Sun Belt – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Southern Miss 38, Rice 24 LendingTree Bowl What Happened, What It All Means

Southern Miss 38, Rice 24: LendingTree Bowl what happened, player of the game, and what it all means

Southern Miss beat Rice to win the LendingTree Bowl. What happened, who was the player of the game, and what does it all mean?

Southern Miss 38, Rice 24 LendingTree Bowl What Happened, Player of the Game, What It All Means

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LendingTree Bowl What Happened

– Frank Gore Jr. ran for 329 yards with two touchdown runs and a scoring pass – punctuated by a 55-yard touchdown run to seal the win – as Southern Miss scored 21 unanswered points over the last 19 minutes.

– Southern Miss got up 14-0 helped by a 64-yard touchdown run from Gore Jr., but Rice roared back with three touchdown passes from AJ Padgett with two to Isaiah Esdale for a 24-17 lead carried deep into the fourth.

– It wasn’t the sharpest game from either side, but Rice hung around even with the massive day from Gore Jr. The final score is going to make the game look worse than it was. The Owls were able to fight back early, but they couldn’t hold up late. The defensive front wore down just enough to allow Gore Jr. to take over.

LendingTree Bowl Player of the Game

Frank Gore Jr., RB BYU
He ran 21 times for 329 yards and two scores, and he completed two of his three passes for 19 yards and a touchdown.

CFN Experts Picks Dec 20-27 | CFP NY6, Dec 28-Jan 2

LendingTree Bowl Fun Stats

– The two teams combined for five turnovers, three from Southern Miss and two from Rice.

– The offenses combined for 975 yards. Gore Jr. accounted for 348 of the Southern Miss 550.

– Southern Miss came up with five sacks. LB Daylen Gill led the game with 11 tackles with three sacks.

LendingTree Bowl What It All Means

After two three-win seasons, and without a bowl win since taking the 2016 New Orleans, Southern Miss coming up with a winning season is a big deal in Will Hall’s second season. As part of the new and improved Sun Belt, it’s a nice momentum boost for the program going into the offseason as a potential player in the 2023 conference race.

This might not have been a perfect performance, but considering the rough three-game losing streak late in the season – and the need to beat ULM just to get here – the season changed in a big way late.

Rice was playing with house money. Of course it would’ve liked to pull off the bowl win, and it had its chances, but as the only 5-7 team in the bowl season, this was a solid game with both sides battling throughout. The run defense got gouged, but there wasn’t any letdown until Gore Jr. finally put it away late.

For all of the problems this year, it was the first bowl game in the five-year run under Mike Bloomgren, and the program’s first bowl appearance since winning the 2014 Hawaii.

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– 2022-2023 Bowl Schedule, Predictions

East Carolina 53, Coastal Carolina 29 TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl What Happened, What It All Means

East Carolina 53, Coastal Carolina 29: TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl what happened, player of the game, and what it all means

East Carolina beat Coastal Carolina 53-29 to win the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl. What happened, who was the player of the game, and what does it all mean?

East Carolina 53, Coastal Carolina 29 TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl What Happened, Player of the Game, What It All Means

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TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl What Happened

– Holton Ahlers threw five touchdown passes, the offense exploded with 21 straight points as part of a 35-7 run to put the game away by the end of the third quarter. Ahlers spread the wealth around with Isaiah Winstead coming up with two scoring grabs.

– Coastal Carolina was missing a slew of players along with head coach Jamey Chadwell, but it took a 14-10 lead and appeared to be in it until QB Grayson McCall was knocked out of the game in the second quarter. He completed 10-of-12 passes for 67 yards and ran for a touchdown before leaving the game.

– Jarrett Guest filled in for McCall and threw two touchdown passes, but it wasn’t nearly enough to keep up with Ahlers and the East Carolina offense. The Pirates outgained the Chanticleers 486 yards to 337.

100 Best Bowl Players | Ranking How Good the Bowls Were

TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl Player of the Game

Holton Ahlers, QB East Carolina
He completed 26-of-38 passes for 300 yards and five scores, and ran seven times for 48 yards and a touchdown.

CFN Experts Picks CFP NY6, Dec 28-Jan 2

TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl Fun Stats

– The two teams combined for 22 penalties or 228 yards. Both were flagged 11 times.

– Coastal Carolina turned it over three times. East Carolina didn’t turn it over.

– Keaton Mitchell ran 22 times for 127 yards and a score for East Carolina.

TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl What It All Means

East Carolina was supposed to win this, but it was still impressive how it rose to the moment and came through. There were way too many penalties, and it wasn’t always smooth, but it was a good way to close out a season that got rocky in the finishing kick.

Not only was it the first bowl win under head coach Mike Houston in his four years, it was the first appearance. It was the first bowl game for the program since 2014, the first bowl win since 2013, and just the second bowl win since 2007. Yeah, it was a big deal.

It’s going to be lost in the wash that Coastal Carolina was 6-0 and then 9-1 with big things on the table. The defense went bye-bye, it allowed 45 points or more over the last three games, and … this was a rough beat. The team lost its head coach, a slew of key players, and Grayson McCall was giving it his all despite being in the transfer portal.

Don’t let this performance ruin an otherwise strong season and great run over the last few years. The program won 31 games over the last four seasons and went to three bowl games.

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– 2022-2023 Bowl Schedule, Predictions

Houston 23, Louisiana 16 Independence Bowl What Happened, What It All Means

Houston 23, Louisiana 16: Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl what happened, player of the game, and what it all means

Houston beat Louisiana to win the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl. What happened, who was the player of the game, and what does it all mean?

Houston 23, Louisiana 16 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl What Happened, Player of the Game, What It All Means

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Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl What Happened

– Clayton Tune ran, Clayton Tune connected with KeSean Carter for a 41-yard play on 1st-and-30, Clayton Tune found Nathaniel Dell for a 12-yard touchdown pass with 20 seconds remaining to close out a 92-yard drive for the game-winning score.

– Louisiana got up 13-0, starting out with a four-yard touchdown catch from Johnny Lumpkin, but it could only manage three Kenneth Almendares field goals the rest of the way. Three turnovers – including one deep in Houston territory – left the door open for the Cougars, and they busted through scoring 17 unanswered points.

– Both offenses were cold – literally. There were big problems in the press box – the elevator got stuck – and on the field considering Shreveport, Louisiana and the two teams weren’t used to 20-degree weather. Both teams were were intense and played hard, but the weather was a factor.

100 Best Bowl Players | Ranking How Good the Bowls Were

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Player of the Game

Clayton Tune, QB Houston
He came through when he had to. Tune connected on 18-of-28 passes for 229 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, led the team with 55 rushing yards, and led the game-winning touchdown drive in the final minutes.

CFN Experts Picks Dec 20-27 | CFP NY6, Dec 28-Jan 2

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Fun Stats

– Turnovers: Louisiana 3 (one came on a last gasp drive) – Houston 0. They all made a big difference.

– The teams combined to convert 6-of-25 third down tries and 6-of-8 fourth down chances.

– Houston WR KeSean Carter caught three passes for 104 yards and a score, and Nathaniel Dell – who’s going to turn pro – caught six passes for 44 yards and two scores including the game-winner.

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl What It All Means

That game was so 2022 Houston. Underwhelm for most of the game, stay alive in key moments, and when absolutely needed, pull the game out with a one score win. It was the second year in a row QB Clayton Tune came up with a game-winning score late in a bowl game, and now the program has won two in a row after losing four straight.

It’s also a fun way to go into life in the Big 12. It might have been a relatively disappointing season overall, but the eight-win campaign made it 20 victories over the last two years after two straight losing seasons.

Louisiana had chance after chance to put the game away, and couldn’t do it. It was undermanned compared to the high-powered Cougars, but it played well to hold on time and again. Unfortunately, the drives ending in field goals instead of touchdowns – and two turnovers before the late one – left the door open.

After three double-digit win season, it was a drop-off with the program’s first losing season since 2017 and the first bowl loss after winning three straight. It was a rebuilding year under Michael Desormeaux, and it wasn’t bad, but a win in this would’ve been a big deal for the program.

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– 2022-2023 Bowl Schedule, Predictions

College Football Expert Picks Predictions: Playoff, New Year’s Six, Bowls December 28-January 2

College Football Expert picks and predictions for the College Football Playoff, New Year’s Six, and bowls from December 28th to Januarry 2nd

College football expert picks, predictions: College Football Playoff, New Year’s Six games, and bowls between December 28th and January 2nd

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* next to the pick means the team will win, but not cover.
Click on each game for the game preview and CFN Prediction

Bowl Game College Football Expert Picks
Military UCF vs Duke | Liberty Kansas vs Arkansas
Holiday UNC vs Oregon | Texas Texas Tech vs Ole Miss
Pinstripe Syracuse vs Minnesota | Cheez-It OU vs FSU
Alamo Washington vs Texas | Mayo NC St vs Maryland
Sun Pitt vs UCLA | Gator South Carolina vs Notre Dame
Arizona Ohio vs Wyoming | Orange Tennessee vs Clemson
Sugar Kansas St vs Alabama | Music City Kentucky vs Iowa
CFP Fiesta TCU vs Michigan | CFP Peach Ohio St vs Georgia
ReliaQuest Miss State vs Illinois | Cotton Tulane vs USC
Citrus Purdue vs LSU | Rose Penn State vs Utah
Results So Far | Bowls December 20-27
 Bowl Schedule, Predictions | NFL Week 15 Expert Picks

UCF vs Duke

Military Bowl

Line: Duke -3, o/u: 62.5

Eric Bolin, RazorbacksWire.com: UCF
Evan Bredeson, CornhuskersWire.com: UCF
Tony Cosolo, ColoradoBuffaloesWire.com: UCF
Jeff Feyerer, CFN: Duke
Pete Fiutak, CFN: Duke
Cami Griffin, LonghornsWire.com: Duke
Dan Harralson, VolsWire.com: UCF
Phil Harrison, BuckeyesWire.com: Duke
Jeremy Mauss, MWwire.com Duke
Kevin McGuire, NittanyLionsWire.com: UCF
Big Game Ben Niewoehner, CFN UCF
E, CFN Duke
Tyler Nettuno, LSUTigerswire.com UCF
Zack Pearson, TarHeelswire.com Duke
Johnny Rosenstein, SportsBookWire.com: Duke
Nick Shepkowski, FightingIrishWire.com: Duke
Scott Steehn, WinnersandWhiners.com: UCF
Joe Vitale, UGAWire.com: Duke
Clucko the Chicken (a coin flip), CFN: UCF
CONSENSUS PICK: Duke

NEXT: Kansas vs Arkansas Expert Picks Predictions

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Buffalo vs Georgia Southern Camellia Bowl Prediction Game Preview

Buffalo vs Georgia Southern game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the Camellia Bowl on Tuesday, December 27

Buffalo vs Georgia Southern prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch. Camellia Bowl, Tuesday, December 27

Buffalo vs Georgia Southern Camellia Bowl Prediction Game Preview

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Buffalo vs Georgia Southern How To Watch

Date: Tuesday, December 27
Game Time:12:00 ET
Venue: Crampon Bowl, Montgomery, AL
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: Buffalo (6-6), Georgia Southern (6-6)
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Buffalo vs Georgia Southern Camellia Bowl 5 Things To Know

Camellia Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

– Get ready to hear the name Kyle Vantrease a whole lot. Good at Buffalo over his five years, he transferred to Georgia Southern and helped change up the program under head coach Clay Helton.

All of a sudden, the Eagles went from being known for its option offense to finishing fourth in the nation in passing. It was a grind late in the year, but a wild 51-48 win over Appalachian State – with 389 yards from Vantrease – booked the bowl ticket.

– Buffalo has done okay for itself without Vantrease, too – even if it took a LOT of work to get here. It started 0-3 – including a Hail Mary loss to Holy Cross, won five straight, lost three straight, and it was out of the mix after the Akron game was postponed thanks to a blizzard. It was a dogfight, but the 23-22 Bull win was enough to get bowl eligible.

– This just the sixth bowl game in Buffalo history. It’s actually the seventh, but the 1958 team turned down its invitation to the Tangerine Bowl. The program lost its first three bowls starting in 2008, but under now-Kansas star coach Lance Leipold it won the last two in 2019 and 2020 – the latter the Camellia against Marshall.

– It’s the fifth bowl for Georgia Southern, winning three of the four since making the first appearance in the 2015 GoDaddy. The last appearance was a dominant 38-3 blasting of Louisiana Tech in the 2020 New Orleans.

– The Camellia Bowl has been in a few different locations over the years, but it’s now settled in at Montgomery. It’s also been one of the most consistently awesome bowl games over the last eight seasons with the first seven all decided by eight points or fewer before Georgia State blasted Ball State 51-20 last year.

CFN Experts Dec 20-27 | CFP NY6, Dec 28-Jan 2

Why Buffalo Will Win The Camellia Bowl

The defense has to crank up the takeaways.

The offense is too inconsistent and the special teams are awful, but the defense knows how to force mistakes.

For all of the good things Georgia Southern does, it’s got a problem when it starts turning the ball over. It’s 2-3 when giving it away multiple times – and the two wins were by the skin of its teeth in shootouts. UB takes it away in bunches with four or more turnovers forced in four games.

If that doesn’t work, it’s all about controlling the clock.

No, Buffalo’s offense isn’t great, but at least it operates with a deliberate pace to stay in control. Georgia Southern doesn’t care about that, moving quickly to keep defenses on their heels. There’s going to be a problem if the Eagles work fast and make mistakes, but …

Why Georgia Southern Will Win The Camellia Bowl

With a few rare exceptions, this isn’t the type of Buffalo team that did a good job of keeping up in shootouts. It could score here and there, but it was just 2-6 when it didn’t come up with more than 31 points and 1-6 when allowing more than 27.

The Georgia Southern offense has the ability to turn out the lights in a hurry if it comes up with a few early scoring drives. The offensive line is fantastic at keeping defenses out of the backfield – that’s partly because of the pace of the attack – and the offense keeps on cranking up yards through the air.

Buffalo is 0-3 when giving up 283 passing yards or more. Georgia Southern got there in every game but four.

Camellia Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

NEXT: What’s Going To Happen, Buffalo vs Georgia Southern Prediction, Camellia Bowl History

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East Carolina vs Coastal Carolina TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl Prediction Game Preview

East Carolina vs Coastal Carolina game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl on Tuesday, December 27

East Carolina vs Coastal Carolina prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch. TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl, Tuesday, December 27

East Carolina vs Coastal Carolina TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl Prediction Game Preview

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East Carolina vs Coastal Carolina How To Watch

Date: Tuesday, December 27
Game Time: 6:45 ET
Venue: Protective Stadium, Birmingham, AL
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: East Carolina (7-5), Coastal Carolina (9-3)
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East Carolina vs Coastal Carolina TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl 5 Things To Know

TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

– Coastal Carolina came close to having a special season, and it could still be a ten-win campaign. It started 6-0 and then 9-1, got rocked by James Madison, and rolled in the Sun Belt Championship by Troy.

Head coach Jamey Chadwell decided he’d rather be working at Liberty, Grayson McCall entered the transfer portal, and now the program is in a holding pattern for the Tim Beck era to begin. On the plus side, McCall is still playing in this before leaving.

– East Carolina had an interesting year. It was wildly inconsistent – good enough to blowout UCF and win at BYU, and flaky enough to get destroyed by Houston and lose to Navy – but it’s still going to be a winning season. The balanced offense knows how to crank up the yards. But …

– East Carolina has been a bowl game nightmare. Since getting by Boise State in the 2007 Hawaii it lost four of the last five and went 4-9 since 1992. It was supposed to play Boston College in last year’s Military, but it got canceled thanks to COVID.

– This is just the third bowl game for Coastal Carolina, with all coming in the last three seasons under Chadwell. The Chanticleers lost a thriller of a 2020 Cure Bowl to Liberty, and last year hung on for dear life to beat Northern Illinois in the 2021 Cure.

– The 2020 Birmingham Bowl – coming at the end of the 2019 season – was a rough 36-6 Cincinnati blowout over Boston College, and the 2020 season version was canceled. Other than that, this has been one of the consistently best bowls of the season. Four of the last five were thrillers including Houston’s win over Auburn last season in the final moments.

CFN Experts Dec 20-27 | CFP NY6, Dec 28-Jan 2

Why East Carolina Will Win The TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl

Coastal Carolina’s missing parts are more of a problem than East Carolina’s. But even at full strength, the Pirates have the style to give the Chanticleers problems.

ECU is usually dominates the turnover battle, it’s great offensively on third downs, and it’s going against a team that’s struggles on defense at getting off the field.

The Pirates haven’t turned the ball over since October 8th, going six straight games without a mistake and with eight games on the year with no turnovers. Coastal Carolina struggled over the last three games – two losses and a close call against Southern Miss – partly because it gave it up seven times.

Combined the lack of turnovers with almost no issues with penalties, and East Carolina isn’t going to beat itself.

Combine all of that with what East Carolina is about to do against a Coastal Carolina pass defense that was the worst in the Sun Belt, and it’s a nice mix. However …

Top 100 Bowl Players | Ranking Bowl Games So Far

Why Coastal Carolina Will Win The TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl

Grayson McCall, have a day.

Assuming he’s really and truly going to still play in this – and not be off being a Florida Gator or something – he going to crank up huge numbers against a Pirate secondary that allowed a nation-worst 299 passing yards per game.

From Houston and Clayton Tune pushing for 435 yards, to Temple rolling up 527 yards and five scores in a loss, to everyone by Navy and BYU coming up with at least 200 yards, everyone got fat on the East Carolina secondary.

Even with McCall out for a few games with a foot injury, the offense still worked. One of the most efficient passing games in America should be able to fire at will, but …

TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

NEXT: What’s Going To Happen, East Carolina vs Coastal Carolina Prediction, TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl History

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Houston vs Louisiana Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Prediction Game Preview

Houston vs Louisiana game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl on Friday, December 23

Houston vs Louisiana prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch. Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, Friday, December 23

Houston vs Louisiana Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Prediction Game Preview

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Houston vs Louisiana How To Watch

Date: Friday, December 23
Game Time: 3:00 ET
Venue: Independence Stadium, Shreveport, LA
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: Houston (7-5), Louisiana (6-6)
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Houston vs Louisiana Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl 5 Things To Know

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

– Houston wasn’t supposed to be here. It was supposed to be this year’s Cincinnati, ripping through a not-that-bad schedule on the way to pushing for a College Football Playoff spot. That all went bye-bye early with a 2-3 start in a season that wasn’t going anywhere.

Give the team credit for roaring back, winning five of its next six before stalling in a regular season loss to Tulsa. But that’s Houston. It has the talent to hang with just about anyone, but its defense and inconsistencies are just enough to make this a toss up.

– Louisiana wasn’t able to keep the fun going after head coach Billy Napier left for Florida, but the team managed to grind its way though the season and won its finale against Texas State to get bowl eligible. The offense is balanced and the defense opportunistic, but it’s going to need any aspect of the home crowd – and for Houston to be a little unfocused – to pull this off.

– Napier won two straight bowl games after losing his first to Tulane in the 2018 Cure, and Michael Desormeaux was able to fill in last year and lead the way to a New Orleans win over Marshall before getting the full-time gig. At the FBS level, the Ragin’ Cajuns have been great in bowls, going 5-2 since their first appearance in 2011.

– Let’s just say Houston has been a bit rocky in bowls. It shut out Navy 35-0 in the 1980 Garden State, and then it went on 5-14 run. It lost four straight after Tom Herman led the way to a New Year’s Six Peach Bowl win over Florida State, and that was it for the fun with four straight losses, including a 70-14 clunker to Army in the 2018 Armed Forces.

Just when it seemed like it was going to be business as usual last year, the Cougars came back late to beat Auburn 17-13 in the Birmingham. Head coach Dana Holgorsen could really use this as the program makes the move into the Big 12.

– At least among the early bowls, it’s one of the older games with the first back in 1976 – a 20-16 McNeese State win over Tulsa. Last year’s 31-28 UAB win over BYU broke a rough run with the 2020 game canceled and the previous four all ugly after Virginia Tech and Tulsa put on a 55-52 show in 2015. There’s hope for this – Houston games aren’t boring.

CFN Bowl Expert Picks: Dec 16-19 | Dec 20-27

Why Houston Will Win The Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl

When the offense is on, look out.

It was a massive win for the team when star WR Nathaniel Dell decided to play even though he declared he was leaving for the NFL Draft. With 103 catches and 15 scores, he’s one of the most dangerous playmakers in the country, and he’s not alone.

Getting back QB Clayton Tune – at least he’s expected to go – to along with Dell all but guarantees the offensive fireworks. Last year he closed out a huge season with his late comeback drive to beat Auburn. This season he’s been a yardage machine, but that’s partly because the defense couldn’t come up with enough stops.

Louisiana can run well, but it’s nothing like the Billy Napier teams – he took some of the parts with him. The Ragin’ Cajuns might have put 41 on the board in the regular season finale win over Texas State, but they’ll have to press to keep up.

However …

Why Louisiana Will Win The Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl

The Houston defense. It’s got issues.

It comes up with a ton of sacks and lots of big plays in the backfield, but they don’t translate. It gets ripped up through the air, allows 430 yards per game overall, and it can’t come up with a third down stop.

To be fair, the penalties slowed down in the second half of the season, but there are somewhere between 7-to-10 flags coming in this at some point.

Louisiana can stay in this by keeping the mistakes to a minimum – it’s good in turnover margin – and by just hanging around. Houston has a way of taking a nap here and there during games, especially against teams that can throw.

If Chandler Fields can find any sort of a groove, he’s hitting 250 on this bunch. However …

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

NEXT: What’s Going To Happen, Houston vs Louisiana Prediction, Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl History

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College Football Expert Picks Predictions Bowl Games December 20-27

College football expert picks and predictions for the bowl games from December 20th through the 27th

College football expert picks, predictions for all of the bowl games from December 20th through the 27th

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* next to the pick means the team will win, but not cover.
Click on each game for the game preview and CFN Prediction

Bowl Game College Football Expert Picks
Fenway EMU vs SJSU | Boca Liberty vs Toledo
NO WKU vs USA | Armed Forces AF vs Baylor
Ind Louisiana vs Houston | Gasp Missouri vs WF 
Hawaii MTSU vs SDSU | Quick NMSU vs BGSU
Camellia UB vs GaSo | 1st Resp Utah St vs Memphis
Birm Coast Carolina vs ECU | GuarRate Ok St vs Wis
Results So Far | Bowls December 16-19
 Bowl Schedule, Predictions | Ranking all 41 Bowls
NFL Week 15 Expert Picks

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Eastern Michigan vs San Jose State

Line: San Jose State -4.5, o/u: 55.5

Eric Bolin, RazorbacksWire.com: San Jose State
Evan Bredeson, CornhuskersWire.com: San Jose State
Tony Cosolo, ColoradoBuffaloesWire.com: San Jose State
Jeff Feyerer, CFN: San Jose State
Pete Fiutak, CFN: San Jose State
Cami Griffin, LonghornsWire.com: San Jose State
Dan Harralson, VolsWire.com: San Jose State
Phil Harrison, BuckeyesWire.com: San Jose State
Jeremy Mauss, MWwire.com San Jose State
Kevin McGuire, NittanyLionsWire.com: San Jose State
Big Game Ben Niewoehner, CFN Eastern Michigan
E, CFN San Jose State
Tyler Nettuno, LSUTigerswire.com San Jose State
Zack Pearson, TarHeelswire.com San Jose State
Johnny Rosenstein, SportsBookWire.com: San Jose State
Nick Shepkowski, FightingIrishWire.com: San Jose State
Scott Steehn, WinnersandWhiners.com: San Jose State
Joe Vitale, UGAWire.com: San Jose State
Clucko the Chicken (a coin flip), CFN: Eastern Michigan
CONSENSUS PICK: San Jose State

NEXT: Liberty vs Toledo Expert Picks Predictions

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South Alabama vs WKU R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Prediction Game Preview

South Alabama vs WKU game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl on Wednesday, December 21

South Alabama vs WKU prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch. R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Wednesday, December 21

South Alabama vs WKU R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Prediction Game Preview

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South Alabama vs WKU How To Watch

Date: Wednesday, December 21
Game Time: 9:00 pm ET
Venue: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: South Alabama (10-2), WKU (8-5)
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South Alabama vs WKU R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl 5 Things To Know

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

– South Alabama might be the best Power Five team you didn’t pay any attention to this season. You probably didn’t notice it came this close to beating UCLA, and you probably didn’t notice that it was that 32-31 loss and a 10-6 battle with Troy away from being perfect. It didn’t exactly roll a slew of killers, but it has a solid offense, it controls the clock, and it brings one of the best run defenses in the country.

– WKU brings the fun. No, it doesn’t care about time of possession, and it’ll see your solid offense with a high-octane passing attack. It lost star QB Austin Reed to the transfer portal – he was supposedly headed to Louisville – but he changed his mind and came back. Here comes the offensive show.

– The Hilltoppers have played in eight FBS-level bowl games and won five of them. Head man Tyson Helton won two of his three – including the 2021 Boca Raton with a 59-38 explosion over Appalachian State.

– This is just the third bowl game for South Alabama and the first under head coach Kane Wommack. It’s a showcase moment for him and the program that lost its first two bowl tries and hasn’t been in one since losing to Air Force in the 2016 Arizona.

– The New Orleans Bowl always seems like it should be fun – the matchups are always strong – but the last five have been relative blowouts and seven of the last eight were decided by 13 or more. It’s been the Sun Belt’s world winning the last four.

CFN Bowl Expert Picks: Dec 16-19 | Dec 20-27

Why South Alabama Will Win The R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

How did South Alabama get it done this year?

It’s been a rock defensively, it doesn’t make a slew of mistakes or turnovers, and the ground game was one of the best in the nation. La’Damian Webb ran for over 1,000 yards and 13 scores, but he’s not alone in the rotation of runners including QB Carter Bradley.

Run well, rely on the defense, limit the turnovers – which, to be fair, come in bunches, but the team overcomes them. But against WKU it’s about holding up against a ton of midrange passes.

The Jaguars haven’t had too many problems surviving the games against teams that throw a ton. The wins haven’t been easy, but they can handle WKU thanks to a strong-tackling back-seven.

However …

Why WKU Will Win The R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

Getting back Austin Reed changes the game.

He’s a veteran passer who’s been around the block as a big bomber for West Florida at the D-II level before fitting right in at WKU. The South Alabama defense might be terrific, but it’s about to get thrown on 50 times for at least 300 yards.

But it’s not just about Reed and the air show. The WKU offense can run well enough to mix it up, and the defense isn’t just along for the ride. It might have had a bumpy finish in a blowout loss to Auburn and a tough 32-31 fight with Florida Atlantic, but few teams in the country do more to take the ball away.

WKU’s defense is high-risk/high-reward. It can get run over, but it makes up for it with a ton of forced fumbles. It’ll give up big plays through the air, but it also generates a bunch of picks.

It’s just this simple. For all the good things the offense does, and as good as Reed is, WKU is 7-0 when coming up with two or more takeaways, and 1-5 when it doesn’t.

But …

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

NEXT: What’s Going To Happen, South Alabama vs WKU Prediction, R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl History

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Marshall vs UConn Myrtle Beach Bowl Prediction Game Preview

Marshall vs UConn game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the Myrtle Beach Bowl on Monday, December 19

Marshall vs UConn prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch. Myrtle Beach Bowl, Monday, December 19

Marshall vs UConn Myrtle Beach Bowl Prediction Game Preview

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Marshall vs UConn How To Watch

Date: Monday, December 19
Game Time: 2:30 ET
Venue: Brooks Stadium, Conway, SC
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: Marshall (8-4), UConn (6-6)
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Marshall vs UConn Myrtle Beach Bowl 5 Things To Know

Myrtle Beach Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

– How did Jim Mora Jr. not make every Coach of the Year list? Before 2022, UConn won exactly ten games since 2015, hadn’t had a winning season since 2010, didn’t play in 2020, and a 2019 victory over UMass was the lone win against an FBS team since the middle of the 2017 season. Mora’s team shocked Fresno State as it went on a 5-1 run to get bowl eligible before dropping the regular season finale. This has been a wildly successful year no matter what happens here.

– It’s been a crazy season for Marshall. It made a massive splash with a shocking win over Notre Dame, and then it promptly followed it up with a loss to Bowling Green as part of a rough 2-4 run with a tough November looming. The switch was flipped, the defense took things up a notch, and the Herd closed out 4-0.

– For years Marshall was a bowl season given. It lost its first two, and then from 1998 to 2018 it went 12-1, with the only loss coming to Cincinnati in the 2004 Fort Worth. Along that ride was a 16-10 win over UConn in the 2015 St. Petersburg. Now it’s on a three-bowl losing streak including a 36-21 rocking from Louisiana in last year’s New Orleans Bowl.

– It’s just the seventh bowl appearance in the history of UConn football. It’s 3-3 with the last win coming over South Carolina in the 2009 PapaJohn.com Bowl. The only bowl between this and the 2010 Fiesta loss to Oklahoma was that loss to Marshall. Yeah, this game means something.

– The Myrtle Beach Bowl is only in its third season, but the first two games at least were interesting. It’s become a landing place for good Group of Five programs, and it’s got the college football day all to itself on a Monday afternoon. Appalachian State ran wild in a 56-28 win over North Texas in the inaugural game, and Tulsa’s 30-17 win over Old Dominion last year was more entertaining than the final score.

CFN Bowl Expert Picks: Dec 16-19 | Dec 20-27

Why Marshall Will Win The Myrtle Beach Bowl

It’s a nice UConn team, but it’s about to run into a brick wall – not literally, but almost.

Marshall might not have a high-powered offense, but the run defense has been tremendous all year long, finishing fifth in the nation allowing just 88 yards per game. No one was able to get to 200 on this bunch – not Notre Dame, not Appalachian State, not Coastal Carolina – and UConn has to run well to win.

The Huskies were able to pull off a few wins when the ground game wasn’t flying, but the O line allows way too many plays behind the line, third downs are almost impossible to convert, and the passing attack does nothing down the field – UConn is dead last in the nation in yards per completion.

On the other side, Marshall is 6-0 when running for 200 yards or more. UConn is 1-6 when allowing more than 155 yards, but ….

Why UConn Will Win The Myrtle Beach Bowl

The running game really could work.

Granted, it cranked up the big yards against some of the worst run defenses in America, but with time to prepare and get everyone healthy again, the offense is about to hit Marshall with a wave of young backs.

Zion Turner is a dangerous young quarterback who can get on the move, the running backs should push for close to five yards per carry, and it should be able to slow the game down a bit.

The UConn defense doesn’t do too much to get behind the line, but it doesn’t take much to disrupt the Marshall attack. The passing game isn’t great, the O is miserable at converting drives into points, and the line is way too leaky.

However …

Myrtle Beach Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

NEXT: What’s Going To Happen, Marshall vs UConn Prediction, Myrtle Beach Bowl History

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