Category: Bowl Season

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: First Look At The Georgia State Panthers

Utah State’s Sun Belt foe in the upcoming Potato Bowl knows a thing or two about having an adventurous season.

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Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: First Look At The Georgia State Panthers

Utah State’s Sun Belt foe in the upcoming Potato Bowl knows a thing or two about having an adventurous season.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS and @MWCwire

Can the Panthers catch a break?

This year’s Famous Idaho Potato Bowl will mark Utah State’s fifth overall appearance in the Boise-based game, but the blue turf is brand-new territory for the Georgia State Panthers.

GSU will be just the second Sun Belt Conference team to take the blue turf in the postseason, but the Panthers are arguably the weakest of the seven teams that the Mountain West will face as part of its bowl slate. They head to Idaho on a substantial slide and with key on-field contributors out the door, so the pressure will be on to find an upper hand against the unpredictable Aggies and finish the year on a high note.

Here’s what Utah State fans need to know about the Panthers.

2023 Georgia State Panthers — Team Profile

Conference: Sun Belt

2023 Record: 6-6 (3-5 Sun Belt)

SP+ ranking: 101st

FEI ranking: 102nd

Sagarin rating: 112th

Head coach: Shawn Elliott (seventh year, 42-49 overall).

2023 in a nutshell: For a brief time, it looked like the Panthers might be in position for a real breakthrough this fall. The team opened 6-1, the lone blemish a stumble at home against Troy, but the realities of the super-competitive Sun Belt Conference pulled GSU back to earth. After scoring those six wins by an average of 12.8 points, they dropped the final five games of the year by an average of 23.2.

Best wins: at Coastal Carolina (7-5), at Louisiana (6-6), vs. Marshall (6-6)

Key Players

Darren Grainger, QB

Georgia State football has only existed for a little over a decade, but Grainger might already be the best quarterback in the program’s young history. He already owns team records for career total offense and career total touchdowns and, in 2023, completed 67% of his 336 attempts for 2,364 yards and 17 touchdowns against a 2% interception rate. He also led the Sun Belt’s QBs with 625 rushing yards and tied for the conference lead with eight rushing touchdowns, so while he struggled in the second half of the regular season, he’s more than talented enough to do damage against an often-shaky Aggies defense.

Travis Glover, OT

One of the longest-tenured Panthers in program history, the Potato Bowl will mark Glover’s 58th career start. At 6-foot-6 and 323 pounds, he also happens to be the biggest player on the roster. He’s spent time at tackle and guard across his five seasons at GSU, but 2023 was spent protecting Grainger’s blind side. Though he gave up four sacks in just over 800 snaps, Glover allowed just 12 total quarterback pressures. He’ll be a tough assignment for whichever Aggies defensive end lines up across from him.

Gavin Pringle, CB

A three-time all-Patriot League defender at Bucknell, Pringle transferred to Atlanta last off-season and made his lone year at GSU count. He finished the regular season as one of five Sun Belt defenders to grab four interceptions, and he added four pass breakups, four tackles for loss, and 37 total tackles to land on the third-team all-conference defense earlier this month.

Tailique Williams, WR

Leading wide receiver Robert Lewis has already left the program and transferred to Auburn, leaving his primary running mate to shoulder a larger load in the Panthers passing game. Williams took 90.2% of his snaps out of the slot, per PFF, and finished the regular season with 46 catches, 581 yards, and five touchdowns. He also contributed to special teams, earning an average of 17.7 yards on ten kick returns, meaning the redshirt junior might be a problem in more ways than one.

Justin Abraham, LB

Abraham broke into Georgia State’s starting lineup in the second half of 2022 and had a fine year in his first full campaign as a starter. According to PFF, the Hartsville, South Carolina has made 38 total stops on the strength of 76 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks, so he’ll likely be a key disruptor in the Panthers front seven.

Overview:

Offense

The story of the Panthers offense is closely tied to their tale of two seasons. On the whole, Georgia State finished 75th in the country by averaging 2.07 points per drive and 71st with 45% of available yards earned per drive, but both marks actually represent a small step back from 2022 and obscure their struggles as the year progressed. In a nutshell, the team scored 34.8 points per game in their six victories and 16.7 in their six losses.

Personnel losses to the transfer portal since season’s end will only compound the problem for the bowl game, as leading rusher Marcus Carroll, leading receiver Robert Lewis, and offensive tackle Montavious Cunningham are all gone. Former Maine transfer Freddie Brock seems likely to be the next man up at running back, while Jacari Carter (Jerry Rice Award finalist at Merrimack in 2021; 34 catches, 227 yards in 2023) and Cadarrius Thompson may get first crack at helping Grainger and Williams through the air.

Defense

Much like their offensive counterparts, the Panthers defense also suffered a substantial decline in performance as the regular season wore on. For the year, they managed to give up 2.46 points per drive and 50.9% of available yards per drive — 89th and 94th among FBS defenses, respectively — but tougher offenses like James Madison and LSU tore them up in the second half of the campaign: GSU gave up 40 points in four straight contests, then dropped the season finale at Old Dominion on the final play of the game.

That could spell trouble against an explosive Utah State offense, though losses have been limited to veteran cornerback Bryquice Brown, a transfer portal departure; and linebacker Jontrey Hunter, who recently declared for the NFL Draft, as of this writing. On the other hand, CollegeFootballData.com notes that the Panthers posted a respectable 20% stuff rate and gave up just 4.24 yards per carry on the ground, so a front seven that’s still laden with veterans could pose a stiff challenge for the Aggies’ trio of running backs. Linebackers Abraham and Kevin Swint each tied for the team lead with seven tackles for loss, but Jordan Veneziale, Javon Denis, and Henry Bryant each had five TFLs, as well.

The bigger concern is whether GSU can keep Utah State from having their way through the air. Among the 14 teams in the Sun Belt, the Panthers ranked 12th in opponents’ completion rate (65.4%), 13th in yards per attempt allowed (8.5), and 14th by opponent passer rating (154.76). Pringle and senior safety TyGee Leach (68 tackles, seven TFLs, five pass breakups, one INT) will lead the charge here, though redshirt freshman Izaiah Guy might be a noteworthy name to follow as Brown’s potential replacement.

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Isleta New Mexico Bowl: Game Preview, How To Watch, Odds, Prediction

Fresno State looks to spoil New Mexico State’s breakthrough season in the New Mexico Bowl. Here’s how to watch and what to watch for.

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Isleta New Mexico Bowl: Game Preview, How To Watch, Odds, Prediction

Fresno State will look to end 2023 with a victory over New Mexico State. Here’s how to watch and what to watch for.

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Can the ‘Dogs recapture a little magic in the Land of Enchantment?

ISLETA NEW MEXICO BOWL: New Mexico State Aggies (10-4, 7-1 Conference USA) vs. Fresno State Bulldogs (8-4, 4-4 Mountain West)

WHEN: Saturday, December 16 — 2:45 PM PT/3:45 PM MT

WHERE: University Stadium; Albuquerque, NM

WEATHER: Mostly sunny, high of 48 degrees

TV: ESPN

STREAMING: Fans can sign up to receive a free one-week trial of Fubo, which includes ESPN, by following this link.

RADIO: The New Mexico State broadcast can be found on the affiliates of the Aggie Radio Network, including flagship 99.5 FM (KXPZ) in Las Cruces. The Fresno State broadcast can be found in and around the Central Valley on the affiliates of the Bulldog Sports network, including flagship 1340 AM (KCBL) in Fresno.

SERIES RECORD: Fresno State leads the all-time series, 18-1. In the last meeting on September 28, 2019, the Bulldogs defeated the Aggies, 30-17, in Las Cruces.

LAST GAME: New Mexico State lost to Liberty in the Conference USA football championship game, 49-35, while Fresno State lost to San Diego State on the road, 33-18.

WEBSITES: NMStateSports.com, the official New Mexico State athletics website | GoBulldogs.com, the official Fresno State athletics website

GAME NOTES (PDF): New Mexico State | Fresno State

ODDS: New Mexico State -3.5

SP+ PROJECTION: New Mexico State by 0.6

FEI PROJECTION: Fresno State by 1.0

PARKER FLEMING PROJECTION: New Mexico State 51.27% win probability (28.80-27.39)

Mountain West football’s seven-game bowl slate kicks off in Albuquerque on Saturday afternoon, when the Fresno State Bulldogs will take on the New Mexico State Aggies.

The Aggies will be plenty motivated to send one of the program’s best teams ever into the off-season with one last win, and the chances are they’ll get to benefit from a friendly crowd in the stands since the game will take place just three-plus hours from Las Cruces. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, enter the game with far more uncertainty than they had a month ago, in the midst of a three-game losing streak that they’ll look to break without head coach Jeff Tedford, who is currently sidelined with health concerns.

Here’s how the Aggies and Bulldogs can find a path to victory to finish 2023.

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Three Keys to a New Mexico State Victory

1. Don’t lose the turnover battle.

Generally speaking, New Mexico State has done a pretty good job of taking care of the football when playing on offense. The Aggies have just 14 giveaways in 14 games, the fewest in Conference USA, but there’s little doubt that when they’ve been off their game, turnovers have played a big role since eight of those 14 giveaways came in NMSU’s four losses.

By contrast, Fresno State’s defense was one of the most active in the Mountain West at generating takeaways, collecting 22 in 12 games. However, the Bulldogs faltered on that front in their recent losing streak, coming up empty in two of their last three games, so the Aggies might have an advantage simply by avoiding killer mistakes one last time.

2. Get a big performance from the ground game.

NMSU has tended toward balance in their run-pass ratio throughout the season, but they may find it useful to resist Fresno State’s resistance to the run. While the Bulldogs are sixth in the Mountain West by allowing 4.35 yards per carry, they’ve struggled mightily since the calendar turned to November, coughing up 5.86 YPC and eight rushing touchdowns in the last four games.

This could be good news for the Aggies, who don’t have a heavy-lifting RB1 but do have three different players — quarterback Diego Pavia and running backs Star Thomas and Monte Watkins — who have recorded at least 50 rushing attempts and averaged at least 5.39 YPC. That trio has also accounted for a gain of at least ten yards on 20.9% of their combined carries, which is something they’ll almost certainly look to exploit.

3. Win on as many third downs as possible.

One area of the game where New Mexico State and Fresno State have been similarly productive is in moving the chains and keeping opponents from doing the same. The Bulldogs own a slight advantage on offense (46.55% for Fresno State, 43.95% for NMSU), but the Aggies could have an upper hand on defense (35.43% for NMSU, 39.88% for Fresno State).

This might be especially true if the Aggies can force Fresno State into passing downs more often than not. According to CollegeFootballData.com, NMSU allowed a 28% success rate when opponents faced a second down with seven-plus yards to go or a third or fourth down with five-plus yards to go, as well as a 54.8% completion rate to opposing quarterbacks.

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Three Keys to a Fresno State Victory

1. Get better pass protection from the offensive line.

One way or another, the Bulldogs are likely to lead with the pass when they attack the Aggies defense. Parker Fleming’s advanced statistics preview notes that Fresno State comes into the bowl game with a rush rate over expected percentage of -11.6%, which means that Pat McCann’s offense run the ball less frequently than all but five other FBS teams.

It isn’t a bad idea when you consider that New Mexico State’s pass rush is more the sum of its parts than one built on individual standouts: Five different Aggies have between three and 4.5 sacks this season. However, Fresno State’s offensive line has struggled badly down the stretch. According to Pro Football Focus, guard Osmar Velez and tackles Toreon Penright and Braylen Nelson each gave up multiple sacks between Weeks 10 and 13; the only other Mountain West offensive line to do that was Nevada.

2. Keep Jonathan Brady’s contributions to a minimum.

Four different Fresno State pass catchers have seen more than the 58 targets that Brady has received in 2023, but you could make a decent case that none of them have done as much as the sophomore from Las Vegas with their share. Brady hasn’t dropped a single pass, for starters, but his team-high 37 receptions and 613 receiving yards will be even more important in the bowl game with his primary running mate, Trent Hudson, gone through the transfer portal.

Whether he lines up opposite Carlton Johnson or Al’zillion Hamilton
more frequently remains to be seen, but it will be a big opportunity for both. Between Weeks 10 and 13, they combined to allow 15 catches and 12.3 yards per reception on 28 targets, so while Brady has averaged 16.6 YPC on the year, his more recent performances have been modest. If the secondary can keep him from stretching the field, it could make for a significant advantage.

3. Ride or die (one more time) with Mikey Keene.

Because it’s no secret the Bulldogs are pass-first, Keene’s presence as the presumably healthy QB1 will be a major factor in whether the offense can overcome its recent sputtering. There’s no doubt his health concerns played a role in the team’s ongoing losing streak, as his 60% completion rate in November was the lowest of any calendar month this year, as were the 5.9 yards he averaged per attempt and the 110.03 passer rating he mustered.

One potential obstacle is NMSU cornerback Andre Seldon, who is arguably the team’s top overall defender. The redshirt sophomore has allowed a catch rate of 42.6% on 61 targets, though he also spends the vast majority of his playing time outside of the numbers. It could mean that Erik Brooks and Jaelen Gill, both of whom have had at least 79% of their snaps out of the slot (per PFF), might be key to softening up the Aggies underneath.

Prediction

They say that time heals all wounds, which is something that Fresno State must hope is true since quarterback health is going to be crucial to their bounce-back efforts in this contest. However, that was less of an excuse for the defense’s recent woes, and that might be an even bigger X-factor. New Mexico State has as many weapons as the Bulldogs do, and there are just enough uncertainties to expect that this will be a close game no matter what, but home cooking and a balanced offensive attack will make a difference in the end for the Aggies to gut out a win.

New Mexico State 31, Fresno State 27

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Armed Forces Bowl: First Look At The James Madison Dukes

The Air Force Falcons will get a chance to topple one of this season’s top Group of 5 teams. How did the Dukes get here? 

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Armed Forces Bowl: First Look At The James Madison Dukes

Air Force will get a chance to topple one of this season’s top Group of 5 teams. How did the Dukes get here? 

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS and @MWCwire

Could JMU be undone in the bowl by their success?

The Air Force Falcons are making their seventh appearance in the Armed Forces Bowl, but their opponent in this year’s iteration of the game might be their toughest assignment yet.

That’s because, among the Mountain West’s seven bowl opponents, the James Madison Dukes are the only team currently ranked in the top 25 of a poll. On the other hand, Air Force’s bowl foe is currently undergoing the rapid transition that tends to befall peaking Group of 5 teams, so how much of the JMU we’ve seen all year will actually be accounted for when they take the field later in December?

Here’s what Air Force fans need to know about the James Madison Dukes.

2023 James Madison Dukes — Team Profile

Conference: Sun Belt

2023 Record: 11-1 (7-1 Sun Belt)

SP+ ranking: 18th

FEI ranking: 33rd

Sagarin rating: 40th

Head coach: Damien Wroblewski (interim)

2023 in a nutshell: The Dukes had a wildly successful FBS debut in 2022, then raised their game this fall to become arguably the best team in the Group of 5. It wasn’t without a number of close calls — JMU’s first four wins against FBS opponents came by a combined 18 points — but it all counts the same in the win column and they ultimately took down eight different bowl-eligible teams on their way to the #24 spot in the most recent Associated Press poll.

As is the case for any peaking Group of 5 team, though, success has come with a cost since the end of the regular season. Head coach Curt Cignetti was hired away by Indiana, and he’ll be replaced by Holy Cross’s Bob Chesney at season’s end. A multitude of key on-field contributors have also hit the exits through the transfer portal, an exodus that has been the most significant of any of the Mountain West’s bowl opponents this month. In other words, for as good as the Dukes have looked in 2023, there’s a chance they could look much different when they take the field in Fort Worth.

Best wins: at Troy (11-2), at Coastal Carolina (7-5), at Marshall (6-6)

Key Players

Jordan McCloud, QB

After previous stints at USF and Arizona, McCloud hit his stride with the Dukes and might have been the Group of 5’s best quarterback this year. He finished 11th among FBS signal-callers with a 68.9% completion rate, 14th with 3,400 passing yards, tied for 16th with nine yards per attempt, and fifth with 32 passing touchdowns. McCloud was also dangerous with his legs, accounting for 311 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground, so it’s little wonder that he was named the Sun Belt’s Player of the Year.

Elijah Sarratt, WR

In 2022, Sarratt stood out at FCS Saint Francis as a freshman All-American and a first-team all-NEC wide receiver. After transferring to JMU, he became one half of one of the most potent pass-catching duos anywhere in the country. He was one of six Dukes to earn a spot on the all-Sun Belt first-team offense after leading the team with 74 catches for 1,076 yards, scoring six touchdowns while also, according to Pro Football Focus, pacing the conference with a 89.1 receiving grade.

Reggie Brown, WR

As you might have surmised, Brown is the other half of James Madison’s dynamic pass-catching tandem. Like Surratt, Brown also landed on the Sun Belt’s first-team offense after catching 51 passes for 1,010 yards and nine touchdowns. In 20 career games at the FBS level, Brown has averaged 18.8 yards per catch, so he has the capacity to do real damage down the field if the Falcons are caught napping.

Jamree Kromah, DE

Though JMU landed six different players on the all-conference first team, Kromah is the fourth and last of that cohort still expected to take the field in the bowl game. The redshirt senior had a monster season with ten sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss while also tying for the team lead with 41 stops, per PFF, so there’s a strong case he could be the single-best defender that Air Force’s offensive tackles have faced all year.

D’Angelo Ponds, CB

The Dukes secondary appears to be in good hands thanks to Ponds, who became the program’s first freshman All-American ever after making nine starts in which he made 50 tackles, broke up 13 passes, and made two interceptions. According to Pro Football Focus, he also allowed a 46.5% completion rate on 71 targets, so Air Force may find it tough to stretch the field when the occasion calls for it.

Overview:

Offense

No matter how you slice it, the Dukes offense gave opponents plenty about which to worry this season, ranking 33rd in the country with an average of 2.68 points per drive and 52.1% of available yards earned per drive. The problem for the Armed Forces Bowl is that some significant contributors to an attack that averaged 6.28 yards per play are gone: McCloud will play in the bowl game before leaving through the transfer portal, but the top two running backs, Kaelon Black and Ty Son Newton, are gone, as are all-conference tight end Zach Horton, left guard Carter Miller, and three-year starting offensive lineman Tyler Stephens.

With Surratt and Brown in place, though, the passing game may be considered mostly intact, but senior Latrele Palmer is likely the next man up at running back. His time with the Dukes stretches back to 2019, and he’s averaged 4.8 yards per carry with 15 touchdowns on 425 career rushing attempts.

Others who might be in line for more snaps include wide receivers Phoenix Sproles (47 catches, 387 yards, three touchdowns) and Taji Hanson and tight end Kyi Wright. Sproles, at least, has seen the lion’s share of his playing time come from the slot (93.4% of snaps, per PFF), so chances are JMU won’t be shy about remaining a pass-first team.

Defense

The Dukes offense has taken some hits through the transfer portal, but a defense that ranked ninth nationally by percentage of available yards per drive allowed (35.4%) and points per drive allowed (1.41) and gave up an overall success rate of just 33% has been gutted. Jalen Green, the Sun Belt’s Defensive Player of the Year, was lost for the year to injury in early November. The team’s top three tacklers — Aidan Fisher, Jailin Walker, and Mikail Kamara — are gone to the transfer portal. So are veteran defensive tackle James Carpenter, a finalist for the Burlsworth Trophy this season; linebacker Taurus Jones, a first-team all-conference player in 2022; and top cornerback Chauncey Logan.

Kromah remains, but other established quantities in this unit are rare. The good news is that young talents like Ponds might be prepared to pick up the slack. Redshirt freshman Tyrique Tucker made five starts this year and collected 4.5 tackles for loss, and sophomore safety Jacob Thomas held opponents to a completion rate under 50%, according to Pro Football Focus.

When matching up with Air Force, however, the major question is just how disruptive the JMU defense will remain against a Falcons offense that will run first, second, and third. CollegeFootballData.com tabs the Dukes with an 26% havoc rate and a 28% stuff rate (for comparison, Air Force had respective rates of 15.2% and 17%).

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Mountain West Football: 2023 Bowl Season Opt-Out And Transfer Tracker

The transfer portal is open. NFL Draft prep looms. Business decisions are made. Which players will sit out the Mountain West’s bowl games?

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Mountain West Football: 2023 Bowl Season Opt-Out and Transfer Tracker

The transfer portal is open. NFL Draft prep looms. Business decisions are made. Which players will sit out the Mountain West’s bowl games?

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Not all the stars will be out in December.

December marks perhaps the busiest time of college football season. Between the upcoming slate of bowl games, the official opening of the transfer portal, and buzz surrounding the game’s brightest stars and their standing in next year’s NFL Draft, players have plenty on their minds when deciding how to finish their season.

Not everyone will choose to stay on the field, though. Check back here throughout the month as we watch which athletes opt out of bowl season, both among the Mountain West’s seven bowl teams and their opponents.

Note: Significant contributors among opponents will be noted in italics.

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl

Air Force

  • Aidan Behymer, TE
  • Caden Blum, DL
  • Mason Carlan, OL
  • John Lee Eldridge III, RB
  • Jonah Jensen, QB
  • Brady Phillips, DL
  • Caleb Rillos, TE
  • Jarius Stewart, QB
  • Anthony Wenson, WR

James Madison

  • Brent Austin, DB
  • Kaelon Black, RB — team-high 594 rushing yards, 23 catches, 220 receiving yards in 2023
  • James Carpenter, DL — FCS Freshman All-American in 2021; two-time all-Sun Belt
  • Aiden Fisher, LB — third-team all-Sun Belt, 91 tackles, seven passes defended, six tackles for loss in 2023
  • Desmond Green, WR
  • Zach Horton, TE — first-team all-Sun Belt, 26 catches, 266 yards, six touchdowns in 2023
  • Taurus Jones, LB — first-team all-Sun Belt, 82 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss in 2022
  • Mikail Kamara, DL — second-team all-Sun Belt, 18.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks in 2023
  • Wayne Knight, RB
  • Ty Son Lawton, RB — 742 all-purpose yards, six total touchdowns in 2023
  • Chauncey Logan, DB — 42 tackles, four tackles for loss, six passes defended in 2023
  • Carter Miller, OL — redshirt freshman, nine starts, 639 snaps at left guard in 2023
  • Abi Nwabuoku-Okonji, DL
  • Tyler Stephens, OL — 30 career starts; four starts each at left guard, right tackle, left tackle in 2023
  • Jailin Walker, LB — 30 career starts; 55 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, four passes defended in 2023
  • Tyshawn Wyatt, OL

Starco Brands LA Bowl, Hosted By Gronk

Boise State 

  • Taylen Green, QB
  • Eric McAlister, WR
  • Keenan McCaddy, DB
  • Kivon Wright, DL

UCLA

  • Kam Brown, WR
  • Keegan Jones, WR
  • Laiatu Latu, DL — Ted Hendricks Award winner, Lombardi Award winner, Pac-12 defensive player of the year in 2023
  • Dante Moore, QB — five-star true freshman, five starts in 2023
  • William Nimmo Jr., DB
  • Kamari Ramsey, DB — redshirt freshman safety, 11 starts in 2023
  • Carsen Ryan, TE
  • Jake Wiley, OL

Isleta New Mexico Bowl

Fresno State

  • Tanner Blount, LB
  • Logan Fife, QB
  • Chrishawn Gordon, DB
  • Abraham Montaño, K
  • Hayden Pulis, OL
  • Raymond Scott, LB

New Mexico State

  • Reggie Akles, WR
  • Ta’ir Brooks, WR
  • Jamari Buddin, LB
  • Tyler Devera, TE
  • Trent Hudson, WR — 36 catches, 571 yards, team-high ten touchdowns in 2023
  • PJ Johnson, WR
  • Malachi McLean, DB
  • Jordin Parker, WR
  • Tyriece Thomas, DL

EasyPost Hawaii Bowl

San Jose State

  • Branden Alvarez, WR
  • Fernando Carmona Jr., OL
  • Blake Davis, DB
  • Charlie Leota, DL
  • Anthony Madrigal, OL
  • Dominick Mazotti, TE
  • Elijah Wood, LB

Coastal Carolina

  • CJ Beasley, RB — team-high 717 rushing yards in 2022; 262 rushing yards, two touchdowns in 2023
  • Mason Bowers, OL
  • Jahmar Brown, DB
  • Jared Brown, WR — 2022 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year; 108 career receptions, 1,534 career receiving yards, 11 career touchdowns
  • Bailey Carraway, LB
  • Evan Crenshaw, P — sophomore; 83 career punts, 39.7 career yards per punt
  • Aaron Diggs, DB
  • Jarrett Guest, QB — two starts in 2023 following injury to Grayson McCall
  • Eli Hillman, DB
  • Kaleb Hutchinson, DB
  • Tavyn Jackson, DB
  • JT Killen, LB — 25 career starts; 65 tackles, three tackles for loss in 2023
  • Derrick Maxey, DB
  • Grayson McCall, QB — three-time Sun Belt Player of the Year
  • Tyson Mobley, WR
  • Tre Pinkney, LB
  • Jacob Proche, DB
  • Chris Rhone, WR
  • Braylon Ryan, DL — 38 career games, 21 career starts; 24 tackles, two tackles for loss in 2023
  • Laurence Sullivan, DB
  • Bryson Summers, OL
  • Dami’on Thompson, WR
  • Donnell Wilson, OL

Guaranteed Rate Bowl

UNLV

  • Jordan Jakes, WR
  • Jordyn Morgan, DB

Kansas

  • Will Huggins, TE
  • Reece Thomas, WR

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Utah State

  • William Testa, K
  • Josh Williams, LB

Georgia State

  • KZ Adams, RB
  • Rico Arnold, WR
  • Bryquice Brown, DB — 42 career games; 35 tackles, six passes defended in nine games
  • Marcus Carroll, RB — first-team all-Sun Belt, 1,350 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns
  • Montavious Cunningham, OL — redshirt sophomore, 15 career starts, 737 snaps at right tackle in 2023
  • Jaquon Dixon, RB
  • Cameron Dye, OL
  • Evan Graham, LB
  • JayT Jackson, DB
  • Jordan Jones, LB
  • Robert Lewis, WR — led team with 70 catches, 877 yards, five receiving touchdowns
  • Tony McCray, DB
  • Jalen Tate, DB

Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl

Wyoming

  • DQ James, RB
  • Kolbey Taylor, DB

Toledo

  • Dequan Finn, QB — three-time all-MAC, 2023 MAC Vern Smith Leadership Award winner (conference MVP)
  • Jaret Frantz, WR
  • Micah Kelly, RB
  • Brad Ling, K
  • Vinny Sciury, OL — first-team all-MAC in 2023, 836 snaps at left guard
  • Ty Thomas, DL

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LA Bowl: First Look At The UCLA Bruins

Fresh off of winning the Mountain West, Boise State will face a Bruins team in transition to close out the 2023 season.

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LA Bowl: First Look At The UCLA Bruins

Fresh off of winning the Mountain West, Boise State will face a Bruins team in transition to close out the 2023 season.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS and @MWCwire

Which Bruins team will show up at SoFi?

After clinching the program’s fourth outright Mountain West football championship, the Boise State Broncos will conclude their year in southern California against the UCLA Bruins in the Starco Brands LA Bowl.

Where the Broncos rallied and have positioned themselves to end 2023 on a high note, the Bruins will defend what is essentially their home turf while mired in uncertainty. With an imminent move to the Big Ten, a head coach under fire, a highly-touted quarterback lost to the transfer portal, and a coordinator to replace, the drama surrounding UCLA at the moment might be as Hollywood as it gets in college football.

Here’s what Boise State fans need to know about their bowl game opponent.

2023 UCLA Bruins — Team Profile

Conference: Pac-12

2023 Record: 7-5 (4-5 Pac-12)

SP+ ranking: 38th

FEI ranking: 39th

Sagarin rating: 28th

Head coach: Chip Kelly (6th year at UCLA, 10th year overall; 34-34 with Bruins, 80-41 overall)

2023 in a nutshell: Following 2022, the program’s most successful year in almost a decade, Kelly’s Bruins found it harder to create a sufficient encore than expected this fall. UCLA started the year 4-1, only dropping a one-score decision on the road to Utah, but the highly-regarded offense never found consistency and scored more than 24 points just three times in its last seven games.

Though the Bruins did manage to take down cross-town rival USC in November, UCLA finished the regular season by losing three of its last four games, including home defeats to Arizona State and Cal. While the LA Bowl represents the program’s first appearance in back-to-back bowls since a five-year streak from 2011 to 2015, Kelly’s seeming job security hasn’t come without consternation.

Best wins: at USC (7-5), vs. Coastal Carolina (7-5), vs. Washington State (5-7)

Key Players

Laiatu Latu, LB

If you’re compiling a short list of the best players in college football, you have to include Latu after the year he’s had. Not only does he own the top overall Pro Football Focus grade of any defender in the country, 95.5, PFF also credits him with 36 quarterback hurries (tied for sixth) to go along with the 13 sacks (tied for fourth) and 21.5 tackles for loss (first) he’s accrued in 12 games. Put simply, there are numerous reasons why he was recently named a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy and has already won the Lombardi Trophy, so get familiar with #15 if you aren’t already.

Darius Muasau, LB

The former Hawaii transfer has done little but thrive in southern California since joining the Bruins in early 2022. He earned a spot on the second-team all-Pac 12 defense this year by making a team-high 64 tackles, including four sacks and eight tackles for loss, and breaking up six passes, so it’s likely that he’ll be a central figure in UCLA’s plans for stopping the dynamic Broncos offense.

Duke Clemens, C

One of the longest-tenured Bruins on this year’s roster, the 6-foot-4, 300-pound redshirt senior has started 44 games over the last five seasons. According to Pro Football Focus, Clemens has played a team-high 843 snaps and allowed two sacks and 12 quarterback hurries, earning a spot on the second-team all-conference offense recently for his work.

Carson Steele, RB

Widely considered one of last off-season’s biggest transfer portal prizes after finishing tenth among FBS running backs in rushing yards, Steele’s first year with UCLA turned out to be a productive one. Though he split time with others in the offensive backfield, he led the Bruins with 847 rushing yards and eight total touchdowns, adding 17 catches for 169 yards as a receiver.

Gabriel Murphy, LB

Given the attention lavished on Latu in particular this year, you might be tempted to overlook Murphy, a redshirt junior from Dallas in his second full year as a starter for the Bruins. Opposing quarterbacks and running backs could tell you that’s a mistake, though, since Murphy finished second among UCLA defenders with seven sacks, 15 tackles for loss, and (per PFF) 37 quarterback hurries. On many other defenses, he’d stand alone, but Boise State will have their hands full tracking him among others.

Overview:

Offense

UCLA finished below the national average with 1.92 points per drive (82nd in FBS) and right near it in earning 47.6% of available yards per drive (60th). Considering this unit ranked in the top ten by both counts in both 2021 and 2022, the result seems vaguely disappointing, especially with a five-star quarterback, a pair of quality running backs, and a starting five on the offensive line that didn’t miss a single start this fall.

That blue-chipper under center, Dante Moore, had a fast start to the year but became erratic as the year progressed, perhaps unsurprisingly for a true freshman, and eventually elected to hit the transfer portal in late November. Ethan Garbers stepped up to replace Moore in mid-October, starting six games altogether, and provided some stability in completing 66.4% of his throws for 9894 yards, nine touchdowns, and a 2.2% interception rate.

At running back, Steele combined with T.J. Harden to provide a reasonably potent duo. Together, they averaged 5.18 yards on a combined 303 carries and accounted for 15 scores. Along the offensive line, Clemens and Purdue transfer Spencer Holstege provided a pair of experienced athletes with over 40 career starts each, but the Bruins struggled at times with pass protection this year. Among Pac-12 teams, only Colorado allowed more than the 42 sacks that UCLA did.

Another obstacle with which the Bruins had to contend is that the passing game wasn’t particularly explosive, either: UCLA had just 37 pass plays of 20 or more yards, also the second-fewest in the Pac-12. Kelly’s offense does have some players who can do some damage, however, most notably wide receivers Logan Loya (58 catches, 650 yards, five touchdowns) and J. Michael Sturdivant (32-455-3).

Defense

If UCLA’s offense was inconsistent, its defense under coordinator D’Anton Lynn was close to dominant, allowing on 36.4% of available yards per drive on average (12th in FBS) and 1.40 points per drive (8th). Unfortunately for the Bruins, USC hired him away to replace Alex Grinch, while it’s an open question as to how much of this unit’s star power will actually play in the bowl game. To this point, redshirt freshman safety Kamari Ramsey is the only defender of note to have announced a departure.

Should the front seven remain intact, it could pose the stiffest challenge that Boise State’s potent ground game has seen all year. Beyond Latu, Muasau, and the Murphy twins (Gabriel and Grayson Murphy, who had 7.5 tackles for loss and four sacks this year), the mountainous duo of Jay Toia and Gary Smith III handle the defensive interior while senior Kain Medrano (52 tackles, six TFLs) has started every game at strongside linebacker. In all, this group led the charge in holding opponents to just 2.33 yards per carry, the third-lowest average in the country.

In the secondary, Ramsey’s absence could be a major factor in a unit that pulled in 14 interceptions in 12 games. Senior cornerbacks Alex Johnson and John Humphrey combined to hold opponents to a 57.1% completion rate and 10.9 yards per reception on 98 total targets, but Kenny Churchwell III and Jordan Anderson are the only remaining safeties who received notable playing time throughout the season.

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New Mexico Bowl: First Look At The New Mexico State Aggies

This year’s New Mexico Bowl features two teams from the old WAC, but Fresno State won’t want to take these revitalized Aggies lightly.

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New Mexico Bowl: First Look At The New Mexico State Aggies

This year’s New Mexico Bowl features two teams from the old WAC, but Fresno State won’t want to take these revitalized Aggies lightly.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS and @MWCwire

Las Cruces has been magic all year.

New Mexico State has often been one of the toughest places to win anywhere in the country, so winning as many games as they did this fall, the same number that the Aggies won between 2020 and 2022, makes you sit up and take notice.

Everyone loves an underdog, though, and those same Aggies could have a significant home-field advantage when they face off with the Fresno State Bulldogs in this year’s Isleta New Mexico Bowl, three hours from Las Cruces. After 50 or 60 years in the wilderness, you can’t say they haven’t earned it, but how did NMSU get here?

Here’s what Bulldogs fans need to know about their bowl game opponent.

2023 New Mexico State Aggies — Team Profile

Conference: Conference USA

2023 Record: 10-4 (7-2 Conference USA)

SP+ ranking: 62nd

FEI ranking: 73rd

Sagarin rating: 82nd

Head coach: Jerry Kill (second year at New Mexico State, 25th year overall; 17-10 with Aggies, 175-114 overall)

2023 in a nutshell: After clinching the program’s third winning season and second bowl victory since 2000 last year, the Aggies set about proving this fall that was no fluke. They stumbled out of the gate with a 2-3 record, beating rival New Mexico but dropping road games at Liberty and Hawaii, but righted the ship in time to win eight consecutive contests and earn a rematch against Liberty in the Conference USA championship.

Though they again fell short against the Flames, the Aggies will be comfortable playing up the 25 from Las Cruces since their winning streak included four road wins, including at Western Kentucky and Auburn. In all, the 10-4 record marked the program’s first season with double-digit wins since going 11-0 as part of the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1960.

Best wins: vs. Jacksonville State (8-4), at Auburn (6-6), at Western Kentucky (7-5)

Key Players

Diego Pavia, QB

It took a while for Pavia to settle into the starting job last season, but he picked up right where he left off and accounted for an average of 269 yards of total offense per game and 7.55 yards per play in 2023. Both figures rank in the top 35 among all FBS players, but it also obscures that he’s more than capable of doing damage with his arm (61.6% completion rate, 8.5 yards per attempt, 24 touchdowns, 2.3% interception rate) and his legs (851 rushing yards, fourth among quarterbacks; six TDs).

While it remains to be seen if Pavia suit up for the bowl game after playing through various aches and pains, he could be a headache for the Bulldogs if he does.

Keyshaun Elliott, LB

After getting his feet wet with the Aggies in 2022, the sophomore Elliott stepped into the starting lineup after one game and never looked back. He led the Aggies with 101 total tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss, finishing fifth among all Conference USA defenders with 45 stops (per PFF), cementing himself as a young star worth watching in the Group of 5.

Andre Seldon, CB

The former Michigan transfer emerged as the anchor in New Mexico State’s secondary this year, his second full season as a starter. Despite facing 61 targets, tied for third-most in Conference USA, he allowed a 42.6% completion rate, picking up 50 tackles, six passes defended, and an interception.

Star Thomas, RB

While the Aggies often deployed a committee in the running game, Thomas had previously led the team in all-purpose yardage and continued to shine as the lead back and Pavia’s primary complement. Though he only has 111 total carries and managed no more than 12 in any one game, the junior has averaged 5.79 yards per carry and scored six total touchdowns.

Canaan Yarro, C

Yarro brought much-needed stability to the offensive line as one of two players to start every game this season, playing a team-high 882 snaps according to Pro Football Focus. Despite the large workload, he is one of only six FBS centers to have played at least 800 snaps while allowing six or fewer quarterback pressures and zero sacks.

Overview:

Offense

With veterans back at just about every key position, the Aggies had one of their most prolific offensive seasons in recent memory. According to Brian Fremeau, New Mexico State earned 2.63 points per drive (37th in FBS) and 56.5% of available yards per drive (17th), both of which were far and away the team’s best figures dating back to 2007. They also had just 14 giveaways in 14 games, the fewest in Conference USA, so they’re an offense not usually inclined to beat themselves.

In the offensive backfield, Pavia and Thomas typically lead the way with periodic contributions from running backs Monte Watkins and Jamoni Jones (6.46 combined yards per carry, five touchdowns). Yarro and left tackle Shiyazh Pete provide seasoned leadership on the offensive line, supplemented by youngsters like sophomore AJ Vaipulu and redshirt freshman Louie Canepa.

NMSU’s passing game is a fairly balanced one that saw six different players receive at least 20 targets, but the lead pass-catcher is sophomore Jonathan Brady, who led the team with 37 catches for 613 yards, scoring four touchdowns. Junior Trent Hudson paced the Aggies with ten touchdown receptions, averaging 15.9 yards per catch, while Eli Stowers made a transition from quarterback to pitch in with 32 receptions and two scores.

Defense

Compared to the offense, the Aggies defense seems very much a bend-but-don’t-break unit, ranking 101st by available yards percentage allowed (52.0%) per drive but 56th in points per drive allowed (2.12). That they managed to force only 11 takeaways would seem to reinforce this, but NMSU also had a knack for making timely plays when it counts most, finishing second in Conference USA by collecting 31 sacks and holding opponents to a 35.4% third-down conversion rate. They also allowed a 50% touchdown rate on 56 trips into the red zone, one of just 21 FBS defenses to reach that mark.

Up front, sophomores Gabe Peterson and Sterling Webb, the latter of whom was recently named a first-team all-conference performer, lead the charge after combining for 13.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks. Collectively, the front seven knows how to get after the ball, though, as PFF notes six different Aggies had at least a dozen quarterback hurries (for comparison, Fresno State had one).

Peterson, Webb, Elliott, and Seldon make up a formidable nucleus, but they’re far from the only young athletes on this side of the ball. Defensive linemen Buddha Peleti and Gabriel Iniguez, safety Myles Rowser, and linebacker Sone Aupiu are all sophomores who played at least 400 snaps.

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Fresno State Football: Bulldogs To Face New Mexico State In Isleta New Mexico Bowl

The Bulldogs will end the 2023 season with a tough test against the New Mexico State Aggies in the Land of Enchantment.

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Fresno State Football: Bulldogs To Face New Mexico State In Isleta New Mexico Bowl

The Bulldogs will end the 2023 season with a tough test against the Aggies in the Land of Enchantment.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

The ‘Dogs look to end the year with a win.

The Fresno State Bulldogs didn’t end their regular season as hoped, but the team was rewarded with a bid in the Isleta New Mexico Bowl, where they will face the New Mexico State Aggies, in a matchup first reported by Action Network’s Brett McMurphy.

Jeff Tedford’s Bulldogs had a 8-1 record after the first week of November, a stretch through which the team defeated both UNLV and Boise State, but they stumbled in the last few weeks of the season and lost three straight games to fall out of the championship race. To compound matters, the program announced last week that Tedford would temporarily step back from his duties because of health concerns. Despite the unexpected development, Fresno State’s last New Mexico Bowl trip was a fruitful one, defeating UTEP back in 2021.

As for New Mexico State, the Aggies proved that last year’s surge under second-year head coach Jerry Kill was no fluke, joining Conference USA and posting a 10-4 record, the program’s first season with double-digit wins since 1960, while earning a spot in the conference championship game. Though they lost the title to Liberty, NMSU proved its mettle in November with consecutive wins over Western Kentucky, Auburn, and Jacksonville State.

This year’s New Mexico Bowl is set for Saturday, December 16. It will be broadcast on ESPN, kicking off at 2:45 PM Pacific/3:45 PM Mountain.

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Boise State Football: Broncos To Face UCLA In Gronk LA Bowl

After winning the Mountain West championship, the Broncos head to southern California for a date with the Pac-12’s Bruins.

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Boise State Football: Broncos To Face UCLA In Gronk LA Bowl

After winning the Mountain West championship, the Broncos head to southern California for a date with the Pac-12’s Bruins to close out 2023.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

Can the Mountain West make it three in a row?

During its first two years of existence, the Gronk LA Bowl has been good to the Mountain West. The conference’s previous two champions, Utah State and Fresno State, both defeated a Pac-12 opponent and now the Boise State Broncos will get a chance to extend that streak against the UCLA Bruins.

For most of the 2023 season, the Broncos seemed in peril of missing bowl season altogether, posting a 4-5 record in their first nine games with four separate defeats coming by a combined 13 points. The program removed Andy Avalos as head coach in November, elevating defensive coordinator Spencer Danielson to the position on an interim basis, and he helped guide Boise State to four straight wins, including Saturday’s championship game victory over UNLV.

As for UCLA, they’ll get to bowl in their own backyard after finishing 7-5 in a very competitive Pac-12. Chip Kelly’s Bruins climbed as high as #18 in the AP poll in mid-October, but they fell from the rankings and out of title contention in November with three losses in four games to close the regular season. However, the Bruins did beat crosstown rival USC in that stretch, meaning that the Broncos won’t want to take them lightly on their turf.

This year’s LA Bowl is set for Saturday, December 16. It will be broadcast on ABC, kicking off at 4:30 PM PM Pacific/5:30 PM Mountain).

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Air Force Football: Falcons To Face James Madison In Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl

The Falcons will head to Texas for a duel with the Dukes, hoping to end 2023 on a high note.

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Air Force Football: Falcons To Face James Madison In Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl

The Falcons will head to Texas for a duel with the Dukes, hoping to end 2023 on a high note.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

The cadets hope to bounce back.

The Air Force Falcons ended the regular season on a four-game losing streak, but the program’s four-game winning streak in bowl games is still intact and will be on the line when they face the Sun Belt’s James Madison Dukes in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl.

Troy Calhoun’s cadets rode high for most of the 2023 season, starting the year with an 8-0 record that included wins over rivals Navy and Colorado State. However, injuries caught up with the team as the year progressed and the Falcons first fell to Army and then finished the regular season with three more losses. Despite the disappointing finish, though, Air Force is in a bowl game for the third straight year, the third such streak in Calhoun’s tenure as head coach.

James Madison had a similar surge, rising as high as #18 in the AP poll before suffering a three-point loss to Appalachian State in the penultimate game of the season. Nonetheless, the Dukes finished 11-1 in their second season of FBS action, though they will head into their first bowl season without head coach Curt Cignetti, who was hired by the Indiana Hoosiers earlier this week.

This year’s Armed Forces Bowl is set for Saturday, December 23. It will be broadcast on ESPN, kicking off at 1:30 PM Mountain/12:30 PM Pacific.

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UNLV Football: Rebels To Face Kansas In Guaranteed Rate Bowl

The Rebels fell short in their quest for a conference title, but they can end one of their best years ever with a win against the Jayhawks.

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UNLV Football: Rebels To Face Kansas In Guaranteed Rate Bowl

The Rebels came up short in their quest for a conference title, but they can still end one of their best seasons ever with a win against the Jayhawks.

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The Rebels are bowling for the first time in a while.

Generally speaking, not much was expected of the UNLV Rebels this fall, but the program defied expectations and will head to their first bowl since 2013 when they square off with the Big 12’s Kansas Jayhawks in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.

UNLV had high internal expectations for itself, however, dismissing former head coach Marcus Arroyo last off-season and bringing in Barry Odom to replace him. In Odom’s first year at the helm, the Rebels posted a 9-4 record, the first time the program had won that many games since winning 11 in 1984, and reached the Mountain West championship game for the first time. Though they fell short on Saturday against Boise State, UNLV still has a chance to reach double-digit wins for the first time in 40 years.

Kansas, meanwhile, continued their renaissance under head coach Lance Leipold and won eight games for the first time since 2008. The highwater mark came in defeating Oklahoma at home back in late October, though they’ll have the rare opportunity to defeat both teams from the Silver State having beaten Nevada on the road in non-conference play.

This year’s Guaranteed Rate Bowl is set for Tuesday, December 26. It will be broadcast on ESPN, kicking off at 6:00 PM Pacific/7:00 PM Mountain.

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