Bowl season takeaways: Hartman leads Wake Forest, late TD lifts Houston
Bowl season is finally upon us! Our reporters are breaking down the best of the games from notable performances, breakout players and so much more.
Friday, Dec. 23
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl: Wake Forest Demon Deacons 27, Missouri Tigers 17
If this was Sam Hartman‘s last game as Wake Forest’s quarterback, as rumored, he went out with a bang. He threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns, two to Taylor Morin, and his Demon Deacons beat Missouri 27-17 in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl. After falling behind early in the second half, they scored the final two touchdowns to pull away. Missouri’s offense picked up steam following a slow start but went just 2-for-5 on fourth downs and fell short. It’s a fitting potential send-off for Hartman, who has thrown for 12,967 yards and 110 touchdowns in a Wake uniform. He led the Deacs to a 19-8 record over the last two seasons, plus an ACC Coastal title in 2021. The win was also Dave Clawson’s fourth bowl victory in the last seven years at Wake; they had won just six bowls in their history before his 2014 arrival. — Bill Connelly
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl: Houston Cougars 23, Louisiana Ragin Cajuns 16
Houston has been playing with fire all season long with seven games decided by one score or less and three games that went into overtime. So it’s no wonder things would come down to the wire against Louisiana, clawing out of a 13-0 hole in the first half to make it a tie game with under 3 minutes to play. Then senior quarterback Clayton Tune went to work, starting off the drive with a 33-yard run. A few moments later, after a 41-yard pass and a 15-yard run, Tune connected with Nathaniel Dell for a 12-yard game-winning touchdown. Tune tied the FBS lead in passing touchdowns this season with 40 and set an AAC record with 119 career touchdowns responsible for. The win gives Houston eight-plus wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2016. Louisiana finishes with its first losing season since 2017. — Alex Scarborough
Thursday, Dec. 22
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl: Air Force 30, Baylor 15
The Falcons dominated the Bears, rushing for 276 yards to finish 10-3 with their fifth straight victory, polishing off back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time since 1997-98. Brad Roberts was the workhorse as usual, rushing 37 times for 116 yards and two TDs for his 11th 100-yard game of the season. Baylor, the preseason pick to win the Big 12 for the first time in school history, finished 6-7, suffering the indignity of a blowout loss in rival TCU’s stadium in the bitter cold with wind chill in the negative digits. The Baylor offense struggled mightily, finishing 0-for-11 on third downs, with Blake Shapen completing just 11 of 23 passes for 188 yards and two scores. Freshman running back Richard Reese came into the game needing 38 yards for a 1,000-yard season but was held to 10 yards on eight carries. — Dave Wilson
Wednesday, Dec. 21
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Western Kentucky 44, South Alabama 23
Senior quarterback Austin Reed made things look easy in the Big Easy as Western Kentucky blitzed South Alabama for 677 total yards. Reed, second in the FBS in passing yards to Washington‘s Michael Penix Jr. coming into the contest, completed 36 of 55 passes for a career-high 497 yards and four touchdowns in what was his ninth 300-yard passing game of the year. Seven different receivers caught passes from Reed, with Dalvin Smith (145 yards, one TD), Jaylen Hall (138 yards, one TD) and Malachi Corley (114 yards, two TDs) combining for 26 receptions and Smith adding a 25-yard scoring pass. The Hilltoppers, who racked up 434 total yards in the first half, tallied the game’s first 24 points and led by 28 points at halftime after Reed threw for 329 yards and three scores. — Blake Baumgartner
Tuesday, Dec. 20
Boca Raton Bowl: Toledo Rockets 21, Liberty Flames 19
Liberty’s defensive front dominated in Tuesday night’s Boca Bowl. Everything else, not so much. The Flames racked up 12 tackles for loss and four sacks, but they gained just 253 total yards and fell 21-19. Toledo scored on three straight second-half drives to take control, and the Rockets, fresh off of their first MAC title in five years, won all three of the game’s pivotal two-point conversions — they converted one and stopped two. After going just 24-20 from 2018 to ’21, Toledo’s Jason Candle engineered a 9-5 campaign this fall, their best since going 11-3 in 2017. — Connelly
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Eastern Michigan 41, San Jose State 27
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Chris Creighton gets a bucketful of French fries as Eastern Michigan defeats San Jose State 41-27 to win the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
It took 35 years, but Eastern Michigan did it again. The Eagles’ 41-27 win Tuesday against San Jose State was the program’s second bowl win — ever — and its first since 1987 against … San Jose State. After starting the season 2-2, the Eagles earned their first nine-win season since finishing 10-2 in 1987. San Jose State had lost the ball just six times all season, tied with USC for the fewest turnovers among all FBS teams, but finished with three Tuesday. Two turnovers in the first half led to a 30-13 deficit the Spartans couldn’t overcome, and quarterback Chevan Cordeiro‘s interception with less than two minutes remaining sealed the win for Eastern Michigan. Eastern Michigan’s 41 points set a school record single-game point total in an FBS bowl. — Heather Dinich
Monday, Dec. 19
Myrtle Beach Bowl: Marshall Thundering Herd 28, UConn Huskies 14
Rasheen Ali and Khalan Laborn combined to rush for 182 yards and a touchdown and the Marshall defense forced four takeaways to lead the Thundering Herd to their first bowl win since 2018. Still, it was a worthy performance for a UConn team that was a major surprise to even make a bowl. The Huskies still haven’t won a bowl since 2009, but they outgained Marshall and staged a second-half comeback that fell short largely on the back of a couple of failed fourth down tries. — David Hale
Saturday, Dec. 17
Frisco Bowl: Boise State Broncos 35, North Texas Mean Green 32
In his first season at Boise State, freshman running back Ashton Jeanty had only crossed the 100-yard threshold in a game one time. On Saturday against North Texas, Jeanty exploded through that mark for 178 yards on the ground, 6.4 yards per carry and one touchdown. Jeanty’s performance, as well as two interceptions forced by the defense, keyed Boise State’s win over North Texas, after the Broncos were down 10-3 early. The victory gives the Broncos a 10-win campaign as well as a glimpse of what their offense could look like next season with Jeanty in the backfield as the team’s primary ball carrier. — Paolo Uggetti
New Mexico Bowl: BYU Cougars 24, SMU Mustangs 23
Cornerback Jakob Robinson saved the night for BYU by denying SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai‘s potential game-winning 2-point conversion with eight seconds left in regulation, preserving a 1-point victory. The Cougars built a 14-point lead in the third quarter on a 76-yard pick-six from linebacker Ben Bywater and running back Christopher Brooks‘ 22-yard scoring run, only to see the Mustangs come back with 13 fourth-quarter points. The Cougars, buoyed by the efforts from Robinson and Bywater, won despite the Mustangs holding a 389-256 edge in total yards. Quarterback Sol-Jay Maiava-Peters and Brooks combined to run for 184 yards and two scores as BYU ran for at least 200 yards for the fourth time in its past five games (209) while ending the season with a fourth straight victory. — Baumgartner
Lending Tree Bowl: Southern Miss Golden Eagles 38, Rice Owls 24
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Southern Miss takes home a LendingTree bowl victory thanks to Frank Gore Jr.’s 329 rushing yards and 3 total touchdowns.
Frank Gore Jr. not only rewrote Southern Miss’ bowl and school record books, he broke the NCAA bowl game record with 329 rushing yards in a 14-point victory. Gore ended his sophomore season with a bang by running for two touchdowns and throwing for another as he also broke Camerun Peoples‘ bowl rushing record. Spurred on by Gore, Southern Miss churned out a season-high 361 rushing yards and won its first bowl game since 2016. Senior linebacker Daylen Gill recorded three of Southern Miss’ five sacks. Rice freshman quarterback AJ Padgett (295 passing yards) threw three touchdown passes — two to senior wide receiver Isaiah Esdale — in the third quarter as the Owls erased a 14-point halftime deficit, taking a short-lived 7-point lead. — Baumgartner
Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl Presented by Stifel: Fresno State Bulldogs 29, Washington State Cougars 6
A 1-4 start to the season now feels like a lifetime ago. Fresno State hasn’t lost since then, beating Washington State to finish the year with a 10-4 record. Quarterback Jake Haener was sharp, completing 24 of 36 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. And Jordan Mims went off for the Bulldogs, rushing for a career-high 210 yards and two touchdowns on only 18 carries. But don’t forget the Fresno State defense, which limited quarterback Cameron Ward and Washington State to the Cougars’ lowest total of the season. Fresno State picked off Ward — a 3,000-yard passer on the season — and held him to only 137 yards passing on 32 attempts. — Scarborough
SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl: No. 14 Oregon State Beavers 30, Florida Gators 3
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Silas Bolden puts on his cape and dives to make an incredible snag for a Beavers first down.
A week after signing a six-year deal worth $30.6 million, Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith led his team to a dominating triumph over Florida, securing the Beavers’ first 10-win season in 16 years and their first-ever victory against an SEC opponent. It was a balanced, all-round effort for Oregon State, which threw for 189 yards and rushed for 164 yards — 107 of which came from junior running back Deshaun Fenwick. The defense allowed only 1.2 yards per rush. A 40-yard field goal by Adam Mihalek with less than a minute remaining avoided the shutout and extended the Gators’ streak of scoring in games to 436. — Scarborough
Cricket Celebration Bowl: NC Central Eagles 41, Jackson State Tigers 34 OT
In his final game as coach at Jackson State, Deion Sanders failed to complete an undefeated season as NC Central upset the Tigers 41-34 in a wild overtime finish. Shedeur Sanders threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Travis Hunter with no time left to send the game to overtime. But it was NC Central’s Davius Richard who did the scoring in the extra period. NC Central reached 10 wins, the third team in program history to reach double-digit wins in a season. NC Central had 276 yards rushing. Richard had 177 passing yards, 97 rushing yards and 3 total touchdowns. But all eyes were on Jackson State and what would happen as Deion Sanders exits for Colorado. It was a back-and-forth game throughout. Shedeur Sanders finishes the season with 46 total touchdowns. With one chance left to send the game into a second overtime, he threw an incompletion to end the game. Jackson State finishes 12-1, the most wins in a season in program history. — Andrea Adelson
Wasabi Fenway Bowl: Louisville Cardinals 24, Cincinnati Bearcats 7
Louisville claimed the Keg of Nails trophy in the renewal of its rivalry with the Bearcats, using a dominant defense and run game to win 24-7 — its first bowl victory since 2019. The game featured two interim coaches — Kerry Coombs at Cincinnati for Luke Fickell (who left for Wisconsin) and Deion Branch for Louisville, after Scott Satterfield left to replace Fickell. Satterfield was not at the game, instead hosting recruits in Cincinnati. But his former team played hard without him, and its aggressive defense — No. 2 in the nation in sacks — made play after play, making it a long day for Cincinnati quarterback Evan Prater. Louisville, playing without quarterback Malik Cunningham (opt out) was far from perfect on offense but had a season-high 287 yards on the ground — getting 100-yard rushing performances each from reserve running backs Maurice Turner and Jawhar Jordan. — Adelson
Friday, Dec. 16
Hometown Lenders Bahamas Bowl: UAB 24, Miami (Ohio) 20
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UAB LB Reynard Ellis makes the game-saving tackle at the 2-yard line to secure the victory for the Blazers in a 24-20 thriller vs. the RedHawks.
Junior running back Jermaine Brown Jr.’s big day led the way as UAB secured a 24-20 victory over Miami (Ohio), giving incoming head coach Trent Dilfer some momentum to build off heading into 2023. Brown ran 24 times for 116 yards and two touchdowns to help the Blazers win without the services of FBS-leading rusher DeWayne McBride, who opted out of the game. Brown’s fourth-down touchdown run with 1:33 left in the game put UAB in front to stay — the game’s fourth lead change in the second half. Despite losing the turnover battle (3-0), UAB pulled out the victory with the help of six players combining for four sacks. — Baumgartner
Duluth Trading Cure Bowl: No. 24 Troy 18, No. 25 UTSA 12
What a finish for Troy first-year head coach Jon Sumrall, closing out a 12-2 season by scoring 18 unanswered points to beat UTSA on Friday for the Trojans’ 11th straight win. Troy had just 153 total yards and did not cross midfield in the first half, but five takeaways — including two interceptions and a forced fumble on UTSA quarterback Frank Harris, who was sixth in the FBS in passing coming into the game — was too much to overcome for the Roadrunners. The Trojans became the first team to win a bowl game with less than 175 yards of offense since UCLA in the 2002 Las Vegas Bowl against New Mexico. — Wilson
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Kristen Shilton
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Ryan S. Clark
With most NHL teams having played 41 games this season, it’s time for another round of report cards.
Some teams have far outpaced their preseason expectations — the Minnesota Wild and Washington Capitals among them — while others have fallen well short — looking at you, New York Rangers and Nashville Predators.
In addition to an overall grade for each club at the midway point, we’ve also identified each team’s class president and a player in danger of failing.
Note: Teams are arrayed alphabetically by letter grade. Ryan S. Clark graded the Pacific and Central Division teams, and Kristen Shilton graded the Metropolitan and Atlantic Division teams. Stats are through the games of Jan. 11. Preseason over/unders are courtesy of ESPN BET sportsbook.
Jump to:
ANA | ARI | BOS | BUF
CGY | CAR | CHI | COL
CBJ | DAL | DET | EDM
FLA | LA | MIN | MTL
NSH | NJ | NYI | NYR
OTT | PHI | PIT | SJ
SEA | STL | TB | TOR
VAN | VGS | WSH | WPG
A grades
Record: 27-13-4
Preseason over/under: 93.5
Current points pace: 108.1
Class president: Kirill Kaprizov. Being on pace for a 50-goal and 100-point season only adds to the reality Kaprizov is one of the game’s most dangerous players. There’s also an argument to be had about him being one of the most valuable. The Wild aren’t like other teams that have balanced scoring throughout their lineup. They have four players who have scored more than 50% of their goals and Kaprizov is among that quartet. His 23 goals and 27 assists — with 15 of them being primary — means he has played a role in being responsible for more than 40% of the Wild’s goals.
In danger of failing: Yakov Trenin. Pointing the proverbial finger at Trenin is a bit repetitive, but it’s that way because of the Wild’s salary cap implications. The combined Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts mean the club must spend judiciously. Signing Trenin to a four-year deal worth $3.5 million annually meant the Wild were getting a player who could provide them with another double-digit goal scorer. Trenin had three goals through 37 games and is projected to score six goals after three straight seasons of more than 12 goals.
Grade: A+ (first-quarter grade: A+). Kaprizov is having the type of season that has him in the Hart Trophy discussion. Filip Gustavsson could end up being a Vezina Trophy finalist and Matt Boldy, Brock Faber and Marco Rossi continue to show why they’re an important part of the Wild’s present and future plans. It’s enough to keep them in the race for the Central entering January. But will it be enough in the postseason?
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Jake Trotter, ESPN Senior Writer
Penn State junior standout running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton both announced Monday that they will be returning to the Nittany Lions for the 2025 season.
“We still have goals we want to reach as a team, and I want to be alongside my teammates as we reach those goals,” Singleton wrote in his announcement.
Allen, meanwhile, said that “it’s clear that we still have a lot more to accomplish.”
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. had ranked Allen and Singleton as the Nos. 5 and 6 running backs available in the upcoming NFL draft.
This past season, the two teamed up to give Penn State one of college football’s top rushing duos — Allen rushed for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 5.0 yards per carry; Singleton rushed for 1,099 yards with 12 touchdowns and ranked fourth in the Big Ten with 6.4 yards per carry.
Singleton also led Big Ten running backs with 375 receiving yards on 41 receptions.
Singleton ran for three touchdowns in Penn State’s 27-24 loss to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinals Thursday. Allen rushed for 134 yards in the Nittany Lions’ quarterfinal victory over Boise State on Dec. 31.
Penn State quarterback Drew Allar previously announced he was coming back. With Allen and Singleton joining him, the Nittany Lions will enter next season with one of the country’s most prolific and experienced backfields.
Quarterback Carson Beck‘s college career might not be over yet.
The Georgia starter came into this past season as one of the top-rated passers available for the 2025 NFL draft, and an early favorite to go No. 1 overall. But after a season in which he threw nine interceptions during a four-game stretch (and three more in a 41-34 loss at Alabama) and struggled mightily in other games, his draft stock fell sharply.
Making matters worse, Beck was injured on the final play of the first half in Georgia’s 22-19 overtime victory against Texas in the Dec. 7 SEC championship game. Beck had season-ending surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right, throwing elbow on Dec. 23. Five days later, he announced he was entering the NFL draft.
Then on Thursday, Beck entered the transfer portal. On Friday, Beck committed to Miami, where he’ll replace record-setting QB Cam Ward. Due to his injury, Beck, however, isn’t expected to resume throwing until sometime this spring. — Mark Schlabach
Why is he heading to Miami?
There were lots of rumors linking Beck to Miami back in December, which he briefly put to rest when he declared for the draft. But just as they did last year with Cam Ward, Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes stayed patient and eventually won out for one of the top quarterbacks in the portal.
Ward was worth every penny with the remarkable season he put together in 2024 and the leadership he brought to the program. He seriously boosted his NFL draft stock as a result of his 2024 season and could end up being the No. 1 overall pick. If you’re Beck, that’s the goal in coming back for an extra season. Miami won’t have the same supporting cast of playmakers back for 2025, but they had a lot to sell as Beck’s ideal destination.
Beck won a lot of games with the Bulldogs but never got an opportunity to start in a College Football Playoff game. Two November losses knocked Miami out of the ACC title game and the 12-team CFP this season. Both sides are highly motivated to make the most of 2025, and Beck’s arrival will once again mean big preseason expectations for this program. It’s fair to call this another playoff-or-bust season for Cristobal and the Canes. — Max Olson
What’s next for Georgia?
Beck’s replacement, third-year sophomore Gunner Stockton, played well enough in the second half of the SEC championship game and in a 23-10 loss to Notre Dame in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game at the Allstate Sugar Bowl that he’ll likely go into spring practice as the favorite to replace Beck.
Stockton, one of the most productive quarterbacks in Georgia high school history, led the Bulldogs back from a 6-3 deficit in the second half to defeat Texas in Atlanta. In his first college start, he completed 20 of 32 passes for 234 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions against a very good Notre Dame defense.
Stockton should improve with a full offseason to prepare as the starter. He’ll have to hold off freshman Ryan Puglisi, the No. 9 pocket passer in the class of 2024, according to ESPN. The Bulldogs signed two quarterbacks in their most recent recruiting class: Ryan Montgomery of Findlay, Ohio, and Hezekiah Millender of Athens, Georgia.
The Bulldogs might still bring in another experienced quarterback from the portal. They were linked to former Alabama backup Dylan Lonergan and Cal starter Fernando Mendoza before those two signed with Boston College and Indiana, respectively. — Schlabach
Did Beck fall out of favor with NFL scouts?
After entering the season as a candidate to be the No. 1 pick in 2025, Beck didn’t live up to expectations, finishing with solid statistics — 28 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions and 3,485 yards — but up-and-down performances. He had three games at midseason in which he threw a combined eight picks, which raised eyebrows among NFL scouts. I dropped him in my rankings to the No. 5 quarterback in the 2025 class.
Speaking to evaluators in the league, Beck’s draft grades were all over the place, as some thought he would go in Round 2, while others thought he could go as low as Round 5. After his announcement that he was declaring for the draft, one scout said: “I was surprised.”
At Miami, Beck should have an opportunity to recapture his 2023 form, when he threw just six interceptions. Drew Allar (Penn State) is the early headliner of the 2026 class, and Beck needs a big season to get back into the Round 1 discussion. — Jordan Reid
What’s the latest with Beck’s injury?
On the day of Beck’s surgery, a Georgia statement indicated the procedure was successful, and he was expected to begin throwing again in the spring. Not much else — about the severity of the injury or his recovery time — is publicly known.
According to the Mayo Clinic’s website, UCL injuries are common among gymnasts, wrestlers, football players and baseball pitchers. The length of Beck’s recovery would depend on whether he partially or completely tore the ligament and where it was torn (proximal, distal or mid-substance).
“For patients who have full thickness tears and need to return to high demand throwing type activities, surgery may be considered,” the Mayo Clinic website says. “Surgery typically entails either a repair (fixing your current ligament by sewing and anchoring it back down to the bone) or reconstruction (replacing your injured ligament) of the UCL.”
Beck wouldn’t be the first quarterback to come back from UCL surgery. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy injured the UCL in his right, throwing elbow against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 29, 2023. He had surgery to repair his UCL on March 10, 2023, and returned to throwing less than three months later. He started the 49ers’ opener on Sept. 10, 2023.
The Mayo Clinic website said athletes who experience UCL injuries have a 95-100% return rate to athletics for non-throwers and 85-95% for throwers. — Schlabach
What are the rules about entering the portal after declaring for the draft?
Beck announced his intentions of entering the NFL draft, but he has until Feb. 7 to remove his name from the draft by sending an opt-out letter to the league office.
College football players whose teams’ seasons had already ended had until Jan. 6 to declare for the draft. Players on teams that are still competing in the CFP (Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State and Texas) have until Jan. 27 to decide whether to leave their names in the draft. — Schlabach
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