In the preview of the Bahamas Bowl, it was noted that Buffalo had an advantage over Liberty in this contest. That was evident with a 26-7 win over the Flames. Buffalo entered this contest with a much more intact offense, and overall roster, than Liberty. The Bulls ran away with a Bahamas Bowl victory.

Buffalo Wins the Bahamas Bowl 26-7

The first half of this contest was less than thrilling on the scoreboard. The Bulls’ offense was kept out of the endzone by the Flames and resorted to three field goals to go up 9-0 entering halftime. Buffalo didn’t score its first touchdown until the third quarter and Liberty didn’t get on the board until seven minutes left in the fourth. When it looked like the Bulls’ offense would only get into the endzone once in this contest, the offense scored again with 26 seconds left. However, that touchdown was taken off the board. Giving a final score of 26-7.

Who Stepped in For Liberty on Offense?

The topic of conversation before this game was which players were going to step in for Liberty on offense. The Flames were at a disadvantage in this contest with six starters on offense unavailable due to opt-out or transfer. Things did not fare well for Liberty. Ryan Burger and Nate Hampton shared quarterback duties and neither blew away the audience with their performance. Burger ended the day going four-for-12 with 40 passing yards. He added 57 additional yards on the ground. Hampton also ended the contest with 40 passing yards, but that was on only two completions. He threw the lone touchdown pass but also threw a pick-six. Both occurred in the fourth quarter.

That interception wasn’t the only problem that the Liberty offense faced. It fumbled the football three times in the Bahamas Bowl. Luckily, depending on how it’s looked at, the Flames only lost two of the three fumbles. However, both of those lost fumbles were by Burger. In the preview to this contest, it was noted that the Flames would need to try to rely on running back Billy Lucas. He was the second-leading rusher for Liberty this season.

Unfortunately, the loss of three offensive linemen ahead of the Bahamas Bowl didn’t help Lucas. The Flames couldn’t get the rushing attack going and Lucas finished the day tied with Burger for 57 rushing yards. In the preview, we stated that using Lucas in the passing game could assist the Flames in this one. However, the quarterbacks couldn’t get much moving through the air either. Lucas finished the day with one reception for 11 yards.

This stat line will tell you all you need to know about Liberty’s offense. No receiver had more than two receptions and only one receiver, Treon Sibley, tallied two receptions. The team had a combined six receptions. No defense can work a miracle when the offense can’t move the ball. Further, this Liberty defense worked a miracle by only allowing one touchdown.

The Bulls Fared Much Better

A lot can be said about what the Liberty offense didn’t do in this contest. However, Buffalo as a whole had a solid showing. Despite only scoring one touchdown, the offense moved the ball down the field often. The Bulls ended the Bahamas Bowl with 222 yards rushing, 137 yards through the air, and zero turnovers. Starting running back, Al-Jay Henderson scored the lone touchdown for the Bulls and ended the day with 119 rushing yards. The Bulls were able to utilize nine different ball carriers in this game. In addition, quarterback CJ Ogbonna spread the ball to five different receivers. His favorite target, Victor Snow, led the team with four receptions.

All of those positive accolades and Snow only had four receptions? Yes. Ogbonna struggled through the air in the Bahamas Bowl. He only completed nine passes. He went nine-for-19 on the day. So while the Bulls won this contest, it was due to the rushing attack and field goal kicker Upton Bellenfant. Bellenfant completed four of five attempts in the Bahamas Bowl. He had a long of 52 yards.

In addition to the special teams and the run game, the Buffalo defense had a field day. There was a pick-six, two fumble recoveries, three sacks, and a whopping 10 tackles for loss. Overall, the Bulls fared much better than Liberty in the Bahamas Bowl.

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The Buffalo Bulls (8-4) will take on the Liberty Flames (8-3) in the Bahamas Bowl on January 4, 2025. The match-up will air on ESPN at 11:00 AM ET. As fans have seen all bowl season, opt-outs, transfer portal implications, and injuries will limit both squads from being at full strength in this contest. Buffalo fares better than Liberty with only two key players leaving the team for the transfer portal and one questionable from a regular season injury. Liberty, however, has lost its starting quarterback, several members of the offensive line, its leading rusher, and a few key players on the defense. Which team will overcome and come out on top?

Buffalo Bulls vs Liberty Flames in the Bahamas Bowl

It is a tale of two offenses for this iteration of the Bahamas Bowl. Buffalo enters the contest almost fully intact, whereas Liberty will have several unproven players who need to step into a major role. The Bulls will have starting quarterback, CJ Ogbonna, for the Bahamas Bowl. That is already a step above Liberty, who lost its starter, Kaidon Salter, to Colorado. Ogbonna enters the Bahamas Bowl tallying 2,244 passing yards this season. In addition, he has thrown 19 touchdowns and five interceptions to go along with eight rushing touchdowns. Ogbonna led the Bulls to four straight victories to end the season and get to eight wins on the year.

He will have his favorite receiver to throw to as well. Victor Snow averages 12 receiving yards per reception with a team-leading 51 receptions, 610 receiving yards, and six touchdowns through the air. Buffalo can also turn to its run game with starting running back Al-Jay Henderson expected to play as well. Henderson and Ogbonna are tied with a team-leading eight rushing touchdowns. The star back is just 41 yards away from reaching a 1,000-yard rushing season. Against a depleted Liberty defense, he should get there.

Who Will Step Up for Liberty on Offense?

The Flames are going to be without a lot of starters on the offense for the Bahamas Bowl. As already stated, Salter has left for Colorado, meaning Head Coach Jamey Chadwell will look to Ryan Burger to step up and captain this offense. After transferring to Liberty from Appalachian State ahead of the 2024 season, he only played in four games. In his first two seasons at Appalachian State, he only played in two games. In those four games this season, he only attempted seven passes and completed four. He did not throw a touchdown pass but did score a rushing touchdown in 2024. The redshirt sophomore might not have that many meaningful snaps, but he will be tasked with moving his team downfield against the Bulls in the Bahamas Bowl.

Not only is Liberty without its starting quarterback, but is also missing three starting offensive linemen and its leading rusher, Quinton Cooley. Burger will likely have to utilize his legs a little bit in this contest. He may be without his leading rusher, but he will have Billy Lucas. Lucas transferred to Liberty from Duquesne ahead of the 2023 season. In his second season with the Flames, Lucas became the team’s second-leading rusher in 2024. He played in 10 games this season and tallied 663 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Further, he is averaging five-and-a-half yards per carry. He only has four receptions this season but in his final season at Duquesne, he had 103 receiving yards and one touchdown through the air. Lucas can be utilized in the passing game as well. Burger will need to lean on him in this contest.

Final Thoughts

As has been shown throughout this bowl season, the team with the most consistency likely comes out on top. Unfortunately for the Liberty Flames, they are not the team with the most consistency entering the Bahamas Bowl. Buffalo will likely be with more starters in this contest, which should fare well for the Bulls. However, don’t count out the Flames.

The post Buffalo Takes on Liberty in the Bahamas Bowl appeared first on Last Word on College Football.

The unstoppable Sam Houston Bearkats met the immovable Georgia Southern Eagles in this year’s New Orleans Bowl. The Big Easy was anything but as these two teams threw haymakers back and forth at each other. This slug-it-out type of college football game, however, should come as no surprise to those familiar with the FCS style of play.

Sam Houston Georgia Southern

Kats Have Claws

The best way to describe the first quarter is total Sam Houston domination. As Last Word On Sports discussed earlier this week, the transfers remaining made a world of difference. Even with this being their last game under the Bearkats banner, these players were giving it their all.

Whether it was penalties or a tenacious Sam Houston defense, the Eagles couldn’t get anything going in the first fifteen minutes. JC French’s very first play of the game was snatched out of the air by Jaylon Jimmerson and ran back for an amazing pick-six.

Anyone who was doubting that Sam Houston could persevere without their head coach was, very quickly, forgotten.

Eagles Have Talons

Ryan Aplin’s team wasn’t ready to fly home just yet, though. After being pushed down, Georgia Southern got back up, dusted itself off, and knocked Sam Houston straight in the teeth. French, despite his early interceptions, showed why he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the Sun Belt. Working in tandem with running back Jalen White, he led the Eagles on an eighty-yard drive down the field.

Indeed, the Bearkats defense was clearly caught off guard as the mobile quarterback kept bouncing back and forth between the lines. The opening minutes of the second quarter were everything the first quarter wasn’t. Despite some good effort, the Sam Houston defenders couldn’t keep up. A final pass to Josh Dallas put the Eagles on the board.

While the Georgia Southern offense was stumbling to success, the Eagles defense was putting the fear of God into the Sam Houston offense. Defenders and linebackers alike kept blasting through the Bearkats’ line. Hunter Watson stuck in the backfield, was their target each and every time. Each time Watson got back up, it was clear he never wanted to get hit like that again.

Clawing Back the New Orleans Bowl

A late Georgia Southern drive in the first half couldn’t close the gap fast enough, and the third quarter would open with a 21-10 lead for Sam Houston. That’s when the Eagles began clawing their way back into this bowl game.

A touchdown and field goal would bring that big lead down to just three points. Big hits began closing the walls on Watson and the Bearkats. Somehow, some way, their lead was disappearing. In the fourth quarter, Georgia Southern took as much time off the clock as they could. Yet, just as it had been all game, they couldn’t maintain the momentum.

French would throw his fifth interception of the night, Dallas fumbled a punt recovery, and then the Eagles followed this up with a personal foul and a targeting penalty. Despite a last-minute push, these mistakes held a Georgia Southern victory well out of reach.

The 2024 New Orleans Bowl: By The Numbers

At 31-26, the Bearkats walk out with the victory. Watson completed 23 out of 28 passes for 213 yards of offense. The leading rusher for the Bearkats is Jay Ducker with 26 total yards on the ground. Overall, Sam Houston comes away with 265 total yards of offense and 28 minutes of possession time.

Georgia Southern leaves the New Orleans Bowl with 393 total yards of offense and 31 minutes of possession time.

The Future of Sam Houston and Georgia Southern Football

Both teams have some big decisions to make in the future. The New Orleans Bowl may have been the end of Sam Houston’s football dominance- at least for now. With so many outgoing transfers, the Bearkats are in an uncomfortably similar position to the SEC’s Oklahoma Sooners right now. It’s not rebuild time just yet, but the success of 2024 will be difficult to recreate in 2025.

Georgia Southern, on the other hand, is looking to next year with hope. Unlike so many teams in college football, the Eagles are a cohesive unit. Perhaps it’s the FCS legacy, but this team is one that’s sticking together. As college football competition heats up, Georgia Southern and the Sun Belt’s 2025 season is looking to be the hottest yet.

Speaking of, the Sun Belt still has other college football teams going bowling. When Texas State collides against North Texas in a few weeks, be sure to check back in with Last Word On Sports. We’ll be there to provide you with the most in-depth breakdown of this year’s First Responders Bowl between the Sun Belt and the American conferences. Until then, it’s time for Sam Houston to ride into the New Orleans sunset with a very well-earned victory.

The post Sam Houston Gets a Program First in New Orleans appeared first on Last Word on College Football.

The Big Easy is hosting a clash of conferences this year, as Sam Houston and Georgia Southern collide in the New Orleans Bowl. Conference USA and the Sun Belt, the ‘undercard’ members of the FBS conferences, are sending some of their best to the Superdome. One enters without a head coach, and the other is the runner-up in their conference. Only one can walk away the winner.

New Orleans Bowl 2024 Preview: Sam Houston and Georgia Southern

Bearkats Scratched Up

In its second year in the FBS, Sam Houston is standing tall. After dominating former WAC powerhouse Rice in the season opener, the Big 12’s UCF completely cut up the Sam Houston defense. This year, however, one loss was not enough to deter the Bearkats.

While Oklahoma schools have struggled, Sam Houston has been stepping up big time. At 9-3, the Bearkats just barely lost out on competing for the Conference USA championship. Unfortunately, the offseason hasn’t been as kind.

On December 1st, FCS legend and Bearkat head coach K.C. Keeler announced he was immediately stepping down from the program. While Keeler heads to rebuild Temple, Sam Houston will look for someone to keep the ship straight. Offensive coordinator Brad Cornelsen will coach the team for the New Orleans Bowl.

Eagles Soaring Above and Beyond

Pre-season polls predicted that Georgia Southern would finish fourth or lower in the Sun Belt’s East Division. Instead, the Eagles came in just behind the conference champion Marshall. They beat Marshall in Week Six. Indeed, the Georgia Southern Eagles are flying higher than some Big 12 or SEC teams at an 8-4 record on the season. In contrast to other teams, they’ve also seen very little outgoing movement in the transfer portal.

New offensive coordinator Ryan Aplin is credited with this success. Most will probably remember Aplin as the record-setting Arkansas State quarterback from just over 10 years ago. Every team that has Aplin onboard inevitably finds success with an agile offense, and that’s just what he’s done at Georgia Southern. With few outgoing players and a team of solid coordinators, the Sun Belt’s Georgia Southern is coming into the New Orleans Bowl with massive momentum.

Who’s On First For Sam Houston?

After its best season since winning the WAC in 2021, Sam Houston faces an uphill battle to end the season. The top three running backs, DJ McKinney, Jay Ducker, and John Gentry, are entering the transfer portal. Additionally, starting safety Caleb Weaver and defensive end Chris Murray are also leaving. Quite a few Bearkats are opting to head to the transfer portal.

Hunter Watson, the starting quarterback, is still in. At running back, they’re down to Adrian Murdaugh, a redshirt junior. Murdaugh has the speed and build to slip through the line, but he hasn’t seen much action over three years. Simeon Evans, at the top of the wide receiver depth chart, is entering the portal but has committed to playing in the game. Unlike the Oklahoma Sooners, the wide receiver group at Sam Houston is staying out of the transfer portal.

Defensively, the Bearkats are down quite a few of their best. Plenty of them are entering the portal, but not all. Issiah Nixon and Jevon Leon, both seniors, are staying in. The defensive backfield, however, is not so lucky. Unless more players come forward to play in the bowl game, the Bearkats face a seriously depleted backfield.

Georgia Southern’s Starting Roster

JC French may only be a sophomore, but he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the Sun Belt. After throwing for over 2,000 yards this season, French is somewhere in the top 100 quarterbacks nationally. He’s backed up by senior running back Jalen White.

At wide receiver, Georgia Southern has three 500+ yard receivers. Derwin Burgess Jr., Dalen Cobb, and Josh Dallas are all serious threats on any normal day- but against a depleted Sam Houston, they may be unstoppable.

Defensively there are solid, veteran talents up and down the line. There will be problems replacing this amount of talent next year but for the New Orleans Bowl this year? Georgia Southern is completely prepared.

Last Thoughts on the New Orleans Bowl 2024

There are plenty of great bowl games on tap this year. The New Orleans Bowl showdown is looking to be yet another one. For those who call the Lone Star State home, the obvious favorite is Sam Houston. The odds, however, are looking pretty dicey for the Bearkats.

If the veterans choose to play one last game in the orange and white, there’s a real competitive match-up here. If not, then this game will end up looking like the Army-Navy game. Georgia Southern is riding momentum and stability, and the Eagles will likely ride it all the way to a win. Whatever happens, Last Word On Sports will be there with the most comprehensive breakdown of the 2024 New Orleans Bowl.

The post New Orleans Bowl Preview: Sam Houston and Georgia Southern appeared first on Last Word on College Football.

The start of the game might have been delayed due to the weather, but the UCF Knights still roughed up the Sam Houston Bearkats 45-14. They also gave us everything we said we wanted in the game preview. Now, it’s knee-jerk reaction time. 

First Game Jitters are Out of the Way

Last week, quarterback KJ Jefferson struggled to find comfort or consistency. This week, Jefferson looked a lot more comfortable by starting 4/4 for 43 yards. He kept the mistakes to a minimum. Jefferson was able to blend in his ability to run with the pass and was successful with both. He is deceptively agile for his size and ran for 50 yards on nine carries. It’s no secret Jefferson likes to run, but he can throw the ball. When he left Arkansas, he was the all-time leader in passing with 7,911 yards and 67 touchdowns.

Outside of a questionable fumble call where Jefferson was hit on the throw and the pass went backward, fans have to be content with the product. Jefferson was able to start involving other receivers in the passing game and did not have to rely very much on the running backs coming out of the backfield. Both Xavier Townsend and Trent Whittemore recorded catches along with Kobe Hudson and tight end Randy Pittman Jr. The offense only needs the pass to be serviceable as the running game is the focal point of the offense.

RJ Harvey Continues to Run Through the Record Books

This was a big game for running back RJ Harvey. Yet again, Harvey was able to have multiple large plays en route to more than 100 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. This is big because Harvey passed Adrian Killins Jr and Isaiah Bowser for sixth on the career touchdown list at UCF and also passed Killins, Brynn Harvey, and Latavius Murray to slide into sixth in career yards. Harvey is within striking distance of moving up on both lists this season. In the second half, Harvey scored a fourth rushing touchdown, which ties the team record for most in a single game. It’s now been done six times by five players with Kevin Smith being the only one to do it more than once.

Like last week against New Hampshire, UCF’s running backs overpowered Sam Houston. In the first half alone, UCF outgained Sam Houston 243-16 on the ground. RJ Harvey had 115 of those yards. In the second half, it was more of the same for the Knights, but while UCF had 454 rushing yards against New Hampshire, Sam Houston is a better team and the Knights only managed to muster 384 team yards. Nine different Knights registered rushing stats and the team scored six rushing touchdowns.

The Defense’s Aggressiveness is on Display

I think it’s safe to say that this aggressive style of defense is here to say. Like last week, no one player dominated in tackles, but the technique was very efficient. Players were largely in the right place at the right time and were able to make the play. Nyjalik Kelly, Xe’ree Alexander, and Quadric Bullard all had six tackles each. Kelly had UCF’s first sack of the season, which caused a fumble that Sam Houston’s Eckardt ultimately was able to recover. Both Sheldon Arnold II and Mac McWilliams picked off Hunter Watson passes. Arnold’s interception was near the UCF goal line early in the first quarter. UCF’s defense held the Sam Houston offense to only 286 yards of total offense and only 67 yards on the ground. The soft part of UCF’s schedule is now complete and the defense will be tested against better opposition going forward.

Aggressiveness is a double-edged sword. Sam Houston’s lone score came on a trick play where Noah Smith found Simeon Evans open for a 64-yard pitch-and-catch touchdown after the defense bit on the run. You’re going to have some moments when you play aggressively.

UCF’s Special Teams Continue to Shine

UCF’s special teams did its job once again. Kicker Colton Boomer was perfect once again, hitting a 50-yard field goal and six extra points. As a fan-favorite player, it’s good to see Boomer get back to his 2022 form. Punter Mitch McCarthy didn’t have much work to do, only being called on to punt twice, but he was efficient. Xavier Townsend continued to show his maturity as a returner. He didn’t get many opportunities to run a kickback, but he was able to return a punt for 13 yards. Anytime a player gets double digits on a punt return, it’s a job well done.

The special team’s defense got in the action too for the second straight week. On an errant punt snap by Sam Houston, the UCF special team defense swarmed the ball as it flew the wrong way. Despite Jadon Cardell trying to illegally kick the ball out of bounds, the Knights got the ball at the Bearkats’ two-yard line and it led to a quick touchdown.

Uniform Review

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Earlier in the Spring, the team worked with the Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital to have pediatric cancer patients color the logos. Some were used at the Spring Game. The UCF equipment crew decided to pick out two and use them for this game, which also was Family Weekend. It was great PR and the color block logos looked very nice with the standard black top and bottom.

The predicted score was 45-17. For the second straight game, I got pretty close.

Stat Leaders

Passing
UCF: KJ Jefferson: 12/15 for 169 yards, 0 TD, 0 Int
SH: Hunter Watson: 9/13 for 82 yards, 0 TD, 2 Int

Rushing
UCF: R.J. Harvey: 19 carries for 126 yards, 4 TD
SH: Zach Hrbacek: 8 carries for 25 yards, 0 TD

Receiving
UCF: Kobe Hudson: 5 catches for 104 yards, 0 TD
SH: Simeon Evans: 3 catches for 89 yards, 1 TD

Game Notes

• UCF leads the series 1-0.
• UCF now has 200 wins as a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision(FBS). UCF joined the FBS in 1996.
• RJ Harvey now has 26 career rushing touchdowns, passing Adrian Killins Jr and Isaiah Bowser, and is now tied for fifth in UCF history with Alex Haynes.
• RJ Harvey has passed Latavius Murray, Brynn Harvey, and Adrian Killings Jr to climb to fifth in career rushing yards at UCF.
• RJ Harvey’s four rushing touchdowns tie the school record with Alex Haynes, Darriel Mack Jr, Isaiah Bowser, and Kevin Smith(x2).
• Sorry, it’s not my best, but I spent too much time fighting my spell checker on the proper spelling of “Bearkats”.

The post Knee-Jerk Reactions: UCF Knights 45, Sam Houston Bearkats 14 appeared first on Last Word on College Football.

Game number two of the 2024 season has the UCF Knights hosting the Sam Houston Bearkats at FBC Mortgage Stadium.  Saturday, September 7th at 6:30 pm at FBC Mortgage Stadium. The game can be seen on ESPN+. Let’s take a look at the matchup.

Feed the Running Beast

As expected, UCF ran the ball a lot against New Hampshire, and we expect to see more of the same against Sam Houston. Last week, the Knights set a school FBS record and were only seven yards shy of the all-time school record with 454 yards on the ground. RJ Harvey set the pace, running the ball 11 times for 142 yards and two touchdowns, including a 60-yard scamper that just fell short of the endzone. The rest of UCF’s four-headed hydra found ways to get into the endzone. Peny Boone had seven carries for 81 yards with a 59-yard touchdown run. Myles Montgomery ran it eight times for 77 yards and a touchdown. He also had one catch for 49 yards and a touchdown. Lastly, Johnny Richardson ran it seven times for 40 yards. He didn’t score on the ground but did have a single catch for 22 yards and a touchdown. In total, eight players ran the ball for the Knights, including quarterback KJ Jefferson.

KJ Jefferson came to UCF with high expectations and unfortunately, he struggled out of the game. Jefferson was three out of his first eight passes in the first half. He settled down a bit in the second half but finished 7/14 for 164 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in just under three-quarters of play. Knight fans expected more from Jefferson and he’s going to have to do better if the Knights are going to make waves in the Big 12. Jefferson needs to be able to find other receivers outside of the running backs as only Kobe Hudson and tight end Randy Pittman Jr recorded catches.

The Defense and Special Teams Delivered

UCF’s defense is definitely not the same as last year. Under prior defensive coordinator Addison Williams, the Knights played less aggressively. Ted Roof’s defense is a more traditional nickel defense and players were much more aggressive towards the ball. Linebacker Deshawn Pace led the team with five tackles and an interception that he returned 37 yards down to the New Hampshire 3. While the team recorded no sacks, Ricky Barber, Lee Hunter, and Malachi Lawrence caused mayhem along the line of scrimmage. We should continue to see more of the same as the Knights are not expected to do anything other than outmuscle and outspeed the Bearkats.

The special teams unit was fantastic. Kicker Colton Boomer was perfect on the day after a rough sophomore season and returner Xavier Townsend had 84 kickoff and 86 punt return yards respectively. Even punter Mitch McCarthy had a good day with both of his punts landing inside the New Hampshire 20-yard line. The Knights could not ask for more.

Head coach Gus Malzahn kept things pretty simple and the Knights were able to win last week safely. The two-deep depth chart remains the same.

Who are the Sam Houston State Bearkats

Sam Houston, like UCF, once was a member of Conference USA. The Bearkats journeyed from the NAIA to NCAA Division II back in 1982, the same year UCF made the move from NCAA Division III to II. While UCF would wait until 1990 to move to the FCS level, Sam Houston State moved up in 1984. The Bearkats won the FCS national championship in 2020 and declined each season since. They made it to the FCS quarterfinals in 2021 and then moved up to the FBS level in 2023 with a 3-9 record. As of this season, they are fully bowl-eligible after serving their reclassification requirements.

Last week, the Bearkats surprised college football with a resounding 34-14 win over the Rice Owls. The Owls were an 8.5-point favorite at home, but a 17-0 first-quarter lead proved too much to overcome. Quarterback Hunter Watson did it all. He went 16/27 for 229 yards and two touchdowns. Surprisingly, he was sacked seven times, but he still did well. He also carried the ball 14 times for a game-leading 57 yards. Watson, a redshirt junior, is in his first season with the Bearkats, transferring from Iowa Western Community College after winning the 2023 NJCAA national championship. The dual-threat quarterback threw for over 1900 yards and ran for another 700 yards last year. One of their top wide receivers, Ife Adeyi, is back after missing most of last season due to injury. He had five catches for 63 yards and a touchdown last week.

The Bearkats also had a defensive touchdown via a pick-six by junior David Fisher as part of that first-quarter barrage. For the game, the Bearkats only gave up 274 yards of offense with 47 of that on the ground.

UCF Knights vs Sam Houston Predictions

Despite the win last week, Sam Houston has not had to deal with the hydra, which is the UCF running attack. Like last week, the Knights should be able to take advantage of the home crowd along with the possibility of rain, which favors the ground game. The Knights are currently favored by 22 points, which they should be able to cover. UCF wins 45-17.

Decals designed by pediatric patients at@APHospital pic.twitter.com/yy4Co0mt7U

— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) September 3, 2024

UCF will be donning helmets with decals that were colored by patients at the Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. These helmet decals were colored in the Spring for the Spring Game and were very popular. With September being Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, the equipment team decided to go back and use two of the decals for the game.

The post Previewing UCF Knights vs Sam Houston Bearkats appeared first on Last Word on College Football.

July 1st, 2024* was a major day in college athletics. The conference realignment monster rears its ugly head once again and college athletics has been turned on its side. During this, every power conference is affected, and between 2024 and 2025 at least four of the Group of Five conferences will be as well. The one constant of conference affiliation in the 21st century is that membership has not been constant. We now enter the era of the “super conference”. When the dust settles, the four power conferences will each have 16 or more members.

It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time we’re seeing 16-team conferences. The Western Athletic Conference tried it. They utilized a weird pod system. It worked out so well, that half of the membership left to create the Mountain West Conference. Unlike with the WAC, conferences do not need to keep divisions anymore, so it allows for membership flexibility. The increased financial compensation should also help history from repeating. Let’s look at the conferences and how this round of conference realignment is affecting each.

SEC

The one that started it all. In 2021, Texas and Oklahoma of the Big 12 reached out to the SEC about potential membership. This began a chain of events that changed the membership in every FBS conference. Since the Big 12 has a grant of rights, these teams negotiated with the conference to leave after the 2023-24 year. In the meantime, it was business as usual for the SEC. The conference negotiated a new media deal exclusively with ESPN, ending the long tradition of the SEC on CBS. With Texas and Oklahoma joining, the SEC now has 16 members and enters “super conference” territory

PAC-12

The PAC-12 is dead. Long live the PAC-12. Conference realignment saved its most brutal fate for the PAC-12 After losing 10 of its 12 members, there isn’t much left other than Oregon State and Washington State. The destruction of the PAC-12 started long before the announced departure of USC and UCLA. There were years of missteps, bad decisions, and a metric ton of arrogance that helped create the current-day mess. The clock began ticking when USC and UCLA shocked the college football world with the move to the Big Ten. The conference needed a new media deal and with two of its largest brands leaving, this hurt the value and prospects of the conference.

When PAC-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff presented an iceberg of a streaming-only option from Apple as the lone offer, that was the final straw as Washington and Oregon were willing to take partial shares from the Big Ten just to get on solid land. Colorado was already planning on leaving at this point and returning to the Big 12. Seeing the ship was taking on way too much water, the other Four Corner schools Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah also jumped ship to the Big 12. This left OSU, Wazzu, Cal, and Stanford as the final members. The ACC threw Cal and Stanford a discounted payout life preserver, leaving OSU and Wazzu as the last two on the PAC-12’s version of the Titanic.

The conference has two years to get to the minimum number of members to continue operating. In the meantime, the two will be temporary affiliate members of the West Coast Conference for the majority of their non-football sports and have secured a scheduling arrangement with the Mountain West that is outlined in the Mountain West section below.

Big Ten

Not to be outdone by the SEC, the Big Ten made a big splash by inviting USC and UCLA into the fold to join in 2024. This is the first expansion for the conference since bringing in Maryland and Rutgers in a pure television market move. This time, brand value was a big driver along with the southern California market. While the SEC increased its footprint slightly, the Big Ten decided to go national behind the leadership of league commissioner Kevin Warren. Warren pushed to create a western front in the conference but did not see it through as he took a job with the Chicago Bears. Tony Pertitti took over and did not have the same Western appetite as Warren. The conference’s media partners lacked that appetite too. It was no secret that schools like Oregon, Washington, and Utah pined for the chance to join the Big Ten.

Things stayed quiet until the PAC-12 members saw a streaming-only media offer from Apple. Once Oregon and Washington received it, the wheels started moving again. Oregon and Washington were desperate enough that both agreed to a reduced payout to join. This gives the Big Ten 18 members. When the next media deal is negotiated, these additions will receive a full share. Once Oregon and Washington made known their intention to go to the Big Ten in 2024, the rest of the PAC-12 fell apart.

ACC

Conference realignment has been holding its breath with the ACC. With this conference, it has the potential to be a tale of two acts. On the one hand, the conference took advantage of the PAC-12’s demise by grabbing Cal and Stanford at a discounted price. On the other hand, the ACC has a growing problem due to its media deal and grant of rights. With the Big Ten and SEC dwarfing the ACC in payout, this has caused unrest with the larger ACC schools like Florida State and Clemson. Each has filed a lawsuit to try and get out from under the grant of rights.

SMU from the American Athletic Conference lobbied heavily to join the ACC. SMU went as far as to offer to forego its media payout completely for seven years, raising the money privately to offset the loss. The move to invite Cal, Stanford, and SMU was not unanimous. Multiple schools, including the aforementioned Florida State and Clemson, voted against it. However, the ACC member schools know that if their membership falls below 15 members, it opens the door for ESPN to renegotiate the media deal and not in the way the ACC members would like. This move pushes them to 18 members. If the conference falls apart, these schools could rebuild with Group of Five schools or try to find homes with the remaining power conferences.

Big 12

The Big 12 had four members join the conference last year: Independent BYU and American members Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF. This move was in preparation for the big move of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC in 2024. After a slightly awkward, but peaceful final season, the day has finally arrived and the two biggest brands of the Big 12 are moving on. The Big 12 was ready to stay as a 12-team conference, but commissioner Brett Yormark yearned for more. He took the initiative and negotiated a new media deal early with ESPN and Fox to begin in 2025. The ESPN portion has a pro-rate clause for power conference schools in case of expansion. The conference increased its per-member payout even with the loss of Texas and Oklahoma.

He explored several other options, both in the box and out, to create revenue. Part of his strategy is to expand from 12 members. His primary target was the Four Corner schools of Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah. All four were still in the PAC-12 and weren’t going to leave at this point. Yormark started considering UConn for all sports and Gonzaga as a non-football member.

When the PAC-12 kept delaying presenting a new media deal, Colorado grew impatient and began to talk to its former home, the Big 12. By the time the streaming deal was presented, Colorado had one foot out the door. Arizona then began to waver. It too started talking to the Big 12 and was ready to make the jump. Arizona State president Michael Crow stood in its way because the state Board of Regents wanted the schools to stay together and Crow enjoyed being a big fish in the PAC-12 pond. He relented when he could see the conference could not be saved. Utah was the last to make the jump. With all of the Four Corner schools secured, the Big 12 has settled on 16 members for now.

American Athletic Conference

The Group of Five conferences has also been affected by conference realignment. We already mentioned SMU leaving the American and joining the ACC. The AAC used this as an opportunity to make a move it has long wanted to do: Invite Army West Point as a football-only member. When the AAC was in flux after the split of the Big East, it arranged for the Naval Academy to join in 2015 and tried to bring Army in as well. Army, remembering its less-than-stellar time in Conference USA, declined, which also helped the Air Force Academy decide to stay in the Mountain West. Army now sees the benefit of conference affiliation and will join this year. The conference made accommodations to keep the Army/Navy game after the conference championship game. This will keep the American at 14 football-playing members.

Conference USA

Another Group of Five in conference realignment flux is Conference USA. After being gutted going into the 2023 season with the American poaching Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Alabama-Birmingham, Rice, and Texas-San Antonio, the conference went into survival mode. It brought in independent schools, New Mexico State and Liberty, and FCS call-ups Sam Houston State and Jacksonville State. This year, Kennesaw State makes the move up from the FCS ranks. Next year, Delaware and Missouri State will move up, giving Conference USA 12 members.

Mountain West

The Mountain West doesn’t have any membership changes as of yet but has arranged for a football scheduling agreement with PAC-12 holdovers Oregon State and Washington State. Each member of the Mountain West will play the two schools. It will not count as a conference game and the two are not eligible for a conference championship, but it will help fill the schedule and bring in some extra money to the conference. WSU will also become an affiliate member in a couple of other sports. There is a possibility that the MWC and PAC-12 have a merger or membership change between the two.

Mid-American Conference

Lastly, the MAC, the most stable of the FBS conferences, is not immune from this round of conference realignment. The conference will grow to 13 members with UMass’s addition as an all-sport member in 2025. UMass was a football-only member of the MAC from 2012-2016. The MAC executed a provision in UMass’ membership contract that they needed to join the conference for all sports or leave. The school chose to leave. After eight years as a floundering FBS independent, the Minutemen decided to rejoin the MAC to give the conference 13 members. The conference could look at FBS independent UConn, Conference USA member Western Kentucky or Middle Tennessee, or an FCS call-up as a potential 14th member. In the case of WKU and MTSU, both previously explored joining the MAC.

Welcome to the 2024-25 sports year!

*Due to legal reasons, the departing PAC-12 schools officially join their new conferences on August 2nd, but the athletic year begins on July 1st.

The post Conference Realignment: The Age of the Super Conference is Here appeared first on Last Word on College Football.

The college football world is ever-changing. In less than 30 short years, we’ve gone through the Bowl Coalition, Bowl Alliance, Bowl Championship Series (BCS), a four-team College Football Playoff, and will be expanding to a 12-team College Football Playoff in 2024. And, to add to it, the CFP will expand further to 14 teams starting in 2026! Naturally, the thought process has shifted to what the next big thing will be. Enter, the College Football Super League.

College football is one of the biggest economic forces in the United States and has become more of a national brand rather than a regionally-focused commodity. It’s only natural to want to make it as good as can be. Attempting to make it so that the cream always rises to the top and replicating a Premier League-esque model only makes sense.

For decades, college football has thrived off of “what if.” Or even, “Could 2019 LSU beat 2001 Miami (FL)?” With a better College Football Super League than what has been proposed, it would make those discussions even better. Imagine a system where the bluebloods are in a division of their own, battle it out yearly, and have to keep it up with the risk of relegation.

A Better College Football Super League

Right now, college football likes to pride itself on the “any given Saturday” idea where any of the 130+ FBS programs could win a national championship. As any fan of a mid-tier Power 4 or any Group of 5 program would tell you, this is simply not true. The game of football Georgia plays is not quite the same as what Akron puts on display.

The consolidation of power has already begun and a College Football Super League would just cut to the chase. The Big 10 and SEC are locked into a nuclear arms race reminiscent of the Cold War. Meanwhile, the Big 12 is sitting there cannibalizing the remains of the Pac-12. The ACC is one judge’s decision from having its biggest brands bolt. Plus, the Group of 5 is constantly on edge, attempting to keep its best stars from transferring or top programs from getting poached.

Realistically, college football needs to be saved from itself.

The Current Proposal is Weak

A group calling itself “College Sports Tomorrow” made up of high-ranking individuals at institutions who could be left behind has come up with its own proposal. Their attempt has a framework of seven divisions of 10 including 70 of college football’s historically “best” teams. Those teams would be immune from relegation. There would be an eighth division made up of Group of 5 overachievers, essentially. It would be from that group programs would be relegated to Tier 2. Tier 2 would have 50 of the next programs and would get the opportunity to fight it out to be promoted into the consolation division.

This proposal smells like the 2008 housing crisis where the banks that caused the crash were deemed “too big to fail.” It would be the same in this College Football Super League proposal. If a program is deemed “too big to fail,” they are safe from relegation despite a one-win season.

Plain and simple, no program should be safe. If Ohio State gets rail-roaded and ends up 2-10 with their only wins coming from Group of 5 competition, they should absolutely be at risk.

Where this proposal is sound is in its CFP. Theirs has eight division champions and then the next eight best teams via Wild Cards. It throws a bone to the Group of 5 consolation division and expands the tournament to 16 teams.

All in all, College Sports Tomorrow’s proposal shows the Power 4 conferences are scared of being passed over or exposed. The name “College Football Super League” implies that the Premier League of college football should be the absolute cream of the crop and should be able to stand on its own.

Criteria for College Football’s Premier League

Criticism without a plan is just complaining. Anyone can hop on social media and call College Sports Tomorrow’s proposal trash but rarely does anyone pony up a better framework; that’s what this proposal is.

To start, there are a number of logistical issues that need ironing out. 80 schools at the top of the College Football Super League is too many. Are there 80 programs in a given year that can win the national title? No, and it would just water down the product. The purpose of this Super League is to find the dog among dogs, the cream of the crop, and the bluest of bluebloods.

Tier 1, which could be considered the Premier League of college football, would have 40 teams. Those 40 teams would be divided up geographically into four, 10-team divisions. With the nature of promotion/relegation, these divisions could vary minimally from year to year and would likely need to be slightly realigned every now and then. The most important thing: no program is immune from relegation. If Alabama and Georgia end up in the danger zone, they’re sent down. Tier 2 and Tier 3 would also sit at 40 teams each.

The New CFP

The College Football Playoff would feature 12 teams. The four division champions (by winning percentage, like the NFL) would earn byes and the next best eight programs would earn Wild Card bids. In order to prevent certain programs from getting easier passes than others, there would be uniform scheduling. Each team would have a 12-game schedule that features nine games against the other divisional programs. One of the non-conference games would be a division versus division challenge, of sorts. It could pit the West Division’s champion from the previous season against the South Division’s champion, and so on down the standings. One of the non-conference games would be against a Tier 2 foe, and the final would be a Tier 3 foe. That way, the lower-level programs can still get their payday games while getting a crack at the big boys.

The bottom eight programs would end up relegated whereas the top eight of the lower level would be promoted. For the lower tiers, their CFP would be the same. The only kicker would be whoever wins that tier’s CFP is automatically promoted, regardless of whether or not they were one of the top eight (ie, if the 9-12 seed won it all).

Selection Process

Since the idea of this proposal is to get the top programs in all of history isolated in a single Super League, standards of selection must be set. Not every current Power 4 program is among the game’s elite. Even if they are elite today, they do not have the historical backing. At the same time, historically elite programs have padded their all-time stats with wins over less-than-stellar competition. A quick glance at Winsipedia at any historically great program will show local high schools or YMCAs as opponents.

So, with that in mind, the selection of the top tier will be based not on the current win percentage, but on the all-time win percentage over current FBS teams. For the most part, the top 40 teams remain unchanged. Since James Madison technically has a 0.6667 win percentage with this new model, the stipulation of 700 FBS games must be met.

The next part is tricky. If you sort all-time win percentage versus FBS teams and exclude the four teams who do not meet the minimum game threshold, there are 13 programs without national championships. Whereas outside of this newly-established top 40, there are 15 programs with a title. If we are to create a new Premier League, we have to reward programs that have won over the course of time.

In all reality, the first grouping is about rewarding those programs. It will all level out in time with promotion/relegation.

Tier 1 (40 Schools)

Presenting the top 40 programs in the nation in terms of winning percentage against FBS foes. Yes, those MAC and Mountain West schools earned their way. There was a consideration of excluding programs without at least one national title. Oregon and Wisconsin would have been kicked out. So, as a result, to be as close to the English Premier League, winning percentage was the go-to.

When discussing the bluebloods of college football, there are only a few. After that, it thins out. But even then, if there are teams who don’t deserve to be in Tier 1, promotion/relegation will sort it out.

There was a standard of at least 700 FBS games to be included here. You have to weed out newer programs somehow, unfortunately.

The Second Tier (40 Schools)

Tier 2 gets a bit interesting with the drawing of the divisions. There are four Texas-based schools but with how it all shook out, Texas Tech was separated from the other three. In addition to the stipulation of 700 games for Tier 1, Tier 2 was cut off at 300 games.

This tier has a healthy mix of current Power 4 and Group of 5 programs. This tier would likely end up as the most competitive of the three. On one hand, it’ll feature the rejects from the top who would be hungry to get back. On the other, these 40 teams are a season away from being able to compete with the truly elite programs.

The Third Tier (40 Schools)

Finally, the third tier is a collection of the underachievers and plucky upstarts. Appalachian State actually has the 27th-best winning percentage against FBS teams but has not played nearly enough games to be considered.

The most interesting part of his tier would have to be the current Power 4 programs. Who will be the first to get sent down to Tier 4? Will any step up and dig out of the middle third of Division I?

Fourth Tier And Beyond

With the new tiers, there will be a few programs on the proverbial chopping block. Even then, the likes of Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, Florida International, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Jacksonville State, James Madison, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Old Dominion, Sam Houston State, South Alabama, Texas State, and UTSA will be in Tier 4. Alongside the top FCS programs, they’d have the opportunity to win their way up.

In this new College Football Super League, the designations of FBS and FCS would cease to exist. The six-tiered system would go back to just being called Division I. It always was odd that college football had FBS and FCS.

Again, this new system is in a vacuum and looks at the all-time impacts of programs. The success in 2023 of Liberty and James Madison unfortunately do not outweigh the fact that they are among the newest at their current level.

Behold, The College Football Super League!

No change to how college football operates will be perfect; there will always be programs that feel slighted. However, the solution is to win. With a tiered system such as this College Football Super League, any program could be rewarded for a great season. Every Tier 2 team is a great year away from challenging for the national title.

Naturally, the scheduling at the top would be brutal. That’s the point! With a promotion/relegation system, you want the greatest of the great at the top. When the Premier League was founded in England, it was to make sure the top clubs got to contend for titles and to compete with the other European leagues like Serie A or La Liga. This proposal would make the game of college football that much better. Every program would have to try to win rather than sit back and ride the coattails of their respective conference.

In addition, when the NCAA investigates and finds rule-breaking, relegation would be a very real threat. Imagine a blueblood program was found guilty of years of cheating, for example. The NCAA, in addition to the rest of their sanctions, could kick that program down a tier or two. The punishment would be just as effective as a bowl ban.

College football is going to continue to change. The longer it pretends that it cares about tradition and regionality, the longer it will hamstring itself from being truly great. A six-tiered system such as this would do wonders for the quality of the game. It would prove without a doubt who the true champion would be.

The post A Better College Football Super League Proposal appeared first on Last Word on College Football.

On the start of the New Year, the high temperature in Glendale, Arizona was 62 degrees. Inside of State Farm Stadium, it was likely a comfortable 72 degrees. Both of those were noticeably warmer than the performance put out by the Liberty Flames against the Oregon Ducks. The Fiesta Bowl winner was a big favorite coming into the game and left no doubt with their performance. The Ducks fanned out the Flames by a score of 45-6.

Flamming Hot First Quarter

For a game that kicked off at 10 am local, one team was very much sleepier at kickoff. It looked like the Ducks were not interested in playing football early on. The Group of 5 representatives in the NY6 bowl games has typically played its respective Power 5 opponent very tough, including some outright victories. Early in the game, Liberty was making a big to become the biggest surprise Fiesta Bowl winner since Boise State defeated Oklahoma in 2007.

The Flames’ vaunted rushing attack went for 69 yards and finished the quarter with a total of 130 yards of offense. Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter was a crisp 6-for-9 passing with a touchdown pass. Although the PAT was missed on the opening drive touchdown. Meanwhile, the Ducks failed to get out of first gear with only 88 yards of offense. Early on, the bigger offensive line of Oregon was struggling to create running lanes for Bucky Irving. Jamey Chadwell’s team enjoyed an early 6-3 lead heading into the 2nd quarter.

Ducks Cruise For Rest Of Game

However, Dan Lanning saw his Oregon team finally wake up for the last 45 minutes of football. The Ducks would score touchdowns on its next six possessions. The running finally got moving and it looked easy. Oregon would finish the game with 183 yards on the ground, with Irving leading the way with 117. As the ground game got rolling for Oregon, quarterback Bo Nix carved up an over-matched secondary. Nix finished the game 28-for-35 for 363 yards and five touchdowns. His five passing touchdowns tied a Fiesta Bowl record.

After that first quarter, the Flames would only muster 164 total yards of offense. Liberty also lost the turnover battle two-to-zero. Salter only completed nine more passes for the game and would finish 15-for-24 passing for 126 yards. That powerful rushing attack that the Flames relied on all year found it to be much tougher sledding on the ground for the rest of the game. They only added 99 rushing yards to their total, finishing the game with 168. Liberty would not score the rest of the game.

Fiesta Bowl Winner Off To The Big 10

What does it mean for the Ducks to be crowned the 2024 Fiesta Bowl Winner? It marks just the sixth time in program history that Oregon finished with 12+ victories. It also makes the Ducks 4-2 in their last six bowl games. Oregon found itself disappointed to come short in the Pac-12 championship game against Washington that would have likely landed them in the college football playoff. However, Oregon chose not to view the Fiesta Bowl as a game beneath them.

Having players like Nix and Irving play in the game spoke to how this team viewed this opportunity to finish the season out strong. Next year, Oregon embarks on a new chapter in its program history as they start Big 10 play. With a current recruiting class ranked sixth nationally, the Ducks are heading into the 2024 season with lots of positive momentum. They will need it with a schedule that includes Ohio State, Michigan, Washington, and Oregon State on it next season.

Photo courtesy: Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

The post Ducks Soar to Fiesta Bowl Winner Heights appeared first on Last Word on College Football.

One of the first college football games of 2024 will involve a first-time meeting between two teams. Oregon is playing in its second Fiesta Bowl in the last four seasons. Meanwhile, Liberty is only in its sixth season of FBS football. Both teams are entering this game with a vastly different outlook on what this game means to each program. But with Oregon being more than a two-touchdown favorite, will Liberty even be able to make it a competitive game?

Who is Liberty?

For those college football fans who don’t live in the DMV area or have a life outside of college football, there is a good chance that this will be their introduction to Jamey Chadwell’s team. Liberty is one of the fastest-rising football programs in the country. Most recently, former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze took over the program in 2019. The Flames finished 8-5, 10-1, 8-5, and 8-5 before Freeze accepted the Auburn head coaching position. Liberty promptly pried its next head coach out of Conway, SC in Chadwell. All he has done in the Flames’ first season in Conference USA was go 13-0 and capture the league title.

Chadwell, who established himself at Coastal Carolina with a unique scheme that looked like a modern-day triple offense, instantly turned Liberty’s running game into one of the nation’s best. It starts with quarterback Kaido Salter’s decision-making ability that makes Chadwell’s read-option offense run. Salter was one of two 1,000-yard rushers for the Flames this season. Running back Quinton Cooley and Salter combined for 28 touchdowns. Liberty led all of college football in rushing yards, averaging more than 300 rushing yards per game. But it isn’t just the rushing game that helps put up points. Wide receiver CJ Daniels on the outside is the team’s leading receiver with 988 yards and 10 touchdowns on 47 receptions. With Salter’s high level of production, he is one of just five players in college football to account for more than 40 touchdowns. One of the others just happens to play quarterback for the Flame’s opponent in the Fiesta Bowl.

Thanks to an explosive offense and competent defense, the Flames have only played two games that finished within one score. The team averaged an 18-point victory margin. However, there is one major point of criticism that many have tagged to the Flames. Half of the teams on Liberty’s schedule did not make a bowl game. New Mexico State or Jacksonville State would qualify as the Flame’s best win of the season.

Key Liberty Players Missing the Fiesta Bowl

The good news for Liberty is its roster is mainly intact from the regular season. Specifically, no regular players from the Flames’ offense have opted out of this game. Defensively, Liberty will be without starting cornerback Preston Hodge (arguably the team’s top defensive player this season) and starting safety Robert Rahimi. A few key contributors on the defensive line rotation have been lost as well. Kendy Charles and Bryan Whitehead both played over 230 snaps and combined for 38 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss this season.

Will it Be a Disappointed Oregon Team Showing Up?

Dan Lanning has done a masterful job continuing to elevate the status of the Oregon program. Currently, the team has a Washington problem that will need to be addressed in 2024. However, while Duck fans will be kicking themselves thinking about what could have been this season, another 10-win campaign sets up the program to make some history. If the Ducks were to win the Fiesta Bowl, it would be just the sixth 12-win season in program history. This Fiesta Bowl will also be quarterback Bo Nix’s final swan song in college. The same quarterback who made his debut against Justin Herbert (who is in his fourth season in the NFL) will be making his record 61st start. The fifth-year starter and two-year captain of the Ducks at quarterback has a chance at several program and national records. Currently, Nix has completed 336 of his 435 pass attempts for 4,145 yards, 40 touchdowns, and only three interceptions. Nix also rushed for 228 yards and six touchdowns.

The 2023 Pac-12 offensive player of the year is flirting with passing Marcus Mariota in a few categories. If his career passing efficiency rating stands at 176.3, it would set a new Pac-12 record (171.8). Specific to the Oregon record book, if Nix passes for more than 309 yards he would pass Mariota’s single-season passing yards. He’s already passed Mariota’s single-season completions record with 335 so far. With three more touchdown passes it would break Mariota’s 2014 record of 42. Nix also has a chance to break Mac Jones’ (Alabama) 2020 completion percentage record of 77.4%. Nix currently sits at 77.2%.

Key Oregon Players Playing/Missing the Fiesta Bowl

But Nix isn’t the only surprising name playing in the Fiesta Bowl for the Ducks. After declaring for the NFL draft as an early entrant earlier in December, Lanning confirmed running back Bucky Irving will play in the Fiesta Bowl. Irving has totaled nearly 3,000 yards from scrimmage and averaged six-and-a-half yards per carry in his career as a Duck. Irving is just the sixth Duck to rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. However, a national-ranked program like Oregon was not immune to opt-outs in preparation for the NFL draft. Most notably, Oregon will be without starting center Jackson Powers-Johnson, starting wide receiver Troy Franklin, and starting cornerback Khyree Jackson.

Fiesta Bowl Prediction

In non-playoff games, the issue of motivation always becomes the center of attention. Any time a NY6 bowl game is not hosting a playoff game, the buzz around them nationally is no different than the Myrtle Beach bowl (no offense, we love all bowl games at Last Word). However, the Group of 5 representatives have never had their motivation questioned. These teams have often put up a good fight at a minimum because their fans and the teams view it as their chance to prove they belong. Oregon is having to re-focus after seeing its playoff bid come up just short in the Pac-12 championship game.

There should be little doubt that the scoreboard operator will be busy in this game. In terms of total offense, Oregon is averaging 526.6 yards per game, while Liberty averages 514.9. The scoring offense numbers for both teams are equally staggering with Oregon averaging 44.2 and Liberty averaging 40.8 points per game. The issue here is depth. Oregon, while losing a few key players, has players filling in their place that would be starting at Liberty right now. Chadwell’s offense will stress Oregon’s defense, but the Ducks pull away in the second half as they grind down the Flames.

Oregon 49, Liberty 28

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