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.
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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.
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“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.
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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.”
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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.
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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.”
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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.
Seattle, WA – Facing another opponent coming in on the second night of a back-to-back, the Seattle Kraken jumped all over the St. Louis Blues in blowout fashion. The Kraken were able to explode for three goals in the second period, while active and alert defensive play stymied a St. Louis team with firepower up and down the lineup. The past two wins have been assertive statements by Seattle that when they play their game, they’re not only exciting but also legitimately tough to beat. Seattle has a chance to head into the Christmas break on a three-game win streak, before closing out the calendar year with some key divisional matchups.
Deep into the first period, Seattle was able to catch the Blues in a change as Adam Larsson’s stretch pass threaded the needle through three skaters to Ryan Donato for a filthy goal. The Kraken rode the momentum from that goal, and their alert, active play style into an electric second period. Seattle upgraded their pace from a strong hum into a chorus of offensive mastery, having their way with St. Louis in the offensive zone. Blues goaltender Thomas Greiss was pelted with 16 shots, as Seattle scored three of those all in their own unique style. None of the top three Kraken scorers found the back of the net in this one, displaying the depth of Seattle’s attack. Ryan Donato discussed how the team’s momentum carried throughout the game.
“It’s cliche to say, but we played simple. Against a good team like that, you can’t give them too much. I think that for us, keeping that simple mindset, getting pucks from the defensemen to the net, holding onto pucks, it was definitely a benefit for us tonight. If we do that right things, we’re gonna get chances. When the chances don’t come as often, you try different things. Really, you should just bear down and do the simple things, and it’ll turn in your favor,” Donato remarked.
Halfway through the second frame, all Kraken defensemen Carson Soucy had to do was poke his stick out, redirecting a blocked shot by Will Borgen to double Seattle’s lead. Seven minutes later, Daniel Sprong decided he wanted to get in on the fun as he trailed the play perfectly, catching the Blues off guard. Morgan Geekie saw the Dutch forward flying ahead, found him in stride for Sprong to deke out Greiss to make it a three-goal lead. With their offense humming, leading goal scorer Jared McCann took his turn in the line as he collected his own rebound, that he then banked off Greiss’ pad into the goal. 10 minutes, three goals as the Kraken had St. Louis’ heads spinning.
The trend of Seattle’s stellar goaltending continued, as Martin Jones returned to solid form in this contest. In his first start since December 11th, Jones was rock solid from the opening faceoff, seeing the puck clearly and remaining calm the whole 60 minutes. The highlight of the night being his triple save on a Blues power play, Jones looked locked in just as he did in his past start after a string of ugly outings prior. The two goals that St. Louis scored in the third period were a case of Seattle getting too loose and getting away from their defensively active selves early on. In those instances, the Kraken left Blues skaters with plenty of room to operate twice. Outside of those two mistakes, Seattle locked down this previously high-flying Blues team and never allowed them to hit the ground running. Kraken goaltender Martin Jones discussed the win, postgame.
“We didn’t give them a lot of time and space, I thought we checked well all over the ice. They had a little push in the third, but I thought that up until then we didn’t give them a chance to get any momentum. We really smothered them,” Jones stated.
The Kraken will play one more game before the Christmas break, and like the last two games Seattle has played, it’s against a team that they haven’t beaten before. Seattle heads up North to Vancouver for a contest against the Canucks on Thursday, December 22nd with a 7PM PST puck drop. The Canucks have been thumped in their past two games, both times by a score of 5-1 and both times those respective teams headed down to play Seattle.
Seattle, WA – To begin a quick two game homestand ahead of the Christmas break, the Seattle Kraken were able to overcome two opening goals by the visiting Winnipeg Jets. Seattle emerged victorious by the same score from the last two times these teams met, back on November 18th. A late penalty cost the Kraken that game, and while Seattle did see two penalties result in goals for the Jets, the home team buckled down to score three unanswered goals. Timely saves by Philipp Grubauer locked down the Seattle net outside of Winnipeg’s power play goals, and the Kraken secured two points.
A reoccurring issue for this Kraken team has been trying to stay out of the penalty box. It’s clear that Seattle has issues on the penalty kill, their PK unit ranking third worst in the entire NHL, but it also doesn’t help that the Kraken cannot stay out of the box in the first place. Seattle had offensive flow to start the game, but it all came to a halt when two quick penalties by the Kraken starting defensemen pair both found wound up in the box. Winnipeg scored just four ticks into the five on three power play to wash away all Seattle momentum. In the second period, Will Borgen’s “holding the stick” penalty allowed the Jets to score 25 seconds into their power play on a rebound that wasn’t cleared. Despite these early troubles, the Kraken did not hang their heads but instead remained resilient. Seattle head coach Dave Hakstol discussed his team’s fight in the win.
“It’s the type of game where you have to stay with it, stay patient. We got a little impatient a couple times in the second period and gave up a couple outnumbered rushes, but there wasn’t a lot of that and in the third there was none. We stayed with it, scored a couple determined goals and came out with the win,” Hakstol reflected.
To continue the theme of resilience, Seattle’s offensive attack was able to keep itself locked into the game despite those two power play goals from Winnipeg squashing big Kraken attacking momentum. Seattle was finding passing lanes and starting a flow against a Jets team that was tired from playing in the second game of a back-to-back, and it was almost all negated by Winnipeg. The Kraken were able to finally break through a little over halfway through the second period thanks to a back-handed bar down goal from alternate captain Jordan Eberle. The highlight reel goal sparked Seattle’s attack, as the Kraken scored the next two goals of the game to take a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. The two Seattle skaters that scored both talked about Eberle’s goal postgame.
“That is vintage Jordan Eberle, that’s what I grew up watching. Thats gonna make him sound a little older than he is but he’s been a leader for our team from the beginning, a guy that we rely on a lot and it’s good to see him score,” Jared McCann stated.
“It was disgusting. I always joke with him about his backhander, but after that it’s hard to give him a hard time about it. It was a pretty nice backhand for sure,” Ryan Donato reflected.
The Kraken will get a day of practice following this win, before they get back to action as they host the St. Louis Blues. The two teams will have a rematch of their mid-October contest, battling it out on Tuesday, December 20th with a puck drop of 7PM PST. The Blues will enter Climate Pledge Arena on the second game of a back-to-back, potentially bringing a four-game winning streak into Seattle if St. Louis leaves Vancouver victorious.
New Mexico- BYU took the win over SMU in the New Mexico Bowl 24 – 23 by stopping a 2 point conversion with only 8 seconds left in the game. SMU’s 2 point conversion attempt was a winner takes all situation but SMU’s Tanner Mordicai came up just shy of the goal line when he was tackled by BYU’s Jakob Robinson. This tackle decided who came away as the New Mexico Bowl winners. At the end of the game BYU head coach Kalani Sitake stated “I’m happy for our guys. Nothing warms your heart like a win.”
Mordicai stopped just shy of the goal line by Robinson (Photo by Jason Strother / fi360 News)
BYU’s Sol-Jay Maiava-Peters led the offense to 256 total yards, 209 rushing and 47 passing in his first career start. Sol-Jay Maiava-Peters scored BYU’s first touchdown of the game, followed up by Ben Bywater’s interception which was returned for BYU’s 2nd touchdown. Christopher Brooks put more points on the board with BYU’s 3rd and final touchdown of the game. Jake Oldroyd kicked 3 successful point afters and 1 successful field goal at 31 yards.
BYU Sol-Jay Maiava-Peters scrambles downfield gaining yards (Photo by Jason Strother / fi360news)
Tanner Mordecai led the SMU’s offense to 389 total yards, 171 rushing and 218 passing. Roderick Daniels Jr scored SMU’s first touchdown of the game, Tyler Lavine ran the ball from the 3 yard line for SMU’s second touchdown, and Jordan Kerley had an amazing touchdown catch with 8 seconds left in the game which brought SMU within 1 points of BYU. Collin Rogers kicked 1 field goal at 35 yards and 2 point after goals.
SMU Tanner Mordecai hands the ball off to Tyler Lavine (Photo by Jason Strother / fi360news)
BYU finished the season with a 8-5 season and SMU with a 7-6 season. Both teams are looking forward to next season but BYU will be joining the Big12 conference which will surely produce an exciting season for them.
SMU Jordan Kerley makes the endzone catch for 6 bringing SMU within 1 point of BYU (Photo by Jason Strother / fi360news)
Frisco Bowl 2022 North Texas vs Boise St (Photo by Jeff Dahlia / fi360 News)
On Saturday night’s Frisco Bowl, the North Texas Mean Green and the Boise State Broncos renewed a minor rivalry between 1994 to 2000, where the teams met five times in their six-contest history. Tensions boiled throughout the game, creating a rivalry feeling as the Broncos tried to finish the season strong after a disappointing loss in the Mountain West conference finals against Fresno State.
Taylen Green goes in for a touchdown during the Frisco Bowl 2022 North Texas vs Boise St (Photo by Jeff Dahlia / fi360 News)
Meanwhile, North Texas came off firing their head coach Seth Littrell thirteen days before Saturday’s game, where interim coach Phil Bennett took over duties. “We’re going to try to finish this season as a team,” Bennett said on Friday before the game. “[The players] are the ones that got us here. It’s a player’s game, and coaches are just fortunate enough to be involved in it.” The night started sluggishly for both teams on the offensive side, but halftime adjustments turned a defensive juggernaut battle into a track meet between Boise State and North Texas.
Frisco Bowl 2022 North Texas vs Boise St (Photo by Jeff Dahlia / fi360 News)
In the end, Boise State’s two takeaways and their Frisco Bowl record rushing attack became too much to overcome for the Mean Green. “Don’t stress, just be comfortable,” offensive MVP Taylen Green said after the game in the 235-yard second-half rushing attack by the Broncos. “We were beating ourselves up. We had holding [and] false starts. We were pressing too much.” Green finished the night 13 for 22 for 137 yards and a touchdown pass but ran for 119 yards on 12 carries. Ashton Jeanty was the leading rusher with 178 yards on 28 carries with a touchdown.
It was a brisk start to the game for North Texas. After a pass interference penalty on the first play, the Mean Green took a third-down forty-yard shot from quarterback Austin Aune to Damon Ward. The Mean Green had to settle for a field goal to go up 3-0 early. Boise State’s next possession took twelve plays and forty-three yards, but the Broncos turned it over on downs at the Mean Green twenty-nine, coming up empty on a six-minute drive. After both teams punted, Aune threw a linebacker-seeking interception to Ezekiel Noa in the Mean Green redzone.
Frisco Bowl 2022 North Texas vs Boise St (Photo by Jeff Dahlia / fi360 News)
The Broncos almost turned it back to North Texas, but a defensive pass interference call on Quinn Whitlock negated the red zone takeaway for the Mean Green. Boise State settled for a Jonas Dalmas field goal to even the game up at 3. “I thought we were ready to play,” Bennet told me when I asked about the defense in the first half. “I thought both sides were [but] I thought we wasted a couple of possessions in the second quarter. I thought Mike and I talked about it. He had a plan, and I thought we got better at that. I thought we were ready to play, and I think it showed.”
North Texas immediately answered with a 75-yard strike from Aune to Jordan Smart to set up the Mean Green inside the Boise State 15-yard line. The drive capped off with Ikaika Ragsdale’s one-yard touchdown run to put the Mean Green up 10-3 over the Broncos halfway in the second quarter. On the next drive, the Broncos drove to the Mean Green 25 on two completions equaling fifty yards (Green had two completions for two yards before those two completions). However, Boise State’s drive stalled again and settled for another Dalmas field goal, cutting the Mean Green lead to 10-6 at halftime.
Frisco Bowl 2022 North Texas vs Boise St (Photo by Jeff Dahlia / fi360 News)
To start the second half, Boise State galloped out of the gate, which became an understatement on an offensive showcase third quarter. The first three runs went for 73 yards (Boise State had 133 yards at halftime). The drive capped off with Green’s three-yard keeper for the score. The Broncos went for two on a Connor Riddle pass to Mason Hutton to successfully complete the try putting Boise State up 14-10 early in the third. North Texas answered the Broncos’ touchdown with a seventeen-yard pass from Stone Earle to Jake Roberts. Earle faked the run, which left Roberts open for the score putting the Mean Green back up 17-14.
Boise State answered with four plays of fifteen or more yards on their next possession resulting in a Green pass to Eric McAlister, putting the Broncos back up 21-17. However, North Texas stormed back on their next possession with a Jyaire Shorter 30-yard touchdown catch and took the fourth lead change of the quarter (24-21 North Texas). Boise State capped off the quarter with another Green touchdown run that went nineteen yards. The Broncos lead 28-24 after three quarters in a period featuring 392 yards, 36 points, five lead changes, and 238 rushing yards combined.
Frisco Bowl 2022 North Texas vs Boise St (Photo by Jeff Dahlia / fi360 News)
“We knew that we could do better at halftime,” Boise State coach Andy Avalos said about the third-quarter outburst. “We identified some formations; our offensive staff identified some formation where we can keep leverage on the fronts we were getting,” coach Avalos said on the second-half adjustments. “We were able to put Taylen in some positions to take advantage of the space on the perimeter, whether it was with his legs or with his arm.”
Aune underthrew his intended target deep, and Boise State’s Jaylen Clark intercepted him. Boise State capped the drive with a fourth down goal line run by Jeanty to extend Boise State’s lead to 35-24, the largest lead of the night by either side. However, North Texas didn’t panic on their next drive. They went ninety yards on eleven plays capping off on Ragsdale’s touchdown run (Aune with a two-point conversion run) to cut the Broncos’ lead to 35-32. Ragsdale finished the night with 94 yards on 21 carries, along with Aune’s 238 passing yards and 53 completion percentage (17 for 32). “We came ready to play and we played North Texas football,” Mean Green tight end Jake Roberts said after the game in the team’s resiliency. “I leave the field knowing I gave it everything I had and I’m sure the rest of the team does too.”
Frisco Bowl 2022 North Texas vs Boise St (Photo by Jeff Dahlia / fi360 News)
North Texas had two chances late with zero yards on their final two possessions deep in their own territory, sealing the win for Boise State. “We walk about it all year, be resilient [and] staying in the fight on the defensive side,” defensive MVP Ezekiel Noa told me on the final two drives defensively for Boise State. “No matter what the situation is going on, good or bad, we always got to stay neutral. For us to keep playing our game on the defensive side because we know when we do that, we can be unstoppable.”
Taylen Green becomes the first Freshman in Frisco Bowl history to win offensive MVP, and the three-point win for Boise State is the smallest margin of victory in bowl history. Boise State overtakes North Texas in all-time contests 4-3 with their victory on Saturday.
Taylen Green back to pass during the Frisco Bowl 2022 North Texas vs Boise St (Photo by Jeff Dahlia / fi360 News)
