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BOWL SEASON PREVIEW
Eight Conference USA teams are set to compete in bowl games in 2021, ranging from Friday, Dec. 17, through Thursday, Dec. 23. The eight-team representation ties for second-most in league history.
BAHAMAS BOWL – FRI., DEC. 17 – 11 AM CT
Bowl Season for C-USA and for all of college football kicks off on Friday, Dec. 17, with the Bahamas Bowl, which pits Middle Tennessee (6-6) against MAC foe Toledo (7-5) at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN in Nassau.
The Blue Raiders are led offensively by C-USA All-Freshman Team QB Nicholas Vattiato, who start- ed four games in 2021. Vattiato completed 92-136 passes for 777 yards with five touchdowns for Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders, the national leader in forced turnovers (31) and defensive touchdowns (6), won four of their final six games, including a 27-17 win at Florida Atlantic in the final week of the regular season to earn bowl eligibility. Defensively, the Blue Raiders are paced by S Reed Blankenship ranked second in C-USA with 106 total tackles, DE Jordan Ferguson, who ranked second in C-USA with 15.5 tackles-for-loss and 8.0 sacks, LB DQ Thomas, who also has 15.5 tackles-for-loss and DB Quincy Riley, who is second nationally in interceptions (5).
Toledo enters play having finished 5-3 in MAC play, and the Rockets won their last three games and four of their final five contests. This will be the first-ever meeting between Middle Tennessee and Toledo. Conference USA and the MAC are tied 3-3 all-time in the Bahamas Bowl series, and this marks the sec- ond trip to Nassau for each school. One will head home to the United States with their first Bahamas Bowl victory, as Middle Tennessee fell 45-31 to West- ern Michigan in 2015, while Toledo dropped a close contest, 35-32 to FIU in the 2018 edition of the game.
ROOFCLAIM.COM BOCA RATON BOWL – SAT., DEC. 18 – 10 AM CT
The busiest day of bowls involving C-USA teams is Saturday, Dec. 18, as four league representatives take the field across the country. Saturday kicks off with the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl at 10 a.m. CT on ESPN as the high-flying WKU Hilltoppers (8-5) take on Sun Belt foe Appalachian State (10-3) at FAU Stadium in South Florida.
WKU boasts the second-ranked scoring offense (43.1 ppg) and total offense (527.5) in the nation. The Hill- toppers are led by the top-performing quarterback in the country, Bailey Zappe, who is a Manning Award Finalist, was the C-USA MVP and a first-team all-conference performer. Zappe, one of four transfers from Houston Baptist, leads the nation in passing yards (5,545), passing yards per game (426.5), and passing touchdowns (56). Zappe is just 278 yards from the FBS single-season record for passing yards (Texas Tech’s B.J. Symons in 2003 – 5,833) and four passing touchdowns (LSU’s Joe Burrow in 2019 – 60). WR Jerreth Sterns, a second-team All-American (Associated Press and Football Writers Association of America), and C-USA Newcomer of the Year, also leads the country in major receiving categories with 137 catches (first) for 1,718 yards (first) and 14 touchdowns (third).
The Hilltoppers won seven of their last eight games after opening the season 1-4, and fell 49-41 in the 2021 Ryan Conference USA Championship Game in San Antonio to the 12-1 UTSA Roadrunners. Defen- sively, WKU is led by C-USA Defensive Player of the Year, DE DeAngelo Malone, who has 88 tackles, a league-leading 16.5 tackles-for-loss, 8.0 sacks and four forced fumbles. WKU also has forced 27 turn- overs, which ranks fourth in the country.
Appalachian State won six of its last seven games, with its only loss coming at No. 23 Louisiana in the Sun Belt Championship Game in Lafayette (24-16). In terms of common opponents, the Mountaineers came back to knock off Marshall 31-30 at home on Sept. 23, while WKU beat the Thundering Herd 51-23 in Huntington, West Virginia, on the road on Nov. 27. App State also has a high-powered offense, as the Mountaineers are averaging 34.2 points per game, which ranks 23rd nationally. QB Chase Brice has over 3,000 yards passing with 26 total touchdowns (23 passing), while RBs Nate Noel (1,076 yards and four touchdowns) and Camerun Peoples (825 yards and 14 touchdowns) lead the ground attack.
PUBG MOBILE NEW MEXICO BOWL – SAT., DEC. 18 – 1:15 PM CT
UTEP (7-5) is back bowling for the first time since a 2014 trip to the New Mexico Bowl. The Miners are set to take on Mountain West foe Fresno State (9-3) in Albuquerque on ESPN at 1:15 p.m. CT. UTEP combined for just five wins between 2017-20, so their incredible turnaround to seven under head coach Dana Dimel in 2021 was one of the brightest story- lines in all of college football this season.
The Miners were impressive defensively, allowing just 24.8 points per game and 339.4 yards per game. UTEP was led by LB Breon Howard, who led the Miners with 97 total tackles, 6.5 tackles-for-loss, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery in 12 starts. DB Dy’Vonne Inyang was a focal point in the secondary for UTEP, and he picked off a team-best three passes and broke up seven passes on the season. The combination of DEs Praise Amaewhule and Jadrian Taylor totaled 12.0 sacks and 17 quarter- back hurries, wreaking havoc on opposing offensive lines throughout the course of the season. Offensive- ly, WR Jacob Cowing, a First-Team All-Conference USA selection, caught 67 passes for 1,330 yards with seven touchdowns, while fellow WR Justin Garrett hauled in 49 passes for 659 yards and four scores. Those two targets were key in the development of QB Gavin Hardison, who threw for 2,965 yards and 17 touchdowns and enters the bowl appearance ranking third nationally in yards per completion (15.94). The Miners’ aerial attack was balanced nicely on the ground by the committee of RBs Ronald Awatt (805 yards and five touchdowns) and Deion Hankins (425 yards and six touchdowns).
Fresno State, winners of five of its last six, enters play without its head coach, Kalen DeBoer, who was named to the same position at Washington in early December. The Bulldogs will be led by interim head coach Lee Marks, despite the hiring of Jeff Tedford for his second stint in Fresno. It is unclear who will be starting under center for the Bulldogs, as QB Jake Haener originally entered the transfer portal when DeBoer departed for Washington, but has since returned to the Central Valley following Tedford’s appointment. Haener threw for 3,810 yards with 32 touchdowns and just nine interceptions in 12 appear- ances, and if he is not the starter, the likeliest possibilities include a pair of freshmen in Logan Fife and Jaylen Henderson. Whoever is throwing the ball, the three-headed monster at receiver of Jalen Cropper (76 catches for 827 yards and 11 touchdowns), Josh Kelly (50 catches for 768 yards and three scores) and Keric Wheatfall (36 catches for 582 yards and four scores) will be on the receiving end. Defensively, DLs David Perales (13.0 tackles-for-loss and 7.0 sacks) and Kevin Atkins (12.5 tackles-for-loss and 7.0 sacks) have caused teams problems all season, while DB Evan Williams paces the Bulldog defense with 89 total tackles and a team-high three interceptions.
RADIANCE TECHNOLOGIES INDEPENDENCE BOWL – SAT., DEC. 18 – 2:30 PM CT
UAB (8-4) has a big opportunity in front of it, as the Blazers get an opportunity to play CFP No. 13 BYU (10-2) on ABC at 2:30 p.m. CT in Shreveport in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl. This marks the fifth-straight season that UAB has qualified for a bowl game (did not play in 2020 in the Gasparilla Bowl due to a COVID-related cancellation). This game marks the first meeting between
the two programs.
UAB came up just short of its third consecutive CUSA West Division crown, falling in the final seconds at UTSA (34-31) on Nov. 20 at the Alamodome, but again had a very successful season under head coach Bill Clark. The Blazers opened a brand-new downtown home, in Protective Stadium, where they went 3-2 and concluded the regular season with wins in three of their last four games, including a 42-25 win at home over fellow bowl-bound conference mate UTEP. Defensively, the Blazers boast the second-ranked scoring defense in the conference (22.8 ppg) and 16th-ranked total defense in the FBS (323.3 ypg). DE Alex Wright was a handful for op- posing offensive lines, causing havoc in the back- field with a team-high 7.0 sacks, 12 quarterback hurries and a pair of forced fumbles. S Grayson Cash, and fellow DBs Keondre Swoopes and Starling Thomas V combined for seven interceptions in the secondary. Offensively, QB Dylan Hopkins is one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the country, ranking 11th (164.5) and he ranks sixth in the FBS in yards per completion (15.33). His top targets, WR Trea Shropshire and TE Gerrit Prince are game-changers for the Blazers. Prince has 32 catches for 656 yards and eight touchdowns, while Shropshire leads the nation in yards per catch (27.3), with 25 catches for 682 yards and six touchdowns. RB DeWayne Mc-Bride ran for 1,188 yards and 12 touchdowns, while Jermaine Brown, Jr., has 584 yards on the ground with seven scores.
BYU had another tremendous season under head coach Kalani Sitake, with a 5-0 record against Pac-12 opponents, including a 26-17 rivalry win over Pac-12 champion Utah in Provo. The Cougars are led by RB Tyson Allgeier on the ground, who has 1,409 yards rushing and an FBS-leading 20 touch- downs. QB Jaren Hall has been very efficient as well, throwing for 2,583 yards with 20 touchdowns to just five interceptions, and his top-two receiving targets WRs Neil Pau’u and Puka Nacua have a combined 12 touchdown grabs. Defensively, the Cougars have picked up 14 passes in 2021, three each from DBs Malik Moore and Jakob Robinson.
R+L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL – SAT., DEC. 18 – 8:15 PM CT
The Saturday slate closes in the evening with the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, as Marshall (7-5) takes on Sun Belt champion, No. 23 Louisiana (12-1) at 8:15 p.m. CT on ESPN from the Caesars Super- dome. Marshall won five of its last seven under first-year head coach Charles Huff, and was in the mix for the East Division title until the final week of the regular season, falling to WKU at home in the finale.
This marks the first-ever meeting between the two programs, and Marshall’s fifth-straight bowl appearance. The Thundering Herd bring a potent offensive at- tack to the Big Easy, led by RB Rasheen Ali, who was a First-Team All-Conference USA selection by the league’s head coaches. Ali ran for 1,241 yards (5.4 yards per carry) and 20 touchdowns (tied for the FBS lead), and was also a factor in the passing game as the Herd’s second-leading receiver with 45 catches for 337 yards and a touchdown. QB Grant Wells, who left the regular season finale against WKU due to injury, has completed 280-419 passes for 3,433 yards and 16 touchdowns and his top tar- get is WR Corey Gammage, who has 69 catches for 828 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, the Herd are led by LB Abraham Beauplan, who is third in C-USA in tackles (104), with 9.5 tackles-for-loss, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble, while fellow LB Eli Neal has 92 tackles with 7.0 tackles-for-loss and a team-high 5.5 sacks with an interception, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble.
Louisiana will be without its head coach Billy Napier, who accepted the same position at Florida in late November. New head coach and former co-offensive coordinator Michael Desormeaux will lead the Ragin’ Cajuns on Saturday in New Orleans. Louisiana has won 12 consecutive games since a season-opening loss at Texas. The Ragin’ Cajuns are led by QB Levi Lewis, who has thrown for 2,647 yards with 19 touchdowns and only four interceptions, and also has 267 yards rushing with five more touch- downs. RBs Chris Smith (855 yards rushing and eight scores), Montrell Johnson (784 yards and 11 touchdowns) and Emani Bailey (548 yards with six scores) lead an explosive ground game for the Ra- gin’ Cajuns. Defensively, LB Chauncey Manac leads the way for Louisiana with 14.5 tackles-for-loss and 10.5 sacks, while fellow LB Lorenzo McCaskill leads the team in tackles with 78.
MYRTLE BEACH BOWL – MON., DEC. 20 – 1:30 PM CT
Old Dominion (6-6) will take the field in the program’s second-ever bowl game on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. CT on ESPN in the Myrtle Beach Bowl, presented by TaxAct against Tulsa (6-6). ODU, one of the better stories in the country, won its final five games to reach a bowl after starting 1-6. The Monarchs did not play in 2020, opting out of the sea- son due to COVID concerns, and new head coach Ricky Rahne made his long-awaited debut in 2021, leading the Monarchs to their first bowl since 2016. Tulsa bounced back from a 3-6 start, winning their final three games, including a 34-31 win at SMU in the regular season finale. This will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
ODU is led defensively by LB Jordan Young, who had a team-high 93 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, a sack, an interception and a fumble recovery on the season. Offensively, RB Blake Watson ran for 1,035 yards (103.5 yards per game) and seven scores, while TE Zack Kuntz (71 catches for 674 yards and five touchdowns) and WR Ali Jennings III (56 receptions for 992 yards and five scores) helped lead the aerial attack for the Monarchs. QB Hayden Wolff took over the starting job midway through the season, and he brought stability to the position – completing 140-225 passes for 1,57 yards and 10 touchdowns. ODU also boasts one of the best kick returners in the country in LaMareon James, who averages 26.3 yards per return with one touchdown (ranks 19th in the FBS).
Tulsa is led offensively by RB Shamari Brooks, who has rushed for 922 yards and six touchdowns and WR Josh Johnson, who has 75 catches for 985 yards and five scores on the season. Tulsa QB Brin Davis has thrown for nearly 3,000 yards and 16 touchdowns, but also threw 16 interceptions in 12 appearances. The Monarchs will have to contain DL Jaxon Player, who has 12.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks six quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 12 appearances for the Golden Hurricane. In Tulsa’s secondary, the ball-hawking pair of Travon Fuller and Tieneal Martin enter play with a combined seven interceptions.
TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFE FRISCO BOWL – TUES., DEC. 21 – 6:30 PM CT
UTSA (12-1) enters bowl season fresh off the pro- gram’s first conference championship, travels to Frisco to take on CFP No. 24 San Diego State (11-2) at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. The Roadrunners come in at No. 24 in the Associated Press Top 25 and No. 25 in the USA Today AFCA Coaches Poll and narrowly missed a spot in the CFP rankings. This will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
UTSA has had the best season in the program’s short history, boasting one of the nation’s best running backs in Sincere McCormick, who has 1,479 yards and 15 touchdowns. McCormick is a Second-Team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America and a third-team choice by the AP. McCormick is one-third of the Roadrunners’ big three, which includes QB Frank Harris (2,906 yards passing with 25 touchdowns to only five interceptions and 565 yards rushing with six more scores) and WR Zakhari Franklin (73 catches for 938 yards and 11 touchdowns). WRs Joshua Cephus (69 catches for 793 yards and six touchdowns) and De’Corian Clark
(46 catches for 683 yards and six scores) have also made a major impact for UTSA offensively. On the defensive side of the ball, S Rashad Wisdom paces the Roadrunners with 87 tackles, 4.0 tackles-for-loss with six pass break-ups and a forced fumble, while LB Clarence Hicks was unbelievable for UTSA with 16.0 tackles-for-loss and 10.0 sacks with an interception and a forced fumble. UTSA has the second-highest scoring offense in C-USA (37.8 ppg) and only allows 23.6 points per game defensively.
San Diego State fell in the Mountain West Championship Game, 46-13 at home to Utah State. Defense is definitely the Aztecs’ calling card, holding opponents to 19.5 points per game and hold opponents to 319.5 yards per game. S Patrick McMorris leads the way for SDSU with 83 tackles, four interceptions, eight pass break-ups and a fumble recovery, while Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year DE Cameron Thomas has had a monster year, posting 68 total tackles, 20.5 tackles-for-loss, 11.5 sacks and 19 quarterback hurries. Offensively, RB Greg Bell leads the way with 990 yards rushing and eight touchdowns.
FRISCO FOOTBALL CLASSIC – THURS., DEC. 23 – 2:30 PM CT
North Texas (6-6) won its last five games of the season to earn bowl eligibility, including a 45-23 win over then-CFP No. 22 UTSA in Denton to pick up win number six on the season. The Mean Green are set to take on MAC opponent Miami (OH) (6-6) in the newly-minted Frisco Football Classic at 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN on Thursday, Dec. 23, to close out the CUSA bowl season. Thursday’s game marks the first meeting between the two programs.
The Mean Green opened the season with a difficult schedule at 1-6 and turned things around in a big way to find themselves in postseason play. UNT made a big-time turnaround on the defensive side of the ball in 2021, holding opponents to 27.5 points per game, compared to 42.8 points per game in 2020. A lot of that credit goes to new defensive coordinator Phil Bennett, whom head coach Seth Littrell brought in to improve that side of the ball. LB KD Davis has led the way for UNT, leading C-USA in total tackles (107) and recorded 12.5 tackles-for-loss with 5.0 sacks and a pair of fumble recoveries. The twin duo of Gabriel Murphy (6.0 sacks) and Gray- son Murphy (7.5 sacks) has been a terror for opposing offensive lines, and have been a big part of the Mean Green’s defensive turnaround. Offensively the Mean Green boast the third-ranked rushing attack in the FBS (245.3 ypg), which was led by RBs DeAndre Torrey (1,215 yards and 13 touchdowns), Ikaika Ragsdale (511 yards and five scores) and Ayo Adeyi (479 yards and six touchdowns). WR Roderic Burns led the way in the passing attack, hauling in a team-high 54 catches for 715 yards and four scores.
Miami (OH) won two of its last three games to earn a bowl berth, and finished 5-3 in league play. The Redhawks have held opponents to 23.8 points per game. A pair of Redhawks are over the 110-tackle mark in LB Ivan Pace, Jr., (116 tackles, 13.0 tackles-for-loss, 4.0 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble) and DB Matthew Salopek (112 tackles with 7.0 tackles-for-loss, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble). DLs Kameron Butler (14.0 tackles-for-loss and a team-high 8.0 sacks) and Ben Kimpler (11.0 tackles-for-loss and 4.0 sacks) have caused many problems for opposing offenses. Offensively, Miami (OH) is led by QB Brett Gabbert, who has thrown for 2,418 yards with 24 touchdowns and only six interceptions and WR Jack Sorenson, who has 69 catches for 1,290 yards and 10 scores.
