Indianapolis, IN- The new kings of college football is the Georgia Bulldogs defeating Alabama 33-18 at Lucas Oil Stadium for sweet revenge.
Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart celebrates following the CFP National Championship college football game against the Alabama Crimson Tide on Jan. 10, 2022 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. (Joe Robbins/Image of Sport)
Georgia quarterback Bennett started off the game little shaky retrieving his own unforced fumble on the opening series that resulted in a punt. He finished with two touchdowns and 224 yards completing 17-26 passes.
“I knew when I fumble the ball, I was not going to lose this game,” said Bennett “Everybody doing their job.”
On a free play due to Alabama jumping offside allowed Bennett throws a rocket to Adonai Mitchell for a 40-yard touchdown reception and regains the lead to never look back with 19-18 lead with 8:09 left in the game.
Alabama gave it one last shot down 26-18 and 1:09 left 3rd & 10 from the 44-yard line, Young was intercepted by Kelee Ringo #5 freshman who took it back for a touchdown. This pick six sealed the victory for Georgia and Smart.
Zamir White the Jr running back scored the team first touchdown of the game which could be seen as the door that was kicked open for more. Georgia took 13-9 lead late in the 3rd quarter.
Both defenses kept bending but also added just enough resistance to keep each other out the endzone. The first three scores in the game were all field goals with Alabama holding 6-3 lead in the 2nd quarter.
“No 2 defense in the Red Zone all year,” said Smart “We going to stop in the Red Zone that can’t run it, they would have to throw it.”
Young finally made a big play hitting tight end Cameron Latu on a 61-yard completion bomb to set up anther field goal with 9-3 lead.
Photo by Shawn Barney / MarinMedia
After forcing the running game, Bennett connected on play action pass to receiver George Pickens for 52 yards and the game longest play from scrimmage. In the 1st quarter for Georgia.
Young had a tough time trying to fend off the Georgia pressure and waiting for one of his young receivers to step up when the lights were bright.
Coming into the game Alabama was without receiver John Metchie #8 and lost Jameson Williams #1 left the game earlier with an injury. Young was waiting for anybody to step up for him, tight end Latu caught his lone touchdown.
Georgia defense stepped up keeping after Alabama all night, keeping them out of the end zone and only allowing 4 field goals in the first half was enough for a victory.
Photo by Shawn Barney / MarinMedia
The Georgia Bulldogs with take the CFP Championship back to Georgia!
Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Jameson Williams (1) celebrate with the Cotton Bowl Trophy in an NCAA college football game against Cincinnati Bearcats in Arlington, Texas, Saturday, Dec, 31, 2021. (Mario Terrana/Image of Sport)
Indianapolis, IN – It all comes down to one game for the trophy at Lucas Oil Stadium for the College Football National Championship 2022. The SEC is under the bright lights feature No 3 Georgia Bulldogs vs No 1 Alabama Tide for the crown.
These two teams faced off in the SEC Championship with Alabama defeating Georgia 41-24 which allowed Nick Saban the opportunity to win his 8th National Championship in 13 years.
Georgia bounced back taking down Michigan Wolverines 34-11 in the semi-final played in the Orange Bowl. Quarterback Stetson Bennett took the lead throwing 3 touchdowns for 313 yards on 20/30 competitions.
“The goal was to have a successful program,” said Smart “And the state of Georgia and the high school coaches and the support you get in the state of Georgia for football.”
The Bulldogs defense stepped up keeping Michigan to only 328 yards of total offense with less then 100 yards rushing. The Dawgs led by defensive lineman Jordan Davis who will be playing on Sundays soon.
Alabama Crimson Tide defensive players DJ Dale (94), Byron Young (47), and Will Anderson Jr. (31) celebrate a play in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Cincinnati in Arlington, Texas, Saturday, Dec, 31, 2021. (Mario Terrana/Image of Sport)
CFP National Championship history shows that Saban record is 25-1 verses his formal assistants. Georgia coach Kirby Smart who once was on his staff goes after the chance to beat his mentor. In Smart last four meetings vs Saban has not be favorable yet.
Saban now has 20 coaches that are head coaches today which shows how strong he builds his programs and develops great players and coaches.
” I think my definition of a successful season would be that every player in the organization, every player on the team would actually maximize his full potential,” said Saban “I think the biggest challenge in playing Georgia, they have, one, a tremendous front seven.”
Alabama 2021 Heisman Trophy quarterback Bryce Young from California will have to opportunity to use his arm against a weaker secondary of Georgia.
Coming here, I understood the rich quarterback history,” said Young, “It’s all for all of us, it’s all about — it’s all about the game on Monday.”
A championship for Young would be a great way to cap off a history making season as a starter. In the Cotton Bowl he threw 3 touchdowns to advance to big dance.
After midnight on Monday college football will crown its 2022 champion will it be Alabama or Georgia? Most don’t care they just want to see a good game and not a blow out, Let the Best team WIN!
Texas Bowl 2022 (Photo by Mollie Mayfield fi360 News)
HOUSTON, TX — Skylar Thompson threw touchdowns as Kansas State defeated a depleted LSU 42-20 at NRG Stadium in the 2022 Texas Bowl Tuesday night.
Photo by Mollie Mayfield / fi360 News
The Wildcats came in at full strength and never looked back after taking an early lead on a Thompson passing touchdown to Malik Knowles in the first. Playing his final game, Thompson thrived in high-pressure situations. The senior started 7-7 on third down passing attempts, and tossed two early touchdown passes.
Thompson, who was named game MVP, was quick to credit his teammates after the win.
“I wouldn’t be standing here without our offensive line. Our receivers, tight ends all made plays,” Thompson said. “I love this team, I love this university- I’m a Wildcat through and through- I’ll be a Wildcat the rest of my life.
LSU entered the game as seven-point underdogs—but that might have been generous in hindsight. Due to injuries, positive COVID tests, player opt outs, and a slew of transfers, Tigers entered the matchup with just 38 scholarship players available — none which were quarterbacks. Normally, FBS schools dress 55 to 70 such players.
Photo by Mollie Mayfield / fi360 News
Freshman quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, likely LSU’s starter next season, would’ve burned his redshirt season if he played in Tuesday’s game, so wide receiver Jontre Kirklin made his first career start under center.
Kansas State took advantage and dominated time of possession in the game- holding the ball nearly 12 of 15 first quarter minutes- and extended that as the game progressed. It also recorded an 18-play, 9-minute drive in the second quarter- which set a bowl record. This put pressure on Kirklin and the LSU offense to attempt lower-percentage plays in hopes of putting any points on the board.
“Skylar Thompson is pretty special,” head coach Chris Klieman said postgame. “I absolutely love that young man. This senior class has been phenomenal. We finished (this season) out the way we wanted to.”
Photo by Mollie Mayfield / fi360 News
Running back Deuce Vaughan scored four total touchdowns- three on the ground and one through the air- to set a Kansas State bowl record.
The win marks Kansas State’s second in the Texas Bowl- which was cancelled due to COVID-19 last year- and first since 2016. The Wildcats also appeared in the first ever iteration of the game in 2006- a loss for Rutgers
As for next year, Brian Kelly takes over as head coach of LSU with the Tigers’ next game. The loss sent the Tigers to a 6-7 record for the first time since 1999- the year before the program hired Nick Saban. Kelly was in attendance for Tuesday’s game and was interviewed on the ESPN broadcast in the second quarter- awkwardly, while Kirklin threw an interception.
Texas Bowl 2022 (Photo by Mollie Mayfield / fi360 News)
There are high hopes and an immediate expectation to win for Kelly- who inherits a program that just two seasons prior went 15-0 with a College Football Playoff National Championship in 2020.
The barebones roster and disappointing result reflects the nature of the rebuild Kelly is taking on, but for Kansas State- the bowl win represents the positive trend of the program under Kleimann.
Photo by Mollie Mayfield / fi360 News
LSU opens its season against Florida State on Sep. 4 in New Orleans, while Kansas State gets things going in 2022 against South Dakota.
PASADENA, CA -JANAUARY 01: Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) and Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Tommy Eichenberg (35) and Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) hold the trophy afterThe Rose Bowl college football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Utah Utes on January 01, 2022, at The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360news)
Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud led the Buckeyes down the field to Utah’s 2-yard line with just under two minutes left in the game.
PASADENA, CA -JANAUARY 01: Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) during The Rose Bowl college football game. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360news)
Noah Ruggles kicked the game-winning field with nine seconds left to give No. 6 Ohio State a 48-45 win over No. 11 Utah on Saturday in the 108th edition of the Rose Bowl.
The Buckeyes offense put on a show with a Rose Bowl record 683 total yards. Stroud’s 573 yards passing are a school record and he also threw a record-tying six touchdown passes.
“Every game I go out there, I try to do my best and make sure I prepare the right way and do the right things because you never know what can happen in the game,” Stroud said. “My job is to lead the team, lead our offense, and I’ve got to watch; I have to do everything I need to do to lead our offense on the field.”
PASADENA, CA -JANAUARY 01: Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) catches the ball during The Rose Bowl. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360news)
Ohio State wide receiver Jaxson Smith-Njigba set a bowl game record with 347 receiving yards and caught a school record 15 passes with three touchdowns.
“Got to give thanks to Coach and C.J., of course, for giving me opportunities,” Smith-Njigba said. “I just try to take in every moment every time the ball’s in the air. I feel like I did that today.”
After forcing Ohio State to go three and out on its opening possession, Rising hit Britain Covey for a 19-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead. Utah took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter when Rising connected with Long Beach native Micah Bernard on a 12-yard touchdown. Bernard was able to keep one foot in bounds for the score.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) catches the ball during The Rose Bowl.(Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360news)
Ohio State marched down the field with a 10-play, 76-yard drive that was capped by a Stroud 25-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Harrison Jr. on fourth and one. Utah responded with a 6-yard touchdown run by Tavion Thomas to extend the lead 21-7 in the second quarter.
Stroud started to heat up after he hit Smith-Njigba in stride down the left sideline for a 50-yard touchdown to cut the lead 21-14. Covey returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for the score and gave Utah a two-touchdown lead with 8:17 left in the second quarter.
Stroud comes back and throws a dime to Smith-Njigba, who outruns the defense for a 52-yard touchdown. Ohio State trailed 28-21. Not to be out done, Rising keeps the ball on fourth and one, breaks a couple tackles on his way to a 62-yard touchdown run.
Utah Utes running back Micah Bernard (2) catches the ball and Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Tyreke Smith (11) during The Rose Bowl. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360news)
Utah went into halftime with a 35-21 lead. Utah’s 35 points are tied for the most ever scored in the first half of a Rose Bowl. It’s the highest-scoring first half in the game’s history.
Ohio State was driving down the field when Stroud was intercepted in the end zone by Clark Phillips. On the following drive, Utah fumbled a fake punt and Ohio State recovered.
The Buckeyes scored two plays later when Stroud found Harrison Jr. in the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown. Ohio State trailed by a touchdown.
After trading field goals, the Utes took a 38-31 lead into the fourth quarter. Stroud tossed another touchdown pass to Harrison Jr. and the game was tied 38-38.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) catches the ball during The Rose Bowl college football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Utah Utes on January 01, 2022, at The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360news)
Smith-Njigba gave the Buckeyes its first lead of the game with his third touchdown catch of the night. Utah stormed back with backup quarterback Bryson Barnes who was in for an injured Rising.
Barnes led the Utes down the field and threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Kincaid to tie it 45-45 with 1:54 remaining in the game.
PASADENA, CA -JANAUARY 01: Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) and Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) celebrate in the end zone during The Rose Bowl college football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Utah Utes on January 01, 2022, at The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360news)
“I’m just very proud of the coaching staff, the players, and the leaders of this team for playing the way we did, especially in the second half, and winning this game,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said. “We were shorthanded, and there were some guys who weren’t here today. For us to respond the way we did at halftime and to come out and play in the second half says a lot about the character of this team to win this game.”
Seattle, WA – In the second meeting of their young rivalry, the Seattle Kraken would fall to the Vancouver Canucks by a score of five to two. Vancouver would score three of their five total goals off of Kraken turnovers, a bad habit that Seattle desperately needs to ditch as we enter the new year. As the losing streak continues for the Kraken, what captain Mark Giordano said after the loss to Calgary rings true again; Seattle continues to find new ways to lose hockey games.
A positive to note for Seattle in the loss would be that they were able to create two goals off of creating chaos in front of the opposing goaltender. On the two Kraken goals, scored by Will Borgen and Calle Jarnkrok, Seattle was able to obstruct Vancouver goaltender Thatcher Demko’s view perfectly. In Seattle’s case, creating goals like this will more than likely be a necessity as their lack of consistent goal scorers is clear in addition to playing in a division with great goaltenders, including Demko of the Canucks. Head coach Dave Hakstol spoke on the screen in front of goal by Ryan Donato on Will Borgen’s goal, which would be Borgen’s first in the NHL.
“The net front play is just a big piece of his game, he’s always there. He’s very competitive in getting to those areas, he had a couple good opportunities throughout the game,” Hakstol said. He spoke mostly of Donato, who had come off of the COVID list prior to this game.
The obvious negative would be the defensive lapses, and at this point in the season it just seems like it’s one of a few issues that the Kraken continue to make every game. This games defensive mistake for Seattle would be turnovers around the net. Outside of giving the puck up in the most crucial area defensively, the Seattle defensive men played pretty well with a few exceptions. With that being said, turning over the puck anywhere near your net is extremely dangerous and Vancouver took advantage of it three times. Both head coach Dave Hakstol and defenseman Adam Larsson had thoughts on the defensive issues in the January 1st contest.
When asked about allowing goals after Seattle had scored for the third straight game, Adam Larsson stated “Trust me, we’re trying not to get scored on. It’s a hard league, something we really need to figure out, it’s been an issue for us. We have talked about it; we expect the push. I don’t know, it’s frustrating but at the same time we have had some answers for those goals too. So, it goes both ways.”
Seattle head coach Dave Hakstol had a different thought on the turnovers and response goals that the Kraken committed, saying “I don’t think that was our issue tonight, obviously they got the fourth one tonight, but that’s pretty low down on our list on the defensive issues that I look at defensively.”
No matter what way you look at things, the Kraken have a litany of defensive issues. They have been present all season, in exception to a seven-game stretch that saw Seattle beat three of the top teams in the league as well as the Edmonton Oilers. A factor that would instantly change the defensively play would be better chemistry and or communication within this team. That will likely not be a reality until later in the season or even next year, which is common with an
expansion franchise. There are too many small mistakes that come with Seattle’s players not knowing each other well enough, and that is common in expansion teams.
The Kraken will look to break their losing streak in their next game, January 6th against the Ottawa Senators with a 7PM PST puck drop at Climate Pledge Arena.
Cincinnati entered the Cotton Bowl as the Cinderella story of College Football. It was a 2021 season where the Bearcats beat their oppositions by two scores or more in eleven of their thirteen victories. However, Friday’s Cotton Bowl against the Alabama Crimson Tide was a whole new beast on its own. “I’m extremely impressed,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said before Friday’s game regarding Cincinnati Luke Fickell and the Bearcats. “I’ve always had a lot of respect and admiration for Luke when he was a defensive coordinator. I think he’s done a fantastic job of building a program.” Meantime Alabama looked to build on an impressive and dominating victory in the SEC Championship game nearly four weeks ago against Georgia and make their eighth Championship game since 2011. But, in the end, the beast was too much for Cinderella. Alabama outlasted Cincinnati 27-6 to move on to the National Championship Game on January 10th.
They went down the field on both teams’ opening possession of the game. While Alabama capitalized on a Bryce Young pass to Slade Bolden for a touchdown, the Crimson Tide held Cincinnati to a field goal. After that, Alabama’s defense barred down, allowing only sixteen total yards of offense on the Bearcat’s next four drives to halftime. However, the Crimson Tide’s offense didn’t take their foot off the gas pedal. Alabama scored on three of their five first-half drives with a missed field goal in the mix, leading Cincinnati 17-3 at halftime.
The second half mirrored most of the first half. Alabama’s defense held Cincinnati in check. Meantime, the Crimson Tide’s running game shortened the game. Alabama’s defense held Cincinnati to 2 for 12 on third-down conversions and 218 yards of total offense (an offense averaging 429.6 yards a game). Brian Robertson Jr. set a career-high with 204 rushing yards on twenty-six carries as Alabama ran for 301 yards against a Cincinnati team averaging 137.5 rushing yards/game allowed. The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner, Bryce Young, threw the ball efficiently, completing 17 of 28 throws for all three Alabama touchdowns. He did throw an interception in the third quarter, but it led to another Cincinnati three-and-out. “I’m proud of our team and our players. They showed great competitive character out there in this game,” Nick Saban said after the game. “It was a tough game, and we knew it would be a tough game.
Senior Desmond Ridder couldn’t muster off momentum offensively. Ridder finished the night 17 for 32 for 144 yards, with 45 yards coming on the opening possession’s field goal drive. It was only the second time all season that Ridder threw for under 150 yards (October 16th vs. UCF) and the fourth time under 200 passing yards. After the first drive for both teams in the first quarter, Alabama outgained Cincinnati 407 to 158. “We didn’t get it done tonight, and we didn’t play complementary football,” Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell said after the game. “We knew the battle of the trenches was going to be a big deal. I think that’s where the game was won. In no phase of it did we give ourselves the best opportunity.”
The National Championship game will either be an SEC rematch between the Crimson Tide and Georgia or a Nick Saban and Jim Harbaugh matchup between Alabama and Michigan. “As a young kid, you always wanted to play for a National Championship,” Offensive MVP Brian Robertson Jr. said after the game. “To have another opportunity to play for a National Championship as a young kid that was the only thing that I ever wanted to do. It’s a dream come true.” For Cincinnati, their best season in school history came to a close. “These young guys are going to take it in, watch film, and continue to get better and grow and continue to be a greater Cincinnati team for years to come,” Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder said after the game.
PARADISE, NV- Wisconsin stuck to their gameplan, of a balance attack with a good defense to keep it close. That was enough for Wisconsin to be the Vegas Bowl Champions 2021 with a 20-13 victory over Arizona State.
Wisconsin Defender keeping Daniels out of the endzone.
The Badgers racked up 294 total yards for the day led by quarterback Graham Mertz being a game manager completing 11-15 with 137 yards and a touchdown. While the rest of the workload fell on freshman running back Braelon Allen who carried the football 29 times for 159 yards averaging 5.5 yards a carry.
“Guys stepped in and stepped up and I thought they did a lot of really good things,” UW coach Paul Chryst said.
Arizona State signal caller Jayden Daniels was called to do it all with his feet and his arm. Wisconsin defense dared Daniels to beat them with his legs. He lead the Sun Devils with 19 carries / scrambles for 40 yards on the ground and completing 11-21 passes for 159 yards.
Daniels was the offense tonight, only if he could have a little more help from the rest of the offense.
DB Alexander Smith #11 after winning the 2021 Vegas Bowl. Photo by Jevone Moore / Full Image 360
Both teams had one turnover each so that was just a wash in the overall battle that was dominated by Wisconsin in the first half. You could say that the third quarter was the Sun Devils making it a game after scoring on a short run by Daniyel Ngata.
“Disappointing outcome for us”, said Herm Edwards, “We fell behind….chew a lot of time off the clock.”
The defense for both teams stepped up and kept each other off the scoreboard for the entire fourth quarter. Wisconsin could have kicked a field goal but just ran out the clock after Herm Edwards for Arizona State had used all his time out under five minutes to play.
Allen was the game offenses MVP with his punishing runs that allowed the Badgers to chew up almost full 10 minutes of clock in the fourth quarter which was the game. Arizona State never got that opportunity to complete the comeback.
“Obviously, Braelon is talented,” Chryst said. “But he said it. It takes everyone. Guys embraced it. They knew what was coming and they rose up.”
Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst coached just the right game to be the winning coach and host the trophy as the victor. The team effort was enough to end the season on a high note with 9-4 record overall.
Seattle, WA – Former Flames captain Mark Giordano would record a goal and two assists in his first matchup against his former team, but it would not be enough as the Seattle Kraken fell to Calgary six to four. The December 30th matchup would be a back-and-forth ordeal, with the Flames ultimately able to pull away with an open net goal with 20 seconds left in the final period.
The major highlight for Seattle in this game would be captain Mark Giordano. In his first game against the team that he spent 15 seasons with, Giordano would score a goal and add two assists in arguably his best performance of the year to this point. If Seattle is able to get these sorts of performances out of Giordano consistently, distributing the puck well and adding an offensive edge, the team may have a start in turning things around. Giordano would speak on what he saw in his first matchup against his former team.
“I think our mind is in the right place, just overthinking it a bit… we’re playing well, we’re finding ways to lose. Bottom line is, you have to bear down in big shifts. There’s no explanation. It’s frustrating and it’s something that we have to address, we’re playing hard and doing a lot of good things over the course of the game. I’ve never seen it like this where we’re finding new ways to lose over a lot of nights, and tonight was no exception,” Giordano would remark in regards to what the team needs to overcome the mental block they seem to be dealing with.
Another positive from the game for Seattle would be the line of McCann-Geekie-Eberle. On several shifts, that line would continuously generate chances and drew penalties multiple times as well. An issue that hasn’t gained as much attention as the many others the Kraken are dealing with is getting consistent lines together. Finding lines that gel well together sooner rather than later would be another small quick fix for this struggling team.
The negative of the night would be the Kraken leaving Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau and Milan Lucic wide open for easy shots that would be momentum killers. Similar to the game prior to this one, Seattle would be able to put a goal away and it would immediately be followed by the opposing team answering with a goal of their own. There is a lot currently wrong with this hockey team, and it will require more help than one simple fix. Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol would give his thoughts on what is happening with his hockey team.
“There are no excuses in the room, there’s no consolation prizes that we’re looking for, so there’s no soft landing… We gotta finish a couple of these games. There are things that we simply need to address head on, and it’s certainly a tough way to walk away from the rink after two real hard fought good efforts here. It leaves a sour taste for all of us,” Hakstol would state. The Kraken head coach would really drive home that the team has “fought hard.” While this is a true statement, fighting hard doesn’t automatically secure wins. There are several things wrong with this team, and it will take a group effort from the coaching staff in addition to the players to turn this ship in the right direction.
The Seattle Kraken will look to do just that in their next game, which is on January 1st against the Vancouver Canucks with a 7PM PST puck drop.
Seattle, WA – In their first game in eleven days, the Seattle Kraken put up a good fight against the Philadelphia Flyers, but would ultimately fall in overtime by a score of three to two. Seattle would be down to just six defensemen for this game and the team learned that forward Brandon Tanev suffered a season ending ACL injury just a few days prior, leaving the Kraken without some key contributors.
The third period was the story of this game, beginning with a Jeremy Lauzon goal that would be overturned after a coach’s challenge by Philadelphia. The officials would decide that Seattle’s Jaden Schwartz would interfere with Flyer’s goaltender Martin Jones to draw an interference foul, taking away the goal. The call may have been critical in the long run, as the teams would go into overtime after trading goals late. The Flyer’s Ivan Provorov would use his stick skills to maneuver past Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer on a breakaway, dealing Seattle the overtime loss.
Seattle’s defensive issues continue to linger, as their goals allowed in this game could be attributed to not marking the shooter and giving up the breakaway in overtime These are issues that we have grown used to. The Kraken did come out this game and put up a solid overall effort, outshooting Philadelphia and limiting the chances that the Flyers got. With that being said, the few times that slipped through the cracks would ultimately doom Seattle, which is also a trend that we continue to see in the franchise’s inaugural season.
The team is still dealing with some COVID related issues, as Mason Appleton, Ryan Donato, and Vince Dunn also missed today’s game in addition to Adam Larsson being added late to the lineup. Head coach Dave Hakstol would speak on Larsson returning on the morning of the game.
“Obviously he’s coming out of a fairly extensive protocol, so we’ll take a look at everything here and what makes the most sense for Larsson and our team here,” Hakstol remarked in response to being asked about the defensemen’s status for the game. After several game postponements, Hakstol would also speak about getting back to a sense of normal with games, saying “We’re obviously in a bit of a new area here and that has become the norm, some of that uncertainty. I feel none of that today whatsoever, we’ve had a couple good focus days of practice, everyone has learned to be a little bit flexible, and I don’t believe that has any bearing on our preparation.”
Defensemen Jeremy Lauzon, who scored his first goal of the season tonight, spoke on what he thinks the teams needed to do to win this game and what may help the Kraken going forward.
“I think overall we played a really good game; down the stretch we need to tighten things up. We’ve seen that happen too many times, and moving forward that is something we need to take pride in, winning tight games and play good defensively like we did tonight. Most of the times it should go in our favor.”
The Kraken have shown flashes of good play, but they too often get overshadowed by the lapses that are the biggest hinderance to this team. Seattle gets an instant chance to rebound in their next game on
December 30th against the Calgary Flames at Climate Pledge Arena with a 7PM PST puck drop.
Air Force receiver Dane Kinamon (23) is tripped up by Louisville defensive back Qwynnterrio Cole (12) in second quarter of the Servpro First Responder Bowl at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, TX on Tuesday December 28, 2021. (Photo by Laura Domingue / fi360 News)
Dallas, TX – Tuesday’s matchup in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl was the first meeting between Air Force and Louisville. It was only the second time the Cardinals played a bowl game in Texas and the first time in sixty-three years (1958 Sun Bowl vs. Drake). For Air Force, it was their eighth bowl game in Texas, but their first First Responder Bowl in school history. Again, it was an offensive show from an unlikely source as the Falcons used the air rather than the ground game to withstand the Cardinals 31-28.
Air Force quarterback Haaziq Daniels is handed the MVP trophy at completion of the Servpro First Responder Bowl at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, TX on Tuesday December 28, 2021. (Photo by Laura Domingue / fi360 News)
Air Force is not known for its passing attack. The Falcons finished the 2021 college football season with less than 1,000 passing yards (the only other team was Navy). Air Force also entered Tuesday, throwing fifteen total passes combined in their last three games. However, the aerial game plan was an aspect of Air Force’s game that Louisville head coach Scott Satterfield figured would happen. “We did not play good on the perimeter on the outside on those throws, but I want to give [Air Force] credit,” Satterfield said after the game. “We were playing man-to-man, and our guys have got to win, and their guy won.”
The afternoon started slowly for both offenses but picked up on Louisville’s second possession. The Cardinals took it down the field for forty-one yards but stalled the drive ending with a 44 yard missed field goal by Louisville’s James Turner. “It gives up confidence going into our drives when we can rely on our defense,” Air Force-wide receiver Brandon Lewis told me after the game when I asked him about holding Louisville scoreless after the first three drives. “We don’t start overthinking things [and] we can stick to our game plan.”
Louisville running back Trevion Cooley (23) careers the ball up field against Air Force in first quarter of the Servpro First Responder Bowl at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, TX on Tuesday December 28, 2021. (Photo by Laura Domingue / fi360 News)
Immediately after the missed field goal Haaziq Daniels threw his first pass of the game, a forty-yard completion to Caleb Rillos resulting in a Daniels five-yard touchdown run, putting Air Force up 7-0. After another Louisville punt, the Falcons gained more momentum on a Brandon Lewis touchdown catch making multiple Cardinals miss. Air Force ended the first half by scoring a touchdown on their final four possessions. However, Louisville’s special teams kept them in the game with a 100-yard kickoff return by Jawhar Jordan to cut the Falcons’ lead back to seven (21-14). Haaziq Daniels closed the half with a one-yard touchdown run capping off a near-perfect offensive half for Air Force.
“There’s an identifier that brings you to the pathway to the ball, and we didn’t identify. Usually, when that doesn’t happen, there tends to be a lane there. They’re darn good with the return game,” Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun said after the game regarding the kickoff return by Jordan in the second quarter.
The second half was all about ball control. After Air Force punted, Louisville took the ball down the field on a near-seven-minute drive that the Cardinals wound up turning the ball over on downs at the Falcons two-yard line. “We ran that play probably three or four times. Which it worked every single time up until that point,” Louisville running back Trevion Cooley said after the game on the fourth-down call. The Cardinals’ defense forced another punt and then, in ninety seconds towards the end of the third, crawled back within seven points on a Tyler Harrell 34 yard pass from Malik Cunningham. However, the kicker for the Cardinals was that a nine-minute drive followed by Air Force, resulting in a red-zone field goal, extending the lead by two scores. Louisville answered with a touchdown but couldn’t get the ball back as Air Force picked up two first downs to close the game.
Air Force receiver DeAndre Hughes (8) is pushed out of bounds at the one yard line by Louisville defensive back Chandler Jones (2) in second quarter of the Servpro First Responder Bowl at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, TX on Tuesday December 28, 2021. (Photo by Laura Domingue / fi360 News)
Haaziq Daniels threw ten passes all afternoon and completed nine. “I figured we would do it more than we did in the last game,” Calhoun chuckled after the game. Daniels set a bowl record for highest completion percentage in a First Responder Bowl (ninety percent). “It’s a good feeling for all the work you put in before and all season. It’s a good feeling when it shows,” Daniels, the bowl MVP, told me after the game.
Meantime it was a slow start for Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham, but he finished the afternoon with 207 yards, and the team finished just under 200 rushing yards. “It wasn’t in sync, and we weren’t clicking early in the game,” Satterfield said. “When we came back in the game and started settling in, we were able to make some plays throwing the football, and then we settled in in the throwing game.”
Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham (3) runs for fourth quarter touchdown against Air Force in the Servpro First Responder Bowl at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, TX on Tuesday December 28, 2021. (Photo by Laura Domingue / fi360 News)
It was a great moment for both teams and their seniors who experienced a bowl game in 2021 where many schools haven’t been able to due to COVID, transfers, and opt-outs. “It was an amazing opportunity,” Louisville linebacker CJ Avery told me after the game. “I wouldn’t take any opportunity that I get to step on the football field for granted. I love the game of football, and I’m sad that some of those guys didn’t get to play their last game. I did, and I’m grateful for that.”
