Bowl season: It’s the most wonderful time of the year. And after an amended postseason in 2020, college football is back with a full slate of games across three weeks that will surely have a little something for everyone. The action gets started on Friday, Dec. 17 and continues all the way through the College Football Playoff National Championship in the second week of January.
First up in Friday’s action was the Bahamas Bowl, which resulted in an impressive 31-24 win for Middle Tennessee over Toledo. However, the nightcap matchup between Coastal Carolina and Northern Illinois in the Cure Bowl could end up being one of the best games of bowl season. The two teams were unstoppable on offense pretty much all night, scoring on 75% of their combined possessions. A few key fourth-quarter stops by the Chanticleers ended up being the difference.
Be sure to check out our bowl games schedule with a list of every game, kickoff time and TV assignment as well as Tom Fornelli’s bowl season breakdown where he ranks every game, 42-1. CBS Sports will be here each day with the latest scores, analysis highlights and highlights from the entirety of bowl season. Check out the schedule below and keep scrolling for updates from each game as they conclude. All times Eastern
Bowl games: College football scores, schedule
Friday, Dec. 17
Bahamas Bowl: Middle Tennessee 31, Toledo 24 — Recap
Cure Bowl: Coastal Carolina 47, Northern Illinois 41 — Recap
Season Leaders
| passing |
|---|
  R. Lombardi 2388 YD, 13 TDS, 8 INTS R. Lombardi 2388 YD, 13 TDS, 8 INTS |
 G. McCall 2558 YD, 23 TDS, 3 INTS G. McCall 2558 YD, 23 TDS, 3 INTS |
| rushing |
|
J. Ducker 194 ATT, 1038 YD, 3 TDS J. Ducker 194 ATT, 1038 YD, 3 TDS |
|
S. Jones 151 ATT, 988 YD, 13 TDS S. Jones 151 ATT, 988 YD, 13 TDS |
| receiving |
|
T. Rudolph 49 REC, 877 YD, 7 TDS T. Rudolph 49 REC, 877 YD, 7 TDS |
|
J. Heiligh 59 REC, 1034 YD, 7 TDS J. Heiligh 59 REC, 1034 YD, 7 TDS |
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Cure Bowl: Coastal Carolina 47, Northern Illinois 41
Sometimes, one stop is all it takes to turn the tide of a game. That will be the lasting takeaway from a thrilling Cure Bowl that saw Coastal Carolina outlast Northern Illinois in a game that literally went down to the final seconds. However, it was a fourth-down stop by the Chanticleers with just under seven minutes left to play that turned out to be the defining play.
The risky fourth-down call by Northern Illinois — a brilliant idea, even if it wasn’t successful — stood out not just for the unique quality of the play design, or for the fact that it immediately led to the go-ahead touchdown for Coastal Carolina. Rather, the most unique part of the play was that it was the first defensive stop Coastal Carolina had all night.
The Chanticleers and Huskies scored points on 15 of their combined 20 possessions. Northern Illinois scored on its first seven possessions (not including a kneel down before halftime) and then failed to score on its final three. NIU fumbled the ball on its next possession following the turnover on downs, and then it came up just short of the end zone in the final seconds (thanks in part to some controversial officiating) on the final drive of the game.
The two teams combined for 1,030 total yards, 11 touchdowns and seven lead changes in a Cure Bowl that gave the viewing neutral everything it could ask for from a bowl game. Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall threw for 315 yards and four touchdowns while running back Braydon Bennett rushed for 108 yards and two scores. Northern Illinois was led by two backs who finished with over 100 yards in Jay Ducker (146) and Antario Brown (105).
Coastal Carolina finishes the season 11-2, giving it two consecutive 11-win seasons. The Huskies finish 9-5, narrowly missing out on their first 10-win season since 2014. The loss also extended Northern Illinois’ bowl losing streak to seven games. | Box score
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Bahamas Bowl: Middle Tennessee State 31, Toledo 24
Middle Tennessee came into the Bahamas Bowl as a double-digit underdog with injury issues along the defensive line and a host of other reasons why they might not be pick to win against Toledo. But all of that seemed secondary once the game started and the Blue Raiders quickly asserted themselves as Toledo’s equal, riding a fourth-quarter flurry of scores to a 31-24 win.
Toledo hit a few explosive plays late in the first half to take a 17-14 lead into the locker room, but the offense wasn’t in a good rhythm and totally inept after halftime. Eventually, the Toledo defense wore down and Middle Tennessee was able to roll off the go-ahead touchdown and two more scores all in the fourth quarter.
It’s Middle Tennessee’s first bowl win since 2017 and brings the Blue Raiders to 1-1 all-time in the Bahamas Bowl. The two schools made history as the first repeat visitors to the Nassau-based bowl game with this visit going much better for the Blue Raiders while Toledo is now 0-2 in its Bahamas Bowl history. | Box score
