pull away and win big.

It was a game of mistakes for Rice with the five interceptions and a fumbled kick return that led to a turnover. The Rice offense had just 112 passing yards and 85 rushing yards. Texas State made few errors and got a ton of help from the run game and star running back Ismail Mahdi, who had 122 yards on the ground.

Jahmyl Jeter had only eight carries for 36 yards, but he had three of Texas State’s four offensive touchdowns. The Bobcats’ win was an impressive way to finish their 8-5 season. — Tom VanHaaren

MVP: Holloway. The senior recorded two pick-sixes against Rice in an outstanding performance for the Bobcats as he became the first FBS player with multiple pick-sixes in a bowl game over the past 10 seasons.

Big Man TD!: Texas State offensive lineman Nash Jones scored a touchdown for the first time this season, and we can’t get enough of big guy TDs.

Quick Lane Bowl: Minnesota 30, Bowling Green 24

The game was tight through the first half with Minnesota holding a 10-9 lead. The Gophers scored 21 points after halftime to take a convincing lead, but Bowling Green scored late in the fourth to pull within six points.

The Gophers won 30-24 to go 6-7 on the season. With Athan Kaliakmanis in the transfer portal, Cole Kramer started at quarterback for Minnesota and completed 8 of 16 passes for only 26 yards but had two passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown.

Running back Darius Taylor led the Minnesota offense with 208 rushing yards and one touchdown. The Gophers’ defense was able to limit Bowling Green to 82 yards rushing and 221 yards through the air to finish the season on the right foot. — Tom VanHaaren

MVP: Taylor. He made play after play with 35 carries for 208 yards.

Saturday, Dec. 23

Northwestern completed a remarkable season with a win over a tough Utah team, beating the Utes 14-7 to finish 8-5 under first-year head coach David Braun.

It’s one thing to win a bowl game after going 4-20 the previous two seasons, but it’s another behind the story of Braun, who came to Evanston this offseason from North Dakota State to serve as defensive coordinator and was thrust into the head coaching gig after a hazing scandal ended the 17-year tenure of Pat Fitzgerald.

The Wildcats’ hero in this game was another newcomer: Ben Bryant, a castoff from Cincinnati who transferred to Northwestern after the Bearcats’ coaching change, and went 23 of 34 for 222 yards and two touchdowns despite taking punishment from the Utes all evening.

The Wildcats’ defense allowed just 73 passing yards to the Utes, 211 total yards and had five sacks while allowing just 3.2 yards per play. They held Utah scoreless on its first 10 drives of the game, the longest streak to start a game for the Utes in the past 10 seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Utah’s Bryson Barnes, the walk-on who famously was a pig farmer growing up and became a cult hero this year, couldn’t find a rhythm, going 8 of 13 for 55 yards and two touchdowns as the Utes finished 8-5. — Dave Wilson

MVP: Quarterback Ben Bryant, Northwestern. Bryant threw for 222 yards and both Northwestern scores.

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Coastal Carolina WR makes spectacular one-handed TD grab

Coastal Carolina QB Ethan Vasko lobs the ball into the end zone, where Sam Pinckney hauls in the touchdown with one hand.

After gaining a commanding 17-0 lead in the third quarter, Coastal Carolina nearly allowed San Jose State to leave the island with a comeback victory. Led by quarterback Chevan Cordeiro with 274 all-purpose yards, the Spartans mounted a rally, scoring 14 unanswered points to make it a three-point game with 8:30 to play. But the Chanticleers responded with a 10-play, 75-yard drive that ate up nearly six minutes off the clock and was punctuated by perhaps the best play of bowl season so far. Facing a third down in the red zone, CCU quarterback Ethan Vasko dropped back and slung the ball toward the right corner of the end zone. There, a tightly covered Sam Pinckney rose up and snagged the ball out of the air with one hand. The touchdown, Vasko’s third scoring strike of the night, not only became an instant highlight, it secured the bowl win for the Chanticleers, who finished their 8-5 season on a high note. — Paolo Uggetti

MVP: Wide receiver Sam Pinckney, Coastal Carolina. Pinckney had eight catches for 123 yards and a one-handed touchdown late in the fourth quarter to seal the Chanticleers’ victory.

68 Ventures Bowl: South Alabama 59, Eastern Michigan 10

South Alabama, which began playing football in 2009, had never won a bowl game. But the Jaguars broke through in a big way, crushing Eastern Michigan 59-10, an exclamation point on coach Kane Wommack’s building project in his third year at the helm in Mobile.

South Alabama’s 7-6 season included a 33-7 win over Oklahoma State in Stillwater and ended the second winning season in program history since they became members of an FBS conference in 2012, behind last year’s historic 10-2 run. The 59 points were the most scored by the Jaguars. The 49-point margin of victory tied for seventh all time among bowl season blowouts.

The Jaguars didn’t allow a passing yard in the first quarter, allowed just one first down in the first half, and outgained Eastern Michigan, 627 yards to 150. The Jaguars passed for 307 (Gio Lopez went 14 of 19 for 192 yards with three touchdowns) and rushed for 320 (Lopez led all rushers with 88 yards and a touchdown on just seven carries).

The loss dropped Eastern Michigan to a 6-7 finish a season after going 9-4 with just the second bowl win in school history and first since 1987. — Wilson

MVP: The defense, South Alabama. The Jaguars didn’t allow a passing yard and held Eastern Michigan to one first down in the first half and 150 total yards.

After ending the regular season with a four-game slide, Air Force finished strong by beating a JMU team that ranked 24th in the AP Poll.

The Dukes came into their bowl game without head coach Curt Cignetti, who left to head the program at Indiana. A number of injured and transferring defensive starters also made this a shorthanded JMU squad. Air Force (which had transfer departures of its own) took full advantage and showed why they won eight consecutive games to start the season.

Air Force quarterback Zac Larrier, who struggled with injury issues throughout the season and hadn’t played since Nov. 11 against Hawaii, made his return for the Falcons and completed three of five passes for 45 yards and a touchdown, while adding 26 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Despite just 45 passing yards on the afternoon, Air Force outgained JMU on offense 396 to 283.

James Madison was missing a number of players, but they did have their star quarterback Jordan McCloud, who finished the game 20-of-33 for 257 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.

Troy Calhoun’s team has now won three consecutive bowl games, with seven total victories in his tenure, dating back to 2007. — Harry Lyles Jr.

MVP: Running back Emmanuel Michel, Air Force. In a game where the Falcons struggled through the air, Michel ran for 203 yards and two touchdowns.

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Georgia State coach gets french fry bath for Famous Idaho Potato Bowl win

Shawn Elliott gets a french fry bath dumped on him as Georgia State wins the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

Georgia State knocked off Utah State to earn the fourth bowl victory in school history.

Shawn Elliott’s team came out fast in the first half, highlighted by the ground game. Freddie Brock — playing in place of Marcus Carroll who transferred to Mizzou — had 141 yards rushing in the first half alone. Quarterback Darren Grainger added 99 yards and two touchdowns on the ground (and two more in the air) in the half as well, giving the Panthers a 31-14 lead.

Georgia State wouldn’t let Utah State back into the game in the second half. Grainger added another touchdown pass to Cadarrius Thompson in the third quarter to extend the lead to 38-14. Brock added a fourth-quarter touchdown to make it 45-14 and complete his afternoon. He finished with 276 yards on 24 carries after having just six carries for 31 yards coming into the game. Grainger finished the game 19-of-22 for 257 yards and five total touchdowns.

For Utah State, quarterback Levi Williams finished 12-of-21 for 131 yards with one touchdown and one interception. McCae Hillstead also completed 7 of 11 passes for 57 yards and a touchdown. — Lyles

MVP: Running back Freddie Brock, Georgia State. Not only did Brock set the school record for most rushing yards in a game, but he ran for 276 yards after getting just six carries for 31 yards all season.

Camellia Bowl: Northern Illinois 21, Arkansas State 19

The Camellia Bowl got off to a quicker start than the Birmingham Bowl, the other game in the early Saturday window. Nearly all of the game’s scoring took place in the first half, and the game’s first punt didn’t come until there was just over a minute remaining in the second quarter. NIU led 21-13 at halftime and then maintained that lead for much of the second half — seven of the first eight drives after halftime ended in punts.

Arkansas State made a push in the last two minutes of the game, scoring a touchdown to make it 21-19 with 1 minute 14 seconds left after Jaylen Raynor connected with Corey Rucker for a 13-yard touchdown. But the Red Wolves failed to convert on the two-point attempt and were forced to line up for an onside kick, which they recovered. A flag was thrown for an offsides penalty, even though replay did not clearly show any of the Arkansas State players lined up past the 35-yard line. Arkansas State head coach Butch Jones was livid.

But that call effectively iced the game. On the re-kick, Northern Illinois recovered and subsequently ran out the clock. — Lyles

MVP: Running back Antario Brown, Northern Illinois. Brown ran for 132 yards on 25 carries.

Duke got the best of Troy in a matchup of two teams being led by interim coaches. Troy’s Jon Sumrall and Duke’s Mike Elko left for Tulane and Texas A&M, respectively, after the regular season.

Duke running back Jaylen Coleman got the game going after the two teams traded off the first five drives scoreless, punching in a 1-yard run to cap off a drive that went for seven plays and 64 yards.

After a string of punts, field goals, and turnovers on downs, Troy’s Damaje Yancey gave the game a second wind in the fourth quarter with the Trojans down 17-3, intercepting Grayson Loftis while Duke was in the red zone 13. The Troy offense then marched down the field on a 10-play, 87-yard drive –finished by a 2-yard Derrick Graham touchdown run — to make it a 17-10 game.

Troy had 14 comeback wins going back to last season, but they didn’t have one more left in them. After stopping Duke and getting the ball back with just under two minutes left, Troy quarterback Gunnar Watson threw an interception to Jeremiah Lewis to seal the win for the Blue Devils.

The win gave Duke bowl victories in consecutive years for the first time since the 2017 and 2018 seasons. They’ll enter a new era under Manny Diaz on a positive note. — Lyles

MVP: Running back Jaquez Moore, Duke. Moore ran for 73 yards on 14 carries.

Friday, Dec. 22

In the run-up to the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl, Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key insisted this was simply an ending to the 2023 season, a way to send out his seniors on a high note and ensure the Yellow Jackets their first winning record since 2018. All of that, of course, was true. But given the number of players returning for the Jackets — just two in the portal so far, and no opt-outs for the bowl — it’s also easy to see how Georgia Tech’s 30-17 win over UCF on Friday could be a harbinger for things to come, too.

Haynes King combined for 176 yards of offense and two touchdowns. Jamal Hayes had 128 yards on 18 carries. Malik Rutherford’s 41-yard touchdown grab was one of the game’s highlights. And the Jackets’ D held UCF without a rushing touchdown, something Key’s team had done to just one other opponent all season. Add in the fact that Tech erased a 10-0 first-quarter deficit in the process, and there was much to like — and most of it back for 2024.

For UCF, the game was a bitter ending to a mixed season — the Knights’ first in a Power Five league. Wins over Boise State and Oklahoma State showed the promise of this team, but a five-game losing streak in the middle of the season — including a one-point loss to Baylor and a two-point loss to Oklahoma — scuttled any hopes of an explosive Big 12 debut. RJ Harvey (15 carries, 120 yards) and Javon Baker (nine catches, 173 yards and a touchdown) do offer a foundation for UCF’s 2024 though. — David Hale

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

Thursday, Dec. 21

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dec. 19

The pregame news that UTSA’s record-setting quarterback Frank Harris would sit out because of a shoulder injury — ending a transcendent seven-year career that included 11,858 passing yards and 92 touchdowns — momentarily put a damper on the matchup. After Marshall intercepted UTSA backup quarterback Owen McCown on two of UTSA’s first four drives and stormed out to a 14-0 lead, a blowout seemed possible.

But McCown and the Roadrunners stormed back, scoring touchdowns on three consecutive drives against a veteran Marshall defense with star power. In a matchup pitting two backup quarterbacks whose fathers played QB in the NFL — Owen is the son of Josh McCown, while Marshall’s Cole Pennington is the son of former Thundering Herd great Chad Pennington — UTSA pulled away in the second half to record the first bowl win in team history. The Roadrunners outscored Marshall 35-3 in the final 41:26 as McCown had 251 passing yards and two scores, and a ferocious defense swarmed the backfield. Marshall’s second half was both bad and bizarre, as the Herd entered UTSA territory three times without scoring, and star running back Rasheen Ali (92 first-half rushing yards) sat out because of a coach’s decision to preserve his health. — Adam Rittenberg

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

Dec. 18

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

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

The Hilltoppers started redshirt freshman Turner Helton, WKU coach Tyson Helton’s nephew (and son of Georgia Southern coach Clay Helton) but he was benched in the first quarter after losing a fumble and throwing an interception. In came Caden Veltkamp, who had made one appearance all season, going 1 of 2 for 4 yards against FIU. Against ODU, Veltkamp went 40 of 52 for 383 yards with five touchdowns to one interception.

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

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

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

Dec. 16

Ohio secured consecutive 10-win seasons for the first time in program history and extended its bowl game winning streak to five behind a stifling first-half defensive effort against Georgia Southern. The Bobcats (10-3) intercepted quarterback Davis Brin three times (twice in the first half) from the safety position — by sixth-year senior Jeremiah Wood, sophomore Adonis Williams Jr. and sixth-year senior Walter Reynolds. The Eagles (6-7) were held to 35 total yards in the first half, turning the ball over three times as the Bobcats jumped out to a 20-0 advantage. Ohio freshman running back Rickey Hunt broke out by registering 133 total yards (115 rushing) and five total touchdowns (four on the ground).

Hunt tied the NCAA bowl record for touchdowns from scrimmage as the 12th player in history with five and established a new Bobcats bowl game record. Ohio fifth-year senior quarterback Parker Navarro, taking over the reins of the offense after Kurtis Rourke entered the transfer portal, managed the game effectively, despite the team being outgained 383-352 in total yards. Navarro completed 11 of 16 passes for 120 yards and threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Hunt. — Blake Baumgartner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Gronk sings special rendition of national anthem for the LA Bowl

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

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

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

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

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

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Things got ‘awkward’: Jim Knowles opens up about move from Ohio State to Penn State

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May 6, 2025

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Things got 'awkward': Jim Knowles opens up about move from Ohio State to Penn State

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — On Jan. 22, two days after the 2024 season had officially ended with Ohio State beating Notre Dame to win the College Football Playoff national championship, Penn State coach James Franklin was in Philadelphia recruiting. His cellphone rang.

It was 5:06 a.m. Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles was calling about Penn State’s open DC job.

“To be honest with you,” Franklin said, “I didn’t know how serious it was, but it went pretty quickly from that point on.”

Franklin hasn’t claimed many wins over Ohio State, a program that is 12-1 against the Nittany Lions since 2012, but luring Knowles away from Columbus — not to mention a handful of other blue-blooded programs — was a big one.

Knowles, 60, is widely regarded as one of the top defensive coordinators in the country. His defense at Ohio State last year ranked No. 1 in points allowed per game (12.9), yards allowed per game (255), yards allowed per play (4.2) and red zone touchdown percentage (42%). Which is why his move is one of the most stunning of the offseason. The veteran coordinator who had just won a national title at one of the nation’s wealthiest and most storied programs is moving to a rival Big Ten school.

“First thing I thought was, ‘How did we get him?'” Penn State defensive tackle Zane Durant said.

Knowles, in a recent interview in his new office, was candid about why he left Ohio State, and told ESPN it boiled down to the timing of Ohio State’s contract extension offer. He was hoping to get a deal done before the Buckeyes went to the national championship game. Had Ohio State offered him one before they faced Notre Dame, Knowles said he “would not have explored or considered other options.”

“I did not want to put anyone, including myself, in a position to have to deal with it immediately following the national championship game,” he said. “And that’s the way it happened.”

It created a situation, he said, that eventually turned “awkward.”

“Season’s over, everything coming to a head again quickly,” Knowles said. “Ohio State hasn’t come forward with a deal, and it’s like, OK, if I’m going to act on this or at least explore it, I have got to make the call.”

ON JAN. 26, the Ohio State Buckeyes and about 30,000 fans celebrated the first team in the sport’s history to win four straight playoff games, culminating in a championship following the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.

What created a stir, though, was who wasn’t in Ohio Stadium.

“I was asked not to go to the parade, and I respect that,” Knowles told ESPN during an April interview in his office at Penn State’s Lasch Football Building. “I’m not trying to be a secretive guy. Here’s this offer, there were a couple others that were every bit as much money, and then there was Ohio State’s offer, which was still great money, but not as much, so then you have to sit with it.”

Penn State offered Knowles a $3.1 million annual salary that would make him the highest-paid defensive coordinator in college football. He’s also from Philadelphia, where he went to St. Joe’s Prep, and grew up a Penn State fan forced to watch the Sunday recap show with George Paterno because he couldn’t find the games on any of the three channels he got at home. Knowles also had known Franklin for years and spoken to him about the job before. Knowles flew to Oklahoma to see his fiancée for a few days and consider his options.

“Maybe I’ll take less because Ohio State’s a great place,” he said, “but then they asked me not to come to the parade. So then you’re like, ‘OK, honestly, the writing is on the wall.’ Now it becomes something. It’s always something on the outside world, but now it’s become something here, too. I hadn’t made any decisions, but you just kind of feel like — I wouldn’t say I’m not wanted here — but you just feel like, OK, now it’s gotten awkward.”

Meanwhile, at the national championship celebration, Ohio State coach Ryan Day was at the podium praising Knowles as “the defensive coordinator of the best defense in the country that was completely dominant in the playoff.”

Day declined comment for this story.

Knowles said a new deal at Ohio State was “really under question” in the days leading up to the national championship game, but nobody ever said his contract wouldn’t be extended. It just hadn’t happened as early as Knowles would have preferred.

“Ohio State didn’t want to do it,” he said. “And so then all of a sudden it becomes a rush at that point because people are trying to make decisions on other jobs. They want to know whether you’re interested or not.”

When asked about Knowles’ contract situation, Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork declined comment.

Franklin said Penn State was already “pretty far along” in its search to replace former defensive coordinator Tom Allen, who left to take the same job at Clemson. Franklin had been considering a group of candidates that included some NFL assistants, college coordinators and a few head coaches that had been out of work.

And then Knowles entered the mix.

“But then, Ohio State’s trying to keep him,” Franklin said. “We’re involved. Oklahoma needs a defensive coordinator. Notre Dame needs a defensive coordinator. I think what people don’t realize a lot of times — even for these head coaching positions — there’s not as many obvious candidates out there that people think. It’s a smaller list than people realize. So now you’ve got four or five football powers all fighting over one guy at the end of the cycle.”

Franklin called his boss, athletic director Pat Kraft, and told him the price to hire Knowles.

“In years past, we wouldn’t have been able to do that,” Franklin said.

The difference?

“Pat and the president,” he said. “Not lip service to say we’re trying to win at the highest level.”

Knowles said the 2024 season at Ohio State was the toughest environment he had ever been a part of — there was “finger-pointing” at the defense after the 32-31 Oct. 12 loss at Oregon, and it was grueling piecing the team back together after its fourth straight loss to rival Michigan in November — but that’s not why he left.

“I don’t think it did,” Knowles said, referring to the pressure of coaching at Ohio State and if that affected his decision. “I mean, if I’m honest with myself, I don’t think it did. You become accustomed to it. It didn’t keep me up nights or anything like that. I’m up nights trying to get it right. But I did that when I coached at Cornell or Western Michigan. I was the same way. You grind over those details for the players because you don’t ever want to put them in a bad position or not have coached them something. You just become accustomed to the environment.”

When Knowles was first hired at Ohio State, he said former friends and teammates who were in the Columbus area tried to warn him “this is an incredibly difficult and highly scrutinized place to coach,” he said. “Fans are tough.

“I kind of blew it off,” Knowles said. “I’m like, ‘I grew up in Philly. I’ve been around Eagles fans. We threw snowballs at Santa Claus.’ But yeah, when you’re in, it’s really tough.”

“It’s real,” he said. “Anybody who works there will — if they’re being honest — will tell you that it’s real. It’s almost like a badge of honor there. It’s like, ‘Oh yeah, well this is Ohio State. This is what you have to expect. This is just the way it is here.’ If you give up a touchdown but you win 63-7, somebody somewhere is going to have something to say about it.”

FRANKLIN SAID HE planned to take one full day this spring to watch the Nittany Lions’ past two games against Ohio State and go through Knowles’ scouting reports in detail. In 2023, Penn State lost 20-12 to Ohio State in Columbus after Knowles’ defense held the Nittany Lions to one touchdown. Last year, Penn State lost 20-13 to Ohio State, dropping Franklin’s record to 1-10 against the Buckeyes.

“We’ll as a staff dig into that deeply and spend a day grinding through it and hearing the tough feedback and asking tough questions,” Franklin said. “That’ll be really valuable.”

As Ohio State’s defensive coordinator, Knowles studied Penn State quarterback Drew Allar probably as much as anyone, and he has already shared his scouting report. Allar called it “eye-opening.”

The report included what Ohio State thought of Allar athletically, how he went through his progressions, and the tendencies he showed on film. Much of it was what his own Penn State coaches had already told him, but hearing it from a former opponent drilled it in.

“Knowing that other opponents saw it on film means it’s true, I have to get better in those areas,” Allar said. “And there were a couple unique things, like deep balls in general — I put a lot of air on balls down the field and I thought that was kind of unique. I never really heard that before and I thought that was a good perspective shift for me. There’s time to let the receivers run under the ball, but there’s times when you have to put it on them right away.”

Franklin said the players — and the staff — need “thick enough skin” to hear the feedback and “not be sensitive.” He’s looking for Knowles to educate the team on who Ohio State was concerned about when it played Penn State — and who the Buckeyes weren’t concerned about. What things did the Nittany Lions do well? Did they have any tendencies or indicators that were giving away pass or run plays?

In addition to sharing Ohio State’s perspective, Franklin said he asked Knowles to do an “honest evaluation” of the Nittany Lions’ offense following spring football practices — and he asked the same of offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki to provide a report on what he saw from Knowles’ defense.

“There’s some sensitivity to how you deliver that message because you’re peers and you’re working together,” Franklin said. “Whereas when he was the defensive coordinator at Ohio State, there was no sensitivity to it. This is how we see it — black and white. We’re not worried about anybody’s feelings. So to get that report, yeah, I think is powerful.”

Knowles downplayed any notion that his insider tips might make the difference in winning at Ohio State on Nov. 1.

“I don’t know about that,” he said. “There’s so much more to do to get ready.”

At the very least, Kotelnicki said Knowles has everyone’s attention because “he’s been there.”

“This is what we have to do,” Kotelnicki said. “Why? Because if we don’t, it’s going to cost you a game. And so yeah, you hope that his perspective in that area is the difference — or is part of the difference.”

PENN STATE OPENS the season with four straight home games — none bigger than Sept. 27 against Oregon, the first indicator of how seriously to take the Nittany Lions in the Big Ten and CFP races. Oregon was the only team able to score more than 17 points on Knowles’ Ohio State defense last fall.

Knowles said he never personally received any death threats following the loss to Michigan — as Day’s family did — and it was more difficult to go to work following the loss at Oregon because he felt “like I had let a lot of people down because defensively, we struggled.”

It was a different story in the CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl, when Ohio State trounced the Ducks 41-21 on New Year’s Day.

Without quarterback Dillon Gabriel, and ranking No. 109th in the country in returning production (43%) according to ESPN’s Bill Connelly, Oregon looks vastly different than it did a year ago. Knowles, though, is still running the same defense at Penn State and again has NFL talent to execute it.

“They’ve consistently been very good,” Knowles said of the Nittany Lions’ defense. “I’m able to blend more concepts than just throw everything out and start over. I’ve been real mindful of that process. If I can create things that are similar to what they’ve done here, that’s what I’ve done — tried to err on the side of similar terminology. When you come into a defense that’s been pretty good, there’s a culture here. And I feel like coach Franklin has built that.

“You definitely see a real defensive mentality in the whole thing,” he said. “And so I thought, well, maybe I can be of service. You get to my age, and you’re like, ‘Where can I help the most? How can I add value?’ and just be a part of something that’s bigger than myself. When you’re in this business, sometimes you see situations where people get a hard time for winning 10, 11 games here. Maybe I can help.”

Franklin has won 80.2% of his games (97-24) against opponents not named Ohio State, Michigan and Oregon. He’s 4-18 against that trio. The Nittany Lions avoid Michigan for a second straight season but travel to Ohio State on Nov. 1 — where they haven’t won in six straight tries.

“Every year, it’s one or two games,” senior defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton said. “Everybody knows the biggest teams. If we get over that hump as far as beating the big teams, then I think we’ll be where we want to be. For the past however many years, Penn State has always had a dominant defense — hard-nosed, blue-collar defense — but the last part is just coming up big in those big-time games and big-time moments.”

Dennis-Sutton is facing the lofty expectations of helping replace the production from former defensive end Abdul Carter, who was drafted by the New York Giants. Dennis-Sutton had 13 tackles for loss last year and 8.5 sacks playing opposite Carter.

To better understand Knowles’ defense, the Nittany Lions watched film of Ohio State’s defense. Senior defensive tackle Zane Durant said they watched a lot of the national title game against Notre Dame, and the win against Tennessee, plus some regular-season games to study “basic concepts early in the season.”

“It’s unique,” Durant said. “I’m learning a lot of stuff through coach Knowles. He’s a pro-style type of defense. I feel like this is beneficial for me, for my future and things like that and learning the game a lot more. He’s breaking it down in the details and depth, why we’re doing things, and kind of just giving us a bigger picture to why we do it, so it can help you retain the information more.”

Knowles is Penn State’s third defensive coordinator in as many seasons, but Knowles said he wouldn’t have joined a program he didn’t believe could contend for a national title. Unlike defenses he has been hired to resurrect in the past (see: Oklahoma State), Penn State’s defense isn’t broken.

“We’ve played them three years and the games have always been close,” Knowles said. “You see the investment financially. I noticed, like we had at Ohio State last year, you see guys coming back that could have moved on. I think that’s a very telling example of the health of the program.”

Dennis-Sutton is one of them.

He said Knowles’ defense has “so many different intricacies” in one play and it hasn’t been easy to learn.

“But once you learn it, you’re like, ‘Oh, OK, I see why he was the No. 1 defense,'” Dennis-Sutton said. “Because he has an answer for everything.”

The question will be if he has one for Ohio State.

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Lessons of the Stanley Cup playoffs: Will the high scoring continue? Ewing Theory in Dallas, Winnipeg?

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May 6, 2025

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Lessons of the Stanley Cup playoffs: Will the high scoring continue? Ewing Theory in Dallas, Winnipeg?

  • Greg WyshynskiMay 6, 2025, 08:00 AM ET

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      Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.

The Stanley Cup playoffs can teach us something, whether it’s in success or in failure.

Sometimes these lessons stick. Sometimes they’re lost in time. Sometimes, by the end of the postseason, there are new lessons to learn.

Here are eight hard lessons from the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs through Monday night’s action.

The Leafs are Cup-worthy

Yes, I mean the Stanley Cup. Why do you ask?

Oh right, because it’s the Toronto Maple Leafs. They haven’t played for the Cup since winning it for the final time in 1967, a drought of 56 seasons. They haven’t made the conference finals since 2002. There’s a reason the Stanley Cup is safe inside the Hockey Hall of Fame: There’s no chance of anyone in Toronto ever lifting it.

Every Maple Leafs postseason team drags a half-century of dashed expectations and self-inflicted despair like an anchor. Their most arduous opponent continues to be themselves, when they allow seeds of doubt to blossom into a funeral arrangement for their Stanley Cup aspirations.

So what do we make of a Toronto team that doesn’t allow those seeds to take root? Because this one hasn’t. This one has five wins in seven games over two rounds. This one has members of the Core Five — the Core Four of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares, plus Matthew Knies, as ESPN’s P.K. Subban christened them — making clutch plays in big spots. More than anything, this one has the psychological stylings of Craig Berube, and now has proof of concept.

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William Nylander scores 33 seconds into game for Toronto

William Nylander scores less than a minute into Game 1 to give the Leafs an immediate lead over the Panthers.

When the St. Louis Blues won the Stanley Cup with Berube as coach in 2019, they might have been one of the mentally toughest teams to even hoist it. From being last in the NHL on Jan. 2 to the way they moved past calamity and controversies on the way to the championship, the Blues simply moved on in every sense of the phrase.

As assistant coach Larry Robinson put it in 2019: “We’ve been counted out at times all year in certain situations, and every time we were counted out, we came back. We had calls go against us in this series and other series. Most teams might have panicked and did something stupid. But they showed a lot of will and a lot of heart.”

When Berube was hired by Toronto, part of the pitch was that he could bring that stoic postseason focus to a franchise that only knew panic and “doing something stupid.” The theory was tested in the first round and the center held: The old Leafs would have panicked after losing Game 5 at home, dropped Game 6 in Ottawa and then lost back in Toronto for maximum fan anguish. Instead, they won Game 6 convincingly, and the Battle of Ontario was over.

In Game 1 of the second round against Florida, they jumped to a 2-0 lead and then a 4-1 lead, saw Anthony Stolarz leave with an upper-body injury and watched the Panthers rally … only to hold them off for the win.

Maybe this version is built differently. Maybe the harsh education of playoff failures has taught the Core Five how to win. Maybe they have the right coach to reinforce those lessons and block out the noise when adversity hits.

Maybe the Toronto Maple Leafs are Cup-worthy.

Or maybe I will regret this declaration by Game 6 of this series against Florida.

Maybe the playoffs are just high-scoring from now on?

When you think of a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup playoffs, what score do you imagine? Something tightly played with few scoring chances? Where the goalies are the true last lines of defense in a 2-1 nail-biter, in a game in which power plays will be handed out only for an obvious procedural faux pas (puck over the glass, too many men on the ice) or attempted murder?

Yet Game 7 between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche was a 4-2 game. And Game 7 between the Jets and Blues was a 4-3 game, despite advancing to two overtimes.

That’s part of a larger playoff trend. Through 47 first-round games, there were 307 goals scored for a 6.53 goals-per-game average. If that average held over the next three rounds, the 2024-25 postseason would be the highest scoring playoff since the 1992-93 season (6.84 goals per game).

If the average goals per game finished above six, that would mark three of the past four postseasons in which the mark was achieved. Again, you’d have to go back to 1992-95 to find a similar multiyear trend. In fact, the NHL went 26 seasons between playoffs that had an average goals per game of six or more goals (1995-2022).

Scoring has been up significantly in the NHL over the past eight seasons. Even with two seasons of year-over-year decline in goals per game — we’ve gone from 6.36 goals per game in 2022-23 down to 6.08 in this regular season — the NHL has been over six goals per game in six of the past seven seasons, with a small dip for the 868-game COVID season in 2020-21 (5.87).

One recent factor: Power plays continue to cook with bacon grease. The conversion rate this season was 21.6%, the ninth best all time and the highest since 1985-86 (22.2%). The NHL has had a leaguewide power-play success rate of better than 20% in six of the past eight seasons.

The conversion rate in the first round of the playoffs was 24.9%. That’s up from 20.6% for the entirety of last year’s postseason. Again, this is a multiyear trend: After having only one Stanley Cup postseason with a power play conversion rate above 20% in a 36-season span (1983-2020), the NHL has had a conversion rate higher than 20% in five straight postseasons.

The notion that the playoffs are a completely different sport than the regular season is hard to shake. But the numbers so far indicate that the regular-season goals bonanza has, for the time being, bled over to the postseason.

All future mic-drop performances by a player against his former team will be judged against what Rantanen did to eliminate the Avalanche in the first round.

He had 11 points in the last three games of the series, two of them victories for his Stars. Martin Necas, his frugal replacement in Colorado via a trade with Carolina, had four points in that span and none in Game 7.

Rantanen is the first player in NHL history — regular season or playoffs — to record four-point periods in back-to-back games. He’s the first player with 10 or more points in Games 5-7 in a series. He’s the first player to record a hat trick in the third period of a Game 7 and the first player to record a hat trick against his former team in a Game 7.

He’s in playoff beast mode. He’s a postseason MVP for Dallas. And he’s the kind of player that, quite frankly, the Avalanche could have used in this series.

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Mikko magic! Rantanen nets hat trick in 3rd period

Mikko Rantanen leads the Stars to a comeback win in Game 7 over his former team with a hat trick in the third period.

Whether Rantanen’s agent priced him out of Colorado or the Avalanche simply made a “tough business decision” for more cap flexibility with the hope of replacing him in aggregate, it was Colorado’s decision to trade Rantanen before free agency. If they don’t ship him to Carolina, then he’s on Nathan MacKinnon‘s wing in this series. Granted, some of the other moves Colorado made to better its roster at the trade deadline don’t happen either, but Rantanen would still be in Colorado and wouldn’t have been in Dallas — and that changes everything.

The Hurricanes hopped on Rantanen when he became available in the hopes of signing him long term — which didn’t happen — but also because of his reputation as a playoff stalwart. He had 101 points in 81 career playoff games entering this postseason. That included 25 points in 20 games when the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022.

Give Carolina credit: The Hurricanes identified and acquired two clutch playoff scorers over the past two seasons that live up to the hype in Rantanen and Jake Guentzel, who was easily the best thing about the Tampa Bay Lightning in their first-round loss to Florida. It’s just that the Hurricanes couldn’t hang on to either, and in Rantanen’s case didn’t even get to see him suit up in the playoffs.

The Hockey Gods gave us Mikko Rantanen against his former teammates in Colorado in the opening round, a player getting his “revenge” on a team that moved on from him. Will they give us Mikko Rantanen against his former teammates in Carolina in the final round, with a team getting its “revenge” on a team that moved on from them?

You never know with those Hockey Gods. They’re cheeky like that.

The key to rallying in Game 7 is missing your second-leading scorer and top defenseman

Admittedly, it’s a small sample size.

But the Stars rallied from a two-goal deficit in the third period of Game 7 to eventually eliminate the Avalanche without injured Jason Robertson (80 points) and Miro Heiskanen (25:10 per game in ice time), who both sat out the series.

Then the Winnipeg Jets rallied from a two-goal deficit in the third period of Game 7 to eventually eliminate the St. Louis Blues without injured Mark Scheifele (87 points), who sat out Games 6 and 7, and Josh Morrissey (24:23 per game in ice time), who played only four shifts in the first period of Game 7 before leaving because of a shoulder injury.

Clearly, not having two of your most important players in the most critical game of the season portends good things.

OK, I understand the counterargument: Perhaps with both of those players in the lineup, there might not have been the need for a Game 7. This is a bit like the “Pete DeBoer is 9-0 in Game 7s” lesson, one that ignores that he’s also 7-15 in Game 6s and 5-7 with a chance to clinch in Game 6. It’s results over process.

But I’d counter that counter with a little Ewing Theory. That was the philosophy popularized by former ESPN Page 2 pundit Bill Simmons that the teams on which Basketball Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing played — Georgetown University and the New York Knicks — would “inexplicably play better when Ewing was either injured or missing extended stretches because of foul trouble.”

Now, Ewing Theory doesn’t apply to every situation. Witness the New Jersey Devils meekly exiting the postseason in five games against Carolina without injured Jack Hughes. But it’s not just about success or failure in a star player’s absence. It’s also an education about how individual players react in their absence. Witness Nico Hischier, who had two goals in his first 17 regular-season games and then had four goals in five playoff games without Jack Hughes (and Luke Hughes, for four games) against Carolina.

Without Heiskanen, who played the most minutes against Nathan MacKinnon‘s line back in January, the Stars relied on Cody Ceci and Esa Lindell to slow him in Game 7. MacKinnon had a goal, but that was it. Without Robertson, Mikko Rantanen stepped up with 11 points in the last three games of their series.

Without Scheifele, captain Adam Lowry skated more than 14 minutes with Kyle Connor and Alex Iafallo on the top line in Game 7, and they had a plus-21 advantage in shot attempts and combined for the double-overtime winner. Cole Perfetti scored three goals with Scheifele out, including two in Game 7.

“Him scoring in St. Louis was big. Then he gets two big ones tonight,” coach Scott Arniel said of Perfetti. “That’s the evolution you want. For a guy that doesn’t have much experience this time of year, I like his response in a heavy, heavy series.”

Without Morrissey, Winnipeg rolled with five defensemen. Neal Pionk and Dylan Samberg played more than 44 minutes each, and Haydn Fleury had the game of his life with 33:02 in ice time.

“What a yeoman’s effort by a defense. They had a different partner every shift. It was guys stepping up. That’s what we needed,” Arniel said.

Of course, getting their second-leading scorer and top defenseman back are really what they need. Maybe in Round 2 …

The fourth time actually isn’t the charm

There were reasons to expect that the Los Angeles Kings could eliminate the Edmonton Oilers in the first round, despite failing to do so for three straight postseasons.

The Oilers were wildly inconsistent defensively this season in front of the goaltending battery of “hopes” and “prayers,” and were missing key defenseman Mattias Ekholm. Edmonton’s hockey demigods Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl had both sat out games near the end of the regular season because of injury.

The Kings themselves seemed primed to shut them down, with the best regular-season goals-against average (2.48) and goaltender (Vezina Trophy finalist Darcy Kuemper) that they’ve brought to the table with the Oilers sitting across from them. The margin between these teams had been razor thin: Since 2023, 10 of the 12 playoff meetings were decided by a one-goal margin or saw the game-winning goal scored in the third period.

But the reason so many people believed the Kings would defeat Edmonton — and 16 of the 26 ESPN pundits did! — is because the fourth time had to be the charm. How could virtually the same teams play in four straight postseasons and have one team win every time?

Well, history tells us that’s how these things go, actually. Since 1968 (a.k.a. the “expansion era”), there has been only one other stretch in which the same two teams faced each other in the opening round for four straight seasons: Montreal faced Boston from 1984 to 1987 — and won every time.

But hey, fourth time’s the charm! Ask the Buffalo Bills, who played the Kansas City Chiefs four times in five postseasons and … lost every time. Now imagine that instead of one Patrick Mahomes there are two of him, and that’s what the Kings faced against the Oilers in perennial MVP candidates Draisaitl and McDavid.

It doesn’t help when, after a promising start with two wins at home, the Kings embarked on a series of self-owns punctuated by the worst coaching performance in the first round by Jim Hiller. His coach’s challenge in Game 3 handed the win to Edmonton, giving the Oilers a power play for delay of game after tying it 4-4. His decisions to sit on leads, his refusal to utilize his depth players … it was a defeatist approach against a team that preys on weakness.

But hey, given the current playoff format, there’s always next year. This time with a new general manager, as this latest playoff dud cost Rob Blake his job in L.A.

Super Mega Lines rule

The key to winning the Stanley Cup is to have contributions from throughout the lineup. Depth can be the decider between hoisting the chalice or getting crushed under the weight of playoff pressure.

All that said: It absolutely rocks when teams decide to load up with three ridiculously talented players to form a Super Mega Line.

The Vegas Golden Knights have one with Jack Eichel, Mark Stone and William Karlsson. Coach Bruce Cassidy deployed them after winger Pavel Dorofeyev missed Game 6 with an injury, sending out his trio of defensive aces to handle Kirill Kaprizov‘s line, and watched them slow down and outscore the Wild’s best offensive unit in the elimination game.

“Everyone stepped up at different parts of the series and found ways to contribute,” Eichel said. “That’s how you win this time of year.”

In limited minutes, the Golden Knights trio had a 67.7% expected goals percentage.

Stone and Eichel started to come alive late in the Minnesota series, with points in each of the last three games, all Vegas wins. Maybe Cassidy keeps them with Karlsson to take on either Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. Maybe they’ll have to take on both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers are no stranger to Super Mega Lines themselves.

Regular-season awards darlings do not portend playoff success

When I’m talking about regular-season awards, I’m not talking about the Presidents’ Trophy, which as we all know is actually cursed. Only eight teams that finished first overall in the NHL since 1986 have gone on to win the Stanley Cup. The last time that happened was Chicago in 2013. Since then, and since the NHL moved to a wild-card playoff format, no team that finished first overall has even played in the Stanley Cup Final, let alone won it, with two teams having lost in the opening round.

Ticktock, Winnipeg.

No, I’m talking about NHL individual awards. Take Cale Makar, the odds-on favorite to win the Norris Trophy this season for the second time in his career. The player who 71.7% of his peers said was the best overall defenseman in the NHL and earned a Ted Lindsay nomination.

Where was that guy in the first round?

The scoresheet said Makar had five points in seven games. Three of those points came in the Avs’ 7-4 Game 6 victory at home. He also had assists in the first two games of the series. But he went scoreless in four games against Dallas, including a meek Game 7 performance in which he was a minus-1, took a third-period tripping penalty and had only one shot on goal.

Dallas did something similar last postseason, as Makar went scoreless in three of their six games and had one assist and two shots in Colorado’s Game 6 loss.

“I’ve got to be a lot better,” Makar said before Game 6. “I think there’s been glimpses where I’ve been pretty good. There’s a lot of things I can do a lot better.”

Something was going on with Makar in that series.

Something’s been going on with Connor Hellebuyck for three series.

Look, he was solid in the third period and the two overtimes in Game 7 against St. Louis, balancing out two iffy goals he gave up earlier in the game. But there’s not a Game 7 without Connor Hellebuyck.

That’s not meant to be a compliment. If he’s anything better than a shooter tutor in any of those three games in St. Louis, then the Jets don’t need Game 7 to move on. But he wasn’t. He was terrible. He was pulled three times, and ended with a .758 save percentage and a 7.24 goals-against average on the road. In the past 40 years of Stanley Cup playoff hockey, that’s the worst save percentage by any goalie on the road, with a minimum of three road games and 50 shots faced.

Over the past three postseasons, Hellebuyck is 1-7 with an .838 save percentage and a 5.19 goals-against average on the road.

Look, I’m happy for Hellebuyck. This was a nightmare round for him, and now he gets a chance at reputation mending against Dallas, along with a chance to reestablish his claim on the Team USA Olympic crease by outdueling Jake Oettinger, who is very much ready to claim it himself.

But along with that, his Game 7 sigh-of-relief win means that we won’t have to suffer through the supreme awkwardness of a goalie who helped cost his team a first-round playoff series for the third season winning the NHL’s award for best goaltender for the second year in a row — and potentially also being named its most valuable player.

The Capitals’ front office is just showing off now

Look at the top 10 scorers for the Washington Capitals after the first round against the Montreal Canadiens.

That’s where the list of homegrown Caps ends.

Dylan Strome (nine points) was a castoff from the Chicago Blackhawks. Anthony Beauvillier, who had five points, is on his sixth team in three seasons, having been acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins at the deadline. Brandon Duhaime was a free-agent signing and given a career high of 13:21 in average ice time.

Jakob Chychrun and Pierre-Luc Dubois were “buy-low” trade acquisitions last offseason, with Dubois’ appeal at nearly toxic levels due to his contract and his crashing out in Los Angeles. Andrew Mangiapane was another trade addition. Trevor van Riemsdyk was a free-agent pickup in 2020 who blossomed in Washington.

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Caps score empty-net goal, celebrate series win vs. Canadiens

Brandon Duhaime scores an empty-net goal for the Capitals that secures their Game 5 win over the Canadiens.

I’ve written before about Washington’s stunning retool around Ovechkin, the deftness of the front office and the way the organization develops and enhances talent. It’s been on display so far in the playoffs. Frankly, it’s underappreciated.

The Capitals are significant underdogs against Carolina. These two teams are way more evenly matched than the odds suggest, with Washington having a significant advantage in having home ice.

“We just know the ins and outs of a lot of their systems because we play the same thing,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. “It just becomes two teams [deciding] who can do it better and who can do it more consistently for a long period of time.”

Continue to underestimate the Capitals at your own peril, Eastern Conference. They’ve got depth, chemistry, goaltending and, if all else fails, the greatest goal scorer in NHL history on the power play.

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Reds left fielder Callihan suffers broken forearm

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5 hours ago

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May 6, 2025

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Reds left fielder Callihan suffers broken forearm

  • Associated Press

May 5, 2025, 09:03 PM ET

ATLANTA — Cincinnati Reds rookie left fielder Tyler Callihan broke his left forearm while attempting a sliding catch on a play that turned into an inside-the-park home run Monday night in a 4-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves.

Reds manager Terry Francona said Callihan will be sent back to Cincinnati on Tuesday for surgery to set the arm.

“He’s such a good kid, you feel terrible for him,” Francona said.

With two outs in the third inning, Callihan was chasing down a flyball from Matt Olson and briefly made the grab before crashing hard into the padded wall in foul territory along the left-field line. After he hit the wall, the ball fell out of Callihan’s glove as he rolled onto his back in pain and grabbed his left arm.

Reds fielders momentarily stopped, unsure if Callihan made the catch or if the ball was foul. Austin Riley scored from first base and Olson circled the bases at half speed, not sure of the ruling.

“There’s no good way to explain it,” Francona said. “The kid is running full blast trying to do everything he can to save runs.”

Reds athletic trainers tended to Callihan, who walked back to the dugout and clubhouse holding his left arm.

The play was reviewed and replay confirmed the ball was touched in fair territory and Callihan did not have control of it long enough to constitute a catch.

Later in the game, the Reds announced that Callihan has a broken left forearm. He was playing in his fourth major league game after making his debut last week.

“I hate it for the kid,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He’s just laying it out there for his club. … Hopefully it is something they can set and heal good and he can get on with his career.”

Olson’s home run gave the Braves a 4-0 lead. Atlanta pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver took a no-hitter into the eighth inning before Santiago Espinal led off with a clean single for Cincinnati’s lone hit.

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