Bowl Game Previews: December 20 and 21
We are in that awkward stage of the holiday season where we are expected to participate in random Christmas festivities. Like, awkward parties at your in-laws’ house. I like to believe these bowl games are here to break up the monotony of those events by giving us something to watch while everyone else enjoys overcooked food and meaningless conversations.
These games are very important because, for some of these upperclassmen, it will be the last time we will see them on a college football field. Even though this slate of bowl games is hosting smaller schools, some of these players will be playing Sundays in the near future.
MYRTLE BEACH BOWL
OLD DOMINION MONARCHS VS. TULSA GOLDEN HURRICANE
ESPN, Dec. 20 at 2:30 p.m. EST
Tulsa is taking their talents to Myrtle Beach with a 6-6 record while finishing their season tied for third place with East Carolina and UCF in the American Conference. Back in week three, this team hung within seven points with the Ohio State Buckeyes until the end of the third quarter. Tulsa has a 10-11 all-time bowl record. Their last bowl win came back in 2016 when they defeated Central Michigan 55-10.
Old Dominion is rolling into this game with a five-game win streak. Their 6-6 record helped them achieve second-place honors in the Conference USA East Division. This will be their second bowl appearance. Their first was in 2016 when they defeated Eastern Michigan in the Bahamas Bowl 24-20.
Sophomore running back Blake Watson led Old Dominion with 1,035 yards rushing and seven touchdowns. He has six 100-yard rushing performances. On 201 rushing attempts he averaged 3.14 yards after contact per attempt while forcing 33 missed tackles.
Ali Jennings led the Monarchs with 992 receiving yards while posting five touchdowns. The sophomore wide receiver owned a 37.92 percent market share of the team’s passing production. We also have to keep our eye on sophomore tight end Zach Kuntz. He led the team with 108 targets and 71 balls caught which led to him racking up 674 yards and five touchdowns. Kuntz is listed at 6’8’’ and weighs 248 pounds, making him a mountain of a target to throw the ball to.
The player to watch for Tulsa is senior wide receiver Josh Johnson. He leads the team in receiving with 75 catches for 985 yards and five touchdowns. Johnson owns a 33.18 percent market share of the team’s passing production while averaging 2.62 yards per team pass attempt.
FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL
KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES VS. WYOMING COWBOYS
ESPN, Dec. 21 at 3:30 p.m. EST
Kent State finished the regular season with a 7-6 overall record and a first-place finish in the MAC East Division Standings. They are coming off a 41-23 loss to Northern Illinois in the MAC Championship game. The Golden Flashes won their first bowl game in 2019 when they beat Utah State 51-41 in the Frisco Bowl.
You all better buckle up because it’s time to watch them 6-6 Wyoming Cowboys rope and ride in the Idaho Potato Bowl. This team is coming into the bowl season winning two of their last eight games. They currently have an 8-8 all-time bowl record. Their first-ever bowl win came in 1950 when they defeated Washing & Lee 20-7 in the Gator Bowl.
Even though Wyoming likes to pound the ball out on the ground which is evident by their average of 195.1 rushing yards per game, we do have a wide receiver prospect to monitor. Third-year freshman wide receiver Isaiah Neyor led the team with 39 catches for 791 yards and 11 touches while owning a 39.79 percent market share of the team’s passing production. He’s also 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds.
Senior quarterback Dustin Crum is the drumbeat that keeps Kent State rolling. He has had a good collegiate career and there’s a good chance he gets drafted as a developmental prospect in the latter portion of the 2022 NFL Draft. This season, he passed for 7,155 yards and 51 touchdowns during his five-year tenure at Kent State.
Dante Cephas led Kent State with 78 catches for 1,124 yards and eight touchdowns. The sophomore wide receiver owned a 36.40 percent market share of the team’s passing production. Cephas averaged 2.75 yards per route ran while also seeing an average depth of target of 18.3 yards.
The rushing attack is led by sophomore running back Marquez Cooper who finished the season rushing for 1,080 yards and 11 touchdowns. Senior running back Xavier Williams is another running back dynasty managers will need to pay attention to. He rushed for 812 yards and three touchdowns this season. He was electric with the ball in his hands, averaging 3.57 yards after contact per attempt while forcing 48 missed tackles.
TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFÉ FRISCO BOWL
UTSA ROADRUNNERS VS. SAN DIEGO STATE AZTECS
ESPN, Dec. 21 at 7:30 p.m. EST
Both of these two teams probably deserve to be playing in a more prestigious bowl game considering there have only been three games lost between them. San Diego State is ranked 24th in the nation and more than likely lost their major bowl bid due to losing to Utah State in the Mountain West Championship Game. They were able to upset Utah earlier this season 33-31. Remember, this was a Utah team that put down Oregon twice in three weeks to in the Pac-12 Championship.
UTSA’s undefeated season was washed away in a rain-soaked Saturday game when they got upset by North Texas, of all teams, 45-23. They returned the favor the following week by beating Western Kentucky in the Conference USA Championship game.
The Roadrunners are led by one of the most talented running backs in the league, Sincere McCormick who finished the season rushing for 1,479 yards and 15 touchdowns. The junior running back had eight 100-yard rushing performances. He was very explosive while running the ball by producing 31 carries of ten yards or more.
UTSA has two wide receivers that we need to watch. Both Zakhari Franklin and Joshua Cephus surpassed the 65 catch and 750-yard thresholds. Franklin led the team with 938 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns which equated to a 28.37 percent market share of the team’s passing production. You can’t miss Cephus on the field. He has a 6-foot-3 and 190-pound frame that helps him box out defenders at the catch point.
The Aztecs are led by senior running back Greg Bell who led the team with 999 yards rushing and eight touchdowns. His best performance of the year came against Utah where he rushed for 119 yards and two scores.
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