Utah 26, Indiana 24
Indiana missed a FG with 5:34 left, and never recovered, and the Hoosiers have not won a bowl game since 1991 after their loss to Utah in Santa Clara. The Utes marched down for their own FG after the miss, which gave the Utes the win.
Joe Williams broke a Foster Farms Bowl record with 222 yards rushing and a score. Williams rushed for 1407 yards in just 9 games after coming out of retirement. His TD in the win over Indiana was his 10th of the season.
Indiana is now 0-4 since that Copper Bowl win in 1991, and was involved in a controversial firing of coach Kevin Wilson before the bowl. Tom Allen is now 0-1 to start his Hoosiers coaching career. Richard Lagow was off all night, completing just 14/39 passes for 188 yards. He did toss a TD, but was also picked once.
Utah rolled up 470 yards of offense in the narrow win, while Indiana finished with 341.
Indiana finished the season losing 3 of their final 4 games.
Utah broke a 2 game losing streak with the win.
Andy Phillips hit 4 FGs in the win for the Utes, and finishes 21/25 on the season.
2017 Openers: North Dakota at Utah (8/31); Ohio State at Indiana (8/31)
Friday, December 30, 2016
Bilo's Quick Russell Athletic Bowl Recap
Miami 31, West Virginia 14
Miami finished with 4 consecutive wins, and snapped a 6 bowl losing streak that spanned a decade in beating West Virginia. Brad Kaaya passed for 282 yards on 24/34 passing and 4 TDs in the win for the Hurricanes. Three of those TD passes were longer than 20 yards. He started just 5/13 on the night before ripping off 19/21 to get the Miami machine running.
West Virginia did themselves no favors in the loss, racking up 108 yards in penalties. WVU also finished with a season low 229 total yards, with just 95 yards rushing. Their 14 points were also a season low. Miami outgained WVU 196 yards to just 17 in the 2nd quarter.
Skyler Howard hardly had his best game for the Mountaineers, passing for just 134 yards, and rushing for 63. He did manage to rush for a TD.
Brad Kaaya's 4 TD passes went to 4 different receivers.
2017 Openers: West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech @ Landover, MD (9/2); Miami TBA
Miami finished with 4 consecutive wins, and snapped a 6 bowl losing streak that spanned a decade in beating West Virginia. Brad Kaaya passed for 282 yards on 24/34 passing and 4 TDs in the win for the Hurricanes. Three of those TD passes were longer than 20 yards. He started just 5/13 on the night before ripping off 19/21 to get the Miami machine running.
West Virginia did themselves no favors in the loss, racking up 108 yards in penalties. WVU also finished with a season low 229 total yards, with just 95 yards rushing. Their 14 points were also a season low. Miami outgained WVU 196 yards to just 17 in the 2nd quarter.
Skyler Howard hardly had his best game for the Mountaineers, passing for just 134 yards, and rushing for 63. He did manage to rush for a TD.
Brad Kaaya's 4 TD passes went to 4 different receivers.
2017 Openers: West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech @ Landover, MD (9/2); Miami TBA
Bilo's Quick Cactus Bowl Recap
Baylor 31, Boise State 12
The Baylor Bears finished one of the most controversial seasons of all time in a blowout fashion with this win over Boise State in Phoenix. Baylor led 31-6 before Boise State scored a late TD to edge it under a 3 TD game, but Boise State never seemed to be in the game from the start.
KD Cannon caught 2 TD passes in the win, and Baylor snapped a 6 game losing streak. The Bears held an opponent to under 21 points for the 1st time since October in the win. The loss was the worst of the season for the Broncos. Cannon caught 14 passes for 226 yards on the night.
This was the first ever meeting between the two schools.
Baylor is now 12-11 in bowls, while Boise State fell to 11-6.
Baylor forced 3 turnovers in the win.
Taylor Young led all tacklers with 17 for Baylor.
Brett Rypien threw 2 picks after throwing just 6 all season.
Baylor held the football for just over 27 minutes in the game despite having such a massive lead.
Terence Williams rushed for 103 yards in place of Shock Linwood, who declined to play in order to prep for the NFL draft.
2017 Openers: Liberty at Baylor (9/2); Troy at Boise State (9/2)
The Baylor Bears finished one of the most controversial seasons of all time in a blowout fashion with this win over Boise State in Phoenix. Baylor led 31-6 before Boise State scored a late TD to edge it under a 3 TD game, but Boise State never seemed to be in the game from the start.
KD Cannon caught 2 TD passes in the win, and Baylor snapped a 6 game losing streak. The Bears held an opponent to under 21 points for the 1st time since October in the win. The loss was the worst of the season for the Broncos. Cannon caught 14 passes for 226 yards on the night.
This was the first ever meeting between the two schools.
Baylor is now 12-11 in bowls, while Boise State fell to 11-6.
Baylor forced 3 turnovers in the win.
Taylor Young led all tacklers with 17 for Baylor.
Brett Rypien threw 2 picks after throwing just 6 all season.
Baylor held the football for just over 27 minutes in the game despite having such a massive lead.
Terence Williams rushed for 103 yards in place of Shock Linwood, who declined to play in order to prep for the NFL draft.
2017 Openers: Liberty at Baylor (9/2); Troy at Boise State (9/2)
Bilo's Quick Holiday Bowl Recap
Minnesota 17, Washington State 12
Minnesota survived a potential player boycott, and the Gopher defense put on a clinic in shutting down the high powered Cougar attack on offense to win the 2016 Holiday Bowl in San Diego.
Washington State led 6-3 at the half, until Minnesota scored both of their TDs in the second half for the win.
Luke Falk was held under 200 passing yards until the 4th quarter of the game for Washington State, and he did not pass for a score until the final minute of the game.
Rodney Smith used his speed to burn around the right side and score the game clinching TD with just over 2 minutes left in the game, and rushed for 74 yards on 17 carries in the Minnesota win. The Gophers finished with their highest win total since 2003.
Mitch Leidner was just 2/9 passing in the first half for Minnesota. He finished with 149 yards passing.
Washington State finished with just 39 yards rushing on 23 carries for the game.
Washington State's 12 points were a season low, and they had averaged 40.3 per game coming in.
Duke McGhee was ejected for targeting in the final minute for Minnesota, his 3rd ejection for targeting this season. Minnesota led FBS with 8 targeting ejections on the season.
Minnesota is now 3-3 against Washington State all-time.
2017 Openers: Buffalo at Minnesota (8/31); Montana State at Washington State (9/2)
Minnesota survived a potential player boycott, and the Gopher defense put on a clinic in shutting down the high powered Cougar attack on offense to win the 2016 Holiday Bowl in San Diego.
Washington State led 6-3 at the half, until Minnesota scored both of their TDs in the second half for the win.
Luke Falk was held under 200 passing yards until the 4th quarter of the game for Washington State, and he did not pass for a score until the final minute of the game.
Rodney Smith used his speed to burn around the right side and score the game clinching TD with just over 2 minutes left in the game, and rushed for 74 yards on 17 carries in the Minnesota win. The Gophers finished with their highest win total since 2003.
Mitch Leidner was just 2/9 passing in the first half for Minnesota. He finished with 149 yards passing.
Washington State finished with just 39 yards rushing on 23 carries for the game.
Washington State's 12 points were a season low, and they had averaged 40.3 per game coming in.
Duke McGhee was ejected for targeting in the final minute for Minnesota, his 3rd ejection for targeting this season. Minnesota led FBS with 8 targeting ejections on the season.
Minnesota is now 3-3 against Washington State all-time.
2017 Openers: Buffalo at Minnesota (8/31); Montana State at Washington State (9/2)
Bilo's Quick Heart of Dallas Bowl Recap
Army 38, North Texas 31
Army avenged an earlier 2016 loss to North Texas by outlasting UNT in the Heart of Dallas Bowl in OT. Army picked up their first bowl win since 2010, and won their most games in a season since 1996. Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for 129 yards and a score, and completed 2 of his 3 attempted passes on the day.
Army controlled tempo in the game, holding the football for over 36 minutes, but could not keep the Mean Green from answering scores in regularity. Alec Morris passed for 304 yards and 3 TDs in the loss for UNT.
Army rushed for 6 TDs on the day, the 4th time they did that this season. The Cadets averaged 6.5 yards per carry. Elijah Riley was a savior on defense, as he picked off 2 UNT passes in the Army red zone, helping preserve the win.
Army snapped a 3 game losing streak in OT games dating back to 2009.
2017 Openers: Fordham at Army (9/1); Lamar at North Texas (9/2)
Army avenged an earlier 2016 loss to North Texas by outlasting UNT in the Heart of Dallas Bowl in OT. Army picked up their first bowl win since 2010, and won their most games in a season since 1996. Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for 129 yards and a score, and completed 2 of his 3 attempted passes on the day.
Army controlled tempo in the game, holding the football for over 36 minutes, but could not keep the Mean Green from answering scores in regularity. Alec Morris passed for 304 yards and 3 TDs in the loss for UNT.
Army rushed for 6 TDs on the day, the 4th time they did that this season. The Cadets averaged 6.5 yards per carry. Elijah Riley was a savior on defense, as he picked off 2 UNT passes in the Army red zone, helping preserve the win.
Army snapped a 3 game losing streak in OT games dating back to 2009.
2017 Openers: Fordham at Army (9/1); Lamar at North Texas (9/2)
Bilo's Quick Military Bowl Recap
Wake Forest 34, Temple 26
Wake Forest built a 31-7 lead, and then held on for a win in the Military Bowl, their first bowl win since 2008, and they also finished with a winning record for the first time since that same season.
John Wolford passed for 189 yards and a pair of TDs before leaving the game with an injury. This was only the second time that the Demon Deacons finished with 30 points in a game during the Dave Clawson era.
Wake Forest finished with 368 yards in the win, but only had 106 yards in the second half.
It was a miserable game for Temple, who finished just 1/12 on 3rd down conversions, and they also finished with just -20 yards rushing in the loss. Phillip Walker did what he could, passing for 396 yards and 2 TDs in the loss for the Owls.
Wake Forest had lost 17 consecutive games against ranked opponents before this win.
Adonis Jennings and Ventell Bryant combined for 305 yards receiving in the loss for Temple.
Wolford did not play beyond the first drive of the second half for Wake Forest.
2017 Openers: Temple at Notre Dame (9/2); Wake Forest TBA
Wake Forest built a 31-7 lead, and then held on for a win in the Military Bowl, their first bowl win since 2008, and they also finished with a winning record for the first time since that same season.
John Wolford passed for 189 yards and a pair of TDs before leaving the game with an injury. This was only the second time that the Demon Deacons finished with 30 points in a game during the Dave Clawson era.
Wake Forest finished with 368 yards in the win, but only had 106 yards in the second half.
It was a miserable game for Temple, who finished just 1/12 on 3rd down conversions, and they also finished with just -20 yards rushing in the loss. Phillip Walker did what he could, passing for 396 yards and 2 TDs in the loss for the Owls.
Wake Forest had lost 17 consecutive games against ranked opponents before this win.
Adonis Jennings and Ventell Bryant combined for 305 yards receiving in the loss for Temple.
Wolford did not play beyond the first drive of the second half for Wake Forest.
2017 Openers: Temple at Notre Dame (9/2); Wake Forest TBA
Bilo's Quick Independence Bowl Recap
NC State 41, Vanderbilt 17
After trailing 3-0 early, NC State scored 28 unanswered points on the way to the blowout win. NC State has now won 2 of their last 3 bowls, while Vanderbilt fell short of winning their 3rd straight bowl appearance, and fell short of their first winning season since 2013.
NC State TE Jaylen Samuels caught 6 passes for 104 yards and 3 TDs in the win. The 3 TDs broke an Independence Bowl record.
This was the first ever win by NC State over Vanderbilt, as they are now 1-2 against the Commodores all-time.
This was the 12th bowl appearance for NC State since 2000, and was their 16th bowl win all-time, while Vanderbilt fell to 4-3-1 all-time in bowls.
Ryan Finley tossed all 3 of his TD passes to Samuels, and passed for 235 yards on the day in the win.
Ralph Webb rushed for 111 yards and a score, and broke the Vanderbilt all-time career rushing record.
NC State converted 8/15 3rd down conversions, while Vandy converted on 6/18.
2017 Openers: South Carolina @ Charlotte (9/2); Vanderbilt at Middle Tennessee (9/2)
After trailing 3-0 early, NC State scored 28 unanswered points on the way to the blowout win. NC State has now won 2 of their last 3 bowls, while Vanderbilt fell short of winning their 3rd straight bowl appearance, and fell short of their first winning season since 2013.
NC State TE Jaylen Samuels caught 6 passes for 104 yards and 3 TDs in the win. The 3 TDs broke an Independence Bowl record.
This was the first ever win by NC State over Vanderbilt, as they are now 1-2 against the Commodores all-time.
This was the 12th bowl appearance for NC State since 2000, and was their 16th bowl win all-time, while Vanderbilt fell to 4-3-1 all-time in bowls.
Ryan Finley tossed all 3 of his TD passes to Samuels, and passed for 235 yards on the day in the win.
Ralph Webb rushed for 111 yards and a score, and broke the Vanderbilt all-time career rushing record.
NC State converted 8/15 3rd down conversions, while Vandy converted on 6/18.
2017 Openers: South Carolina @ Charlotte (9/2); Vanderbilt at Middle Tennessee (9/2)
Bilo's Quick Quick Lane Bowl Recap
Boston College 36, Maryland 30
BC picked up their first bowl win since 2007, and snapped a 5 bowl losing streak in the process. The Eagles led 36-13, and then fended off a late Maryland rally in the win.
Patrick Towles passed for 151 yards and 2 TDs, and also caught a TD pass in the win. The Eagles finished with 348 yards of offense in the win, but picked up only 110 yards after the half as Maryland made adjustments.
There were 9 total fumbles in the game, 4 of which were lost, and Maryland committed 11 penalties for 86 yards in a sloppy overall effort in the loss.
Ty Johnson was the star on offense for Maryland, rushing for 159 yards on just 15 carries, and added 2 scores on the day.
This was the first multiple passing TD effort in a game since October.
Perry Ellis passed for 229 yards and 2 TDs for Maryland, but finished with 3 turnovers in the loss. He completed just 15/35 passes on the day.
BC scored 23 points in the 2nd quarter alone.
2017 Openers: Boston College at Northern Illinois (9/1); Maryland at Texas (9/2)
BC picked up their first bowl win since 2007, and snapped a 5 bowl losing streak in the process. The Eagles led 36-13, and then fended off a late Maryland rally in the win.
Patrick Towles passed for 151 yards and 2 TDs, and also caught a TD pass in the win. The Eagles finished with 348 yards of offense in the win, but picked up only 110 yards after the half as Maryland made adjustments.
There were 9 total fumbles in the game, 4 of which were lost, and Maryland committed 11 penalties for 86 yards in a sloppy overall effort in the loss.
Ty Johnson was the star on offense for Maryland, rushing for 159 yards on just 15 carries, and added 2 scores on the day.
This was the first multiple passing TD effort in a game since October.
Perry Ellis passed for 229 yards and 2 TDs for Maryland, but finished with 3 turnovers in the loss. He completed just 15/35 passes on the day.
BC scored 23 points in the 2nd quarter alone.
2017 Openers: Boston College at Northern Illinois (9/1); Maryland at Texas (9/2)
Bilo's Quick St. Petersburg Bowl Recap
Mississippi State 17, Miami (Ohio) 16
Mississippi State picked up a blocked FG late in the game, and scored the only 3 points put on the board in the 4th quarter to twice erase a 9 point deficit in a one point win over Miami U. Miami had a 6 game win streak snapped in the loss.
QB Nick Fitzgerald scored both MSU TDs in the game, as he passed for 136 yards and rushed for 132 on the day. Gus Ragland passed for 253 yards for Miami, and passed for 2 TDs, while he also added 51 yards rushing.
Mississippi State and Miami both finished with 6-7 records on the season.
The Bulldogs blocked both a FG and an XP to seal the win.
Miami picked up 433 yards of offense, while MSU rolled up just 335 in the win.
Both teams combined for just 5 penalties.
Miami's Tony Reid racked up 14 tackles, while TE Ryan Smith caught 7 passes for 72 yards in the loss.
Nelson Adams blocked a FG with 0:05 left to seal the win for Mississippi State.
2017 Openers: Charleston Southern at Mississippi State (9/2); Miami (Ohio) at Marshall (9/2)
Mississippi State picked up a blocked FG late in the game, and scored the only 3 points put on the board in the 4th quarter to twice erase a 9 point deficit in a one point win over Miami U. Miami had a 6 game win streak snapped in the loss.
QB Nick Fitzgerald scored both MSU TDs in the game, as he passed for 136 yards and rushed for 132 on the day. Gus Ragland passed for 253 yards for Miami, and passed for 2 TDs, while he also added 51 yards rushing.
Mississippi State and Miami both finished with 6-7 records on the season.
The Bulldogs blocked both a FG and an XP to seal the win.
Miami picked up 433 yards of offense, while MSU rolled up just 335 in the win.
Both teams combined for just 5 penalties.
Miami's Tony Reid racked up 14 tackles, while TE Ryan Smith caught 7 passes for 72 yards in the loss.
Nelson Adams blocked a FG with 0:05 left to seal the win for Mississippi State.
2017 Openers: Charleston Southern at Mississippi State (9/2); Miami (Ohio) at Marshall (9/2)
Bilo's Quick Hawaii Bowl Recap
Hawaii 52, Middle Tennessee 35
Hawaii jumped out to a 35-21 lead over the Blue Raiders at the half, and never looked back, picking up a win in their home stadium. It was the first Hawaii Bowl win for the Rainbows since 2005.
Dru Brown had a huge passing game for Hawaii, passing for 275 yards and 4 TDs, and he did not throw a pick in the win. He only tossed 10 TDs during the season.
Hawaii is now 4-3 overall in Hawaii Bowl appearances with this win, and they scored a season high 52 points in getting to that 4th win in this bowl.
Diocemy Saint Juste rushed for 170 yards on 25 carries in the win, his 4th 100 yard effort of the season.
With the win, Hawaii is now 2-0 all-time against Middle Tennessee.
Hawaii's 7 wins were their most since 2010, when they won 10 games. Those 7 wins were what they had won combined for the last two seasons.
Middle Tennessee has now lost 4 consecutive bowl appearances, with their last win coming in 2009.
Richie James starred for Middle Tennessee, catching 8 passes for 162 yards and a score in the loss, and he also added 52 yards rushing on 7 carries and a score.
2017 Openers: Vanderbilt at Middle Tennessee (9/2); Western Carolina at Hawaii (9/2)
Hawaii jumped out to a 35-21 lead over the Blue Raiders at the half, and never looked back, picking up a win in their home stadium. It was the first Hawaii Bowl win for the Rainbows since 2005.
Dru Brown had a huge passing game for Hawaii, passing for 275 yards and 4 TDs, and he did not throw a pick in the win. He only tossed 10 TDs during the season.
Hawaii is now 4-3 overall in Hawaii Bowl appearances with this win, and they scored a season high 52 points in getting to that 4th win in this bowl.
Diocemy Saint Juste rushed for 170 yards on 25 carries in the win, his 4th 100 yard effort of the season.
With the win, Hawaii is now 2-0 all-time against Middle Tennessee.
Hawaii's 7 wins were their most since 2010, when they won 10 games. Those 7 wins were what they had won combined for the last two seasons.
Middle Tennessee has now lost 4 consecutive bowl appearances, with their last win coming in 2009.
Richie James starred for Middle Tennessee, catching 8 passes for 162 yards and a score in the loss, and he also added 52 yards rushing on 7 carries and a score.
2017 Openers: Vanderbilt at Middle Tennessee (9/2); Western Carolina at Hawaii (9/2)
Bilo's Quick Dollar General Bowl Recap
Troy 28, Ohio 23
Jordan Chunn was limited to just 56 yards rushing and a 2.8 yards per carry average, but still managed to score 3 TDs as Troy used a late defensive stand to hold off Ohio for a win in Mobile. Troy finished with 10 wins on the season, while Ohio dropped to just 8-6. The loss for the Bobcats was their 3rd in their final 4 games of the season.
Greg Windham passed for 315 yards and a pair of scores for the Bobcats, but was also picked 4 times in the loss. Brandon Silvers had an equally rough game for Troy, passing for 235 yards and a score, but he finished with 2 picks, as the teams combined for 6 picks on the day.
Jordan Reid had a big day in the loss for Ohio, as he caught 12 passes for 162 yards and a score. On the flip side, the run game for the Bobcats was abysmal, as they finished with just 78 yards rushing on 30 carries.
Troy finished with just 87 yards rushing on 30 carries in the win.
Both teams missed one FG on the day.
Michael Farkas averaged just 32.5 yards per punt on the day for Ohio.
Greg Windham was picked 4 times, which is the same number of pick he had for the entire season entering the game for Ohio.
Toran Davis of Ohio had only one pick all season, and finished the day with 2 in one game.
Troy's 10 wins were a program record since joining D1 football.
The win was the first bowl win for Troy since 2010.
Ohio has now lost 3 straight bowl games.
2017 Season Openers: Troy at Boise State (9/2); Hampton at Ohio (9/2)
Jordan Chunn was limited to just 56 yards rushing and a 2.8 yards per carry average, but still managed to score 3 TDs as Troy used a late defensive stand to hold off Ohio for a win in Mobile. Troy finished with 10 wins on the season, while Ohio dropped to just 8-6. The loss for the Bobcats was their 3rd in their final 4 games of the season.
Greg Windham passed for 315 yards and a pair of scores for the Bobcats, but was also picked 4 times in the loss. Brandon Silvers had an equally rough game for Troy, passing for 235 yards and a score, but he finished with 2 picks, as the teams combined for 6 picks on the day.
Jordan Reid had a big day in the loss for Ohio, as he caught 12 passes for 162 yards and a score. On the flip side, the run game for the Bobcats was abysmal, as they finished with just 78 yards rushing on 30 carries.
Troy finished with just 87 yards rushing on 30 carries in the win.
Both teams missed one FG on the day.
Michael Farkas averaged just 32.5 yards per punt on the day for Ohio.
Greg Windham was picked 4 times, which is the same number of pick he had for the entire season entering the game for Ohio.
Toran Davis of Ohio had only one pick all season, and finished the day with 2 in one game.
Troy's 10 wins were a program record since joining D1 football.
The win was the first bowl win for Troy since 2010.
Ohio has now lost 3 straight bowl games.
2017 Season Openers: Troy at Boise State (9/2); Hampton at Ohio (9/2)
Bilo's Quick Bahamas Bowl Recap
Old Dominion 24, Eastern Michigan 20
A late defensive effort kept Eastern Michigan from winning their first bowl appearance since 1987, and Old Dominion held on for their first ever bowl win.
David Washington did not have his best effort of the season at QB for ODU, but he still managed to pass for 3 TDs, his 11th multiple TD effort of the season, and he finished passing for 188 yards on 11/20. That effort was enough to carry the Monarchs to the win.
ODU had a 10-0 lead at the half, but EMU scored 17 in the 3rd to make it a game, and the teams were tied heading into the final quarter.
Ray Lawry rushed for 133 yards on the day for ODU, his 3rd straight game over 100 yards, but he was shut out of the end zone.
Brogan Roback led the way for EMU, passing for 300 yards and a pair of TDs, one each to Sergio Bailey II and Johnnie Niupalau, but also tossed a pick on the day. The Eagles rushed for 170 yards as a team, but no one back rushed for more than 63 yards on the day.
Neither team averaged over 40 yards per punt.
Despite only 44 points total being scored, the teams combined for 864 yards and 48 1st downs.
EMU converted on 13/20 3rd downs on the day in the loss.
EMU ran 85 plays to just 59 for ODU.
2017 Season Openers: Albany at Old Dominion (9/2); Charlotte at Eastern Michigan (9/2)
A late defensive effort kept Eastern Michigan from winning their first bowl appearance since 1987, and Old Dominion held on for their first ever bowl win.
David Washington did not have his best effort of the season at QB for ODU, but he still managed to pass for 3 TDs, his 11th multiple TD effort of the season, and he finished passing for 188 yards on 11/20. That effort was enough to carry the Monarchs to the win.
ODU had a 10-0 lead at the half, but EMU scored 17 in the 3rd to make it a game, and the teams were tied heading into the final quarter.
Ray Lawry rushed for 133 yards on the day for ODU, his 3rd straight game over 100 yards, but he was shut out of the end zone.
Brogan Roback led the way for EMU, passing for 300 yards and a pair of TDs, one each to Sergio Bailey II and Johnnie Niupalau, but also tossed a pick on the day. The Eagles rushed for 170 yards as a team, but no one back rushed for more than 63 yards on the day.
Neither team averaged over 40 yards per punt.
Despite only 44 points total being scored, the teams combined for 864 yards and 48 1st downs.
EMU converted on 13/20 3rd downs on the day in the loss.
EMU ran 85 plays to just 59 for ODU.
2017 Season Openers: Albany at Old Dominion (9/2); Charlotte at Eastern Michigan (9/2)
Bilo's Quick Armed Forces Bowl Recap
Louisiana Tech 48, Navy 45
Louisiana Tech blew a pair of 2 TD leads in the 4th quarter, but got a last second FG to beat Navy 48-45. The Bulldogs won their 9th game, while Navy had a 3 year winning streak in bowls snapped. WR Trent Taylor led the way for Louisiana Tech, catching 12 passes for 233 yards and 2 scores on the day, which is his second game this season where he passed 200 yards and 2 TDs in a single game.
The Bulldogs finished with 497 total yards on the day, and Ryan Higgins passed for 409 yards and 4 scores on the game, and a 23 yard pass to Taylor set up the Jonathon Barnes game winning FG as time expired for the win.
Zach Abey, playing QB in relief of injured Will Worth, piled up 273 yards of offense and 3 scores, but finished the game injured, forcing Navy to go to their 3rd QB of the season, 4th if you include an early injury to their original starter.
Carlos Henderson also managed 10 receptions for 129 yards and a pair of TD receptions in the win. Barnes connected on both of his FG attempts, and also added 6 extra points for a total of 12 points on the day.
Chris High rushed for a pair of TDs for Navy, who rushed for 300 yards as a team for the 9th time this season. Navy rushed for 5 team TDs on the day.
Navy finished with 459 yards of offense in the loss.
Both teams combined for 56 1st downs in a game that saw zero defense.
The teams combined for 93 points, an Armed Forces Bowl record.
2017 Openers: Northwestern State at Louisiana Tech (9/2); Navy at FAU (9/2)
Louisiana Tech blew a pair of 2 TD leads in the 4th quarter, but got a last second FG to beat Navy 48-45. The Bulldogs won their 9th game, while Navy had a 3 year winning streak in bowls snapped. WR Trent Taylor led the way for Louisiana Tech, catching 12 passes for 233 yards and 2 scores on the day, which is his second game this season where he passed 200 yards and 2 TDs in a single game.
The Bulldogs finished with 497 total yards on the day, and Ryan Higgins passed for 409 yards and 4 scores on the game, and a 23 yard pass to Taylor set up the Jonathon Barnes game winning FG as time expired for the win.
Zach Abey, playing QB in relief of injured Will Worth, piled up 273 yards of offense and 3 scores, but finished the game injured, forcing Navy to go to their 3rd QB of the season, 4th if you include an early injury to their original starter.
Carlos Henderson also managed 10 receptions for 129 yards and a pair of TD receptions in the win. Barnes connected on both of his FG attempts, and also added 6 extra points for a total of 12 points on the day.
Chris High rushed for a pair of TDs for Navy, who rushed for 300 yards as a team for the 9th time this season. Navy rushed for 5 team TDs on the day.
Navy finished with 459 yards of offense in the loss.
Both teams combined for 56 1st downs in a game that saw zero defense.
The teams combined for 93 points, an Armed Forces Bowl record.
2017 Openers: Northwestern State at Louisiana Tech (9/2); Navy at FAU (9/2)
Bilo's Quick Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Recap
Idaho 61, Colorado State 50
Idaho won their final game as a member of FBS football, but Colorado State scored a record 36 points in the 4th quarter to make the game look closer than it was, as the Vandals dominated for 3 quarters of football. Idaho scored 20 points in the 2nd, 21 in the 3rd, and 20 in the wild 4th quarter which saw a combined 56 points put on the scoreboard.
For Idaho, it was their first bowl win since 2008, and they finished with their 2nd highest win total of any season since 1998. Colorado State finished the season at 7-6.
Idaho RB Isaiah Sanders rushed for 147 yards on 33 carries, and scored 3 TDs for the second time this season.
Colorado State QB Nick Stevens led the way for the Rams, passing for 445 yards and 5 TDs, although he also tossed 2 picks in the loss. Matt Linehan passed for 381 yards and 4 TDs for Idaho in the win. Jacob Sannon caught 2 TD passes for Idaho, while Deon Watson caught 5 passes for 140 yards and a score. Jordan Frysinger caught the 4th TD for the Vandals.
Olabisi Johnson had a huge receiving day in the loss for the Rams, as he caught 7 passes for 265 yards and 2 scores, while Michael Gallup caught 6 passes, 2 of which went for scores.
The two teams combined for over 1200 yards of offense, a Potato Bowl record.
Colorado State averaged 9.1 yards per play, while Idaho averaged 7.4.
The 111 points scored were the 3rd highest total in overall bowl history.
Colorado State has now lost 3 straight bowls.
Idaho moves to FCS football and the Big Sky Conference in 2017.
2017 Season Openers: Colorado State at Colorado (@Denver) (9/2); Sacramento State at Idaho (9/2)
Idaho won their final game as a member of FBS football, but Colorado State scored a record 36 points in the 4th quarter to make the game look closer than it was, as the Vandals dominated for 3 quarters of football. Idaho scored 20 points in the 2nd, 21 in the 3rd, and 20 in the wild 4th quarter which saw a combined 56 points put on the scoreboard.
For Idaho, it was their first bowl win since 2008, and they finished with their 2nd highest win total of any season since 1998. Colorado State finished the season at 7-6.
Idaho RB Isaiah Sanders rushed for 147 yards on 33 carries, and scored 3 TDs for the second time this season.
Colorado State QB Nick Stevens led the way for the Rams, passing for 445 yards and 5 TDs, although he also tossed 2 picks in the loss. Matt Linehan passed for 381 yards and 4 TDs for Idaho in the win. Jacob Sannon caught 2 TD passes for Idaho, while Deon Watson caught 5 passes for 140 yards and a score. Jordan Frysinger caught the 4th TD for the Vandals.
Olabisi Johnson had a huge receiving day in the loss for the Rams, as he caught 7 passes for 265 yards and 2 scores, while Michael Gallup caught 6 passes, 2 of which went for scores.
The two teams combined for over 1200 yards of offense, a Potato Bowl record.
Colorado State averaged 9.1 yards per play, while Idaho averaged 7.4.
The 111 points scored were the 3rd highest total in overall bowl history.
Colorado State has now lost 3 straight bowls.
Idaho moves to FCS football and the Big Sky Conference in 2017.
2017 Season Openers: Colorado State at Colorado (@Denver) (9/2); Sacramento State at Idaho (9/2)
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Coaches Who Have the Hottest Seats in 2017
With all of the FBS jobs now taken (17 total changes in 2016), it is time to look forward at who could be fired in 2017, with a few making the list that we thought for certain would be gone in the current crop. Here is a look at who will have the hottest seats in 2017:
Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
There have been off-field issues, on field collapses, and now a rumored job flirtation outside of South Bend by Kelly himself that necessitated a statement to the media. Kelly is no longer a rising rock star at Notre Dame, and is sinking like a stone after a horrifying 2016 that finished at 4-8, and saw all manner of things go wrong. If Notre Dame is not playing NY6 football at the very least next season, he will not be back in 2018.
Todd Graham, Arizona State
I am not certain as to why anyone still has any faith left in Graham at this point, He has failed to get anywhere close to a division title in the PAC-12 South, is coming off of back to back mediocre or losing seasons, and has seen Colorado pass him by in the division as well. The talent base is not impressive, and the Sun Devils are a train wreck on defense. Short of 8 or 9 wins next season, it would be tough to sell him as coming back in 2018.
Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M
The Aggies were ranked 4th in the nation at one point before finishing at just 8-4, again. Sumlin, who was once considered a riser in coaching ranks, has proven to be simply average with the Aggies, and has gotten no closer to taking Alabama down in the SEC West than ever. Even when he had Jonny Manziel, other than beating the Tide once, he never got the Aggies close to winning a division title, and the collapse this year, with the ever awful Noel Mazzone coordinating his offense, has everyone wondering why Sumlin is even returning for 2017.
Jim Mora, UCLA
Mora has lost everyone in and around Westwood, all with the exception of his boss, Dan Guerrero. The fans are done, recruiting for the 2017 class has stalled out, he has all but botched the OC hire after letting his second consecutive OC go. Josh Rosen will have a third OC in as many seasons next fall, and he will certainly leave after next season, meaning that Mora has largely wasted Rosen's UCLA career and has ill afforded him a chance to develop, which he has not. Other than a ridiculous buyout of $15 million, there ws no reason to bring Mora back in 2017. He may not be back in 2018, as there is little chance that this roster improves on the offensive side of the football next season.
Paul Haynes, Kent State
I have no clue why Haynes was not canned weeks ago. Kent State is awful, and the program has sunk down to where it was previous to Darrell Hazell arriving. Haynes has largely been clueless, the program is back in the mud, and there was no reason to continue the suffering.
Bret Bielema, Arkansas
Bielema has simply not produced at Arkansas. He has had talented rosters, decent recruits, and solid staffs, but still, the job is not getting done here. Arkansas is not close to competing for SEC titles, and if you cannot figure out a way to push Alabama, you simply don't matter, and right now, Arkansas football does not matter in the scheme of things.
Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss
I am not sure who Freeze has nasty pictures of, but that must be why he hasn't been fired by now. Freeze has an issue of major proportions with massive off-field problems during his watch and the Rebels failed to win in 2017 with Chad Kelly at QB. Kelly is now gone, so I am not sure what Freeze can use to keep his job beyond 2017. He should not be there now.
Butch Jones, Tennessee
After all of the hype that Jones has received for his vaunted recruiting efforts, he certainly has very little to show for it. Tennessee finished 8-4, which seems to be his ceiling in Knoxville, and the Vols failed to win a very weak and watered down SEC East. He seems to be the football version of Steve Lavin. He's a solid recruiter who doesn't know what to do with the talent once he lands it.
Lance Leipold, Buffalo
I was never a super fan of the Leipold hire in Buffalo. He came straight from D3 football to FBS football, and the jump is just too large a chasm to cross in one shot. Buffalo football is listless right now, and looking for a future of winning is like looking for a unicorn. Leipold may be in over his head here.
David Beaty, Kansas
He has won just 2 games in 2 years. Beaty, in my opinion, was the wrong hire for the Jayhawks when the move was made. If he cannot win more than 2 games in 2017, forget about them moving forward with a coach who would own a 4-30 mark after 2017 if they finish 2-10 once again. It is just not tenable.
Lovie Smith, Illinois
The sad truth is that this was the wrong hire to begin with for Illinois. Smith has zero connections in Big 10 recruiting country, and his first season on the job has been tenuous at best, with rumors that he was already thinking bout leaving as early as October. Smith has never been a big winner during his career in the NFL, and college football is probably more difficult to coach in. I cannot see him staying long, either way.
Rich Rodriguez, Arizona
The recipient of the most ridiculous contract extension in history after last season, Rodriguez completely imploded in 2016. Arizona was probably the worst program in the PAC-12 in 2016 next to Oregon State, and the Beavers were showing signs of life. Rodriguez has totally screwed up his QB pool, and the team looks completely lifeless. That cannot be allowed to continue for long in Tucson.
Doug Martin, New Mexico State
The only reason that Martin is still in charge is that nobody else would want this job. NMSU is losing their standing in the Sun Belt, will be an independent next season, and has virtually no recruiting land mass to speak of anywhere. They depend on JC talent, which basically means that nobody ever truly ever gets to develop in their system. This is one of the three worst jobs in America.
Sean Kugler, UTEP
Other than Aaron Jones at RB, there was not one bright spot in 2016 for UTEP. Kugler has had just one winning season during his time in El Paso, and that will not be anough after what is certain to be another bad season in 2017.
Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech
Here is another guy who does not deserve to be running his program in 2017. Again, he must have pictures on someone, because he deserved to get canned this month or last. HE just flat out cannot coach, and as far as playing even the most simple defense, he is clueless.
David Bailiff, Rice
He was gone in October. By the end of November, he was still in charge. I call him zombie coach, because nothing kills this guy. He will be entering his 11th full season at Rice in 2017, and has a record of under .500. I want to b the next coach at Rice, simply because nobody ever gets fired from that gig.
Bob Diaco, U Conn
He is all talk, and no action. Diaco was a fine DC in his day, but he is a terrible head coach. One can add to this fact that he also strangely insists that UCF is a major rival. That is just stupid.
Matt Wells, Utah State
Once one of the fast risers in college football who's name was always connected with open jobs, he may not even be able to retain the one he has after 2017. The Aggie program is sinking like a stone, and the Wells star is winking out quickly.
Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
There have been off-field issues, on field collapses, and now a rumored job flirtation outside of South Bend by Kelly himself that necessitated a statement to the media. Kelly is no longer a rising rock star at Notre Dame, and is sinking like a stone after a horrifying 2016 that finished at 4-8, and saw all manner of things go wrong. If Notre Dame is not playing NY6 football at the very least next season, he will not be back in 2018.
Todd Graham, Arizona State
I am not certain as to why anyone still has any faith left in Graham at this point, He has failed to get anywhere close to a division title in the PAC-12 South, is coming off of back to back mediocre or losing seasons, and has seen Colorado pass him by in the division as well. The talent base is not impressive, and the Sun Devils are a train wreck on defense. Short of 8 or 9 wins next season, it would be tough to sell him as coming back in 2018.
Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M
The Aggies were ranked 4th in the nation at one point before finishing at just 8-4, again. Sumlin, who was once considered a riser in coaching ranks, has proven to be simply average with the Aggies, and has gotten no closer to taking Alabama down in the SEC West than ever. Even when he had Jonny Manziel, other than beating the Tide once, he never got the Aggies close to winning a division title, and the collapse this year, with the ever awful Noel Mazzone coordinating his offense, has everyone wondering why Sumlin is even returning for 2017.
Jim Mora, UCLA
Mora has lost everyone in and around Westwood, all with the exception of his boss, Dan Guerrero. The fans are done, recruiting for the 2017 class has stalled out, he has all but botched the OC hire after letting his second consecutive OC go. Josh Rosen will have a third OC in as many seasons next fall, and he will certainly leave after next season, meaning that Mora has largely wasted Rosen's UCLA career and has ill afforded him a chance to develop, which he has not. Other than a ridiculous buyout of $15 million, there ws no reason to bring Mora back in 2017. He may not be back in 2018, as there is little chance that this roster improves on the offensive side of the football next season.
Paul Haynes, Kent State
I have no clue why Haynes was not canned weeks ago. Kent State is awful, and the program has sunk down to where it was previous to Darrell Hazell arriving. Haynes has largely been clueless, the program is back in the mud, and there was no reason to continue the suffering.
Bret Bielema, Arkansas
Bielema has simply not produced at Arkansas. He has had talented rosters, decent recruits, and solid staffs, but still, the job is not getting done here. Arkansas is not close to competing for SEC titles, and if you cannot figure out a way to push Alabama, you simply don't matter, and right now, Arkansas football does not matter in the scheme of things.
Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss
I am not sure who Freeze has nasty pictures of, but that must be why he hasn't been fired by now. Freeze has an issue of major proportions with massive off-field problems during his watch and the Rebels failed to win in 2017 with Chad Kelly at QB. Kelly is now gone, so I am not sure what Freeze can use to keep his job beyond 2017. He should not be there now.
Butch Jones, Tennessee
After all of the hype that Jones has received for his vaunted recruiting efforts, he certainly has very little to show for it. Tennessee finished 8-4, which seems to be his ceiling in Knoxville, and the Vols failed to win a very weak and watered down SEC East. He seems to be the football version of Steve Lavin. He's a solid recruiter who doesn't know what to do with the talent once he lands it.
Lance Leipold, Buffalo
I was never a super fan of the Leipold hire in Buffalo. He came straight from D3 football to FBS football, and the jump is just too large a chasm to cross in one shot. Buffalo football is listless right now, and looking for a future of winning is like looking for a unicorn. Leipold may be in over his head here.
David Beaty, Kansas
He has won just 2 games in 2 years. Beaty, in my opinion, was the wrong hire for the Jayhawks when the move was made. If he cannot win more than 2 games in 2017, forget about them moving forward with a coach who would own a 4-30 mark after 2017 if they finish 2-10 once again. It is just not tenable.
Lovie Smith, Illinois
The sad truth is that this was the wrong hire to begin with for Illinois. Smith has zero connections in Big 10 recruiting country, and his first season on the job has been tenuous at best, with rumors that he was already thinking bout leaving as early as October. Smith has never been a big winner during his career in the NFL, and college football is probably more difficult to coach in. I cannot see him staying long, either way.
Rich Rodriguez, Arizona
The recipient of the most ridiculous contract extension in history after last season, Rodriguez completely imploded in 2016. Arizona was probably the worst program in the PAC-12 in 2016 next to Oregon State, and the Beavers were showing signs of life. Rodriguez has totally screwed up his QB pool, and the team looks completely lifeless. That cannot be allowed to continue for long in Tucson.
Doug Martin, New Mexico State
The only reason that Martin is still in charge is that nobody else would want this job. NMSU is losing their standing in the Sun Belt, will be an independent next season, and has virtually no recruiting land mass to speak of anywhere. They depend on JC talent, which basically means that nobody ever truly ever gets to develop in their system. This is one of the three worst jobs in America.
Sean Kugler, UTEP
Other than Aaron Jones at RB, there was not one bright spot in 2016 for UTEP. Kugler has had just one winning season during his time in El Paso, and that will not be anough after what is certain to be another bad season in 2017.
Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech
Here is another guy who does not deserve to be running his program in 2017. Again, he must have pictures on someone, because he deserved to get canned this month or last. HE just flat out cannot coach, and as far as playing even the most simple defense, he is clueless.
David Bailiff, Rice
He was gone in October. By the end of November, he was still in charge. I call him zombie coach, because nothing kills this guy. He will be entering his 11th full season at Rice in 2017, and has a record of under .500. I want to b the next coach at Rice, simply because nobody ever gets fired from that gig.
Bob Diaco, U Conn
He is all talk, and no action. Diaco was a fine DC in his day, but he is a terrible head coach. One can add to this fact that he also strangely insists that UCF is a major rival. That is just stupid.
Matt Wells, Utah State
Once one of the fast risers in college football who's name was always connected with open jobs, he may not even be able to retain the one he has after 2017. The Aggie program is sinking like a stone, and the Wells star is winking out quickly.
Bilo's Quick Poinsettia Bowl Recap
BYU 24, Wyoming 21
BYU needed a late Kai Nacua pick with just 1:21 left to hold off a late rally by Wyoming in the win in San Diego. BYU had held a 24-7 lead over the Cowboys before the rally began.
BYU turned to Tanner Mangum at QB due to a 4th season ending injury to Taysom Hill for his career. Mangum did not have a great night, completing just 8/15 passes for 95 yards, and also tossed a pick on the night. BYU, instead rode the rushing of Jamaal Williams, who ran for 210 yards and a TD on the night.
For Wyoming, Brian Hill was held under 100 yards on the night, finishing with just 93 yards on 26 carries. Josh Allen, the talented Wyoming QB, completed 17/32 passes for 207 yards and 2 TDs, but he also tossed 2 picks on the night, including the game deciding pick with just under a minute and a half left in the game with the Cowboys driving.
Tanner Gentry had a big receiving night for Wyoming, with 7 receptions for 113 yards and both of the Allen TDs.
Wyoming was in a bowl for the first time since 2011, and lost 3 of their final 4 games in 2016.
BYU has now won 8 straight over Wyoming, who has only beaten BYU twice since 1988.
Wyoming finished with 362 yards, but had 187 of those yards in the 4th quarter.
BYU finished with just 96 yards passing, their worst output of 2016.
Despite the win, BYU picked up just 13 1st downs, and finished 4/10 on 3rd downs.
Star LB Harvey Langi of BYU finished with 16 tackles.
BYU led 10-0 at the half.
2017 Openers: Portland State at BYU (8/26); Wyoming at Iowa (9/2)
BYU needed a late Kai Nacua pick with just 1:21 left to hold off a late rally by Wyoming in the win in San Diego. BYU had held a 24-7 lead over the Cowboys before the rally began.
BYU turned to Tanner Mangum at QB due to a 4th season ending injury to Taysom Hill for his career. Mangum did not have a great night, completing just 8/15 passes for 95 yards, and also tossed a pick on the night. BYU, instead rode the rushing of Jamaal Williams, who ran for 210 yards and a TD on the night.
For Wyoming, Brian Hill was held under 100 yards on the night, finishing with just 93 yards on 26 carries. Josh Allen, the talented Wyoming QB, completed 17/32 passes for 207 yards and 2 TDs, but he also tossed 2 picks on the night, including the game deciding pick with just under a minute and a half left in the game with the Cowboys driving.
Tanner Gentry had a big receiving night for Wyoming, with 7 receptions for 113 yards and both of the Allen TDs.
Wyoming was in a bowl for the first time since 2011, and lost 3 of their final 4 games in 2016.
BYU has now won 8 straight over Wyoming, who has only beaten BYU twice since 1988.
Wyoming finished with 362 yards, but had 187 of those yards in the 4th quarter.
BYU finished with just 96 yards passing, their worst output of 2016.
Despite the win, BYU picked up just 13 1st downs, and finished 4/10 on 3rd downs.
Star LB Harvey Langi of BYU finished with 16 tackles.
BYU led 10-0 at the half.
2017 Openers: Portland State at BYU (8/26); Wyoming at Iowa (9/2)
Bilo's Quick Boca Raton Bowl Recap
Western Kentucky 51, Memphis 31
WKU scored over 50 points for the 7th time in 2016, and they rode the running of Anthony Wales to the win over the Tigers in Boca Raton. Anthony Wales carried the football 35 times for 245 yards and 3 TDs on the day, and the Hilltoppers won their third consecutive bowl despite not having former head coach Jeff Brohm, who left for Purdue before the bowl. Wales has now rushed for 27 TDs on the season, which leads NCAA FBS football.
Riley Ferguson had a big game at QB for the losing Tigers, passing for 372 yards and 4 TDs, and Anthony Miller caught 3 of those scoring passes on 11 receptions for 151 yards.
The loss for Memphis ruined the bowl debut for Mike Norvell, who is in his first season as coach of the Tigers. It was the 2nd consecutive bowl loss for the Tigers.
WKU averaged 7.7 yards per play, while Memphis averaged 6.1.
Both teams combined for 1089 yards, 82 points, and 54 1st downs.
Taywan Taylor caught 9 passes for 144 yards and a score.
Memphis was held to 73 yards rushing on 32 carries on the day.
WKU QB Mike White passed for 336 yards and 3 scores in the win.
WKU had scored 44 points by the end of the 3rd quarter.
2017 season openers: Eastern Kentucky at Western Kentucky (9/2); UL-Monroe at Memphis (9/2)
WKU scored over 50 points for the 7th time in 2016, and they rode the running of Anthony Wales to the win over the Tigers in Boca Raton. Anthony Wales carried the football 35 times for 245 yards and 3 TDs on the day, and the Hilltoppers won their third consecutive bowl despite not having former head coach Jeff Brohm, who left for Purdue before the bowl. Wales has now rushed for 27 TDs on the season, which leads NCAA FBS football.
Riley Ferguson had a big game at QB for the losing Tigers, passing for 372 yards and 4 TDs, and Anthony Miller caught 3 of those scoring passes on 11 receptions for 151 yards.
The loss for Memphis ruined the bowl debut for Mike Norvell, who is in his first season as coach of the Tigers. It was the 2nd consecutive bowl loss for the Tigers.
WKU averaged 7.7 yards per play, while Memphis averaged 6.1.
Both teams combined for 1089 yards, 82 points, and 54 1st downs.
Taywan Taylor caught 9 passes for 144 yards and a score.
Memphis was held to 73 yards rushing on 32 carries on the day.
WKU QB Mike White passed for 336 yards and 3 scores in the win.
WKU had scored 44 points by the end of the 3rd quarter.
2017 season openers: Eastern Kentucky at Western Kentucky (9/2); UL-Monroe at Memphis (9/2)
Monday, December 19, 2016
Bilo's Quick Miami Beach Bowl Recap
Tulsa 55, Central Michigan 10
Tulsa outscored CMU 38-0 in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, and the Golden Hurricane rolled past the Chippewas in a sparsely attended Miami Beach Bowl.
Dane Evans was dominant at QB for Tulsa, completing 28/38 passes for 304 yards and 5 TDs on the day. He finished as Tulsa career leader in completions, pass attempts, passing yards, total yards, and TD passes. Keevan Lucas caught 7 passes for 72 yards and 3 TDs in the win, and finishes his Tulsa career with 32 TDs. James Flanders rushed for 100 yards, and D'Angelo Brewer rushed for 105 yards to complete the total offensive destruction.
Cooper Rush was held without a TD pass for CMU, and was picked 3 times, the only time in his career that this had ever happened. The CMU run game was a problem all season, and was held under 100 yards on the ground for the 7th time in 13 games on the season. On a flip side, Tulsa had over 200 yards passing, and over 200 rushing for the 9th time this season.
John Bonagamo is now 0-2 in bowls as coach of the Chippewas.
The bowl win was the first for Tulsa since 2012.
Tulsa's defense had not collected a pick in their last 4 games before picking off Rush 3 times today.
Josh Atkinson caught 12 passes for Tulsa for 131 yards and one score. Chris Minter caught the 5th Tulsa score.
Tulsa finished with 34 1st downs, CMU with 19.
Tulsa managed 20 rushing 1st downs, while CMU was held to just 4.
Tulsa finished with 581 total yards in the win.
There were 157 total offensive plays run in this game.
Neither team fumbled.
Both teams combined for just 8 penalties.
Tulsa never punted, while CMU punted just 4 times.
Tulsa converted on a whopping 10/15 3rd downs, while CMU converted just 5/14.
Both teams converted on just 2/7 4th down tries.
Tulsa outscored CMU 38-0 in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, and the Golden Hurricane rolled past the Chippewas in a sparsely attended Miami Beach Bowl.
Dane Evans was dominant at QB for Tulsa, completing 28/38 passes for 304 yards and 5 TDs on the day. He finished as Tulsa career leader in completions, pass attempts, passing yards, total yards, and TD passes. Keevan Lucas caught 7 passes for 72 yards and 3 TDs in the win, and finishes his Tulsa career with 32 TDs. James Flanders rushed for 100 yards, and D'Angelo Brewer rushed for 105 yards to complete the total offensive destruction.
Cooper Rush was held without a TD pass for CMU, and was picked 3 times, the only time in his career that this had ever happened. The CMU run game was a problem all season, and was held under 100 yards on the ground for the 7th time in 13 games on the season. On a flip side, Tulsa had over 200 yards passing, and over 200 rushing for the 9th time this season.
John Bonagamo is now 0-2 in bowls as coach of the Chippewas.
The bowl win was the first for Tulsa since 2012.
Tulsa's defense had not collected a pick in their last 4 games before picking off Rush 3 times today.
Josh Atkinson caught 12 passes for Tulsa for 131 yards and one score. Chris Minter caught the 5th Tulsa score.
Tulsa finished with 34 1st downs, CMU with 19.
Tulsa managed 20 rushing 1st downs, while CMU was held to just 4.
Tulsa finished with 581 total yards in the win.
There were 157 total offensive plays run in this game.
Neither team fumbled.
Both teams combined for just 8 penalties.
Tulsa never punted, while CMU punted just 4 times.
Tulsa converted on a whopping 10/15 3rd downs, while CMU converted just 5/14.
Both teams converted on just 2/7 4th down tries.
Bilo's Quick New Orleans Bowl Recap
Southern Mississippi 28, UL-Lafayette 21
Southern Miss won their first bowl since 2011, picking up the win over UL-Lafayette in New Orleans. USM opened up a 14-0 lead, and then was forced to hang on late to take home their 11th all-time bowl win against 12 losses. Nick Mullins passed for 346 yards and 2 scores for the Golden Eagles in the win, coming back from injuries that derailed a chunk of the 2016 season.
ULL finished with 6 losses in their final 8 games. LSU transfer Anthony Jennings had a horrible day, completing just 8/20 passes on the day for 95 yards. Elijah McGuire was the offensive player of the day for the Ragin Cajuns with 99 yards rushing on 17 carries, while Jennings rushed 20 times for just 19 yards. Allenzae Stiggers caught 11 passes for 230 yards and a TD for the Eagles. Ito Smith added 26 carries for 118 yards, as he rushed for 2 scores and caught a third on a pass from Mullins.
USM is now 39-11-1 all-time vs. ULL.
USM has a 62-20-1 record all-time against the Sun Belt.
USM outgained ULL 481 yards to just 252 yards.
USM finished 7/14 on 3rd downs on the day.
2017 Openers: Southern Mississippi vs. Kentucky (9/2); UL-Lafayette vs. SE Louisiana (9/2)
Southern Miss won their first bowl since 2011, picking up the win over UL-Lafayette in New Orleans. USM opened up a 14-0 lead, and then was forced to hang on late to take home their 11th all-time bowl win against 12 losses. Nick Mullins passed for 346 yards and 2 scores for the Golden Eagles in the win, coming back from injuries that derailed a chunk of the 2016 season.
ULL finished with 6 losses in their final 8 games. LSU transfer Anthony Jennings had a horrible day, completing just 8/20 passes on the day for 95 yards. Elijah McGuire was the offensive player of the day for the Ragin Cajuns with 99 yards rushing on 17 carries, while Jennings rushed 20 times for just 19 yards. Allenzae Stiggers caught 11 passes for 230 yards and a TD for the Eagles. Ito Smith added 26 carries for 118 yards, as he rushed for 2 scores and caught a third on a pass from Mullins.
USM is now 39-11-1 all-time vs. ULL.
USM has a 62-20-1 record all-time against the Sun Belt.
USM outgained ULL 481 yards to just 252 yards.
USM finished 7/14 on 3rd downs on the day.
2017 Openers: Southern Mississippi vs. Kentucky (9/2); UL-Lafayette vs. SE Louisiana (9/2)
Bilo's Quick Cure Bowl Recap
Arkansas State 31, UCF 13
Arkansas State capitalized on several early mistakes by UCF, and jumped out to a 17-0 lead at the end of the 1st quarter, and the Red Wolves won their first bowl game since 2012 in the win over the Knights, who lost Scott Frost's bowl debut.
Kendell Sanders caught 5 passes for 127 yards and 3 TDs in the win for ASU, but the Red Wolves won despite only converting 9 1st downs. Both teams combined for just 41 yards rushing on the game, and both teams converted on just a combined 6/35 on 3rd downs.
14 Arkansas State points came off of UCF fumbles, of which they lost 3 on the day. Justice Hanson completed just 12/26 passes for 205 yards and 3 TDs.
Taylor Oldham led UCF offensively with 5 catches for 56 yards and a TD.
UCF was held to just 4.4 yards per pass play, and was held to just 12 yards rushing. UCF committed 11 penalties, while ASU committed 15.
UCF punted 10 times, while ASU punted 12 times.
Both teams finished 0/3 on 4th down tries combined.
ASU picked up 6 team sacks, and 9 QB hurries.
2017 Openers: Arkansas State at Nebraska (9/2); UCF vs. FIU (9/2)
Arkansas State capitalized on several early mistakes by UCF, and jumped out to a 17-0 lead at the end of the 1st quarter, and the Red Wolves won their first bowl game since 2012 in the win over the Knights, who lost Scott Frost's bowl debut.
Kendell Sanders caught 5 passes for 127 yards and 3 TDs in the win for ASU, but the Red Wolves won despite only converting 9 1st downs. Both teams combined for just 41 yards rushing on the game, and both teams converted on just a combined 6/35 on 3rd downs.
14 Arkansas State points came off of UCF fumbles, of which they lost 3 on the day. Justice Hanson completed just 12/26 passes for 205 yards and 3 TDs.
Taylor Oldham led UCF offensively with 5 catches for 56 yards and a TD.
UCF was held to just 4.4 yards per pass play, and was held to just 12 yards rushing. UCF committed 11 penalties, while ASU committed 15.
UCF punted 10 times, while ASU punted 12 times.
Both teams finished 0/3 on 4th down tries combined.
ASU picked up 6 team sacks, and 9 QB hurries.
2017 Openers: Arkansas State at Nebraska (9/2); UCF vs. FIU (9/2)
Sunday, December 18, 2016
Bilo's Quick Camellia Bowl Recap
Appalachian State 31, Toledo 28
Toledo was on the move until a missed FG with just under 2 minutes remaining handed the Mountaineers their second bowl win in just two seasons of being bowl eligible after their transition from FCS football.
Marcus Cox led the way offensively for ASU, as he rushed for 143 yards and a score, while QB Taylor Lamb added another 123 yards rushing on the day. Lamb added another 119 yards passing and a score on an uneven 14/32 passing day.
Toledo just missed out on their 3rd straight bowl win, and the loss ruined the bowl debut of head coach Jason Candle, who took over when Matt Campbell left for Iowa State after last season. Toledo fell to 12-5 all-time in bowls with the loss.
Kareem Hunt rushed for 120 yards and a pair of scores, while star QB Logan Woodside finished the night with 247 yards passing on 18/26 completions. He added 2 TD passes for the Rockets, and was not intercepted in the game. Cody Thompson and Michael Roberts added TD receptions in the loss.
Deltron Hopkins caught the lone TD pass of the night for App State, and caught just 2 passes on the night for 19 yards. No receiver caught more than 2 passes on the night for the Mountaineers in the win.
App State collected 25 1st downs to Toledo's 14, and outrushed the Rockets 297-127. Woodside rushed for just -1 yards on 3 carries for Toledo.
The Mountaineers finished with 416 total yards, to Toledo's 374, while ASU hammered Toledo with 82 total plays run, while Toledo ran just 54.
ASU converted 8/19 on 3rd downs, while Toledo converted on just 4/12.
2017 Season Openers: Appalachian State at Georgia (9/2); Elon at Toledo (9/2)
Toledo was on the move until a missed FG with just under 2 minutes remaining handed the Mountaineers their second bowl win in just two seasons of being bowl eligible after their transition from FCS football.
Marcus Cox led the way offensively for ASU, as he rushed for 143 yards and a score, while QB Taylor Lamb added another 123 yards rushing on the day. Lamb added another 119 yards passing and a score on an uneven 14/32 passing day.
Toledo just missed out on their 3rd straight bowl win, and the loss ruined the bowl debut of head coach Jason Candle, who took over when Matt Campbell left for Iowa State after last season. Toledo fell to 12-5 all-time in bowls with the loss.
Kareem Hunt rushed for 120 yards and a pair of scores, while star QB Logan Woodside finished the night with 247 yards passing on 18/26 completions. He added 2 TD passes for the Rockets, and was not intercepted in the game. Cody Thompson and Michael Roberts added TD receptions in the loss.
Deltron Hopkins caught the lone TD pass of the night for App State, and caught just 2 passes on the night for 19 yards. No receiver caught more than 2 passes on the night for the Mountaineers in the win.
App State collected 25 1st downs to Toledo's 14, and outrushed the Rockets 297-127. Woodside rushed for just -1 yards on 3 carries for Toledo.
The Mountaineers finished with 416 total yards, to Toledo's 374, while ASU hammered Toledo with 82 total plays run, while Toledo ran just 54.
ASU converted 8/19 on 3rd downs, while Toledo converted on just 4/12.
2017 Season Openers: Appalachian State at Georgia (9/2); Elon at Toledo (9/2)
Bilo's Quick Las Vegas Bowl Recap
San Diego State 34, Houston 10
Houston jumped out to a 10-0 lead before the Aztecs scored 34 unanswered points and Donnel Pomphrey broke the all-time NCAA rushing record, as San Diego State won easily in Las Vegas in cold temps.
The Houston loss spoiled the debut of new head coach Major Applewhite, who had just been hired last week by the Cougars, creating a shift from the leadership of interim Todd Orlando to Applewhite in a surprise move.
Pomphrey finished the season with 2133 yards, and finished his career as an Aztec with 6405 rushing yards, breaking Ron Dayne of Wisconsin's previous mark early in the 4th quarter.
Houston held SDSU to just 5 yards of offense in the 1st quarter, and then SDSU started their 34-0 run by holding the Cougars to just 6 total yards in the 2nd quarter.
San Diego State RB Rashad Penny also finished the season with over 1000 yards rushing, giving the Aztecs the first team in FBS history with one back rushing for over 2000 yards, with another rushing for over 1000.
Houston star QB Greg Ward had the nightmare game of his life, as he was sacked 8 times and was picked 4 times. Due to the INT count, the Aztecs led the nation with 26 total picks on the year. Houston's run game was no better, as the Aztecs held them to just 25 yards on 41 carries.
After starting the season as the G5 team to watch who could have potentially broken into the final 4, Houston finished the year just 4-4, as the Tom Herman drama likely caused some divisions and a lack of focus in the program.
Neither team had a prolific day on offense, with just 29 total 1st downs collected between the two teams, with just 13 coming for the Aztecs in the win.
Houston jumped out to a 10-0 lead before the Aztecs scored 34 unanswered points and Donnel Pomphrey broke the all-time NCAA rushing record, as San Diego State won easily in Las Vegas in cold temps.
The Houston loss spoiled the debut of new head coach Major Applewhite, who had just been hired last week by the Cougars, creating a shift from the leadership of interim Todd Orlando to Applewhite in a surprise move.
Pomphrey finished the season with 2133 yards, and finished his career as an Aztec with 6405 rushing yards, breaking Ron Dayne of Wisconsin's previous mark early in the 4th quarter.
Houston held SDSU to just 5 yards of offense in the 1st quarter, and then SDSU started their 34-0 run by holding the Cougars to just 6 total yards in the 2nd quarter.
San Diego State RB Rashad Penny also finished the season with over 1000 yards rushing, giving the Aztecs the first team in FBS history with one back rushing for over 2000 yards, with another rushing for over 1000.
Houston star QB Greg Ward had the nightmare game of his life, as he was sacked 8 times and was picked 4 times. Due to the INT count, the Aztecs led the nation with 26 total picks on the year. Houston's run game was no better, as the Aztecs held them to just 25 yards on 41 carries.
After starting the season as the G5 team to watch who could have potentially broken into the final 4, Houston finished the year just 4-4, as the Tom Herman drama likely caused some divisions and a lack of focus in the program.
Neither team had a prolific day on offense, with just 29 total 1st downs collected between the two teams, with just 13 coming for the Aztecs in the win.
Bilo's Quick New Mexico Bowl Recap
New Mexico 23, UTSA 20
Lobo leading rusher Tyrone Owens went down after just three carries, and the New Mexico run game slowed significantly, but the Lobos were able to do just enough to hold off a late UTSA rally in the win. UNM has now won 9 games for the first time since 2007, and has won their second bowl game since 1961. UTSA fell to 6-7 with the loss, falling short of their first 7 win season since 2013. Richard McQuarley rushed for a pair of TDs, while Lamar Jordan led the Lobos with 81 yards from his QB spot while completing 3/4 passes for 77 yards.
Jarveon Williams rushed for 125 yards in the loss for UTSA. The Roadrunners held the Lobos 141 yards short of their game average on the ground, allowing UTSA to keep the game relatively close throughout.
Since the start of the 2015 season, New Mexico is 12-3 at home. UTSA lost for the first time in 2016 while scoring first, falling to 5-1 in that category.
Lobo leading rusher Tyrone Owens went down after just three carries, and the New Mexico run game slowed significantly, but the Lobos were able to do just enough to hold off a late UTSA rally in the win. UNM has now won 9 games for the first time since 2007, and has won their second bowl game since 1961. UTSA fell to 6-7 with the loss, falling short of their first 7 win season since 2013. Richard McQuarley rushed for a pair of TDs, while Lamar Jordan led the Lobos with 81 yards from his QB spot while completing 3/4 passes for 77 yards.
Jarveon Williams rushed for 125 yards in the loss for UTSA. The Roadrunners held the Lobos 141 yards short of their game average on the ground, allowing UTSA to keep the game relatively close throughout.
Since the start of the 2015 season, New Mexico is 12-3 at home. UTSA lost for the first time in 2016 while scoring first, falling to 5-1 in that category.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Bilo's FBS Coaching Hire Grades
With just days to go before the first bowl games of the season, every FBS coaching position for the 2017 season has been filled...head coaches anyway.
Here is my look at each of the 17 hires, and how I grade each along the way:
Baylor
Art Biles, Jim Grobe Out
Matt Rhule In
Rhule's non history in the state of Texas has been well documented. Rhule was not the first choice for Baylor by far, as a deal with Chad Morris went south, and Tom Herman never really had any interest in the job. Rhule is a heavy discipline guy, which Baylor needs, and so far he is tapping the Texas High School coaching community for assistants, which is smart. Baylor may take a dive for a couple of seasons while Rhule fixes this mess, but winning is not outside of possibility here. Still, there are a lot of wait and see issues, so that is what I will do.
Grade: B-
Cincinnati
Tommy Tuberville Out
Luke Fickell In
I think that this was addition by subtraction here. I have never been a Tuberville fan as far as his coaching style is concerned. I would rather watch grass grow than watch his teams over the years. I have long felt that he was one of the most overrated coaches in America, so losing him does not hurt the Bearcats one bit.
Fickell is a bit of a mystery to me. He has one season as interim coach at Ohio State between Tressel and Meyer, and it was not a great run for him, as he finished 6-7. To give him credit, however, was the fact that he held that team together during major turbulence, and for that to happen, he had to have some special skills. There is enough talent at UC to win now, but Fickell has to toughen up the culture first, and that is going to take some doing.
Grade: B-
Florida Atlantic
Charlie Partridge Out
Lane Kiffin In
Partridge was a mess in this job, and was never the right hire to move the needle at FAU. Kiffin's misadventures are well documented, and he was likely a coach too soon, without the maturity to properly handle the opportunities that he was being given. I still do not think that this is nearly thie hire that FAU hopes it is, but I may be wrong. If Kiffin gets this boat moving forward quickly, and he proves not to be as toxic as some feared during a nation spanning search for a head coaching job by Kiffin, this could work. He would also bail before getting a firm grip if given half the chance. If working with Nick Saban has not changed him for the better, we could have a possible mess on our hands.
Grade: C+
Florida International
Ron Turner, Ron Cooper Out
Butch Davis In
Butch Davis was a huge get for FIU, but he does come with baggage. He has been in some messy situations with the NCAA, and if he has not learned how to behave, this could be a huge risk hire for the Panthers. If he has the energy and drive, and if he can follow the rules, this hire could be huge. He has been trying to get back into the game for some time, and FIU has wanted him for a while, so this could be a perfect pairing.
Grade: B
Fresno State
Tim DeRuyter, Eric Kiesau Out
Jeff Tedford In
Fresno State went for comfort in the hiring of Tedford, but it may not have been the right move, and Fresno State may have been better off waiting things out a bit longer before jumping here. Tedford won at Cal, true, but in the end, he lost his energy, lost his team, and started not caring about academics at all. He has had other tenures as head coach at BC in the CFL, and worked on the staff at Tampa Bay in the NFL recently, with neither assignment ending well. This seems like all flash and little substance, but how much worse could it be than the DeRuyter era?
Grade: C-
Georgia State
Tim Miles Out
Shawn Elliott In
Elliott's experience as an FBS head coach was six games at South Carolina in the wake of Steve Spurrier quitting mid season. He went 1-5. With several high profile FCS coaches available, it is really an unknown as to why Georgia State felt compelled to go with Elliott here. He was hardly the best choice for this job.
Grade: D
Houston
Tom Herman Out (To Texas)
Major Applewhite Promoted
This has been a while in coming for Applewhite, who has been gunning for a head job for years now. Herman put Houston football back to good after the dip during the Tony Levine era, and now Houston is thinking huge. The Cougars will find a Power Five home between now and 2025, so they can hardly afford to slip back.
This job was given to Kiffin, if you believe Tilman Fertitta (you should not have), which spurred a full court denial by the AD. A day later, the job belonged to Applewhite with the major blessing of a majority of area high school coaches who do business with the Cougars. Kiffin and Les Miles, who were both finalists, did not have that.
Grade: B+
Indiana
Kevin Wilson Out
Tom Allen In
I have no issue with Wilson being fired here (resigned, fired, same thing) as I never have thought that he was moving the needle upward quickly enough here. Indiana still played in the Big 10 like a backwater program, winning just enough to get bowl eligible the last two years while finishing at .500 or below in league play. Now that there are abuse allegations against players, I am totally good with this.
What I am not good with is just handing over the job to Allen with a 6 year deal after being on the staff for one season. He did improve the defense a decent deal, but this was a ridiculous, knee jerk reaction to a bad situation, and could end in disaster.
Grade: F
LSU
Les Miles Out
Ed Orgeron Promoted
I like Orgeron, and promoting him feels like the right hing on some levels, but not on all levels. When LSU felt like they became a bargaining chip for Tom Herman, they knee jerked back to Orrgeron, who a week earlier was out of the job. Jimbo Fisher declined as well, and it seems like Orgeron, after a hord of swings and misses on other candidates, happened to still be in the building. He calimed that he would hire Kiffin away from Alabama, and has already missed the mark on that, so the clock is ticking to fulfill some promises he made regarding the offense as part of the deal to get him the job.
Grade: C
Nevada
Brian Polian Out
Jay Norvell In
I really hate this hire. Norvell has been around forever as an assistant, and gets too much love for his role in the Arizona State offense. He has never been more than an average coordinator on offense, and was only a WR coach at ASU. Funding is at the bottom of the Mountain West for Nevada, and this hire certainly does nothing to raise the profile for more money and revenue. Norvell was on a path to being a career assistant, and this was the best that the Pack could get?
Grade: F
Oregon
Mark Helfrich Out
Willie Taggart In
Poor Mark Helfrich suffered the curse of Chip Kelly's shadow the entire time he was at Oregon. Hiring Brady Hoke to fix the defense was an abject failure in 2016, and it cost Helfrich his job in the end. His over reliance on FCS transfers at QB stung him badly as well as bad decisions on the field, such as going for 2 and missing 4 times against Nebraska in a 3 point loss. Helfrich always seemed like an odd fit for a program that was becoming a major power, and he allowed the program to plummet during his tenure.
Willie Taggart was one of the smartest hires of the season. All he does is build and win, as he has done at stops like Western Kentucky and USF. Both programs were disasters when he entered, and were major players when he left. That is what we call legacy coaching. Taggart will win at Oregon, and with the right staff, could do so right away.
Grade: A+
Purdue
Darrell Hazell Out
Jeff Brohm In
Brohm is a wiz on offense. That can not be denied. He won at Western Kentucky by scoring points by the truck load. What does not fit for me is that he is being hired to build up an offensive power house in a league that has crushing defenses at Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Brohm had better hire on hell of a defensive coordinator, because he knows nothing on the subject. This could be a disaster if he does not bring in the right guy to run his defense.
Grade: C
San Jose State
Ron Caragher Out
Brian Brennan In
This hire was just the worst hire made this year. Brennan has been a WR coach at Oregon State, a school who had one of the worst passing offenses the last two years running nationally. He was hired because he had served on the SJSU staff from 2005-2010 (hardly glory years), his father played football there, and his mother was a cheerleader. Those are awful reasons to hire a head coach. This was a cheap and lazy way out of actually doing some work and finding someone who can take you to the next level. San Jose State should be bounced out of FBS football for purely not giving a damn.
Grade: F-------
USF
Willie Taggart Out (To Oregon)
Charlie Strong In
This is what we call a home run, win-win, slam dunk hire. Willie Taggart moved on to Oregon, and USF wasted no time in moving in on Strong to replace him, making the hire in just days. Strong is a Florida guy, knows how to recruit the state in a huge way, and will be able to navigate the USF political system a hell of a lot easier than he had it at Texas. There is a massive amount of talent on the current roster (thanks, Willie), and with Quinton Flowers coming back to play in 2017 at QB, he may have the best QB he has ever had waiting for him. This is a huge move, proving that USF is ready to become a national player.
Grade: A+
Texas
Charlie Strong Out
Tom Herman In
Strong was never really a good fit at Texas. He was never fully accepted, and even though there was talent in place to win in 2017, it seemed as if the administration and boosters were intent on pushing him out a very high window.
Herman checks all the boxes, but he fell well short of expectations in 2016, just his second season as a head coach. It seemed once placed in a fish bowl, he faltered somewhat. He will be in an even smaller bowl in Austin than he was in Houston, and losses such as the ones he suffered this season against Memphis, Navy, and worst of all SMU will not be tolerated at Texas. Too much has been invested in this move, right or wrong. I like Herman, and his potential, but this has some risks.
Grade: B
Temple
Matt Rhule Out (To Baylor)
Geoff Collins In
This is the second time in recent years that Temple has tapped the Florida staff to find a head coach, as they had hired Steve Addazio before. Rhule replaced Addazio when he left for Boston College. Collins has had a strong hand in the recent semi-success of Florida football, as defenses have carried the Gators during his tenure, and he also had a strong run as DC at Mississippi State. Collins never did, however, beat Alabama, and that is a point to consider when you look for big time win when he was on staff. Collins has been rumored for a long while for a job of his own, but he is still an enigma, and the players wanted Phil Snow to stay as the head coach from the former staff. There may be some sore feelings in Philly on this one. Collins has also never worked the northeast before, so that is a concern as well.
Grade: C
Western Kentucky
Jeff Brohm Out (To Purdue)
Mike Sanford In (Apparently)
No official word has been given, but it appears that Notre Dame OC Mike Sanford will be the new coach at Western Kentucky. Sanford's last head coaching job was at Indiana State, where he took an abysmal Sycamore team to the FCS playoffs in short order. Western Kentucky does not need to reinvent the wheel here, and they just need someone who can keep the offense running as it has since Willie Taggart was there. Maybe coaching some defense may help as well, but that hasn't stopped the Hilltoppers before. There is no word on what the contract will be, but Sanford has some issues at Notre Dame, as he had plenty of talent, but yet often struggled to score, or at least score consistently as the Irish fell to 4-8. I will update on this move when I am able.
Grade: Incomplete
Note: I will be writing a separate piece on the FCS hires next week, as several jobs remain open at this point.
Here is my look at each of the 17 hires, and how I grade each along the way:
Baylor
Art Biles, Jim Grobe Out
Matt Rhule In
Rhule's non history in the state of Texas has been well documented. Rhule was not the first choice for Baylor by far, as a deal with Chad Morris went south, and Tom Herman never really had any interest in the job. Rhule is a heavy discipline guy, which Baylor needs, and so far he is tapping the Texas High School coaching community for assistants, which is smart. Baylor may take a dive for a couple of seasons while Rhule fixes this mess, but winning is not outside of possibility here. Still, there are a lot of wait and see issues, so that is what I will do.
Grade: B-
Cincinnati
Tommy Tuberville Out
Luke Fickell In
I think that this was addition by subtraction here. I have never been a Tuberville fan as far as his coaching style is concerned. I would rather watch grass grow than watch his teams over the years. I have long felt that he was one of the most overrated coaches in America, so losing him does not hurt the Bearcats one bit.
Fickell is a bit of a mystery to me. He has one season as interim coach at Ohio State between Tressel and Meyer, and it was not a great run for him, as he finished 6-7. To give him credit, however, was the fact that he held that team together during major turbulence, and for that to happen, he had to have some special skills. There is enough talent at UC to win now, but Fickell has to toughen up the culture first, and that is going to take some doing.
Grade: B-
Florida Atlantic
Charlie Partridge Out
Lane Kiffin In
Partridge was a mess in this job, and was never the right hire to move the needle at FAU. Kiffin's misadventures are well documented, and he was likely a coach too soon, without the maturity to properly handle the opportunities that he was being given. I still do not think that this is nearly thie hire that FAU hopes it is, but I may be wrong. If Kiffin gets this boat moving forward quickly, and he proves not to be as toxic as some feared during a nation spanning search for a head coaching job by Kiffin, this could work. He would also bail before getting a firm grip if given half the chance. If working with Nick Saban has not changed him for the better, we could have a possible mess on our hands.
Grade: C+
Florida International
Ron Turner, Ron Cooper Out
Butch Davis In
Butch Davis was a huge get for FIU, but he does come with baggage. He has been in some messy situations with the NCAA, and if he has not learned how to behave, this could be a huge risk hire for the Panthers. If he has the energy and drive, and if he can follow the rules, this hire could be huge. He has been trying to get back into the game for some time, and FIU has wanted him for a while, so this could be a perfect pairing.
Grade: B
Fresno State
Tim DeRuyter, Eric Kiesau Out
Jeff Tedford In
Fresno State went for comfort in the hiring of Tedford, but it may not have been the right move, and Fresno State may have been better off waiting things out a bit longer before jumping here. Tedford won at Cal, true, but in the end, he lost his energy, lost his team, and started not caring about academics at all. He has had other tenures as head coach at BC in the CFL, and worked on the staff at Tampa Bay in the NFL recently, with neither assignment ending well. This seems like all flash and little substance, but how much worse could it be than the DeRuyter era?
Grade: C-
Georgia State
Tim Miles Out
Shawn Elliott In
Elliott's experience as an FBS head coach was six games at South Carolina in the wake of Steve Spurrier quitting mid season. He went 1-5. With several high profile FCS coaches available, it is really an unknown as to why Georgia State felt compelled to go with Elliott here. He was hardly the best choice for this job.
Grade: D
Houston
Tom Herman Out (To Texas)
Major Applewhite Promoted
This has been a while in coming for Applewhite, who has been gunning for a head job for years now. Herman put Houston football back to good after the dip during the Tony Levine era, and now Houston is thinking huge. The Cougars will find a Power Five home between now and 2025, so they can hardly afford to slip back.
This job was given to Kiffin, if you believe Tilman Fertitta (you should not have), which spurred a full court denial by the AD. A day later, the job belonged to Applewhite with the major blessing of a majority of area high school coaches who do business with the Cougars. Kiffin and Les Miles, who were both finalists, did not have that.
Grade: B+
Indiana
Kevin Wilson Out
Tom Allen In
I have no issue with Wilson being fired here (resigned, fired, same thing) as I never have thought that he was moving the needle upward quickly enough here. Indiana still played in the Big 10 like a backwater program, winning just enough to get bowl eligible the last two years while finishing at .500 or below in league play. Now that there are abuse allegations against players, I am totally good with this.
What I am not good with is just handing over the job to Allen with a 6 year deal after being on the staff for one season. He did improve the defense a decent deal, but this was a ridiculous, knee jerk reaction to a bad situation, and could end in disaster.
Grade: F
LSU
Les Miles Out
Ed Orgeron Promoted
I like Orgeron, and promoting him feels like the right hing on some levels, but not on all levels. When LSU felt like they became a bargaining chip for Tom Herman, they knee jerked back to Orrgeron, who a week earlier was out of the job. Jimbo Fisher declined as well, and it seems like Orgeron, after a hord of swings and misses on other candidates, happened to still be in the building. He calimed that he would hire Kiffin away from Alabama, and has already missed the mark on that, so the clock is ticking to fulfill some promises he made regarding the offense as part of the deal to get him the job.
Grade: C
Nevada
Brian Polian Out
Jay Norvell In
I really hate this hire. Norvell has been around forever as an assistant, and gets too much love for his role in the Arizona State offense. He has never been more than an average coordinator on offense, and was only a WR coach at ASU. Funding is at the bottom of the Mountain West for Nevada, and this hire certainly does nothing to raise the profile for more money and revenue. Norvell was on a path to being a career assistant, and this was the best that the Pack could get?
Grade: F
Oregon
Mark Helfrich Out
Willie Taggart In
Poor Mark Helfrich suffered the curse of Chip Kelly's shadow the entire time he was at Oregon. Hiring Brady Hoke to fix the defense was an abject failure in 2016, and it cost Helfrich his job in the end. His over reliance on FCS transfers at QB stung him badly as well as bad decisions on the field, such as going for 2 and missing 4 times against Nebraska in a 3 point loss. Helfrich always seemed like an odd fit for a program that was becoming a major power, and he allowed the program to plummet during his tenure.
Willie Taggart was one of the smartest hires of the season. All he does is build and win, as he has done at stops like Western Kentucky and USF. Both programs were disasters when he entered, and were major players when he left. That is what we call legacy coaching. Taggart will win at Oregon, and with the right staff, could do so right away.
Grade: A+
Purdue
Darrell Hazell Out
Jeff Brohm In
Brohm is a wiz on offense. That can not be denied. He won at Western Kentucky by scoring points by the truck load. What does not fit for me is that he is being hired to build up an offensive power house in a league that has crushing defenses at Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Brohm had better hire on hell of a defensive coordinator, because he knows nothing on the subject. This could be a disaster if he does not bring in the right guy to run his defense.
Grade: C
San Jose State
Ron Caragher Out
Brian Brennan In
This hire was just the worst hire made this year. Brennan has been a WR coach at Oregon State, a school who had one of the worst passing offenses the last two years running nationally. He was hired because he had served on the SJSU staff from 2005-2010 (hardly glory years), his father played football there, and his mother was a cheerleader. Those are awful reasons to hire a head coach. This was a cheap and lazy way out of actually doing some work and finding someone who can take you to the next level. San Jose State should be bounced out of FBS football for purely not giving a damn.
Grade: F-------
USF
Willie Taggart Out (To Oregon)
Charlie Strong In
This is what we call a home run, win-win, slam dunk hire. Willie Taggart moved on to Oregon, and USF wasted no time in moving in on Strong to replace him, making the hire in just days. Strong is a Florida guy, knows how to recruit the state in a huge way, and will be able to navigate the USF political system a hell of a lot easier than he had it at Texas. There is a massive amount of talent on the current roster (thanks, Willie), and with Quinton Flowers coming back to play in 2017 at QB, he may have the best QB he has ever had waiting for him. This is a huge move, proving that USF is ready to become a national player.
Grade: A+
Texas
Charlie Strong Out
Tom Herman In
Strong was never really a good fit at Texas. He was never fully accepted, and even though there was talent in place to win in 2017, it seemed as if the administration and boosters were intent on pushing him out a very high window.
Herman checks all the boxes, but he fell well short of expectations in 2016, just his second season as a head coach. It seemed once placed in a fish bowl, he faltered somewhat. He will be in an even smaller bowl in Austin than he was in Houston, and losses such as the ones he suffered this season against Memphis, Navy, and worst of all SMU will not be tolerated at Texas. Too much has been invested in this move, right or wrong. I like Herman, and his potential, but this has some risks.
Grade: B
Temple
Matt Rhule Out (To Baylor)
Geoff Collins In
This is the second time in recent years that Temple has tapped the Florida staff to find a head coach, as they had hired Steve Addazio before. Rhule replaced Addazio when he left for Boston College. Collins has had a strong hand in the recent semi-success of Florida football, as defenses have carried the Gators during his tenure, and he also had a strong run as DC at Mississippi State. Collins never did, however, beat Alabama, and that is a point to consider when you look for big time win when he was on staff. Collins has been rumored for a long while for a job of his own, but he is still an enigma, and the players wanted Phil Snow to stay as the head coach from the former staff. There may be some sore feelings in Philly on this one. Collins has also never worked the northeast before, so that is a concern as well.
Grade: C
Western Kentucky
Jeff Brohm Out (To Purdue)
Mike Sanford In (Apparently)
No official word has been given, but it appears that Notre Dame OC Mike Sanford will be the new coach at Western Kentucky. Sanford's last head coaching job was at Indiana State, where he took an abysmal Sycamore team to the FCS playoffs in short order. Western Kentucky does not need to reinvent the wheel here, and they just need someone who can keep the offense running as it has since Willie Taggart was there. Maybe coaching some defense may help as well, but that hasn't stopped the Hilltoppers before. There is no word on what the contract will be, but Sanford has some issues at Notre Dame, as he had plenty of talent, but yet often struggled to score, or at least score consistently as the Irish fell to 4-8. I will update on this move when I am able.
Grade: Incomplete
Note: I will be writing a separate piece on the FCS hires next week, as several jobs remain open at this point.
Bilo's FBS Conference Power Rankings: 201
| SEC | 615.21 |
| PAC-12 | 537.25 |
| Big 10 | 506.71 |
| ACC | 505.07 |
| American | 435.25 |
| Big 12 | 410.9 |
| Mountain West | 244.75 |
| MAC | 143.5 |
| Conference USA | -30.46 |
| Sun Belt | -32.73 |
| Independents | -81.75 |
The SEC once again led all conferences in power rankings based on my PRS rankings, which are released weekly, starting after the first games are played in September. The saying that "a chain is only as strong as its weakest link" holds very true when power ranking conferences. That was what allowed the SEC, despite having only one ten win or above team in Alabama, to lead the way. The bottom of the conference held up well, with Ole Miss being the worst team in the SEC, scoring in the -280 point range.
The PAC-12 finished second, despite not being able to fulfill their Las Vegas Bowl slot, again, because the bottom half held up better slightly than the Big 10, which was plagued by Purdue, Illinois, and Rutgers, with Rutgers finishing next to last nationally in total points this season in the PRS rankings.
The ACC finished 4th, as other than Clemson at the top, the rest of the conference was fairly average overall, with no other team in double digit win totals. Even Virginia Tech, a division winner, lost 4 times, including the ACC title game. That did not help.
The American Athletic Conference was bolstered by a strong top 5, including USF, Temple, Navy, Houston, and Tulsa, and Memphis also finished strong with 8 wins total. The top five in the AAC all finished above the 1000 point mark, a seriously impressive run for a non power 5 conference.
The Big 12 hung outside of the top 5 in conference power rankings, as they did all season long, making one wonder how the AAC is left out of the big boy club as they are. Oklahoma's rebound helped matters with their 9 game win streak to finish out the season, but after Oklahoma, West Virginia, and Oklahoma State, there was a huge drop off in point totals, which dropped the Big 12 down to 6th.
The G5 program who made the biggest stride outside of the AAC this season was the MAC. For the first time in my history of power ranking conferences, the MAC scored a positive average at the end of the season. This was on an incredibly strong run by Western Michigan having beaten two Big 10 teams early to eventually finish 13-0, and Toledo also had a strong run as well. Add Ohio, and a couple of other strong runs, and the MAC finally finished outside of the negative point bracket.
Of course, the Independents brought up the rear, and that can be attributed to Notre Dame's awful 4-8 run this season. BYU was the best of the bunch, and Army finishing 7-5 was a pleasant surprise, but the Irish and U Mass buried this group on the bottom. With the Independents finishing on the bottom, that was one plus for the Sun Belt, who for the first time, managed to get out of the cellar of FBS football by the end of a season.
Please check back again once the bowls are complete, as I will produce a post bowl analysis and power ranking to close out the season.
Bilo's College Football FBS PRS Rankings: Final Pre-Bowl Edition
| Rank | Points | Team | Record | Opponent |
| 1 | 2970 | Alabama | 13-0 | Def. Florida 54-16 |
| 2 | 2959 | Western Michigan | 13-0 | Def. Ohio 29-23 |
| 3 | 2641 | Washington | 12-1 | Def. Colorado 41-10 |
| 4 | 2554 | Ohio State | 11-1 | Regular Season Over |
| 5 | 2496 | Clemson | 12-1 | Def. Virginia Tech 42-35 |
| 6 | 2204 | Penn State | 11-2 | Def. Wisconsin 38-31 |
| 7 | 2134 | Michigan | 10-2 | Regular Season Over |
| 8 | 2116 | Oklahoma | 10-2 | Def. Oklahoma State 38-20 |
| 9 | 1982 | Boise State | 10-2 | Regular Season Over |
| 10 | 1858 | Louisville | 9-3 | Regular Season Over |
| 11 | 1818 | South Florida | 10-2 | Regular Season Over |
| 12 | 1815 | Western Kentucky | 10-3 | Def. Louisiana Tech 58-44 |
| 13 | 1714 | San Diego State | 10-3 | Def. Wyoming 27-24 |
| 14 | 1646 | West Virginia | 10-2 | Def. Baylor 24-21 |
| 15 | 1642 | Temple | 10-3 | Def. Navy 34-10 |
| 16 | 1632 | Colorado | 10-3 | Lost to Washington 41-10 |
| 17 | 1594 | Wisconsin | 10-3 | Lost to Penn State 38-31 |
| 18 | 1574 | Southern California | 9-3 | Regular Season Over |
| 19 | 1544 | Appalachian State | 9-3 | Regular Season Over |
| 20 | 1499 | Houston | 9-3 | Regular Season Over |
| 21 | 1484 | Toledo | 9-3 | Regular Season Over |
| 22 | 1458 | Tulsa | 9-3 | Regular Season Over |
| 23 | 1442 | Stanford | 9-3 | Regular Season Over |
| 24 | 1421 | Navy | 9-3 | Lost to Temple 34-10 |
| 25 | 1410 | Troy | 9-3 | Lost to Georgia Southernn 28-24 |
| 26 | 1401 | Florida State | 9-3 | Regular Season Over |
| 27 | 1379 | Virginia Tech | 9-4 | Lost to Clemson 42-35 |
| 28 | 1376 | Old Dominion | 10-2 | Regular Season Over |
| 29 | 1370 | Oklahoma State | 9-3 | Lost to Oklahoma 38-20 |
| 30 | 1369 | Nebraska | 9-3 | Regular Season Over |
| 31 | 1367 | Air Force | 9-3 | Regular Season Over |
| 32 | 1192 | Washington State | 8-4 | Regular Season Over |
| 33 | 1097 | Florida | 8-4 | Lost to Alabama 54-16 |
| 34 | 1089 | Memphis | 8-4 | Regular Season Over |
| 35 | 1063 | Louisiana Tech | 8-5 | Lost to Western Kentucky 58-44 |
| 36 | 1061 | Pittsburgh | 8-4 | Regular Season Over |
| 37 | 1057 | Miami (FL) | 8-4 | Regular Season Over |
| 38 | 1025 | Kansas State | 8-4 | Def. Texas Christian 30-16 |
| 39 | 1021 | New Mexico | 8-4 | Regular Season Over |
| 40 | 997 | Texas A&M | 8-4 | Regular Season Over |
| 41 | 982 | Auburn | 8-4 | Regular Season Over |
| 42 | 977 | Iowa | 8-4 | Regular Season Over |
| 43 | 964 | Tennessee | 8-4 | Regular Season Over |
| 44 | 963 | Utah | 8-4 | Regular Season Over |
| 45 | 946 | Brigham Young | 8-4 | Regular Season Over |
| 46 | 895 | Minnesota | 8-4 | Regular Season Over |
| 47 | 829 | Georgia Tech | 8-4 | Regular Season Over |
| 48 | 816 | Wyoming | 8-5 | Lost to San Diego State 27-24 |
| 49 | 798 | North Carolina | 8-4 | Regular Season Over |
| 50 | 764 | Ohio | 8-5 | Lost to Western Michigan 29-23 |
| 51 | 726 | Middle Tennessee State | 7-5 | Regular Season Over |
| 52 | 708 | Louisiana State | 7-4 | Regular Season Over |
| 53 | 688 | Colorado State | 7-5 | Regular Season Over |
| 54 | 641 | Idaho | 8-4 | Def. Georgia State 37-12 |
| 55 | 632 | Arkansas State | 7-5 | Def. Texas State 36-14 |
| 56 | 505 | Eastern Michigan | 7-5 | Regular Season Over |
| 57 | 471 | Kentucky | 7-5 | Regular Season Over |
| 58 | 469 | Arkansas | 7-5 | Regular Season Over |
| 59 | 461 | Georgia | 7-5 | Regular Season Over |
| 60 | 268 | Baylor | 6-6 | Lost to West Virginia 24-21 |
| 61 | 245 | Central Florida | 6-6 | Regular Season Over |
| 62 | 244 | Indiana | 6-6 | Regular Season Over |
| 63 | 229 | Southern Mississippi | 6-6 | Regular Season Over |
| 64 | 224 | Army | 6-5 | Bye |
| 65 | 199 | Northwestern | 6-6 | Regular Season Over |
| 66 | 172 | Miami (OH) | 6-6 | Regular Season Over |
| 67 | 168 | Texas Christian | 6-6 | Lost to Kansas State 30-6 |
| 68 | 126 | Central Michigan | 6-6 | Regular Season Over |
| 69 | 118 | Vanderbilt | 6-6 | Regular Season Over |
| 70 | 104 | Texas San Antonio | 6-6 | Regular Season Over |
| 71 | 93 | North Carolina State | 6-6 | Regular Season Over |
| 72 | 91 | Louisiana Lafayette | 6-6 | Def. Louisiana-Monroe 30-3 |
| 73 | 60 | Maryland | 6-6 | Regular Season Over |
| 74 | 38 | Texas | 5-7 | Regular Season Over |
| 75 | 29 | California | 5-7 | Regular Season Over |
| 76 | -32 | Northern Illinois | 5-7 | Regular Season Over |
| 77 | -34 | Boston College | 6-6 | Regular Season Over |
| 78 | -38 | Wake Forest | 6-6 | Regular Season Over |
| 79 | -43 | Texas Tech | 5-7 | Regular Season Over |
| 80 | -80 | South Carolina | 6-6 | Regular Season Over |
| 81 | -140 | Hawaii | 6-7 | Regular Season Over |
| 82 | -160 | South Alabama | 6-6 | Def. New Mexico State 35-28 |
| 83 | -184 | Georgia Southern | 5-7 | Def. Troy 28-24 |
| 84 | -197 | Mississippi State | 5-7 | Regular Season Over |
| 85 | -222 | Arizona State | 5-7 | Regular Season Over |
| 86 | -235 | Missouri | 5-7 | Regular Season Over |
| 87 | -268 | Nevada-Reno | 5-7 | Regular Season Over |
| 88 | -272 | Mississippi | 5-7 | Regular Season Over |
| 89T | -292 | Akron | 5-7 | Regular Season Over |
| 89T | -292 | Notre Dame | 4-8 | Regular Season Over |
| 91 | -300 | Southern Methodist | 5-7 | Regular Season Over |
| 92 | -345 | North Texas | 5-7 | Regular Season Over |
| 93 | -432 | UCLA | 4-8 | Regular Season Over |
| 94 | -550 | Oregon | 4-8 | Regular Season Over |
| 95 | -554 | Ball State | 4-8 | Regular Season Over |
| 96 | -592 | Florida International | 4-8 | Regular Season Over |
| 97 | -596 | Nevada-Las Vegas | 4-8 | Regular Season Over |
| 98 | -670 | Tulane | 4-8 | Regular Season Over |
| 99 | -675 | Oregon State | 4-8 | Regular Season Over |
| 100 | -677 | Duke | 4-8 | Regular Season Over |
| 101 | -708 | Charlotte | 4-8 | Regular Season Over |
| 102 | -730 | Syracuse | 4-8 | Regular Season Over |
| 103 | -741 | Bowling Green State | 4-8 | Regular Season Over |
| 104 | -746 | San Jose State | 4-8 | Regular Season Over |
| 105 | -747 | Louisiana Monroe | 4-8 | Lost to Louisiana-Lafayette 30-3 |
| 106 | -779 | Texas-El Paso | 4-8 | Regular Season Over |
| 107 | -787 | Cincinnati | 4-8 | Regular Season Over |
| 108 | -870 | New Mexico State | 3-9 | Lost to South Alabama 35-28 |
| 109 | -912 | Iowa State | 3-9 | Regular Season Over |
| 110 | -1023 | Utah State | 3-9 | Regular Season Over |
| 111 | -1033 | Michigan State | 3-9 | Regular Season Over |
| 112 | -1037 | East Carolina | 3-9 | Regular Season Over |
| 113 | -1072 | Georgia State | 3-9 | Lost to Idaho 37-12 |
| 114 | -1077 | Florida Atlantic | 3-9 | Regular Season Over |
| 115 | -1101 | Marshall | 3-9 | Regular Season Over |
| 116 | -1107 | Rice | 3-9 | Regular Season Over |
| 117 | -1147 | Arizona | 3-9 | Regular Season Over |
| 118 | -1155 | Connecticut | 3-9 | Regular Season Over |
| 119 | -1164 | Purdue | 3-9 | Regular Season Over |
| 120 | -1177 | Kent State | 3-9 | Regular Season Over |
| 121 | -1213 | Illinois | 3-9 | Regular Season Over |
| 122 | -1365 | Virginia | 2-10 | Regular Season Over |
| 123 | -1450 | Massachusetts | 2-10 | Regular Season Over |
| 124 | -1492 | Buffalo | 2-10 | Regular Season Over |
| 125 | -1567 | Kansas | 2-10 | Regular Season Over |
| 126 | -1645 | Texas State | 2-10 | Lost to Arkansas State 36-14 |
| 127 | -1726 | Rutgers | 2-10 | Regular Season Over |
| 128 | -1878 | Fresno State | 1-11 | Regular Season Over |
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