Tag: Birmingham Bowl

Duke builds early lead, holds on to secure a bowl victory

Duke held on to secure the victory over Troy.

The Birmingham Bowl should have been called the interim bowl game on Saturday. The Duke Blue Devils were led by Trooper Taylor, who would fill in for Mike Elko, who left for Texas A&M. Greg Gasparato took on the role of interim coach since Jon Sumrall left for the vacancy at Tulane.

Duke raced out to a 14-0 first half lead thanks to a touchdown to Jaylen Coleman. Todd Pelino made it 14-0 after two field goals, including a 37-yard attempt as time expired in the half. Troy’s defense would tighten up in the second half.

The Trojans finally got on the board with a 44-yard field goal with 01:36 left in the third quarter. Duke quickly answered a 45-yard field goal from Pelino to give them the 14-point lead once again.

Offensive lineman Derrick Graham had the play of the game when he ran into the endzone from two yards out to close the gap to seven with 5:54 left in the game.

Troy had one final shot to tie up the game or even take the lead late. With 1:46 left to go the Trojans began the drive from their own 11-yard line. The dream ending never came as Duke picked off Gunnar Watson just two plays and 24 seconds later.

Check out these images from the game:

Troy left tackle Derrick Graham scored a big-man touchdown to the delight of fans everywhere

The big man for six!

Troy’s magical season ended with a crushing loss in the Birmingham Bowl, 17-10, to Duke on Saturday.

The Trojans valiantly battled through head coach Jon Sumrall departing for Tulane — and a stomach bug that the ESPN broadcast said had the team in some distress — but they were still able to pull off one last miracle highlight before the clock hit zero.

On third-and-goal at the two-yard line late in the second half, 6’4″, 314-pound left tackle Derrick Graham took a delayed toss and powered his way into the end zone, slowing down just enough at the goal line to truck a Duke defender in his way.

It was beautiful.

Troy’s field level view of Graham’s run was even better.

Plays like these — and Northern Illinois’ kicker rushing for a 32-yard touchdown in the Camillia Bowl — are exactly why we tune in for these postseason games and college fans were pumped for Graham.

Trooper Taylor wins first game as head coach

Former Tennessee assistant Trooper Taylor wins first game as head coach.

Duke (8-5) defeated Troy (11-3), 17-10, on Saturday in the Birmingham Bowl.

The contest was played at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama.

Trooper Taylor served as Duke’s interim head coach against Troy in the Birmingham Bowl. He was an assistant coach at Tennessee from 2004-07, overseeing running backs, wide receivers and as assistant head coach.

Taylor took over as the Blue Devils’ interim head coach following the departure of Mike Elko. Elko served as Duke’s head coach from 2022-23. He was hired in the same capacity at Texas A&M on Nov. 27.

Manny Diaz was hired as Duke’s head coach on Dec. 7, replacing Elko.

PHOTOS: Tennessee football head coaches through the years

Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

USA TODAY Sports projects this bowl game for Florida after Week 9

No changes in USA TODAY Sports’ bowl game outlook ahead of the Arkansas matchup this weekend.

Billy Napier and Co. hit a brick wall in Week 9 of the 2023 college football schedule, getting trounced in Jacksonville by the Georgia Bulldogs, 43-20. While the Gators were not expected to triumph over the top-ranked team in the nation, the results illustrated the gap that remains between the two historic rivals.

USA TODAY Sports’ Erick Smith chimed in with his weekly college football bowl projections after the dust settled on the gridiron, in which he predicts where a plethora of programs will be playing in the postseason.

The Orange and Blue’s outlook remains unchanged from the previous weeks as it remains matched up with Southern Methodist Mustangs on Dec. 23 in the Birmingham Bowl.

Next up for Florida are the Arkansas Razorbacks, who arrive in Gainesville for a Week 10 matchup inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Nov. 4. Kickoff is slated for noon EDT and the game can be watched on the SEC Network+.

Check out the full bowl projections from USA TODAY Sports below.

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USA TODAY Sports projects Florida for this bowl destination

USA TODAY Sports projects Florida Gators’ invitation to Birmingham Bowl after Week 7.

Every week, sports experts and writers make projections of where every possible bowl-eligible team will end up playing to cap off the 2023 season.

USA TODAY Sports college sports editor Erick Smith submitted his entries this week and said that not a lot changed his projections after a straight-forward week of college football.

The Florida Gators defied expectations, pulling off a last-minute upset over the South Carolina Gamecocks last Saturday afternoon. After evaluating the Gators and it recent performances, Smith is predicting is the program will get an invitation to the Birmingham Bowl in Alabama.

The predicted opponent for the Orange and Blue would be the SMU Mustangs from the American Conference. The Mustangs are currently 4-2 and are also on a two-game winning streak after beating East Carolina, 31-10, on the road last Thursday.

Experts at ESPN and CBS Sports have differing opinions than Smith’s, projecting a trip to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl instead.

The Birmingham Bowl will be played on Dec. 23.

The Florida Gators are on a bye week and are resting before its big rivalry bout in Jacksonville where they challenge the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs.

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Where USA TODAY Sports has Florida playing its bowl game after Week 6

USA TODAY Sports still thinks the Gators will be playing this team at this bowl location.

Florida football scored a bounce-back victory Saturday over the Vanderbilt Commodores for its annual homecoming game, getting the Gators back into the win column. While the triumph in the Swamp was an important one for Billy Napier’s squad, it did not move the chains much given the opponent’s lowly reputation.

After the dust settled from Saturday’s gridiron grind, USA TODAY Sports’ Erick Smith published his complete outlook for the college football bowl season with Week 6 in the books.

Following Florida’s loss at the Kentucky Wildcats in Week 5, Smith had the Gators playing the Southern Methodist Mustangs on Dec. 23 in the Birmingham Bowl — the same as he projected after the Week 3 win over the Tennessee Volunteers. Before the Kentucky loss, he had Florida facing the Tulane Green Wave in the Gasparilla Bowl.

After Week 6, Smith once again has SMU and UF facing off in Birmingham, Alabama.

Next up for Florida is a trip to Columbia, South Carolina, to face Spencer Rattler and the South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday, Oct. 14, inside William-Brice Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. EDT and the game can be watched on the SEC Network.

Check out the full bowl projections from USA TODAY Sports below.

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USA TODAY Sports predicts this bowl destination for Florida football

Once again, USA TODAY Sports sees the Gators playing in the Birmingham Bowl this postseason.

Things did not go to plan for Florida football in Week 5, which saw the Gators lose their third-straight game against the Kentucky Wildcats for the first time in over 70 years. As a result, the Orange and Blue have taken a tumble in both the polls and the postseason predictions.

Among those casting their bowl projections near the midpoint of the regular season is USA TODAY Sports’ Erick Smith, who published his complete outlook for the college football bowl season this winter. While Billy Napier and Co. managed to make the cut, their destination is far from exciting.

Smith has the Gators facing the Southern Methodist Mustangs on Dec. 23 in the Birmingham Bowl— the same venue as he picked back after the Week 3 win over the Tennessee Volunteers. Florida participated in a bowl game there once back in 2014 when interim head coach D.J. Durkin led the team to a win over the East Carolina Pirates after Will Muschamp’s departure.

Last week, Smith had Florida facing the Tulane Green Wave in the Gasparilla Bowl, which is the same location that CBS Sports chose this week.

Next up for the Orange and Blue are the Vanderbilt Commodores, who come to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 7, for the school’s homecoming game. Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m. EDT and the game can be watched on the SEC Network.

The full USA TODAY Sports bowl predictions can be found below.

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USA TODAY Sports projected bowl game for Florida after Week 3 win

Despite the big win, Florida’s bowl destination remains the same in the eyes of USA TODAY Sports.

Florida football scored a potentially season-defining win in the Swamp last Saturday against the visiting Tennessee Volunteers, 29-16, to push the team’s record to 2-1 early on in the 2023 campaign.

Billy Napier and Co. got off to a slow start, getting embarrassed in Salt Lake City by the Utah Utes to open things up before finding their footing against the McNeese State Cowboys in Week 2. Since then, things have been slowly trending upward.

USA TODAY Sports’ bowl projections left the Gators out in its first edition after the loss to the Utes, but following the win over the  Cowboys, UF was in line for a postseason game — albeit at an uninspiring venue.

After beating its SEC East rivals, Florida’s postseason destination did not change as the Orange and Blue are still expected to play in the Birmingham Bowl against the Southern Methodist Mustangs on Dec. 23. Florida has participated in a bowl game there before back in 2014 when interim head coach D.J. Durkin led the team to a win over the East Carolina Pirates after Will Muschamp left the team.

Next up for Napier and the Gators are the Charlotte 49ers who come to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 23. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. EDT and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network+.

The full USA TODAY Sports bowl predictions can be found below.

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Where USA TODAY Sports sees Florida playing its bowl game after Week 2

Florida re-enters the bowl game picture with the win over McNeese State.

Florida football evened up its 2023 regular-season record with a 49-7 win over the Football Championship Subdivision McNeese State Cowboys last weekend in the team’s home opener. The victory represented a bounce back from a lackluster performance in the opening game against the Utah Utes.

While the Orange and Blue were not expected to prevail in Salt Lake City, Billy Napier’s boys looked out of sync in every aspect of the game which gave the media even more reason to cast its bearish opinions on his year’s squad. The win last weekend showed a good deal of improvement but came against an overmatched opponent.

Heading into last weekend, USA TODAY Sports’ bowl projections left the Gators out in its first edition. With the win, Florida is now in line for a postseason game — albeit at an uninspiring venue.

This week, Napier and Co. are expected to play in the Birmingham Bowl against the Southern Methodist Mustangs on Dec. 23. The Orange and Blue have participated in a bowl game there before back in 2014 when interim head coach D.J. Durkin led the team to a win over the East Carolina Pirates after Will Muschamp left the team.

Next up for Florida are the Tennessee Volunteers, who come to Gainesville on Saturday, Sept. 16, for the SEC schedule opener between two historic rivals. The opening kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. EDT and the game can be watched on ESPN.

The full USA TODAY Sports bowl predictions can be found below.

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Best bets for every bowl game, Pt. 2 (pre-New Year’s Six bowls)

Part 2 of our best bets for bowl season.

After a day off, bowl season picks right back up on Monday with the Quick Lane Bowl between New Mexico State and Bowling Green. That means its time for me to pick things up where I left off in Pt. 1 of my best bets for bowl season.

For those who tailed my previous picks, it’s been a good time. I’ve been picking a lot more winners than losers, and I hope to keep the good fortune on my side for 16 more bowl-game picks all the way up until the first NY6 bowl on Friday night.

Before we get into the picks, here’s a look at where things stand: