2016 FCS National Championship Preview

James Madison (13-1) vs. Youngstown State (12-3)
Frisco, Texas
9:00 AM PST, ESPN

     The FCS football season culminates tomorrow in the national championship game at Frisco, Texas between the James Madison Dukes and the Youngstown State Penguins. This will mark the first time in six years that the national champion will not be North Dakota State, as the Bison had won the previous five titles. NDSU fell short against JMU in their quest for a 6th national title.
     James Madison won the national title in 2004 under then coach Mickey Matthews in a 31-21 win over Montana. The Dukes have won 11 straight this season, with their last loss coming against North Carolina in Chapel Hill. The Duke are in the title game by way of a strong road win in Fargo, beating North Dakota State to end their 22 game FCS playoff win streak. In November, the Dukes picked up back to back wins over top 10 opponents when they beat Richmond and Villanova, with both of those games coming on the road.
     The Dukes are led by Mike Houston, who is in his first season as head coach after bringing life to what had been a dismal Citadel program. Houston is now 13-1 in his first season, and owns a 4-1 record overall in the playoffs.
     QB Brian Schor is the leader of the of the Dukes on offense. He took over as the full time starter after backing up Vad Lee last season, and passed for 2890 yards, with 27 TDs and just 6 INTs. He was the CAA player of the week 4 times in a 6 week span this season, and completed 21/22 passes in a win over Rhode Island, a school single game completion record. He started the last 4 games of 2015 when Lee went down to injury, and rushed for 129 yards in the season opener this fall in a win over Morehead State.
     What makes JMU dangerous is their ability to mix run and pass, as Khalid Abdullah rushed for 1728 yards this season. Abdullah has scored 33 TDs rushing the last two seasons, with 20 of those coming this year. He has 3577 career rushing yards, and topped a career high with 272 carries in 2016. Cardon Johnson is dangerous as well, having rushed for 704 yards, averaging 6.2 yards per carry. He scored 8 times this season.
     Brandon Ravanel (45-720-5) and Duke transfer Terrence Alls (35-575-5) will likely be the two go to receivers for Schor in the passing game, and Domo Taylor is high on the list as well (34-547-3).
     Defensively, the secondary is a huge strength for the Dukes, led by CB Taylor Reynolds, who has 14 Passes Defended on the year. This will be his final game. The Dukes led the nation with 20 INTs this season, and finished 9th in turnover margin at +15.
     For Youngstown State, this will be a return to a familiar territory that the Penguins dominated in the 90s. Bo Pelini has led this program back from mediocrity, and now has the Penguins primed to win their first title since 1997, a 10-9 win over McNeese State. YSU has 4 total titles in their history, winning in 1991, 1993, 1994, and the 1997 win. This will be the Penguins' 8th all-time title game appearance.
     The Penguins will take a more defensive approach to winning this game, as they depend on pressure up front to wreak havoc on opposing backfields, and they like to disrupt the flow of a football game. The Penguins recorded a school record 47 sacks in 2016. Derek Rivers is the all-time sack leader at both Youngstown State and in the Missouri Valley Conference, as he has 40 for his career. He is joined off the edge by fellow DE, and Nebraska transfer, Avery Moss. Moss added 9.5 sacks to the record tally this season, and gets freed up when teams pay too much attention to Rivers coming off the other side.
     Offensively, it will come down to the offensive line, led by All-American LT Dylan Colucci. The line dominated the trenches in the playoff win over Eastern Washington, allowing Tevin McCester and Jody Webb to combine for 255 yards rushing against the Eagles.
     Webb rushed for 101 of those yards, but is a multi-purpose weapon, lining up as a receiver and a back, and is also a dangerous kick return weapon for YSU. McCester rushed for 154 yards in the win over EWU, and once he finds the hole, he is gone. Webb has rushed for 100 yards or more in each of the Penguin playoff wins. Chances are, if he manages to go over 100 again, YSU could be winning their 5th title.

Key Matchup Points

• Youngstown State leads the all-time series over James Madison 3-1
• They last played in 2006, with YSU winning a playoff game 35-31 with 15 unanswered points
• JMU finished 2nd in FCS football with 48 points per game
• JMU allows only 1.9 sacks per game, while YSU averages 3.3 sacks per game
• Schor has a 10:3 TD to INT ratio in the playoffs
• Jody Webb has not rushed for less than 100 yards in a playoff game this season for YSU
• If YSU wins, they will be the 1st 3 loss champ since Richmond in 2008
• YSU is on a 6 game winning streak, JMU has won 11 straight

How They Match Up

Passing: JMU over YSU

The Dues win out in the passing game with Schor getting a clear edge over Penguin QB Hunter Wells. JMU ranked 36th nationally in passing, with the Penguins not finishing in the top 50. Wells started the season as the 4th string QB, and is 7-1 since gaining the starting job in October. 

Rushing: JMU and YSU Virtually Tied

The difference is just 3 spots. The Dukes finished 4th nationally in rushing, while the Penguins finished 7th. Both teams like to run the ball first, as JMU averaged 284.6 yards per game, and the Penguins averaged 257.5. Whichever team establishes the run wins the game. 

Rushing Defense: Youngstown State over James Madison

The Penguins finished 14 spots ahead of James Madison here at 24th in the nation against the run. The Penguins give up 128.1 yards rushing, and just 3.75 yards per carry. The Dukes ranked 38th, giving up 137.8 yards per game, with 4.28 yards per carry. The edge goes to the Penguins, but just by a hair. 

Pass Defense: YSU and JMU Virtually Tied

Between the Dukes' ability to pick up turnovers by INT, and the Penguins' ability to generate pressure and sacks, this is anyone's game. Whichever unit can generate turnovers in what could be an icy and snowy venue will decide the outcome. 

Time of Possession Battle

Again, there is not much separating the two. YSU ranked 3rd, however, and so wins the battle here on average. The Penguins held onto the football for 510 minutes on the season, averaging 34 minutes per game. The Dukes held onto the football for 474 minutes on the season, or 32 minutes per game. 

Penalties Per Game

This could be a separating factor. Youngstown State is the only one of the two teams here that ranked in the top 50 of teams with the fewest penalties per game. The Penguins ranked 26th nationally with just 79 penalties, or just 5.27 per game. This could factor in during the game. 

• Both teams finished in the top 10 in 3rd down conversion percentage
• Both teams are nearly identical in stopping 3rd down attempts
• YSU leads by .17% in 4th down conversions at 58.8% success
• YSU stopped 5/15 4th down conversions, a clear winner there
• YSU recovered 11 fumbles, which could have an effect in the weather
• James Madison averaged 48 points per game, YSU averaged 28.5

Final Assessment

It would seem that body for body, James Madison has the edge in this football game, as they have a higher powered offense, and the ability to mitigate the Youngstown passing game by having the ability to create turnovers. If, however, the Penguins can force the Dukes to put the ball on the ground by way of fumbles in cold weather, Youngstown State has their own way of creating turnovers. These teams are very close in every aspect except for scoring, where James Madison has the clear margin, and that starts and ends with the passing game and Schor. If he can avoid those YSU ends coming on the pass rush, he could be the difference here for the Dukes. 

Pick: James Madison

The Dukes have the better overall resume, but it is hard for me to make this pick, as I believe that Bo Pelini has his Penguins motivated in this game. James Madison's offense is just a shade better, but it should be a very close game, as both defenses can do so many things to stagger the tempo of each offense. 

   
   

Minnesota Gophers Fire Tracy Claeys

Minnesota fired head football coach Tracy Claeys after one season today, the reason being a fundamental failure to support university policy as it applied to 10 suspended football players, and his actions after his team threatened to boycott all football activities, including participating in the Holiday Bowl. The boycott lasted less than two days, and the team beat Washington State in the Holiday Bowl 17-12.
After suspending the 10 players, an act which stemmed from an investigation into a sexual assault claim in September, Tracy Claeys sent a tweet that was deemed "not helpful" by athletic director Mark Croyle.
It would seem that Claeys was caught in between the administration and his players, and he chose the wrong side. Claeys, but supporting the suspended and/or boycotting players, he undermined the administration, or was perceived to have done so.
The moral of the story is that Claeys straddled a line with his position. His job, as distasteful as he may have found it, was to side with policy and his superiors. When he failed to do so, he decided to make the one play you should never make when you are in charge of a program, a business, or any position of authority. He chose to be the buddy, not the boss. One cannot be both.
Claeys supported the suspensions, but then with his one tweet, completely destroyed his standing in the decision making process, and he destabilized his position. Even 10 wins at Minnesota and a bowl win was not enough to save him after that.
The tweet in question is as follows:

GoldenGopherHFC ‏@GoldenGopherHFC  15 Dec 2016

Have never been more proud of our kids. I respect their rights & support their effort to make a better world!

Bilo's Quick Outback Bowl Recap

Florida 30, Iowa 3

Florida scored 20 unanswered points in the second half to pull away from Iowa in the Outback Bowl in Tampa. The Gators had led just 10-3 at the half. For Florida, it was their first bowl win under Jim McElwain, and for Iowa, it was their worst scoring game in a bowl since 1993.
Austin Appleby passed for 222 yards and 2 TDs in the win for the Gators, but also tossed a pair of picks. He finished 14/25 passing on the day.
Iowa finished with just 226 yards of offense, their worst output of the season, and turned the football over 3 times, which tied a season high. Florida scored 13 points off of those turnovers.
Iowa has now lost 4 consecutive bowls, with 3 of those losses coming by at least 17 points. CJ Beathard was awful at QB for Iowa, completing just 7 passes for 55 yards. He also tossed 3 picks, just the scond time in his career at Iowa that he has thrown more than one in a game.
Florida RB Mark Thompson caught an 85 yard scoring pass. He had just 20 receiving yards all season entering the game.
Akrum Woodley moved past 1000 yards for the season, joining LeShun Daniels in the 1000 yard club this season for Iowa. This was the first time in school history that the Hawkeyes have ever had 2 1000 yard rushers in the same season.
Iowa managed 171 yards rushing in the loss, but just 55 yards passing. Wadley finished with 115 yards on the ground.
Jordan Scarlett led Florida with 94 yards rushing on 14 carries, but did not score.
Wadley also led Iowa with 4 receptions for just 21 yards.
Johnny Townsend was helpful for the Gators field position on defense, as he averaged 45.5 yards per punt.
Iowa actually won the battle of 1st downs, with 14 to Florida's 11.
Despite scoring 30 points, Florida finished with just 331 yards of offense.
Iowa averaged just 3.5 yards per play.
Florida committed 8 penalties, while Iowa committed only 1.

2017 Openers: Wyoming at Iowa (9/2); Florida vs. Michigan @ Arlington (9/2)

Bilo's Quick Cotton Bowl Recap

Wisconsin 24, Western Michigan 16

Wisconsin jumped out to a 14-0 1st quarter lead, and then used a staunch defense to carry them the rest of the way, as the Badgers won their 3rd straight bowl appearance, and clinched their first 11 win season since 2011 in the Cotton Bowl. It was the first loss of the season for Western Michigan, the Group of Five rep in the NY6 alignment, as the Broncos finished 13-1. It was the most successful season in WMU history. 

LB TJ Edwards led the way on defense for Wisconsin, as he finished with 12 tackles, and picked off a 4th quarter pass that set up the final score for the Badgers, sealing the win. This was the first time all season that WMU did not score at least 20 points. 

The loss snapped a 15 game winning streak for the Broncos. 

Bart Houston and Alex Hornibrook both played, and completed 13/14 passes on the day combined. Corey Clement led the Badgers with 71 yards rushing and a score. 

Wisconsin won the rushing battle with 184 yards on the ground, compared to 123 on 31 carries by the Broncos. Zach Terrell finished with one of his worst games of his career, passing for just 157 yards on 16/26 passing with a TD and one pick. 

Corey Davis, the all-american Bronco WR, finished with just 6 catches for 73 yards and a score. 

Wisconsin's Troy Fumagalli was the Badger receiving leader with 6 receptions for 83 yards and a score. 

The two teams combined for just 7 penalties in the game. 

Wisconsin was an solid 7/11 on 3rd down conversions. 

WMU had 2 drives in the game that lasted at least 8 minutes. they had 20 drives this season that lasted 5 minutes or more. 

2017 Openers: Utah State at Wisconsin (9/1); Western Michigan at USC (9/2)

Bilo's Quick Sugar Bowl Recap

Oklahoma 35, Auburn 19

Oklahoma scored 21 straight points in the second half to pull away from a one point game at the half in beating Auburn in New Orleans. The Sooners won their 10th straight game after starting out 1-2 in September with losses to Ohio State and Houston. Their winning streak is now second in the nation behind Alabama. Auburn finished the year with their 3rd loss in their last 4 games.
Baker Mayfield passed for 296 yards and 2 TDs, with no INTs. It was the 7th time in 2016 that Mayfield did not toss a pick in a game. He threw 2 or more TD passes in every game of the season.
This was the first meeting of Oklahoma and Auburn since 1972, which also happened in the Sugar Bowl. Oklahoma won that game as well, and are now 2-0 all-time against the Tigers. This was just the 2nd Bowl win in the last 5 attempts by Oklahoma, and they move to 29-20-1 all-time in bowls. Auburn is now 23-16-2 all-time in bowls, and have lost 3 of their last 4 appearances in bowl games.
Samaje perine broke Billy Simms all-time Oklahoma rushing record in the game, as he rushed for 86 yards on 17 carries, and scored a TD. He announced after the game that he will enter the NFL draft.
Kamryn Pettway was the star for Auburn, as he rushed for 101 yards on 24 carries.
Oklahoma rushed for 228 yards and 3 scores, and also received 91 yards on 19 carries from Joe Mixon. Auburn rushed for 185 yards on 46 carries.
Auburn had four players attempt passes in the game, and they combined to go 13/27 for just 154 yards with a TD and a pick.
Kevin Phillips averaged over 49 yards per punt for Auburn, while Austin Seibert averaged just over 45. Seibert, also the PK for OU, missed his only FG attempt.

2017 Season Openers: UTEP at Oklahoma (9/2); Georgia Southern at Auburn (9/2)

Bilo's Quick Rose Bowl Recap

USC 52, Penn State 49

In a wild game that was topped with one of the worst all-time play calls ever, USC outlasted Penn State, coming back from 14 points down to win the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. With under a minute left, Penn State OC Joe Moorhead, who had been calling a solid game up until then, called two pass plays to the right side of the field. The first was batted down, the second was intercepted, setting up the game winning 46 yard FG for USC as time expired. Both teams entered the game with 8 game winning streaks, and was the most entertaining bowl this season.
Penn state scored TDs on 7 straight possessions, including two plays in a row, and racked up a Rose Bowl record 28 point 3rd quarter to erase a one time 13 point USC lead. USC scored 17 unanswered 4th quarter points, including 10 in the final 1:20 of the game.
In a game of shattered Rose Bowl records, Trojan QB Sam Darnold broke a record for TD passes in the game with 5. He completed 33/53 passes for 453 yards, 3 yards short of the Rose Bowl record, and was the hero of the game for USC, throwing one bold strike after another in the win.
Both teams broke the Rose Bowl combined scoring record (83 points) before the 3rd quarter had ended.
Trace McSorley of Penn State also totaled 5 TDs, 4 passing and one rushing in the loss. Darnold and McSorley join Vince Young (2005) and Neil Snow (1902) as the only players in Rose Bowl history to total 5 TDs in the game. Eric Ball was one player who rushed for 4 TDs in the Rose Bowl in 1984 for UCLA in their win over Iowa.
Deontay Burnett blew up in the game, catching 13 passes for 164 yards and 3 TDs. He had only caught 4 TD passes all season entering the game.
Between the ending moments of the 2nd quarter, and the early moments of the 3rd, Penn State scored on 4 consecutive plays.
USC now has 25 Rose Bowl wins all-time, which is the record for wins in any one bowl for any school.


2017 Openers: Akron at Penn State (9/2); Western Michigan at USC (9/2)

Bilo's Quick Gator Bowl Recap

Georgia Tech 33, Kentucky 18

Georgia Tech started the game off with an early defensive score, and then jumped out to a 20-3 lead at the half to hold off Kentucky in Jacksonville. Tech finished the season by winning 6 of 7 and 4 straight, while Kentucky fell short of their first 8 win season since 2007.
Dedrick Mills had a huge performance, his best by far this season, by rushing for 169 yards on 31 carries for Georgia Tech.
This was the Yellow Jackets' 19th bowl appearance over the last 20 seasons, and move them to 12-7-1 all-time against Kentucky, including 5 of their last 6 against the Wildcats. Georgia Tech is now 4-4 all-time in the Gator Bowl. Kentucky is now 0-1 in the bowl.
Kentucky scored 15 of their 18 points all in the 4th quarter in the loss, Stephen Johnson passed for 175 yards, and rushed for 49 more for the Cats.
Harrison Butker was 4/4 on FG attempts for the Yellow Jackets.
Georgia Tech is now 25-19 all-time in bowls, while Kentucky fell to 8-8. This was Kentucky's first bowl since 2010.
Tech rushed for 266 yards, Kentucky ran for 149 on 36 carries.
10 different UK receivers caught passes, while just 3 receivers caught passes for Georgia Tech.
Ryan Rowdell averaged just 25.3 yards per punt for Georgia Tech, but Grant McKinniss averaged just 25.5. This was one of the worst combined punting efforts in bowl history.
Kentucky did not return a single kick in the loss.

2017 Openers: Georgia Tech vs. Tennessee (9/4); Kentucky at Southern Mississippi (9/2)

Editors Note: The Gator Bowl is now called the Taxslayer Bowl, but being that Taxslayer (whomever they might be), does not pay any of my bills, I will still refer to it as the Gator Bowl. 
Thanks,
SB

Bilo's Quick Citrus Bowl Recap

LSU 29, Louisville 9

Leonard Fournette's absence meant nothing at all to the LSU Tigers, as they defensively dominated Louisville and Heisman winner Lamar Jackson in Orlando. LSU capped their 17th straight season with at least 8 wins, and won in their 17th straight bowl appearance. Louisville, who had started 9-1, lost their 3rd straight game to end the 2016 season.
Derrius Guice had a huge day as the star back, as he rushed for 138 yards and a score, and also added a score as a receiver in the win. Guice, not Fournette, was named as a quarter finalist for my All-Bilo RB of the Year for 2016. It was Guice's 6th 100 yard effort of the season, and his 4th straight game with a score.
LSU moved to 2-2 in the Citrus Bowl all time, while Louisville is now just 4-3 in their last 7 bowl appearances. LSU finished 3-2 against top 25 opponents this season, while Louisville finished 1-2.
Jackson had a nightmare of a game, as he passed for a season low 153 yards, while he was held to just 33 yards rushing on 26 carries. He finished just 10/27 passing in the loss. He failed to score for the first time since November of 2015.
Danny Etling ended the season on a high note for LSU, as he passed for 217 yards and a pair of TDs. Malachi Dupree was his best benefactor, having caught 7 passes for 139 yards in the win.
LSU finished with 394 total yards, and finished 7/17 on 3rd downs. Louisville was held to just 220 yards, and was a miserable 2/17 on 3rd down conversions.
LSU DE Arden Key set an LSU single season record for sacks with his 12th of the season.

2017 Openers: Louisville vs. Purdue @ Indianapolis (9/2); LSU vs. BYU @ Houston (9/2)

Bilo's Quick Fiesta Bowl Recap

Clemson 31, Ohio State 0

Clemson held Ohio State to just 215 yards of offense, and the Buckeyes finished with 2 losses in a season for the first time under Urban Meyer in the Fiesta Bowl loss. Clemson earns a rematch against Alabama next Monday in the national title game, which Clemson lost 40-35 last season.
Deshaun Watson passed for a TD, and rushed for 2 more, and finished with 259 yards passing in the win, but did toss 2 early INTs to give him 17 total for the year so far, a high number for certain for a Heisman candidate QB.
The shutout loss for Ohio State was the first for Urban Meyer in his head coaching career. JT Barrett, who was the source of pinup board material when Clemson defenders stated that they had played against better QBs, certainly was not fired up by that fact, and was held without a TD pass for the 4th time on the season. This was his first time in 2016 tossing multiple picks in a game, as he finished with 2. Barrett was held to 127 yards passing and -2 yards rushing. The Buckeyes, as a team, were held to just 63 total yards in the 2nd and 3rd quarters combined.
Clemson won the battle of the rushing yards, as they racked up 205 yards on the ground, just 10 fewer yards than the Buckeyes totaled. Wayne Gallman, who was largely inconsistent in 2016, rushed for 85 of those yards. Barrett carried the ball 11 times for Ohio State, but no other Buckeye back carried the football more than 6 times in the game.
Ohio state had not been shut out since 1993, and had the longest streak in the nation of not being shut out.

2017 Openers: Kent State at Clemson (9/2); Ohio State at Indiana (9/1)

Bilo's Quick Peach Bowl Recap

Alabama 24, Washington 7

Alabama used a crushing defensive effort to crush Washington's hopes of playing for a national title next Monday, and the Tide will be once again in that spot after beating Washington in Atlanta. After finishing the 1st quarter tied at 7, Alabama rolled off 17 unanswered points to pick up the win.
Bo Scarbrough led the way on offense for Alabama, as he rushed for 180 yards on just 19 carries, and scored both Tide offensive TDs. His 180 yards rushing were an Alabama bowl record.
Alabama was purely dominant on defense, as Washington picked up 68 yards on their very first possession, and were then held to just 126 yards for the rest of the day.
Ryan Andserson's 4th quarter pick 6 sealed the win for Alabama, and was the 15th defensive score of the season for the Crimson Tide.
Alabama will now play in the title game for the 5th time in 8 seasons, and sets up a rematch of last season's title game with Clemson, who beat Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.
Jake Browning was picked twice in the loss for the Huskies, and he has now been picked 6 times in his last 5 games, after only being picked 3 times in his previous games dating to the start of the 2016 season.
The Huskies were held to just 1.9 yards per carry, and 3.9 yards per pass attempt.
Myles Gaskin, the leading rusher for the Huskies, was held to just 34 yards on 10 carries, and Browning finished just 20/38 passing for 150 yards.

2017 Openers: Alabama vs. Florida State @ Atlanta (9/2); Washington at Rutgers (9/1)

Bilo's Quick Arizona Bowl Recap

Air Force 45, South Alabama 21

Air Force broke open a game that was tied at the half with 24 unanswered 2nd half points to pull away with a win in Tucson in the Arizona Bowl. The Falcons had trailed by 18 points in the 2nd quarter before making a furious rally, which then ended in the subsequent blowout win. The Falcons finished with their second consecutive 10 win season, while South Alabama fell to 6-7 on the year. USA is now 0-2 in bowl game appearances since starting their football program in recent seasons.
Josh Robinette caught only 2 passes, but they went for 124 yards and a score for Air Force. Robinette finished 17 yards shy of becoming the first Air Force receiver with 1000 yards since 1970.
The Falcons finished with 460 yards on the game, and held onto the football for just over 40 minutes. Arion Worthman rallied up 278 total yards for the Falcons at QB.
South Alabama finished with just 313 yards of offense, most of which was effective only in the first half of the game, as the Jaguars only had 37 yards after the half, and finished with -3 yards in the final quarter.
Jacobi Owens rushed for 74 yards for the Falcons, and scored twice.
USA finished with just 68 yards rushing on 21 carries as a team, with no one back carrying the ball more than 8 times in the game.
Air Force rushed for 253 team yards and 4 scores.
Dallas Davis completed just 10 passes, but picked up 245 yard passing for USA. Josh Magee caught 5 of those passes for 154 yards and a score.

2017 Openers: Air Force TBA; South Alabama at Ole Miss (9/2)

Bilo's Quick Liberty Bowl Recap

Georgia 31, TCU 23

Nick Chubb rushed for 142 yards, and Georgia won a back and forth effort over TCU in Memphis. Chubb also rushed for one score on the day. The loss ensured just the 3rd losing season in Gary Patterson's career at TCU, as the Frogs finish 6-7. Georgia finished 8-5 in the first season under Kirby Smart. There were 5 lead changes oin the game.
Georgia has now won 4 bowls in 5 tries, and rushed for a team 248 yards, on 5.7 yards per carry. The Bulldogs sacked Kenny Hill 5 times, 3 of those coming from defensive lineman Trenton Thompson.
Despite the sacks, Kenny Hill managed to lead TCU with all 3 TDs scored on the day, passing for 2, and rushing for the other. Both of Hill's TD passes went to John Diarse, his only 2 receptions on the day.
For Georgia, it was their 30th bowl win, a feat shared only by Alabama and USC.
TCU fell to 9-5 in bowls under Patterson.

2017 Openers: Appalachian State at Georgia (9/2); Jackson State at TCU (9/2)

Bilo's Quick Music City Bowl Recap

Tennessee 38, Nebraska 24

It seemed as if every time Nebraska would pick up a rallying score, Tennessee would answer. The Vols led 24-14 after the 3rd quarter, and managed to keep Nebraska at bay in the win in Nashville.
Derek Barnett broke Reggie White's all-time sack record at Tennessee, and Josh Dobbs completed 23/38 passes for 291 yards and TD, while he also rushed for 118 yards on 11 carries and 3 TDs.
Barnett finished with 33 sacks on his career at Tennessee. The Vols have now won 3 straight bowls for the first time in 20 years, despite having a drama filled season that saw them fail to win a weak SEC East and finish at 9-4.
Brandon Reilly caught 4 passes for 98 yards and a pair of scores, his first of the year. The Huskers were playing without Tommie Armstrong, who was injured. With Ryker Fyfe at QB, the Huskers finished with just 318 yards of offense, while the Vols racked up 521.
Nebraska was held to just 34 yards on their first 5 possessions, with each of those possessions ending in punts. Caleb Lightboum punted 7 times on the game. Nebraska finished with just 61 yards rushing, which was a huge problem on the night. Tennessee finished with 230 yards rushing and 4 scores.
Fyfe did manage to pass for 243 yards and 2 scores on the day, but a lack of a run game left him limited.
Along with missing Armstrong, Antonio Reed was taken off in the 2nd quarter with an injury. He was starting at Safety in place of an also injured Nathan Gerry.

2017 Openers: Arkansas State at Nebraska (9/2); Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech (9/4)

Bilo's Quick Sun Bowl Recap

Stanford 25, North Carolina 23

Stanford held off a UNC 2 point conversion in the final minute, and the Cardinal survived the absence of Christian McCaffrey to beat the Tar Heels in El Paso. Stanford finishes the seasonw tih 6 straight wins to get their 10th of the year after a 4-3 start. Carolina was trending the other way, losing 3 of their final 4 games of the year to finish at 8-5.
Stanford Safety Dallas Lloyd was the star of the day, recording 6 tackles, a forced fumble, and 2 INTs, the last of which went for a pick 6 to put Stanford ahead for the win. Stanford kicker Conrad Ukropina was also a star, hitting on 4/5 FGs to further provide a margin of victory.
Bryce Love caught just one pass all day in replacing McCaffrey, who sat out to prepare for the NFL draft, but that was a 42 yard TD strike, the only Stanford offensive TD of the day. He finished with 115 yards rushing.
Mitch Trubisky finished by throwing for 280 yards and 2 TDs, but also tossed 2 picks, one of which went for the go ahead score for Stanford.
North Carolina has now lost their last 3 bowl appearances. and Larry Fedora is now just 1-4 in bowls.
Stanford now has won 10 games for 10 consecutive seasons, and had only accomplished that feat 3 times ever before that.

2017 Openers: Stanford at Rice (9/2); California at North Carolina (9/2)

Bilo's Quick Birmingham Bowl Recap

USF 46, South Carolina 39 (OT)

USF blew an 18 point lead at one point, but survived in OT to beat South Carolina in Birmingham. With the win, the Bulls racked up a school record 11 win season, while South Carolina dropped to under .500 for the second season in a row, the first time that has happened since 2002-03.
Quinton Flowers continued his stellar season at QB for the Bulls, as he passed for 261 yards and 2 TDs, while he rushed for 105 yards and 3 TDs in the game. Flowers finished with 2812 yards and 24 TDs passing, and rushed for 1530 yards and another 18 TDs, yet was never mentioned in the Heisman race.
The Bulls also lead the nation in consecutive 30 point games, as this was their 17th straight game with 30 or more on the board. The Bulls are also in a transition period between Willie Taggart leaving for Oregon, while Charlie Strong is set to take over in 2017.
The loss snapped a 4 game bowl winning streak for the Gamecocks, as they had not lost a bowl game since 2010. South Carolina was plagued by turnovers in this game, notching 5 on the day, including 3 fumbles in the red zone, all inside the USF 10 yard line. Deebo Samuel did have a strong game for South Carolina, catching 14 passes for 190 yards, and he also caught his one and only TD of the year.
USF racked up 333 yards of offense by half time, but was held to just 28 yards in the 4th quarter as SC made their rally.
Jake Bentley completed 32/42 passes for 390 yards and 3 TDs, but also tossed a pick 6 in the loss.
Marlon Mack, who rushed for over 1100 yards for USF this season, was held to just 56 yards rushing in the win, and never scored.
South Carolina was held under 100 yards rushing (91) on 34 carries.

2017 Openers: USF at San Jose State (8/26); South Carolina vs. NC State @ Charlotte (9/2)

Bilo's Quick Orange Bowl Recap

Florida State 33, Michigan 32

A furious 4th quarter by both sides ended in the Seminoles barely holding on to a win after leading 20-6 at one point. With the win, Florida State finished with double digit wins for the 5th straight season, and won their 5th straight game of the year. Michigan's loss kept them from their first 11 win season since 2011.
Dalvin Cook was a star for the Seminoles, having rushed for 145 yards and a score, while he also hauled in 3 passes for 62 yards. It was his 9th 100 yard rushing effort of the season, and was his 10th straight game with at least one score in a game.
Florida State is now 2-1 all-time against Michigan with the win. DeAndre Francois survived a horrible 9/27 passing effort by working it to a tune of 222 yards (92 on one scoring strike), and a pair of TDs with 1 INT. Cook was also the only Seminole back to rush for double digit yardage. Nyqwan Murray caught both TD passes on the day for FSU.
Michigan never got their run game off the ground, rushing for just 89 yards on 36 carries on the day. De'Veon Smith was held to just 36 yards on 16 carries. Wilton Speight, who had been injured late this season, had a mixed day, completing 21/38 passes for 163 yards and a score, with one INT.
Punter Kenny Allen was a busy guy for Michigan, as he was forced to punt 8 times in the game, but averaged a booming 47.4 yard average on the game.
Florida State finished 4-2 against top 25 teams this season, while Michigan fell to 1-2.
FSU is now 5-5 all-time in the Orange Bowl, while Michigan, again, is now 1-2.
Florida State had 255 yards of offense in the 1st half, Michigan's poorest performance of the year defensively.
Nyqwan Murray's 92 yard TD pass from DeAndre Francois was the longest in Orange Bowl history.
Amara Darboh was held under 42 yards for the 3rd straight game after finishing with more than 42 the previous 9 games.

2017 Openers: Michigan vs. Florida @Arlington, TX (9/2); Florida State vs. Alabama @ Atlanta (9/2)

Bilo's Quick Alamo Bowl Recap

Oklahoma State 38, Colorado 8

I had warned all week against a Colorado letdown entering the Alamo Bowl, as many believed that the Buffalos deserved a shot at the Rose Bowl with Washington in the national semi-final. Add to that issue that Jim Leavitt bolted for Oregon (stupid move on his part), and there was a recipe for disaster brewing.
OSU blew out to a 31-0 lead in the 3rd quarter, and Colorado virtually never got off the bus in the loss.
Oklahoma State rolled up their second straight 10 win season, while Colorado fell short of their first 11 win season since 1994.
Mason Rudolph passed for 314 yards and 3 scores, after announcing that he and James Washington would return in 2017 earlier in the week. It was the 8th time in 9 games that Rudolph did not throw a pick in a game. Washington caught 9 passes for 171 yards and a score, making this duo perhaps the best pass/catch combo in the nation returning for 2017.
Oklahoma State is now 20-26-1 all-time against Colorado with the win. The Cowboys are now 7-4 in bowls under Mike Gundy, and are 17-10 in bowls all-time. Colorado is 12-17 all-time in bowls, and are 1-5 in their last 6.
Sefu Liufau finished completing 18/29 passes for 195 yards, but was injured for part of the game.
Colorado's last bowl appearance was the 2007 Independence Bowl.
Justice Hill rushed for 100 yards and a score on 19 carries, and added a score for the Cowboys.
Phillip Lindsey finished with 166 total yards for Colorado.

2017 Openers: Colorado vs. Colorado State @ Denver (9/2); Tulsa at Oklahoma State (9/2)

Bilo's Quick Belk Bowl Recap

Virginia Tech 35, Arkansas 24

The Hokies trailed Arkansas by 24 at the half, and then the Razorbacks never scored another point in the second half as Virginia Tech rolled off 35 unanswered points spurred by 4 Arkansas turnovers in the final two quarters. It was one of the biggest all-time bowl comeback wins in college football history.
Jerod Evans was abysmal in the first half for Tech, but came back and passed for 243 yards and 2 TDs, and rushed for 87 yards and 2 more scores. He led all Hokies in rushing yards for the game, and his 4 scores were enough to seal the win.
Virginia Tech scored 3 times in the 3rd on just 9 plays covering 70 yards, and took only 2:45 off of the clock. The Hokies completed a 10 win season for the first time since 2011 in the first season for head coach Justin Fuente.
Arkansas had rolled up 258 yards of offense by the half, but then was held to just 56 yards and their 4 turnovers in the second half. The implosion after half time was not unique for the Razorbacks, as they were outscored in the second half by a whopping 99 points for the season.
Travon McMillian scored the only other Hokie TD of the game.
Arkansas was held to just 2/14 on 3rd down conversions.
Arkansas was held to just 36 yards rushing for the game on 34 carries.
Austin Allen tossed 2 TD passes, but was picked 3 times, all in the final half.

2017 Openers: Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia @ Landover, MD (9/2); Florida A&M at Arkansas (9/2)

Bilo's Quick Texas Bowl Recap

Kansas State 33, Texas A&M 28

Texas A&M completed their 2016 implosion by falling to Kansas State at Houston. The Aggies finished 2-5 after starting the season 6-0 and being ranked as high as 4th nationally.
Jesse Ertz had a solid game for K State, passing for 195 yards and a score, while rushing for 67 yards and 2 more scores in the win for the Wildcats. K State finished by winning 6 of their final 7 games, and finished with a surprising 9 wins on the year, another solid coaching job by Bill Snyder.
Kansas State has now won 4 straight against the Aggies, with the overall series tied at 8 games a piece.
Byron Pringle caught Ertz's lone TD pass, and caught just 3 passes on the night, but turned that into 107 yards. Kansas State also won the turnover battle, as the Aggies committed the only 2 turnovers of the game.
Both teams combined for 867 yards of offense.
Trevor Knight came back from injury this season to complete 30/48 passes for 310 yards and 3 TDs for the Aggies in the loss. Josh Reynolds caught 12 of those passes for 154 yards and 2 scores.
Kansas State and Texas A&M are now both 1-1 all time in the Texas Bowl.

2017 Openers: Central Arkansas at Kansas State (9/2); Texas A&M at UCLA (9/2)

Bilo's Quick Pinstripe Bowl Recap

Northwestern 31, Pittsburgh 24

Apparently, Pat Narduzzi's experience in defending against Northwestern while at Michigan State did not help his Panthers in New York. Northwestern won just their 3rd bowl game all-time, but used defense to hold off the Panthers late, recording a pair of 4th quarter INTs to seal the win for the Wildcats. The Panthers lost their 3rd consecutive bowl appearance.
Justin Jackson was a force for Northwestern, rushing for 224 yards a 3 of the 4 Northwestern TDs on the day.
Pitt had 3 chances to tie this game and even win, but turned the football over on each of their final 3 drives, cementing their loss to the Big 10 team that had just 6 wins coming and had lost to Illinois State earlier this season.
This was just the second win in a bowl for Northwestern, who had won their previous bowl in 2010. Prior to that win, the Wildcats had not won a bowl game since 1948.
Defensively for Northwestern, Matt Galambos racked up 15 tackles on the day to lead both teams.
Quadree Henderson had 156 total yards in the loss for Pitt. Nathan Peterman passed for 256 yards on only 13 completions on the game.
Clayton Thorson was efficient for Northwestern, completing 23/36 passes for 214 yards. The Wildcats did not get much help from their punting game, however, as Hunter Niswander averaged just 30 yards per punt on the day.

2017 Openers: Youngstown State at Pitt (9/2); Nevada at Northwestern (9/2)

Bilo's Quick Foster Farms Bowl Recap

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)

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

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)

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)

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)

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

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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.

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)

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)

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.

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)

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)