LSU receiver Malik Nabers (8) is tripped up by Purdue linebacker OC Brothers (20) in the first quarter at the Cheez-it Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL on Monday January 2, 2023. LSU won by a score of 63 to 7. (Photo by Laura Domingue/fi360 News)
ORLANDO, Fl – The No. 17 LSU Tigers finished the regular season with a 63-7 win against Purdue in the Citrus Bowl on Monday. LSU dominated the game in all phases, and the young players stepped up big with new found playing time.
LSU receiver Malik Nabers had a killer game and was named MVP of the Citrus. Nabers grabbed nine catches for 163 yards with a 75-yard touchdown. He also threw two passes for 50 yards and a touchdown. One of his passes was to Kyren Lacy for 45 yards and the other was a 5-yard touchdown toss to quarterback Jayden Daniels.
It didn’t matter who was at quarterback for the Tigers Jayden Daniels started the game threw for 139 yards on 12/17 passes with a touchdown. Then Garrett Nussmeier stepped up and threw for 173 yards on 11/15 passes with two touchdowns and an interception.
LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) avoids being tackled by Purdue safety Jah’von Grigsby (12) in the second quarter at the Cheez-it Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL on Monday January 2, 2023. LSU won by a score of 63 to 7. (Photo by Laura Domingue/fi360 News)
Purdue offense just could catch fire today in Florida. Quarterback Austin Burton completed only 50% of his throws 12/24 for 74 yards and an interception. Off the bench Michael Alaimo jumped in to throw 4/11 passes for 37 yards and account for the Boilermakers only touchdown of the game.
Devin Mockobee carried the lite load for Purdue rushing 13 times for 48 yards. TJ Sheffield led the team with 7 catches for 56 yards and the sol touchdown reception.
The Tiger’s never trailed, recording 594 total yards and finishing the scoring with Quad Wilson’s 99-yard interception return for a touchdown.
LSU cornerback Quad Wilson returns a fourth quarter interception off of Purdue for a touchdown at the Cheez-it Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL on Monday January 2, 2023. LSU won by a score of 63 to 7. (Photo by Laura Domingue/fi360 News)
“That’s kind of the mantle of LSU wide receivers,” Tigers coach Brian Kelly said of Nabers, who was the game’s MVP. “It’s his opportunity now, and you can see that he wanted to make sure that he made a statement out there today.”
“This performance shows that I’m able to come out here and perform at a high level with anybody,” Nabers said.
Nabers was clearly a shooting star during this game right from the opening drives by LSU.
Purdue quarterback Michael Alaimo (1) makes a pass attempt in the third quarter against LSU at the Cheez-it Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL on Monday January 2, 2023. LSU won by a score of 63 to 7. (Photo by Laura Domingue/fi360 News)
Coach Kelly ends his first season with 10 wins, an SEC Championship Game appearance and great momentum for the program heading into the offseason. Not a bad start to bring this storied program back into top tier team discussions.
Seattle, WA – Shaking off any sort of aftereffects from celebrating the New Year, the Seattle Kraken displayed a complete team effort to beat the New York Islanders. Eeli Tolvanen, acquired off waivers weeks ago, was a highlight of the win as not only did he display his rocket shot for a goal, but blocked several shots. Despite the Islanders tying the game in the first period on a somewhat easy attempt by former Seattle Thunderbird Mathew Barzal, the Kraken remained locked in and did not let the goal snowball into a bigger issue. The win begins a tough month of January on the right foot for Seattle, who now embark on a nearly two-week road trip.
Seattle’s ugly, embarrassing 7-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers two days ago was a master class on the things not to do in a hockey game. The factor that stood out the most was, which has been a lingering issue until it was fully exposed in that game, was the lack of full effort and willingness to sacrifice for the greater good of the team. There was a complete 180 in that department as the Kraken were blocking shots, had active sticks, and were willing to check throughout the game. Seattle stayed true to their structure defensively and on the penalty kill. It was exactly the sort of tough, gritty hockey that the Kraken need to play if they want to play more hockey once the regular season ends. Seattle head coach Dave Hakstol spoke about his team’s effort to media, postgame.
“Every night is a little bit different, but our readiness and mentality was just better. It was right tonight… What I liked more than Eeli’s power play goal was that he was willing to block shots. He blocked a couple
big shots from the line, he managed the puck well, he checked pretty well. From top to bottom that’s a nice start for him,” Hakstol reflected.
Continuing with that statement by Hakstol, Eeli Tolvanen really made his debut in Kraken colors one to remember. The young forward, having spent weeks as a healthy scratch with the team, made sure he grabbed his moment firmly with a power play goal, two hits, and three blocks on the night. Following the thrashing to the Oilers the other night, a lineup change was in order, and inserting the forward with the heavy shot into the gameplan made sense. Seattle’s depth has been positive all season long, from all four forward lines to the defensemen pairs that have been able to chip in well offensively. It seems that Tolvanen adds to this and makes lineup decisions going forward a little more interesting. Tolvanen discussed his first start in a Seattle uniform.
“It felt really good, it’s been a while since I’ve played my last game so it’s always nice to get the first goal out of the way in the first game… Dunner told me to shoot it as soon as I got it, and that’s what I did… I kinda blacked out for a bit there… I felt really good since I last hopped on the ice,” Tolvanen stated.
While it’s just one game following an ugly three game stretch, Seattle showed great improvements in the areas that they needed to get better. More willingness to sacrifice the body by checking and blocking shots. More alert, aware, focused defensemen limited New York to a goal that was essentially let in by Martin Jones and a handful of potentially dangerous opportunities. The power play showed improved strategy, in large part to the team shooting the puck instead of trying to get too fancy. If the Kraken are able to continue this performance and turn those individuals notes into characteristics, this team is well suited for a strong January run.
Seattle will now spend 13 days away from Climate Pledge Arena, playing seven games over that time. The Kraken begin the tough road trip with a January 3rd rematch against the Edmonton Oilers. Seattle will head to Rogers Place, looking to avenge the 7-2 loss when they drop the puck against Edmonton at 6PM PST. As both teams currently sit at 42 points, the winner of the game will move into the third place spot in the Pacific Division.
Tucson, AZ – Late in overtime after Ohio gave up a field goal to Wyoming to trail 27-24, time stopped for a moment. Ohio Bobcats quarterback CJ Harris (10) dropped back on 3rd&8 from 10 yard-line to hit Tyler Foster (86) in back of the endzone for the win. The whole Bobcats team stormed the north west endzone to celebrate this Arizona Bowl victory 30-27 over the Wyoming Cowboys.
Tyler Foster (86) with the winning catch in OT. Photo by Troy Flowers / fi360 News
“I’m a little overwhelmed with just this whole process, the catch, the call, the throw was just magnificent.” said coach Bobcats Tim Albin, “We had a run with a pass and got the look we were looking for.”
Harris had a solid game throwing for 184 yards with two touchdowns on 20/33 passes. He also used his legs rushing 10 times for additional 52 yards. This performance was enough to win the MVP for Barstool Bowl in only his third start of the season.
“Then it was one on one I gotta take it and give it to my guy and Tyler came down with it. “, said Harris
Quarterback Harris breaking the pocket. Photo by Troy Flowers / fi360 News
Receiver Jacoby Jones (8) lead the eight receivers who caught pass from Harris with 44 yards on three receptions and a touchdown. Foster only catch of the day was the game winner for biggest 10 yards of his career.
Today’s victory pushed the Bobcats to 10 wins for only the third time in program history.
After receiving the opening kick, Wyoming went on an incredible nine-play, 75-yard scoring drive. With quarterback Andrew Peasley (6) looking sharp and completing five of his first six throws, the Cowboys relied heavily on the pass game in their opening drive. A 9-yard burst up the middle by rookie running back Jordon Vaughn (28) to end the drive was a simple run made possible by early, effective passing.
Welch comes down with a football. Photo by Troy Flowers / fi360 News
The Cowboys standouts were receiver Treyton Welch (81) who had 5 receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown. On the ground Vaughn carried the load with 16 carries for 67 yards with two touchdowns.
“We’re certainty disappointed.” Said Wyoming coach Craig Bohl, “There’s a lot of guys in that locker room who are gut-wrenched right now and I feel for them. I feel for the guys who aren’t going to put on the pads another time. “
Peasley threw for 186 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Cowboys.
Quarterback Peasley picks up few yards down field with his legs. Photo by Troy Flowers / fi360 News
The Cowboys had the ball to begin overtime, but after four plays, the offense stopped. Kicker John Hoyland made his second field goal of the contest to give the Cowboys a 27-24 lead.
Being first didn’t work out the best for the Cowboys this happy ending belongs to the Bobcats!
Seattle Kraken (Photo by Megan Connelly / fi360 News)
Seattle, WA – To end the year of 2022, the Seattle Kraken concluded a poor month of December with a disastrous loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Right out of the gate the Kraken defensemen were out of position and leaving Oilers skaters completely unmarked, resulting in three quick goals just under four minutes into the game. Seattle never recovered from the haymaker Edmonton threw after the opening whistle and were brutally embarrassed on their own home ice.
A goaltender swap after the third Oilers goal failed to provide the effect desired by Seattle, as Edmonton stacked on four more scores after Martin Jones came into the game. A third straight loss continues Seattle’s free fall down the standings, now sitting at fifth in the Pacific Division.
Any presumed positive notions quickly were negated as Edmonton forced a penalty two minutes in, sending their top ranked power play unit out against Seattle’s near-league bottom penalty kill. It only took Connor McDavid 40 seconds to find teammate Zach Hyman completely unmarked on a back door pass to score. 32 seconds later, Seattle got caught in an odd-man rush which led to Klim Kostin being left completely unmarked for a tap-in goal. 39 seconds later, a turnover by Seattle in the offensive zone was taken 200 feet as Edmonton caught the Kraken in a three on two opportunity, where Darnell Nurse was left with all the room in the arena to shoot, scoring the third Edmonton goal in only four minutes of this game being underway. Seattle defensemen Adam Larsson spoke about those opening minutes to the media, postgame.
“They’re a dangerous team, obviously we need a better start, but tonight was more of a 60-minute issue. Just wasn’t good enough. It was a lot of things. Every team goes through a stretch or a game like this, obviously we’ll talk about it and see what we did wrong. We can do a lot of things better, we can be a lot sharper, play a lot faster as a team. It’s hard to pinpoint just one thing,” Larsson reflected.
These past three games have been of solid importance for Seattle, considering that they have all been against divisional opponents and two of those opponents were just points behind in the standings. Those teams, Calgary and Edmonton have now overtaken you in the standings. Las Vegas and Los Angeles seem like they may be able to run away with the top two spots in the division. Things are going to get intense very quickly, especially considering that the January schedule for Seattle includes five divisional contests and six games against teams that are at the top of league standings. Too often you can find examples of lacking effort, failure to sacrifice for the team, and an inability to play the full 60 minutes. Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol had an excellent challenge for his team when it came to the upcoming stretch.
“We have to make that decision, as a hockey team. Whether we are satisfied with the level of play that we have had that has gotten us to this point, or whether we are willing to make that decision to push to the next level. Not just through the next two home games here or through that upcoming road trip, but through the remainder of the season. We have to make that decision as a group, whether we’re ready to make that investment on a day-to-day, game-to-game basis in order to step up the level. That’s exactly what has to happen, our play has to elevate as the stakes continue to get higher and then the games continue to get tighter and tighter,” Hakstol stated.
Seattle will have a day of practice before the final game of their three contest homestand, when they battle the New York Islanders for the first time this season. Puck drop is at 5PM PST for the Kraken’s third consecutive nationally televised game, as Seattle needs a bounce back effort to break the funk of their three-game losing streak.
SAN DIEGO, CA – For the first time ever, Petco Park was used as a football field for the Holiday Bowl last night. The Oregon Ducks defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels in thrilling fashion 28-27.
Receiving the ball with 2:24 remaining in the game, in a six point hole, quarterback Bo Nix was in prime position to lead the Ducks on a game winning drive. The four year starter marched the offense down the field to take the lead with 19 seconds remaining. The drive was almost derailed by an extra point that bounced off the upright. Fortunately for the Ducks they had holiday luck on their side.
Chase Cota catches the winning touchdown. Photo by Full Image 360 / fi360 News
Nix’s veteran presence was shown throughout the final quarter but especially on the last throw to Chase Cota. He would complete five of his seven passes on the drive and throw the touchdown at the end of it. After the game, head coach Dan Lanning shared that, “Bo did a good job calling what he wanted on that one.” Insinuating that Nix was the one to choose the play on the 4th and 2 that decided the game. “That’s one of our just go-to plays. We feel really good about that play. We’ve run it multiple times. It’s hard to stop against guys and good situations,” said Nix.
Nix came alive late for the Ducks, but in that first half running back Bucky Irving carried the load for the offense as he tailed over 100 yards and two touchdowns. He broke the second one off for 66 yards. The sophomore started to get less carries as the night went on because Oregon has a deep running back room, but his impact was heavily felt.
Photo by Full Image 360 / fi360 News
Irving ended his night with 149 rushing yards to go along with his two scores. Following the win he talked about the impact that coach Lanning had on him in the game. “Coach Lanning came up to me and asked, do I want to be great? I said, of course. Do you really want to be great? I said, yes. Then he told me to trust the guy in front of me. I just want to thank him for telling me what I can do,” stated Irving.
The feeling that Bo has for coach Lanning can probably be echoed in that locker room. Lanning prides himself on building relationships with his players.
Photo by Full Image 360 / fi360 News
“I coach for the relationships,” said Lanning. “I love to win, but we have relationships on this team. Everybody says blood is thicker than water. I sure love these guys. Maybe not true blood, but I share blood with these guys. These guys are my family. ”In his first season as head coach, Dan Lanning led the Ducks to a 10-3 record. A lot of the players will be returning to Oregon including quarterback Bo Nix, and a pursuit for the national championship will be in the calling card for next season.
Tar Heel quarterback Drake Maye put on a really strong performance, giving North Carolina fans hope for the future. The redshirt freshman had 249 total yards and three passing touchdowns in his first career bowl game.
Photo by Full Image 360 / fi360 News
Head coach Mack Brown spoke glowingly about his young quarterback after the game. “Drake is an absolutely amazing person. He is a better person than quarterback. He is one of the best quarterbacks in the country, and we had two of the best quarterbacks in the country tonight, and they showed that. They put on a show that everybody thought they would put on,” said coach Brown.
Seattle, WA – Coming into this divisional contest just barely above Edmonton and their opponent tonight, the Seattle Kraken were facing a tough homestand before an even tougher month of January. The Kraken looked to snuff out a Calgary team about to play the second game of a back-to-back, but the Flames were able to take advantage of three critical Seattle mistakes. A playoff like atmosphere saw the Kraken play gritty hockey, but ultimately Seattle could not stay out of their own way. With the loss, the Kraken fell to fourth in the Pacific Division.
As has been the primary culprit for Seattle’s struggles during their two-year existence as a franchise in the NHL, the defensive play by the Kraken held them back against Calgary. While it wasn’t a complete defensive meltdown by Seattle, like we’ve seen a few times this month, poorly timed breakdowns wiped away any hard work by the Kraken. It was a tale of two halves of the game, as Seattle mitigated most of Calgary’s offensive chances to shots near and around the blue line but started to breakdown after an ill-timed penalty by Carson Soucy.
Calgary scored quickly on the power play caused by Soucy’s bad penalty, to even things up. It’s a continuation of Seattle’s issue with taking bad and untimely penalties, as well as a running issue for Soucy, who leads the team in penalty minutes taken by a good margin. Calgary’s other two goals were cases of failure to clear the puck and giving the Flames far too much room to operate. The first
Calgary goal of the night was scored by Tyler Toffoli, whose persistent digging for the puck in a scrum was rewarded as Seattle couldn’t clear a rebound. The go-ahead goal, scored by Jonathan Huberdeau, was embarrassing for the Kraken defense. Huberdeau was able to gather a tipped shot from teammate Ramus Andersson, turn around and fire away on net from just a few feet away. The Calgary skater was completely untouched and unbothered, which is simply unacceptable. Seattle head coach Dave Hakstol spoke on his team’s effort to local media, postgame.
“This team puts a lot of pucks to the net. We didn’t give up a lot of opportunities early… we didn’t give up a lot of quality… I’m not worried about the number of shots (that they had). One of the penalties we took was for sure bad… it’s the little things that turn into bigger things. For me, the second half of the game, we didn’t get it deep enough,” Hakstol stated.
Seattle’s offensive chances were generated through grimy, grinding goals scored by those not typically at the top of the stat sheet. As the first period was winding down, Ryan Donato answered Calgary’s first goal of the night with a similar looking score, slamming home a juicy rebound in the crease. Donato continues to prove his worth, scoring his eighth of the year and fifth in the past six games, all while on a “prove it deal. Seattle’s second goal of the night came from Jamie Oleksiak, as the “Big Rig” rumbled through traffic and snuck a sizzling shot through a Calgary defensemen’s legs and just a hair underneath goaltender Dan Vladar’s stick. Oleksiak spoke about his teams effort, postgame.
“It’s a Frustrating loss, I think we worked hard. They capitalized on their chances. Coming out of the Christmas break, we gotta work on the kinks, and try to bounce back Friday,” Oleksiak said.
Seattle will have a day of practice before another divisional matchup, when they take on the Edmonton Oilers on Friday, December 30th. Just as this matchup against Calgary was, the contest versus Edmonton plays a role in the Kraken divisional standing as the Oilers are just one point below Seattle. Puck drop is at 7PM PST inside of Climate Pledge Arena, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+/HULU.
HOUSTON- In Wednesday night’s Texas Bowl, Ole Miss Lane Kiffin called plays like he had nothing to lose.
Unfortunately for him, it turns out he did have something to lose- the game itself.
Texas Tech took advantage of four Ole Miss turnover on downs in the first half and rolled to a 42-25 win at NRG Stadium.
Photo by Eric Williams / fi360 News
Quarterback Tyler Shough was named game MVP with over 300 yards of total offense in what could be his final game. Texas Tech Head coach Joey McGuire said he wasn’t slated to start as of Wednesday morning due to an illness. Still, with the win, Oregon transfer improved to 8-1 as a starter.
“I’m so proud of that young man,” McGuire said postgame. “He’s probably the third quarterback taken (in the NFL draft) if he’s healthy all year.”
Photo by Eric Williams / fi360 News
In his own territory, Kiffin chose to attempt a fourth-down conversion instead of a punt three different times, and failed all three times in the first half. Texas Tech took advantage of the good field position and never looked back, leading by as much as 19 points.
On the other side, Texas Tech completely neutralized Ole Miss’ star running back Quinshon Judkins. He earned acclaim across the country for a 1,400 yard rushing regular season and led the Southeastern Conference with 16 touchdowns, but rushed for just 68 the fourth quarter. Tech’s defense also intercepted two Jaxson Dart passes, and it scored a special teams touchdown.
With the win, Texas Tech adds another impressive notch to its belt. Texas Tech announced a six-year extension for McGuire there hours prior to kickoff- a firm vote of confidence after topping Texas and Oklahoma in the same season for the first time in program history, and setting a new team record with a 3.1 GPA in just his first season.
Photo by Eric Williams / fi360 News
McGuire said he’s team’s performance is another reason why bowl games are important to the college football landscape,
“Bowl games are a reward for the players,” McGuire said. “We had a blast all week. We used this time to develop our young players and reward our seniors.”
With the loss, the Rebels finish the season tailing off in the complete opposite direction. Ole Miss lost each of their final four games in 2022 including Wednesday night to sour what was a promising 8-1 start that saw them rank as high as No. 9 in the AP poll.
Still, Kiffin, who turned down overtures from SEC rival Auburn to remain at Ole Miss for next season, said he’s encouraged about the future with young talent like Judkins in tow.
“We have to always look at everything to make the program the best,” Kiffin said. “We don’t ever say, well, that guy is okay. We don’t do that in coaching.”
Photo by Eric Williams / fi360 News
Despite playing in contrasting leagues, interestingly, the Rebels most common bowl opponent with three prior matchups. The meeting. marked met for the third matchup in the last 14 years. There was palpable excitement on both sides, and Texas Tech fans kept the momentum into the stands. Red Raider fans quickly sold off its allotment of 6,000 tickets in the weeks prior to the game and dominated the crowd on gameday. Interestingly enough, exactly 47 points had been scored in the last two matchups prior- including a regular season matchup at NRG Stadium in 2018.
Ole Miss will look to bounce back to open the 2023 season at home against Mercer on Sep. 2 in Oxford. Texas Tech will look to solidify its bright future on the road at Wyoming the same day.
BIRMINGHAM, AL – The East Carolina Pirates dominated Tuesday’s TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl 53-29 to earn the first bowl victory for ECU since 2013. After Coastal Carolina’s star quarterback, Grayson McCall exited the game after the second quarter due to injury, ECU began to pull away with the victory and ultimately sealed the deal with 2:14 remaining when Shane Calhoun scored a touchdown on a one-yard pass.
Battling the elements, but not as rough as practiced, was a significant factor in Tuesday’s game. At kick-off, the fans and players alike were met with 41-degree temps. As the game continued, the temps also dropped, reaching a low of 35 degrees. A few players told fi360news on the sideline during the bowl that they had practiced in the utter cold facing the south but that didn’t stop the two Carolina rivals from going at it.
Photo by Christian Koelle / fi360 News
The game started off solidly with East Carolina putting up three points on its first drive via a field goal. A bit later, after Coastal Carolina’s offense halted, East Carolina found the endzone to score the game’s first touchdown and successful extra point attempt putting ECU up 10-0 early.
Before ECU could get too far ahead, Coastal Carolina and McCall cut the deficit down to just three points and then took the lead for the first time in the game just before halftime. The only issue was, Coastal Carolina’s defense just couldn’t halt the Pirates’ offense as they went on to score two more times before heading back to the locker room at the half making it 24-14.
Photo by Christian Koelle / fi360 News
The second half would get interesting quickly as East Carolina would throw up a touchdown on their first-half drive, stretching ECU’s lead to 17 points with a 31-14 lead. Coastal Carolina would make some noise including a two-point conversion after Chanticleers player Jameson Tucker blocked a punt putting it in the hands of the team with time left remaining on the clock. After the two-point conversion, the score sat at 45-29 but that would be the final point CCU would put on the board.
Photo by Christian Koelle / fi360 News
East Carolina Senior Holton Ahlers was awarded the 2022 Fred Sington TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl’s Most Valuable Player trophy, a miniature version of the actual Bowl trophy. The award comes as no surprise as he threw for 300 yards, and five touchdowns, setting a Birmingham Bowl record for passing touchdowns as well as being responsible for those touchdowns. The Greenville, North Carolina native has five seasons at ECU under his belt with this season being his most successful. The 2022 TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl is Ahlers’ first bowl victory in his Bowl debut.
Photo by Christian Koelle / fi360 News
The victory for East Carolina is the retribution for their last Bowl appearance from the 2015 Birmingham Bowl where they narrowly lost to the Florida Gators, 28-20. It’s also retribution after the 2021 Military Bowl was canceled due to COVID-19. They had been selected to play Boston College.
Memphis Tigers Head Coach Ryan Silverfield and his team celebrateswinning the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl on December 27, 2022 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, TX. (Jeff Dahlia/fi360news)
Dallas, TX- Tuesday’s First Responder Bowl was a battle of two 6-6 teams with different routes to their .500 bowl-eligible year. It was the eighth meeting all-time between the two schools, but it was their first tussle in 45 years. It was also back-to-back games for the Memphis Tigers at Gerald J Ford Stadium coming off their season-ending loss to the SMU Mustangs thirty-one days ago. It was a season for Memphis where four of their six losses came by one score (and loss by ten at ranked Tulane). It was a brutal end for Utah State to a turnaround season, starting 1-4 and making a bowl game by winning five of their last seven.
Memphis Tigers receiver Eddie Lewis (18) advances a pass from quarterback Seth Henigan (not shown) during the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl on December 27, 2022 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, TX. (Jeff Dahlia/fi360 News)
“To go from 1-4 to 6-6 takes a lot of grit. There was a level in there in the middle of the season where there was a lot there,” Aggies head coach Blake Anderson said.
Both teams traded opening possessions where they picked up two first downs and punted, followed by going three-and-out each. Then on the Tigers’ third possession, they moved the ball down the field thanks to an eighteen-yard run by Gabriel Rogers and a twenty-eight-yard pass from Denton, Texas native Seth Henigan to Eddie Lewis, setting Memphis up in the red zone. However, Utah State’s defense was stout inside the ten and forced the Tigers to settle for a twenty-eight-yard Chris Howard field goal, marking the only points in Tuesday’s opening quarter. Utah State moved the ball at the end of the quarter but stalled shallowly in Memphis territory. As a result, the Aggies had to settle on a career-long 53-yard field goal by Connor Coles to even the game up at three early in the second.
Utah State backup quarterback Levi Williams makes a pass during the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl on December 27, 2022 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, TX. (Jeff Dahlia/fi360 News)
Following the Utah State score, Memphis marched down the field for seventy-two yards on eight plays (five of which were ten yards to more) that capped off on an Eddie Lewis receiving score from Henigan. The last two plays of the drive went for 27 yards in Utah State territory, breaking the barrier where both teams combined for 35 yards in the first 17 plays on the opponent side of the field. The Lewis catch put the Tigers up 10-3. After the Aggies were denied a fourth down conversion at midfield, the Tigers returned to work.
“Regardless of if I was over there or not, I take a lot of responsibility to help the guys out,” Utah State linebacker AJ Vongphachanh told me when I asked what he took away from Tuesday’s game. “I felt that I could have done more, put myself in [a] better position,” I have to see where I can get better and improve on.”
Memphis Tigers receiver Roc Taylor (3) advances a pass from quarterback Seth Henigan (not shown) during the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl on December 27, 2022 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, TX. (Jeff Dahlia/fi360 News)
Memphis went on a five-play and fifty-yard drive ending on another Henigan to Lewis touchdown combination (twenty-two yards for the second score). Utah State followed by going three-and-out punting back to the Tigers at midfield, where Memphis thanked the Aggies on another touchdown drive to close the half. Caden Prieskorn caught a quick slant for the third Tigers touchdown of the second quarter. The Denton Ryan alum, Seth Henigan, had 217 yards, fifteen completions, and three touchdowns at halftime, where Memphis outlasted Utah State 24-3, dominating the second quarter (Memphis outgained Utah State 179-36 in the second).
“We got our legs back underneath us,” Silverfield told me. “With a month of downtime, there’s no way to prepare for [Utah State’s] high-tempo offense. Even our offensive line was like, man, it feels good to hit again. I think we finally settled down [and] we’re playing football at a great pace. That helped us [and] everybody took a deep breath. But that second quarter was the sticking point for us to be able to get over the hump and give us a chance to win the game.”
Utah State took the opening second-half kickoff, trying to shift the momentum. Still, after the Aggies picked up one first down, quarterback Cooper Legas turned it over on a double-covered interception by Sylvonta Oliver at midfield.
Memphis Tigers cornerback Davion Ross (1) makes a hand tackle on Utah State receiver Terrell Vaughn (0) during the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl on December 27, 2022 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, TX. (Jeff Dahlia/fi360 News)
“We knew that their offense was a fast-tempo team, so we practiced tempo a lot.” Tigers’ defensive back Quindell Johnson said how the Memphis defense handled Utah State’s high-power offense. “We came out and did a great job sticking with the game plan. We came out with a great attitude.”
However, Memphis couldn’t move the ball after the turnover and went three-and-out for the first time since their second possession. On the next Tigers’ chance, the drive ended with Utah State’s first takeaway over the afternoon as Henigan fumbled on the Daniel Grzesiak sack and recovered by the Fort Worth native Byron Vaughns. Unfortunately for the Aggies, they couldn’t convert the turnover into points and punted themselves on the following possession.
“They did what we thought they would do,” Utah State running back Calvin Tyler Jr. told me why Memphis’ defense was successful today. “They started twisting in the second half. We knew they would be physical. We just have to execute. They were a better team today. We knew they would be tough. Things happened, and they didn’t go our way.”
Utah State showed a little life on their first possession of the fourth. Spring, Texas native Bishop Davenport nearly threw a pick six, but the pass deflected to Terrell Vaughn for a first down, followed by a forty-four-yard touchdown pass to Brian Cobbs. It was a drive that went 92 yards on five plays for a team with 154 yards on 47 plays before the drive began. Davenport entered the game late in the third for Legas and completed his first five passes for sixty-nine yards and a touchdown. Utah State tried an onside kick after the touchdown, but Memphis pounced on it.
Memphis Tigers running back Jevyon Ducker (8) scores on a 48-yard touchdown run during the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl on December 27, 2022 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, TX. (Jeff Dahlia/fi360 News)
The Tigers capped off the day with two Jevyon Ducker touchdowns to seal the fate of Utah State, with Memphis routing the Aggies 38-10. Ducker finished the day with thirteen carries, eighty-three yards, and two touchdowns.
“All of our offensive skill players played well today,” Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan said. “Whatever team wanted it more was going to win the game. We had a bunch of players make plays.”
Memphis snapped a three-game losing streak in the Dallas Fort Worth area with their win Tuesday (they lost the Cotton Bowl in 2019 to Penn State and went 0-2 at SMU). Meanwhile, Utah State finished below .500 in an entire twelve/thirteen-game season since 2017.
Air Force running back John Lee Eldridge (24) avoids being tackled by Baylor linebacker Dillon Doyle (5) during the third quarter at the 2022 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 22, 2022 (Jeff Dahlia/fi360 News)
Dallas, TX- An arctic blast of air didn’t stop the Air Force Falcons from euphoria during Wednesday’s Armed Forces Bowl against Baylor. Temperatures were at a record low of 13 degrees, with wind chills dipping to -3. Wednesday broke the previous bowl record set back in 2004 when Cincinnati and Marshall played at a 28-degree game-time temperature with a wind chill of 15. It set up Air Force’s main attack, their running game against a Baylor defense that averages under 138 yards rushing allowed a game during the season (45th in FBS).
Falcons quarterback Haaziq Daniels (4) is presented as the most valuable player after he helped lead Air Force past Baylor 30-15 at the 2022 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 22, 2022 (Jeff Dahlia/fi360 news)
Wednesday’s matchup with the fourth meeting among the schools, but it was the first since 1977. In those three previous meetings, Air Force scored a combined 17 points, outscored 79-17 to the Baylor Bears. The Armed Forces Bowl was the complete opposite of their previous history. “It was cold, “Air Force quarterback Hazziq Daniels said on the conditions. “My hands were freezing, but the staff did a good job of making sure we had coats on the sideline and we had those heaters on the sides. It helped, but it was cold regardless.” “It wasn’t that bad,” Air Force safety Jayden Goodwin said. “Every day walking to class, it’s cold as that, even colder. I’m used to it at this point, but I don’t think [Baylor] was.”
The Falcons dominated the first quarter. First, they won the coin toss, extending a streak where the team that won the toss won the game (for eight consecutive years). Then on their opening possession, Air Force went fifteen plays and fifty-five yards in eight and a half minutes of ball control. The drive ended on a two-yard touchdown run by Brad Roberts, where Baylor blocked the extra point. Falcons quarterback Hazziq Daniels threw twice on the drive, which converted a third down and fourth down. “[Daniels] is a good player, and he’s athletic,” Baylor senior Dillon Doyle said. “He can make all the throws and make all the runs. [I’m] disappointed in the way that we played as defensive players, and mainly that starts with me.” After another Baylor three-and-out, Air Force drove to the Baylor twenty-yard line, where the drive stalled, resulting in a Matthew Dapore field goal as the Falcons ended the first quarter out, gaining the Bears 98-29 and leading 9-0.
Baylor wide receiver Hal Presley (16) scores a touchdown after catching a pass from quarterback Blake Shapen (not shown) during the second quarter at the 2022 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 22, 2022 (Jeff Dahlia/fi360 news)
Baylor put together back-to-back drives equating to fifty-four yards. However, Baylor came up empty both times, with the drives ending with a punt near midfield and a missed thirty-eight-yard field goal by John Mayers (the kick was short and wide left), as the twenty-mile-per-hour winds weren’t doing the Bears any favors. “I was disappointed on a whole, offensively,” Baylor head coach Dave Aranda said after the game. “In previous games, there was more juice and excitement. I was way disappointed in the lack of that. I think it really starts with the run game. I could see Blake (Shapen) pressing, and there was a lot to improve on.”
After an Air Force drive that chewed up six and a half minutes and twenty-seven yards, Baylor took the field and managed the clock perfectly. Baylor went six plays and forty-seven yards in ninety-five seconds, ending with a Hal Pressley touchdown catch from Blake Shapen. It cut the Air Force lead to 9-7 at halftime.
Air Force running back Brad Roberts (20) dives through the hole created by the offensive line against Baylor in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Ft. Worth, Texas on Thursday December 22, 2022. Air Force won by a score of 30 to 15. (Photo by Laura Domingue/fi360 News)
Coming out of the break, it was a sixty-eight-yard pass from Daniels to Amari Terry to set up a two-yard score from Hazziq, putting the Falcons up 16-7 three minutes into the third quarter. “I thought (Haaziq Daniels) threw some strikes,” Air Force coach Troy Calhoun said. “The throw and touch he had on the touchdown. It never hurts that you can go four, that is something we are committed to doing, and defensively we embraced some of our versatility in things we are doing.” The sixty-eight-yard completion to Terry broke the Armed Forces Bowl record set by Navy in 2016 (Zach Abey to Darryl Bonner). Later in the quarter, it was a fifteen-yard touchdown pass to Caleb Rillos to extend the lead to 23-7. In the third quarter, Air Force outgained Baylor 165-13 in the quarter despite Baylor gaining good field position due to an eleven-yard punt setting them up in Falcons territory. The fourth quarter started the same way with five straight Brad Roberts runs, equaling a two-yard score to push the lead to 30-7. Baylor put together a scoring drive late with three completions totaling eighty-five yards (57 to Jaylen Ellis, 14 to Kelsey Johnson, and the touchdown catch by Gavin Holmes for 14 yards). Blake Shapen dove for the two-point conversion to cut the Falcons’ lead to 30-15. “The game was out of reach, and we were still out there fighting for a yard. We were able to come off the field excited, and that speaks for these guys,” Dave Aranda said on his Baylor team fighting until the end. However, Air Force ran down the clock for most of the three and a half minutes remaining and hoisted the Armed Forces Bowl victory.
Air Force running back John Lee Eldridge III (24) is pursued by Baylor linebacker Garmon Randolph (55) in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Ft. Worth, Texas on Thursday December 22, 2022. Air Force won by a score of 30 to 15. (Photo by Laura Domingue/fi360 News)
Air Force’s 276 rushing yards were the most allowed by Baylor all season, surpassing November 5th’s win over Oklahoma, where the Sooners ran for 238 yards. Brad Roberts’ 37 rushing attempts also broke an Armed Forces Bowl record for carries, surpassing another Air Force alum, Jared Tew, in 2008 against Houston. Baylor also went 0 for 11 on third downs despite converting 3 for 6 on fourth downs. Air Force has now won ten or more games in three straight full seasons (2020 was a shortened schedule). Meanwhile, Baylor ends the year 6-7, coming off a Big 12 championship and a twelve-win season a year ago.
