Season Leaders
| passing |
|---|
  A. Aune 1763 YD, 9 TDS, 7 INTS A. Aune 1763 YD, 9 TDS, 7 INTS |
 B. Gabbert 2418 YD, 24 TDS, 6 INTS B. Gabbert 2418 YD, 24 TDS, 6 INTS |
| rushing |
|
D. Torrey 248 ATT, 1214 YD, 13 TDS D. Torrey 248 ATT, 1214 YD, 13 TDS |
|
K. Mozee 114 ATT, 480 YD, 4 TDS K. Mozee 114 ATT, 480 YD, 4 TDS |
| receiving |
|
R. Burns 54 REC, 715 YD, 4 TDS R. Burns 54 REC, 715 YD, 4 TDS |
|
J. Sorenson 69 REC, 1290 YD, 10 TDS J. Sorenson 69 REC, 1290 YD, 10 TDS |
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Armed Forces Bowl: Army 24, Missouri 22
Cole Talley drilled a 41-yard field goal as time expired to give Army a 24-22 win over Missouri in a thriller in Fort Worth, Texas. The walk-off kick capped off an eight-play, 51-yard drive that took the final 1:11 off the clock.
The fourth quarter of the Armed Forces Bowl was by far the most action-packed. Army got things started when backup quarterback Tyheir Tyler hit Brandon Walters all alone in the end zone from 15 yards out to give the Black Knights a 21-16 lead. Tyler was one of three quarterbacks who played in the game for Jeff Monken’s crew.
But Missouri would respond when it needed to most. Freshman quarterback Brady Cook, who got his first career start over Connor Bazelak, found Keke Chism in the back of the end zone from six yards out with 1:11 to go to give the Tigers a 22-21 lead. Cook’s touchdown pass capped off an 11-play, 83-yard drive that began with Missouri taking over with 2:44 to play and no timeouts. However, Cook missed an easy throw on the ensuing two-point conversion that would have made it a three-point game. That allowed Army’s field goal to end the game instead of taking it to overtime. | Box score
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Frisco Bowl: No. 24 San Diego State 38, UTSA 24
San Diego State quarterback Lucas Johnson put together the best performance of his career to lead the Aztecs past UTSA 38-24 in the Frisco Bowl, capping off the program’s first 12-win season in history. Johnson was masterful through the air, completing 24 of 36 passes for 333 yards and three touchdowns and adding another rushing score to sink the Roadrunners.
San Diego State boasted one of the top defenses in college football in 2021, but its offense had to come to the rescue as UTSA jumped out to a 14-7 lead. Johnson led scoring drives of 10, nine and six plays in the second and third quarters to spur a 17-0 run that gave the Aztecs a lead they would never relinquish. Wide receiver Jesse Matthews, who finished with 175 yards on 11 catches, caught a pair of touchdowns in the first half to add to the lead.
UTSA receiver Zakhari Franklin cleared the 1,000-yard receiving mark with 89 yards and a touchdown, but the Roadrunners could not keep pace in the game’s middle quarters. With All-American running back Sincere McCormick out preparing for the NFL Draft, backups Brenden Brady and B.J. Daniels combined for 114 yards on 19 carries. SDSU running back Greg Ball rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown.
The bowl victory is the second in third years for the Aztecs and first since Brady Hoke took over the program in 2020. UTSA is still searching for its first ever bowl victory after winning Conference USA in 2021 for the first time.
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Potato Bowl: Wyoming 52 Kent State 38
Wyoming quarterback Levi Williams ran for 200 yards and four touchdowns, threw for 127 yards and one more score to slice and dice the Kent State defense on the blue turf in Boise in the Cowboys’ 52-38 win. His four rushing touchdowns are a single-game record for the Potato Bowl, and are three more than he had for the entire season prior to Tuesday night. Seven of the Cowboys’ final nine drives resulted in points, and the two that didn’t ding the scoreboard were the victory formation drives at the end of each half.
Golden Flashes quarterback Dustin Crum had four passing touchdowns as his team racked up 656 total yards in a losing effort.
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Myrtle Beach Bowl: Tulsa 30, Old Dominion 17
Tulsa caps its season with a fourth straight victory and first bowl win since 2016 behind a defensively dominant performance. Old Dominion’s LaMareon James ran back the opening kick 100 yards for the first score of the game, but the Monarchs didn’t score an offensive touchdown until the 7:15 mark of the fourth quarter, and by then it was too late to stage a rally. Ultimately, Old Dominion finished with just 247 yards and only 10 first downs.
Tulsa took a 30-10 lead with 9:04 left on quarterback Davis Brin’s second touchdown pass of the game. The Golden Hurricane racked up 529 total yards and the production was evenly split between throwing and passing. Shamari Brooks, Anthony Watkins and Deneric Prince were each productive on the ground.
The Golden Hurricane were one of the most turnover-prone teams in the FBS this season, but they won the turnover battle 2-0 today to put a nice cap on a season that began 1-4. But this is nothing for ODU to hang its heads over. The Monarchs started out 1-6 after not playing in the 2020 season. Great job just to reach a bowl. | Box score
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New Orleans Bowl: Louisiana 36, Marshall 21
If Saturday night’s New Orleans Bowl was any indication, Louisiana and Marshall will make excellent rivals in the Sun Belt once the Thundering Herd transition out of Conference USA and into their new league. The No. 23 Ragin’ Cajuns squeaked out a 36-21 win that was closer than the final margin indicated after Louisiana got a late defensive stop and scored a game-sealing touchdown with 1:41 left.
Louisiana outscored Marshall 20-0 in the fourth quarter the Thundering Herd took the lead on a 9-yard Rasheen Ali touchdown run with 1:01 left in the third quarter. Ali entered tied for the national lead in rushing touchdowns with 20 and added three more to his total. But he accounted for nearly all of Marshall’s offense as Louisiana limited the Thundering Herd to just 99 yards passing.
The Ragin’ Cajuns struggled in the red zone this season and had to settle for three field goals. But they scored touchdowns on their final three full possessions before taking a knee in the final minute to seal coach Michael Desormeaux’s first career victory in a game that had plenty of chippy moments.
Desormeaux is replacing Billy Napier, who left for Florida after leading Louisiana to a Sun Belt Championship and the program’s third straight double-digit win season. The Cajuns finish the year 13-1, while Marshall finishes 7-6 under first-year coach Charles Huff. | Box score
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LA Bowl: Utah State 24, Oregon State 13
Utah State put the finishing touches on a fantastic season, beating Oregon State 24-13 in the LA Bowl, and it did it in an unexpected fashion. After starting quarterback Logan Bonner injured his left leg on the team’s final possession of the first quarter, he was replaced by freshman Cooper Legas. Legas — pronounced “luh-gah” — was the No. 3 QB on the depth chart during the season and never threw a pass but prepped as the No. 2 QB during bowl practice.
This was the first pass of his collegiate career.
And from there, it was all Utah State. Legas finished with 171 yards passing and two touchdowns, with star receiver Deven Thompkins his favorite target. The 62-yard touchdown grab was only one of Thompkins’ six receptions, and he finished with 115 yards. Calvin Tyler Jr. led the rushing attack with 120 yards on 26 carries. On the other side of the ball, the Utah State defense frustrated Oregon State throughout the game, finishing with four sacks and three forced turnovers. They also held the Pac-12’s leading rusher B.J. Baylor to 78 yards rushing on 17 carries.
The win caps off an 11-3 season for the Aggies, their first 11-win season since 2018. Oregon State finishes the season 7-6, but it’s hard to argue the year was anything but a success considering it was the program’s first trip to a bowl game since 2013. | Box score
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LendingTree Bowl: Liberty 56, Eastern Michigan 20
Liberty improved to 3-0 in bowl games under Hugh Freeze by pummeling Eastern Michigan 56-20 in the LendingTree Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. It was just a 13-10 lead for the Flames early in the second quarter, but they turned it on with three unanswered touchdowns to end the first half and didn’t let up in the third quarter.
Malik Willis gets a great sendoff after an excellent run for Liberty as he completed 13 of 24 passes for 231 yards, three TDs and no interceptions. He also ran for 58 yards and two more touchdowns. The “no interceptions” part is a good way to finish things for Willis after he was picked off 12 times this season. Nice to see a guy who is projected by some to be a first-round NFL Draft prospect to play in the bowl game and probably help his stock in the process.
Eastern Michigan picked up 23 first downs in the game but was stifled by a 1 for 4 mark on fourth-down conversion attempts and nine penalties for 82 yards. This was the Eagles’ fourth bowl appearance in the last six seasons under Chris Creighton, but the program is still seeking its first bowl win since 1987.
The Flames end the the year 8-5 after a 10-1 season in 2020. Liberty needed this one after losing three straight to close the regular season. | Box score
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Independence Bowl: UAB 31, BYU 28
UAB picked up its second-ever bowl win in dramatic fashion on Saturday with a 31-28 victory over No. 13 BYU in the Independence Bowl. The Blazers recovered a fumble by BYU’s Nacua Samson with 3:36 remaining and were able to run out the clock for what marks the program’s first win over a ranked foe since it was resurrected following a two-season hiatus between 2015-16.
DeWayne McBride ran for 183 yards on 28 carries to pace the Blazers, who jumped out to a 14-0 lead on a 64-yard touchdown run from McBride late in the first quarter. BYU roared back and took a 28-24 edge early in the fourth quarter, but UAB quarterback Dylan Hopkins found Trea Shropshire for a 14-yard touchdown with 6:17 remaining in what turned out to be the game’s final score. BYU was driving when Samson caught a pass over the middle that looked like it was going to plunge the Cougars deeper into UAB territory. But he never secured the ball completely and ended up fumbling after taking a few steps.
A win would have given BYU consecutive 11-win seasons. But the Cougars will finish 10-3. UAB will finish 9-4 after what will certainly go down as one of the program’s top victories. | Box score
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New Mexico Bowl: Fresno State 31, UTEP 24
The Bulldogs survived an upset bid from UTEP, which was a double-digit underdog, and reach 10 wins with a 31-24 victory. UTEP got into Fresno territory while attempting to tie the game with under five minutes to play, but a Gavin Hardison fumble recovered by the Bulldogs ended the threat and cemented the outcome.
UTEP led 17-9 early as the Fresno offense struggled a bit. But a 45-yard field goal at the end of the first half sent the Bulldogs to halftime with the lead, and they never gave it up again.
Fresno State interim coach Lee Marks tried to cast some doubt on whether star quarterback Jake Haener would start in this game after he entered the transfer portal and then withdrew following the departure of coach Kalen DeBoer for Washington. But let’s be real — he wasn’t going to jeopardize his team’s chances of winning by playing someone else. Haener started and threw for 286 yards against a UTEP pass defense that had been stout this season.
Still a great season for UTEP, which was mired in a 2-34 stretch from 2017 to 2019. Fourth-Year coach Dana Dimel has resurrected the program from an 0-12 season in 2017 to have them really competitive. The Miners lost five of their final six games this season but remained competitive during the stretch and have momentum as a program. | Box score
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Boca Raton Bowl: Western Kentucky 59, Appalachian State 38
WKU quarterback Bailey Zappe broke both B.J. Symons’ single-season passing yards record and Joe Burrow’s single-season passing touchdowns record in his 422-yard, six-touchdown effort to lead the Hilltoppers to a 59-38 win against Appalachian State in the Boca Raton Bowl. The victory improved the program’s record to 2-1 in bowl games under WKU coach Tyson Helton and snapped Appalachian State’s six-game winning streak in bowl games.
Anticipation for the records falling was high since Zappe needed just an average game, production-wise, to give himself a chance to finish with the best passing season in FBS history. The game quickly proved to be the kind of back-and-forth battle that would allow for plenty of yards and points, and Zappe broke the passing yards record first in the second quarter then the passing touchdowns mark in the third quarter.
Appalachian State had the game tied 24-24 late in the second quarter, but a few big plays in the third quarter broke the game open in favor of WKU. The Mountaineers had previously never lost in a bowl game, going 6-0 since making the FBS transition, but now fall to 6-1 after the defeat. | Box score
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Bailey Zappe sets FBS records
Western Kentucky quarterback Bailey Zappe broke the FBS records for single-season passing yardage and TD passes — which was just set by former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow in 2019 — on Saturday against Appalachian State in the Boca Raton Bowl. Burrow had the benefit of a 15th game when he set the mark in 2019 because LSU played in the SEC Championship Game and two CFP games, while this is just Zappe’s 14th game. Impressive stuff from the Houston Baptist transfer who just keeps adding to his magical season.
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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
