Download here: http://gg.gg/vhi40
*Game 130: December 23 2016 The Initials Game 6
*Game 130: December 23 2016 The Initials Games
*Game 130: December 23 2016 The Initials Game On
*Game 130: December 23 2016 The Initials Game Show
The 2020 college football bowl season figures to be like none other, with COVID-19 issues causing some squads to opt out and bowl games having to be canceled because of a lack of participating teams.
Choose from Great Britain, the United States, Germany and Italy. Also receive immediate access to our custom OCTGN game files for WWII: The Card Game. Estimated delivery: Feb 2014 Pledge $15 or more GUARD LEVEL - A print-and-play PDF of the Premiere Set of WWII as soon as we go to print, plus immediate access to custom OCTGN game files. 130-127 @ Warriors. And the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Indiana Pacers 129-96 on Sunday night for their first four-game winning streak of the season. 23.681: 2018-19: 48. 15.5 sacks last season including at least 1.0 sack in 11 straight games (Oct. 23, NFL record for most consecutive games). On special teams, P Dustin Colquitt punted only 45 times in 2018 and held a net average of 40.5. K Harrison Butker made 24 of 27 fi eld goal attempts and 65 of 69 extra points last season.
Still, there are 28 bowl games left to keep us entertained between now and the Jan. 11 College Football Playoff National Championship presented by AT&T at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida (8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App).
Here are the players and storylines to watch in each of those bowl games:College Football Playoff
College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Capital One
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Notre Dame
Friday, Jan. 1, 2021
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
4 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App
Alabama (11-0)
Key player: RB Najee Harris. Quarterback Mac Jones and receiver DeVonta Smith will probably be among the Heisman Trophy finalists. Harris deserves an invitation, too. Harris leads the FBS with 24 rushing touchdowns and is No. 1 in the SEC with 1,262 rushing yards. He had 248 yards of total offense and five total scores in a 52-46 victory over Florida, the most touchdowns by a player in the SEC championship game.
Storyline to watch: Alabama center Landon Dickerson suffered a left knee injury in the final minutes of the SEC championship game. Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban called the injury ’pretty serious,’ and Dickerson is expected to miss the CFP. He started every game the past two seasons. Senior Chris Owens and sophomore Darrian Dalcourt are the Tide’s backup centers.
Notre Dame (10-1)
Key player: QB Ian Book. Alabama’s secondary was surprisingly vulnerable against Florida’s fast-paced offense, surrendering 408 passing yards and 10.2 yards per completion. For Notre Dame to have a chance, Book is going to have to play extremely well. He has completed 64% of his attempts for 2,601 yards with 15 touchdowns and two interceptions.
Storyline to watch: The Fighting Irish have been embarrassed in their past two trips to college football’s biggest stage, losing to Clemson 30-3 in a CFP semifinal at the Cotton Bowl in 2018 and 42-14 to Alabama in the BCS National Championship following the 2012 season. Will the Irish perform better this time?
College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl
No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 3 Ohio State
Friday, Jan. 1, 2021
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans
8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App
Clemson (10-1)
Key player: QB Trevor Lawrence. Anybody who needed a reminder about what makes Lawrence the most valuable player in college football should watch what happened to Clemson against Notre Dame in November, and what happened to Clemson against Notre Dame in the ACC championship game. He was the literal difference between winning and losing. In the ACC championship game, Lawrence accounted for 412 yards and three touchdowns, and moved his record to 34-1 as a starter.
Storyline to watch: Clemson played its best, most complete game of the season in the ACC championship game, showing terrific balance on offense and renewed relentlessness on defense. At various points throughout the season, Clemson struggled on both the offensive and defensive lines. But what we saw in the rematch against Notre Dame was a team that played with a ferociousness and physicality that will make them tough to match up against in the playoff. Combine that with Lawrence, Travis Etienne and its other playmakers, and Clemson might be hitting its stride exactly at the right time.
Ohio State (6-0)
Key player: QB Justin Fields. Who knows what type of season Fields would have had if the Buckeyes had started their season in September like the ACC, SEC and Big 12. Instead, his body of work over six games was rather incomplete considering the challenges his team faced -- particularly in its two biggest games. In those games -- against Indiana and Northwestern -- Fields did not play his best. In fact, all five of his interceptions this season came in those two games. Clemson presents a far bigger challenge, and Fields sprained the thumb on his throwing hand in the Big Ten championship game, so that could be a factor as well.
Storyline to watch: These two teams played an epic semifinal a year ago, and Ohio State has been waiting for its shot at the rematch. But this is a different Buckeyes team than the one that faced Clemson last season, and they have not put together a dominant performance during their abbreviated season. Ohio State has dealt with widespread coronavirus issues for a month now, and with some eased restrictions on when players can return, perhaps it will be able to welcome back wide receiver Chris Olave and others who missed the Big Ten championship game. But considering how Clemson played in the ACC championship game and the way Ohio State struggled to pull away, how the Buckeyes practice and put together a game plan over a short period of time will be one of the biggest keys to the game.Bowl seasonMonday, Dec. 21
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Appalachian State vs. North Texas
Brooks Stadium, Conway, S.C.
2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App
Appalachian State (8-3)
Key player: RB Camerun Peoples. The Mountaineers must be licking their chops to face a not-so-Mean Green defense that is surrendering 243.6 rushing yards per game, which ranks 120th out of 127 FBS teams. North Texas allowed 301 rushing yards in its most recent game, a 45-43 win over UTEP. Peoples leads the Mountaineers with 807 rushing yards.
Storyline to watch: Appalachian State will be going for its sixth consecutive bowl victory and its second under coach Shawn Clark. The Mountaineers haven’t lost in the postseason since moving to the FBS in 2014.
North Texas (4-5)
Key player: QBs Jason Bean and Austin Aune. The Mean Green has rotated quarterbacks for much of the season and the results have been pretty good. North Texas averages 35.1 points and 515 yards of offense, which ranks seventh in the FBS. Bean (880 passing and 336 rushing) and Aune (1,650 passing) have both started games, and coach Seth Littrell has gone with the hot hand.
Storyline to watch: The Mean Green will be without star wide receiver Jaelon Darden, who opted out after the regular-season finale to prepare for the NFL draft. Darden leads the FBS with 19 receiving touchdowns, to go along with 74 catches for 1,190 yards. He had eight catches for 173 yards with four scores against UTEP.Tuesday, Dec. 22
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Tulane vs. Nevada
Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho
3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App
Tulane (6-5)
Key player: DE Patrick Johnson. Johnson helped the Green Wave put together one of the most disruptive defensive fronts not only in the American Athletic Conference but in college football from his rush end position. He had a league-leading 10 sacks, becoming the school record holder for career sacks (24.5) in the process. In all, he finished with 14.5 tackles for loss. Between Johnson and fellow end Cameron Sample (six sacks, eight tackles for loss), Tulane ranked No. 9 in the country in sacks per game (3.36, with 37 total sacks).
Storyline to watch: Tulane put together a nice run to close out the season, winning four of its past five games to make a third straight bowl appearance for the first time in school history. One of the biggest factors in its improved play over the past month is the way freshman quarterback Michael Pratt has grown from week to week. Tulane already runs the ball well (averaging over 200 yards per game) but couple that with Pratt making plays in the passing game and the Green Wave are a far more balanced team now than they were to start the season.
Nevada (6-2)
Key player: QB Carson Strong. Strong became the first Nevada player to win Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year honors (and the first underclassman) after finishing the regular season in the top 15 nationally in five different categories, including passing yards (2,587) and passing touchdowns (22). In eight total games, Strong had five 300-yard performances. Thanks to Strong, Nevada improved its offensive output in the most important statistical categories, increasing its scoring, passing and total offense in 2020.
Storyline to watch: Nevada had a chance to play for the Mountain West championship, but struggled on offense in the decisive game against San Jose State - scoring only 20 points while fumbling the ball four times. How will the offense rebound from one of its worst outings of the season? Especially against a Tulane defense that has done a great job getting after the quarterback and putting major pressure on opposing offensive lines.
RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl
UCF vs. No. 17 BYU
FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, Fla.
7 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App
UCF (6-3)
Key player: QB Dillon Gabriel. Gabriel had one of the more unheralded seasons in the country, throwing for 3,353 yards and 30 touchdowns with just four interceptions. He leads the nation in total offense and yards per game as well. Yet he did not make the all-conference team and is often overlooked when it comes to discussing talented young quarterbacks. Folks should be paying attention to Gabriel, who has been putting up big numbers since his freshman season a year ago. Wide receiver Marlon Williams has been sensational, too, ranking No. 9 in the nation with 1,039 receiving yards.
Storyline to watch: UCF certainly did not have its best season in recent memory, and often had to rely on its offense to win. Depth concerns certainly played a role in the defensive performance, but it was simply not as strong as it has been in the past. The Knights struggled to stop the run (ranking No. 92 in the nation in run defense) and ranked No. 124 in the nation in penalties per game (9.4). If UCF does not tighten up on defense and stay disciplined, it could be a long night.
BYU (10-1)
Key player: QB Zach Wilson. Wilson has been dynamite for the Cougars, and was at one point considered a Heisman Trophy candidate because of his ability to do it all for the offense. Wilson ranks No. 2 in the nation in points responsible for (234), tied with Gabriel for passing touchdowns (30) and in the top 15 in nine other statistical categories. So yes, Coastal Carolina game notwithstanding, Wilson has had a special season and so has the BYU offense.
Storyline to watch: The Cougars’ offensive line has been so good all season long, but its performance against an undersized Coastal Carolina defensive front certainly raised some red flags. UCF has struggled against the run this season, so this provides BYU the perfect opportunity to use one of its biggest strengths to its advantage to control the line of scrimmage. Though its New Year’s Six hopes ended with the loss to Coastal, this is one of the more compelling matchups during bowl season.Wednesday, Dec. 23
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Louisiana Tech vs. Georgia Southern
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans
3 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App
Louisiana Tech (5-4)
Key player: QB Aaron Allen. The Bulldogs lost starting quarterback Luke Anthony in the final minutes of their most recent game, a 52-10 loss at TCU. Anthony fractured his right leg and had surgery. He will be replaced by Allen, who threw two interceptions against the Horned Frogs. Allen has thrown for 561 yards with four touchdowns and five picks this season.
Storyline to watch: The Bulldogs have won six consecutive bowl games going back to 2014, which is the longest current postseason winning streak in the FBS. That streak includes a 14-0 shutout of Miami in the Independence Bowl last season.
Georgia Southern (7-5)
Key player: DE Raymond Johnson III. The senior has been one of the better pass-rushers in the Sun Belt Conference the past two seasons. After piling up seven tackles for loss and three sacks in 2019, Johnson has five sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery this season. He has six recovered fumbles for his career, tied for the school record set by Michael Berry (1988-91). Johnson also has two blocked kicks in his career.
Storyline to watch: The Eagles might be down to their third-string quarterback, Miller Mosley, who has attempted 15 passes with two interceptions. Senior Shai Werts missed the final two regular-season games with a right shoulder injury and is questionable to play in the bowl game, and backup Justin Tomlin had ankle surgery and is out.
Montgomery Bowl
Memphis vs. Florida Atlantic
Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Ala.
7 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App
Memphis (7-3)
Key player: WR Calvin Austin III. After Damonte Coxie opted out after two games, Austin became the go-to receiver for quarterback Brady White and put together a career season. Austin had 1,025 yards receiving and 10 receiving touchdowns en route to first-team All-AAC honors and finished off the season with six 100-yard receiving games in his last eight. The former walk-on is the fourth Memphis player to reach 1,000 yards receiving in a season, and he did it in only 10 games.
Storyline to watch: The Tigers are playing in a program-record seventh straight bowl game, but they are looking for their first bowl victory since the 2014 Miami Beach Bowl. To do it, keep an eye on the offense and White, who has won more games than any quarterback in program history and more career passing touchdowns and yards than any quarterback in school history. White can cap what he has done to help elevate the Memphis program with a long-awaited bowl win.
Florida Atlantic (5-3)
Key player: LB Leighton McCarthy. McCarthy switched from defensive end to linebacker under first-year coach Willie Taggart and has flourished at the position, leading Conference USA and tied for second nationally in sacks (nine). He also leads the league with 12.5 sacks. The Owls have played well on defense all season long, ranking second in the league in scoring defense and third in total defense. FAU also is tied for the league lead with 25 total sacks.
Storyline to watch: The Owls have lost two straight going into the game after a four-game win streak. The big story to watch on offense is who ends up starting at quarterback. FAU has switched between junior Nick Tronti and redshirt freshman Javion Posey throughout the season. Tronti started in the Owls’ previous game, against Southern Miss; Posey provides more of a threat on the ground -- he leads the team in rushing with 401 yards.Thursday, Dec. 24
New Mexico Bowl
Hawai’i vs. Houston
Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas
3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App
Hawai’i (4-4)
Key player: QB Chevan Cordeiro. A product of Honolulu, Cordeiro is attempting to become the first quarterback to lead Hawai’i in rushing since Michael Carter in 1991. Cordeiro has passed for 1,947 yards with 11 touchdowns and six picks, while running for 450 yards with seven more scores. He threw for 252 yards and ran for 88 yards with one touchdown in Hawaii’s previous game, a 38-21 victory over UNLV.
Storyline to watch: The Rainbow Warriors are making only their third mainland bowl appearance and first since 2008. They’re 7-6 in bowl games all time, and 11 of the previous 13 appearances came in the state of Hawai’i. Their previous bowl game on the mainland was a 41-10 loss to Georgia in the 2008 Sugar Bowl.
Houston (3-4)
Key player: KR Marcus Jones and KR Marquez Stevenson. Don’t flip the channel when Hawai’i is punting or kicking off to the Cougars. Houston ranks third in the FBS with a 20.1-yard average on punt returns and 12th with a 26.5-yard average on kickoff returns. Jones has returned four kickoffs for touchdowns in his career (each one came while he played at Troy), and Stevenson has three, including a 97-yarder against Tulane this season. Jones also leads the FBS with a 21.1-yard average on punt returns; he had a 72-yarder for a score against South Florida earlier this season.
Storyline to watch: How focused and prepared will the Cougars be? They didn’t start their season until a 49-31 win over Tulane on Oct. 8 after their first three games were postponed because of COVID-19 issues. Three more games were postponed in November, and Houston has played only once since Nov. 14, a 30-27 loss at Memphis on Dec. 12. All told, the Cougars had eight games either postponed or canceled because of COVID-19 this season.Friday, Dec. 25
Camellia Bowl
Marshall vs. Buffalo
Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Ala.
2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App
Marshall (7-2)
Key player: DE Darius Hodge. The junior has been one of the better players on a pretty stout defense. Hodge has 56 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, one fumble recovery and one caused fumble in nine games. Despite their late-season struggles, the Thundering Herd rank No. in the FBS in run defense, allowing 88.9 yards per game and 2.7 yards per carry. Marshall’s opponents scored only four rushing touchdowns in nine games.
Storyline to watch: After winning their first seven games, the Thundering Herd didn’t look too inspired in the past two, losing 20-0 at Rice at home and 22-13 to UAB in the Conference USA championship game. How motivated will the Thundering Herd be to play a bowl game on Christmas Day?
Buffalo (5-1)
Key player: RB Jaret Patterson. He leads the FBS with 178.7 yards per game, while running for 1,072 yards with 19 touchdowns in six games. Patterson, a junior from Glendale, Maryland, tied the FBS record for rushing touchdowns in a game and had the second highest single-game rushing total with 409 yards and eight scores in a 70-41 victory over Kent State on Nov. 28. He was limited to 47 yards on 18 carries after injuring his right knee in a 38-28 loss to Ball State in the MAC championship game.
Storyline to watch: After failing to win a bowl game in its first 29 seasons as a Division I-A and FBS program, the Bulls have a chance to win back-to-back bowl games under coach Lance Leipold. Buffalo blasted Charlotte 31-9 in the Bahamas Bowl last season. The Bulls had lost each of their three previous bowl trips by 10 points or more.Game 130: December 23 2016 The Initials Game 6Saturday, Dec. 26
Cure Bowl
Liberty vs. No. 12 Coastal Carolina
Camping World Stadium,
https://diarynote.indered.space
*Game 130: December 23 2016 The Initials Game 6
*Game 130: December 23 2016 The Initials Games
*Game 130: December 23 2016 The Initials Game On
*Game 130: December 23 2016 The Initials Game Show
The 2020 college football bowl season figures to be like none other, with COVID-19 issues causing some squads to opt out and bowl games having to be canceled because of a lack of participating teams.
Choose from Great Britain, the United States, Germany and Italy. Also receive immediate access to our custom OCTGN game files for WWII: The Card Game. Estimated delivery: Feb 2014 Pledge $15 or more GUARD LEVEL - A print-and-play PDF of the Premiere Set of WWII as soon as we go to print, plus immediate access to custom OCTGN game files. 130-127 @ Warriors. And the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Indiana Pacers 129-96 on Sunday night for their first four-game winning streak of the season. 23.681: 2018-19: 48. 15.5 sacks last season including at least 1.0 sack in 11 straight games (Oct. 23, NFL record for most consecutive games). On special teams, P Dustin Colquitt punted only 45 times in 2018 and held a net average of 40.5. K Harrison Butker made 24 of 27 fi eld goal attempts and 65 of 69 extra points last season.
Still, there are 28 bowl games left to keep us entertained between now and the Jan. 11 College Football Playoff National Championship presented by AT&T at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida (8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App).
Here are the players and storylines to watch in each of those bowl games:College Football Playoff
College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Capital One
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Notre Dame
Friday, Jan. 1, 2021
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
4 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App
Alabama (11-0)
Key player: RB Najee Harris. Quarterback Mac Jones and receiver DeVonta Smith will probably be among the Heisman Trophy finalists. Harris deserves an invitation, too. Harris leads the FBS with 24 rushing touchdowns and is No. 1 in the SEC with 1,262 rushing yards. He had 248 yards of total offense and five total scores in a 52-46 victory over Florida, the most touchdowns by a player in the SEC championship game.
Storyline to watch: Alabama center Landon Dickerson suffered a left knee injury in the final minutes of the SEC championship game. Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban called the injury ’pretty serious,’ and Dickerson is expected to miss the CFP. He started every game the past two seasons. Senior Chris Owens and sophomore Darrian Dalcourt are the Tide’s backup centers.
Notre Dame (10-1)
Key player: QB Ian Book. Alabama’s secondary was surprisingly vulnerable against Florida’s fast-paced offense, surrendering 408 passing yards and 10.2 yards per completion. For Notre Dame to have a chance, Book is going to have to play extremely well. He has completed 64% of his attempts for 2,601 yards with 15 touchdowns and two interceptions.
Storyline to watch: The Fighting Irish have been embarrassed in their past two trips to college football’s biggest stage, losing to Clemson 30-3 in a CFP semifinal at the Cotton Bowl in 2018 and 42-14 to Alabama in the BCS National Championship following the 2012 season. Will the Irish perform better this time?
College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl
No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 3 Ohio State
Friday, Jan. 1, 2021
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans
8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App
Clemson (10-1)
Key player: QB Trevor Lawrence. Anybody who needed a reminder about what makes Lawrence the most valuable player in college football should watch what happened to Clemson against Notre Dame in November, and what happened to Clemson against Notre Dame in the ACC championship game. He was the literal difference between winning and losing. In the ACC championship game, Lawrence accounted for 412 yards and three touchdowns, and moved his record to 34-1 as a starter.
Storyline to watch: Clemson played its best, most complete game of the season in the ACC championship game, showing terrific balance on offense and renewed relentlessness on defense. At various points throughout the season, Clemson struggled on both the offensive and defensive lines. But what we saw in the rematch against Notre Dame was a team that played with a ferociousness and physicality that will make them tough to match up against in the playoff. Combine that with Lawrence, Travis Etienne and its other playmakers, and Clemson might be hitting its stride exactly at the right time.
Ohio State (6-0)
Key player: QB Justin Fields. Who knows what type of season Fields would have had if the Buckeyes had started their season in September like the ACC, SEC and Big 12. Instead, his body of work over six games was rather incomplete considering the challenges his team faced -- particularly in its two biggest games. In those games -- against Indiana and Northwestern -- Fields did not play his best. In fact, all five of his interceptions this season came in those two games. Clemson presents a far bigger challenge, and Fields sprained the thumb on his throwing hand in the Big Ten championship game, so that could be a factor as well.
Storyline to watch: These two teams played an epic semifinal a year ago, and Ohio State has been waiting for its shot at the rematch. But this is a different Buckeyes team than the one that faced Clemson last season, and they have not put together a dominant performance during their abbreviated season. Ohio State has dealt with widespread coronavirus issues for a month now, and with some eased restrictions on when players can return, perhaps it will be able to welcome back wide receiver Chris Olave and others who missed the Big Ten championship game. But considering how Clemson played in the ACC championship game and the way Ohio State struggled to pull away, how the Buckeyes practice and put together a game plan over a short period of time will be one of the biggest keys to the game.Bowl seasonMonday, Dec. 21
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Appalachian State vs. North Texas
Brooks Stadium, Conway, S.C.
2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App
Appalachian State (8-3)
Key player: RB Camerun Peoples. The Mountaineers must be licking their chops to face a not-so-Mean Green defense that is surrendering 243.6 rushing yards per game, which ranks 120th out of 127 FBS teams. North Texas allowed 301 rushing yards in its most recent game, a 45-43 win over UTEP. Peoples leads the Mountaineers with 807 rushing yards.
Storyline to watch: Appalachian State will be going for its sixth consecutive bowl victory and its second under coach Shawn Clark. The Mountaineers haven’t lost in the postseason since moving to the FBS in 2014.
North Texas (4-5)
Key player: QBs Jason Bean and Austin Aune. The Mean Green has rotated quarterbacks for much of the season and the results have been pretty good. North Texas averages 35.1 points and 515 yards of offense, which ranks seventh in the FBS. Bean (880 passing and 336 rushing) and Aune (1,650 passing) have both started games, and coach Seth Littrell has gone with the hot hand.
Storyline to watch: The Mean Green will be without star wide receiver Jaelon Darden, who opted out after the regular-season finale to prepare for the NFL draft. Darden leads the FBS with 19 receiving touchdowns, to go along with 74 catches for 1,190 yards. He had eight catches for 173 yards with four scores against UTEP.Tuesday, Dec. 22
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Tulane vs. Nevada
Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho
3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App
Tulane (6-5)
Key player: DE Patrick Johnson. Johnson helped the Green Wave put together one of the most disruptive defensive fronts not only in the American Athletic Conference but in college football from his rush end position. He had a league-leading 10 sacks, becoming the school record holder for career sacks (24.5) in the process. In all, he finished with 14.5 tackles for loss. Between Johnson and fellow end Cameron Sample (six sacks, eight tackles for loss), Tulane ranked No. 9 in the country in sacks per game (3.36, with 37 total sacks).
Storyline to watch: Tulane put together a nice run to close out the season, winning four of its past five games to make a third straight bowl appearance for the first time in school history. One of the biggest factors in its improved play over the past month is the way freshman quarterback Michael Pratt has grown from week to week. Tulane already runs the ball well (averaging over 200 yards per game) but couple that with Pratt making plays in the passing game and the Green Wave are a far more balanced team now than they were to start the season.
Nevada (6-2)
Key player: QB Carson Strong. Strong became the first Nevada player to win Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year honors (and the first underclassman) after finishing the regular season in the top 15 nationally in five different categories, including passing yards (2,587) and passing touchdowns (22). In eight total games, Strong had five 300-yard performances. Thanks to Strong, Nevada improved its offensive output in the most important statistical categories, increasing its scoring, passing and total offense in 2020.
Storyline to watch: Nevada had a chance to play for the Mountain West championship, but struggled on offense in the decisive game against San Jose State - scoring only 20 points while fumbling the ball four times. How will the offense rebound from one of its worst outings of the season? Especially against a Tulane defense that has done a great job getting after the quarterback and putting major pressure on opposing offensive lines.
RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl
UCF vs. No. 17 BYU
FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, Fla.
7 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App
UCF (6-3)
Key player: QB Dillon Gabriel. Gabriel had one of the more unheralded seasons in the country, throwing for 3,353 yards and 30 touchdowns with just four interceptions. He leads the nation in total offense and yards per game as well. Yet he did not make the all-conference team and is often overlooked when it comes to discussing talented young quarterbacks. Folks should be paying attention to Gabriel, who has been putting up big numbers since his freshman season a year ago. Wide receiver Marlon Williams has been sensational, too, ranking No. 9 in the nation with 1,039 receiving yards.
Storyline to watch: UCF certainly did not have its best season in recent memory, and often had to rely on its offense to win. Depth concerns certainly played a role in the defensive performance, but it was simply not as strong as it has been in the past. The Knights struggled to stop the run (ranking No. 92 in the nation in run defense) and ranked No. 124 in the nation in penalties per game (9.4). If UCF does not tighten up on defense and stay disciplined, it could be a long night.
BYU (10-1)
Key player: QB Zach Wilson. Wilson has been dynamite for the Cougars, and was at one point considered a Heisman Trophy candidate because of his ability to do it all for the offense. Wilson ranks No. 2 in the nation in points responsible for (234), tied with Gabriel for passing touchdowns (30) and in the top 15 in nine other statistical categories. So yes, Coastal Carolina game notwithstanding, Wilson has had a special season and so has the BYU offense.
Storyline to watch: The Cougars’ offensive line has been so good all season long, but its performance against an undersized Coastal Carolina defensive front certainly raised some red flags. UCF has struggled against the run this season, so this provides BYU the perfect opportunity to use one of its biggest strengths to its advantage to control the line of scrimmage. Though its New Year’s Six hopes ended with the loss to Coastal, this is one of the more compelling matchups during bowl season.Wednesday, Dec. 23
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Louisiana Tech vs. Georgia Southern
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans
3 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App
Louisiana Tech (5-4)
Key player: QB Aaron Allen. The Bulldogs lost starting quarterback Luke Anthony in the final minutes of their most recent game, a 52-10 loss at TCU. Anthony fractured his right leg and had surgery. He will be replaced by Allen, who threw two interceptions against the Horned Frogs. Allen has thrown for 561 yards with four touchdowns and five picks this season.
Storyline to watch: The Bulldogs have won six consecutive bowl games going back to 2014, which is the longest current postseason winning streak in the FBS. That streak includes a 14-0 shutout of Miami in the Independence Bowl last season.
Georgia Southern (7-5)
Key player: DE Raymond Johnson III. The senior has been one of the better pass-rushers in the Sun Belt Conference the past two seasons. After piling up seven tackles for loss and three sacks in 2019, Johnson has five sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery this season. He has six recovered fumbles for his career, tied for the school record set by Michael Berry (1988-91). Johnson also has two blocked kicks in his career.
Storyline to watch: The Eagles might be down to their third-string quarterback, Miller Mosley, who has attempted 15 passes with two interceptions. Senior Shai Werts missed the final two regular-season games with a right shoulder injury and is questionable to play in the bowl game, and backup Justin Tomlin had ankle surgery and is out.
Montgomery Bowl
Memphis vs. Florida Atlantic
Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Ala.
7 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App
Memphis (7-3)
Key player: WR Calvin Austin III. After Damonte Coxie opted out after two games, Austin became the go-to receiver for quarterback Brady White and put together a career season. Austin had 1,025 yards receiving and 10 receiving touchdowns en route to first-team All-AAC honors and finished off the season with six 100-yard receiving games in his last eight. The former walk-on is the fourth Memphis player to reach 1,000 yards receiving in a season, and he did it in only 10 games.
Storyline to watch: The Tigers are playing in a program-record seventh straight bowl game, but they are looking for their first bowl victory since the 2014 Miami Beach Bowl. To do it, keep an eye on the offense and White, who has won more games than any quarterback in program history and more career passing touchdowns and yards than any quarterback in school history. White can cap what he has done to help elevate the Memphis program with a long-awaited bowl win.
Florida Atlantic (5-3)
Key player: LB Leighton McCarthy. McCarthy switched from defensive end to linebacker under first-year coach Willie Taggart and has flourished at the position, leading Conference USA and tied for second nationally in sacks (nine). He also leads the league with 12.5 sacks. The Owls have played well on defense all season long, ranking second in the league in scoring defense and third in total defense. FAU also is tied for the league lead with 25 total sacks.
Storyline to watch: The Owls have lost two straight going into the game after a four-game win streak. The big story to watch on offense is who ends up starting at quarterback. FAU has switched between junior Nick Tronti and redshirt freshman Javion Posey throughout the season. Tronti started in the Owls’ previous game, against Southern Miss; Posey provides more of a threat on the ground -- he leads the team in rushing with 401 yards.Thursday, Dec. 24
New Mexico Bowl
Hawai’i vs. Houston
Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas
3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App
Hawai’i (4-4)
Key player: QB Chevan Cordeiro. A product of Honolulu, Cordeiro is attempting to become the first quarterback to lead Hawai’i in rushing since Michael Carter in 1991. Cordeiro has passed for 1,947 yards with 11 touchdowns and six picks, while running for 450 yards with seven more scores. He threw for 252 yards and ran for 88 yards with one touchdown in Hawaii’s previous game, a 38-21 victory over UNLV.
Storyline to watch: The Rainbow Warriors are making only their third mainland bowl appearance and first since 2008. They’re 7-6 in bowl games all time, and 11 of the previous 13 appearances came in the state of Hawai’i. Their previous bowl game on the mainland was a 41-10 loss to Georgia in the 2008 Sugar Bowl.
Houston (3-4)
Key player: KR Marcus Jones and KR Marquez Stevenson. Don’t flip the channel when Hawai’i is punting or kicking off to the Cougars. Houston ranks third in the FBS with a 20.1-yard average on punt returns and 12th with a 26.5-yard average on kickoff returns. Jones has returned four kickoffs for touchdowns in his career (each one came while he played at Troy), and Stevenson has three, including a 97-yarder against Tulane this season. Jones also leads the FBS with a 21.1-yard average on punt returns; he had a 72-yarder for a score against South Florida earlier this season.
Storyline to watch: How focused and prepared will the Cougars be? They didn’t start their season until a 49-31 win over Tulane on Oct. 8 after their first three games were postponed because of COVID-19 issues. Three more games were postponed in November, and Houston has played only once since Nov. 14, a 30-27 loss at Memphis on Dec. 12. All told, the Cougars had eight games either postponed or canceled because of COVID-19 this season.Friday, Dec. 25
Camellia Bowl
Marshall vs. Buffalo
Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Ala.
2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App
Marshall (7-2)
Key player: DE Darius Hodge. The junior has been one of the better players on a pretty stout defense. Hodge has 56 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, one fumble recovery and one caused fumble in nine games. Despite their late-season struggles, the Thundering Herd rank No. in the FBS in run defense, allowing 88.9 yards per game and 2.7 yards per carry. Marshall’s opponents scored only four rushing touchdowns in nine games.
Storyline to watch: After winning their first seven games, the Thundering Herd didn’t look too inspired in the past two, losing 20-0 at Rice at home and 22-13 to UAB in the Conference USA championship game. How motivated will the Thundering Herd be to play a bowl game on Christmas Day?
Buffalo (5-1)
Key player: RB Jaret Patterson. He leads the FBS with 178.7 yards per game, while running for 1,072 yards with 19 touchdowns in six games. Patterson, a junior from Glendale, Maryland, tied the FBS record for rushing touchdowns in a game and had the second highest single-game rushing total with 409 yards and eight scores in a 70-41 victory over Kent State on Nov. 28. He was limited to 47 yards on 18 carries after injuring his right knee in a 38-28 loss to Ball State in the MAC championship game.
Storyline to watch: After failing to win a bowl game in its first 29 seasons as a Division I-A and FBS program, the Bulls have a chance to win back-to-back bowl games under coach Lance Leipold. Buffalo blasted Charlotte 31-9 in the Bahamas Bowl last season. The Bulls had lost each of their three previous bowl trips by 10 points or more.Game 130: December 23 2016 The Initials Game 6Saturday, Dec. 26
Cure Bowl
Liberty vs. No. 12 Coastal Carolina
Camping World Stadium,
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