Syracuse embarrasses football program in Boca Raton Bowl drubbing

Syracuse used a tight end at QB in its blowout loss to USF in the Boca Raton Bowl

The poster child for contracting bowl games is the Boca Raton Bowl in 2023.

USF throttled Syracuse, 45-0, on Thursday and it was worse than the score indicates.

Thanks to the transfer portal, one Orange quarterback wore No. 89, Dan Villari. He started his career at Michigan before arriving in Central New York as a tight end, hence the number.

Villari was 4-of-11 for 55 yards in the rout. He did add 37 rushing yards.

The Orange were 1-of-17 on third down. They were outgained 407-159.

They had 20 rushing yards on 41 attempts after sacks were factored.

There were four turnovers.

Unfortunately, Syracuse did win the time of possession battle: 30:06-29:54.

School administrators did Dino Babers a favor by letting him go.

New coach Dino Brown, who comes from Georgia, had to be shellshocked after watching what his Dawgs have done over the past few years.

2024 NFL draft: 1 prospect to watch in each bowl game (Dec. 18-22)

Here’s who will be garnering the attention of NFL scouts from Dec. 18 through the 22nd.

‘Tis the season for college football bowl games.

Throughout the next couple of weeks, I’ll be highlighting a prospect from each bowl game, starting from the Famous Toastery Bowl all the way to the Sugar Bowl.

Here’s who will be garnering the attention of NFL scouts from Dec. 18 through the 22nd.

CBS Sports predicts this in-state venue for Florida football’s bowl game

Another possible in-state destination for the Gators this postseason.

Billy Napier’s team got back on the winning track last weekend with a homecoming victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores, 38-14. While the triumph did not move the needle much in terms of confidence in this year’s edition of Florida football, it at least kept the program on track to play in a bowl game this winter.

Last week following the loss to the Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington, CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm had Florida facing the Ohio Bobcats in the Gasparilla Bowl on Dec. 22. After the Vanderbilt win in Week 6, he now predicts that the Gators will play in the Boca Raton Bowl against the South Alabama Jaguars on Dec. 21, with a kickoff time of 8 p.m. EDT.

The Orange and Blue still have some work to do before it clinches a bowl birth, with a game at the South Carolina Gamecocks coming up, followed by a bye. Then the pinnacle of the season arrives when they face the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party in Jacksonville on Oct. 28.

November will not be a cakewalk either, with the Arkansas Razorbacks coming to the Swamp on Nov. 4 followed by a trip to Baton Rogue to face a talented but struggling LSU Tigers team. The season is then wrapped up with a road game at the Missouri Tigers followed by the season-clincher in Gainesville against the Florida State Seminoles.

Next up for Florida is a trip to Columbia to face Spencer Rattler and the 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.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Toledo 21, Liberty 19 Boca Raton Bowl What Happened, What It All Means

Toledo 21, Liberty 19: RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl what happened, player of the game, and what it all means

Toledo beat Liberty 21-19 to win the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl. What happened, who was the player of the game, and what does it all mean?


Toledo 21, Liberty 19 RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl What Happened, Player of the Game, What It All Means

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RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl What Happened

Toledo overcame a 7-0 deficit by getting the ground game going on a 21-point run, and then hung on late for the Boca Raton Bowl win. Shedro Louis got it all started with a nine-yard scoring run for the Flames, but Thomas Cluckey hit two field goals and QB Dequan Finn ran for a score and threw a short touchdown pass to put the Rockets in the lead for good.

– Liberty made it interesting. Trebon Sibley caught a 29-yard touchdown pass, but the extra point went wide – that mattered. On a trick play, tight end CJ Daniels took a double pass 67 yards for a touchdown in the final minutes, but down 21-19 Liberty had to go for two, didn’t connect, and Toledo was able to grind out the clock.

– The weather mattered. It started raining early on, and that made it come down to getting physical on the offensive line. Liberty owned the tempo early, and then it all flipped as the Toledo offense was able to grind it out the rest of the way. The Flame defense couldn’t get off the field.

100 Best Bowl Players | Ranking How Good the Bowls Were

RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl Player of the Game

Durrell Johnson, DE Liberty 
In a losing cause, the veteran end got banged up, but he still made nine tackles  seven of them solo – with a sack and five tackles for loss.

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

RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl Fun Stats

– Toledo RB Jacquez Stuart took over with a physical 23 carries for 111 yards averaging close to five yards per carry.

– Liberty LB Mike Smith made a game-high 16 stops with half a sack and two tackles for loss.The Flames came up with a total of 12 tackles for loss.

– Time of Possession: Toledo 40:03 – Liberty 19:57. The Rockets converted 10-of-17 third down chances. Liberty converted 2-of-8 tries.

RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl What It All Means

This was massive for the Jason Candle era. Not only did his Rockets win the MAC Championship, but it came up with nine wins for the best season since his 11-win run in 2017.

It was also the first bowl win – Candle was 0-4 after winning his first game in the 2015 Boca Raton in an interim status – in the last seven years. His team was getting beaten up early, got more physical, and was able to pull it off in the rain.

It was a brutal end to the season for a Liberty team that looked to be in the mix for a New Year’s Six game as late as November 12th. And then it all collapsed with a four-game losing streak to close. The team did what it could under rough coaching circumstances, but it fought well in this and had a chance to tie it up late.

Even so, it was still the fifth season in five in the FBS without a losing campaign, it was still a fourth straight year with eight wins or more, and while it might have been the first bowl loss in the FBS, it wasn’t a horrible performance. Now it’s on to the Jamey Chadwell era.

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2022-2023 Bowl Schedule, Predictions

Liberty vs. Toledo, live stream, preview, TV channel, time, how to watch Boca Raton Bowl

The Liberty Flames and Toledo Rockets will face off in the Boca Raton Bowl on Tuesday night at FAU Stadium.

The Liberty Flames and Toledo Rockets will face off in the Boca Raton Bowl on Tuesday night at FAU Stadium, marking the first time the two teams have met on the field since 2007. Liberty enters the game with an 8-4 record, but they have had several key players transfer out of the program in recent weeks. Meanwhile, the Rockets come into the game with an 8-5 record and are fresh off a 17-7 victory over Ohio in the MAC Championship Game.

This will be a great game tonight, here is everything you need to know to watch and stream the action.

Boca Raton Bowl: Liberty vs. Toledo

  • When: Tuesday, December 20
  • Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: ESPN, ESPN Deportes
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

NCAA Football Odds and Betting Lines

NCAA odds courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook. Odds were updated at 12:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

Liberty vs. Toledo (-4)

O/U: 51

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Best bets for every bowl game, Pt. 1 (pre-Christmas Day bowls)

Part 1 of our picks for all 43 bowl games.

Bowl season is officially upon us, and there is something for everybody. In fact, some might say there are too many bowls — or so many that most end up being just exhibitions.

I’m not going to sit here and disagree. But if you can’t find something to enjoy from any of these games, college football just might not be your thing.

An alternative way to get invested is through a little betting action. And because most people don’t have time to research 43 different games, I did it for you.

Starting with every bowl before Christmas, these are my best bets for each game. Check back later for the remaining bowls.

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Bowl Game Reaction: Boca Raton, Celebration, New Mexico, Independence

Quick reactions to the college football games: Boca Raton, Celebration, New Mexico, Independence Bowls

Bowl Game Reaction to the Boca Raton, Celebration, New Mexico, and Independence Bowls


Bowl Game Reaction: Boca Raton, Celebration, New Mexico, Independence

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CFN Predictions | 2021-2022 Bowl Schedule

Bowl Game Reactions  
– Boca Raton: WKU 59, App St 38
– Celebration, New Mexico, Independence to come

Boca Raton Bowl Reaction: WKU 59, Appalachian State 38

– Now THAT’S a bowl game. It started early, started fast, and it kept on rolling until Appalachian State punched itself out in the second half. 1,246 yards of total offense, 97 points, big play after big play. This was why we all do bowl season.

– Bailey Zappe was incredible. He threw for 422 yards and six scores with no picks, but he had a whole lot of help. Zappe was the signature star coming in from Houston Baptist – and he set the single season passing record and broke Joe Burrow’s touchdown pass record – but battery mate Jerreth Sterns had a whole lot to do with it, too. The star WR caught 13 passes for 184 yards and three scores.

– Appalachian State could never get control. For good and for mostly bad, it kept scoring too quickly. It needed to slow things down to a stop, but it got caught up in a firefight and couldn’t keep up. The running game did what it was supposed to do – 251 yards – but the team only had the ball for just over 31 minutes. The time of possession battle needed to be lopsided.

– No, WKU’s defense didn’t do a whole lot – it couldn’t tackle, it gave up over 600 yards, and it struggled – but the four turnovers made a difference. The pace of the game made Appalachian State press, and the mistakes followed.

COMING: Celebration Bowl, New Mexico Bowl, Independence Bowl

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CFN Predictions | 2021-2022 Bowl Schedule

Boca Raton Bowl Prospect Preview: WKU Hilltoppers vs. Appalachian St. Mountaineers

Boca Raton Bowl Prospect Preview: WKU Hilltoppers vs. Appalachian St. Mountaineers #GoTops #GoApp

We have now reached the first Saturday of bowl season and I expect today to be a bit less shocking than Friday as both games were nail biters and were expected to be blowouts. The first game on Saturday kicks off at 11:00 AM and features the WKU Hilltoppers (8-5) of the C-USA taking on the Appalachian State Mountaineers (10-3) of the Sun Belt.

This game should be the most exciting of the Saturday slate with the sprad being less than a field goal and both teams looking to avenge thier conference championship losses, but that’s not why we are here. Let’s dive into the top prospects!

BYU 49, UCF 23: Boca Raton Bowl 10 Things To Know

BYU 49, UCF 23. The 10 ten things you need to know about BYU win over UCF in the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl.

BYU 49, UCF 23. The 10 ten things you need to know about BYU win over UCF in the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl.


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BYU 49, UCF 23: Boca Raton Bowl

10. Was there a more underappreciated running back in the country than Tyler Allgeier? The BYU sophomore started the season hot, ended the season hotter, and finished with 1,130 yards and 14 touchdowns averaging 7.5 yards per carry – and he missed the San Diego State game. Zach Wilson is the superstar of the show, and the offensive line opened up a whole lot of big holes, but Allgeier was brilliant.

9. It’s been a really, really rough run for the Boca Raton Bowl. This was the seventh all-time game and none of them have been closer than 15 points. The seven-year all-time score is 323-138 – an average of 46-20. BYU was up 49-10 with just under 20 minutes to play.

8. No, this isn’t an indictment on UCF football, and for all the great things the program has done over the last few years, this doesn’t mean things are slipping … yet.

Remember, the Knights had a whole slew of player opt out before the season,  they still beat Georgia Tech by 28 – don’t mock it; there weren’t many Group of Five over Power Five wins this year if you take out Liberty and the Sun Belt – and the explosion was still there.

The losses? 50-49 on the road in a heartbreaker against Memphis, Tulsa, Cincinnati, and BYU. The two AAC championship combatants, a BYU team that was painfully close to being in a New Year’s six game, and a wild shootout.

7. All season long, BYU had a knack for ripping off big plays early and taking the heart out of a game. It did that against UCF, but UCF was supposed to be able to keep up. The first BYU scoring drive went 87 yards in under two minutes, and the second went 72 yards in four plays. The Cougars out-UCFed, UCF with a 14-0 lead four minutes in.

6. A 35-7 lead late in the first half, no turnovers, over 33 minutes of possession, and just one punt on the night. This was as perfect a bowl game as BYU could’ve come up with. As it showed throughout the season, when the lines were able to take over and the team was on a mission to make a statement, it was able to do it.

5. BYU didn’t do anything fancy defensively but 1) not let the UCF speedsters gets into space like Coastal Carolina could, and 2) it got off the field. It didn’t generate any takeaways, there wasn’t any pressure from the line, and it allowed UCF to hit 50% of its third down tries. However, it came up with the early stops it needed to, the offense did its thing, and it was 21-0 in the blink of a first quarter eye.

4. It was a bad day for UCF. BYU was totally focused, too physical, and it had an NFL franchise quarterback have an NFL franchise quarterback day. To put how rare this loss was into perspective, it was the first defeat by more than eight points since dropping the 2016 Cure Bowl to Arkansas State four years ago.

3. This was a complete and total disaster for the American Athletic Conference. Not only did Tulane lose big in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl to Nevada earlier in the day, but UCF was playing in Florida in a game that should’ve been the type of shootout it likes, and it was out of it two minutes in.

Considering Coastal Carolina beat BYU, it was a bad look that UCF didn’t look like it belonged on the same field as the Cougars, who started out the season rocking Navy from the AAC.

2. If you’re an NFL GM and you didn’t already have a hard opinion and scouting thought on Zach Wilson, you’re a bad NFL GM. However, if it’s possible, Wilson just helped himself in a huge way with his 26-of-34, 425-yard, three-touchdown, two touchdown run performance.

He was flawless, he didn’t make any mistakes, he was calm, and he was in command from the start. Now, with this, get ready for the buzz that the Jets might go with him over Justin Fields.

1. Considering what BYU had to do just to get together a schedule, this was a miraculous season. It rolled through it, the only blip was a wonderful game against Coastal Carolina that was put together at the last second, and it turned out to be an 11-1 campaign with a totally dominant performance against a brand-name UCF team. Zach Wilson might be off to the NFL, but it’ll be interesting to see what the program is capable off in normal times now that it showed it could do this.

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Potential Chargers prospects to watch: Bowl Game Preview, December 22

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lists the prospects that could be on Los Angeles’ radar in the bowl games played on December 22.

The majority of the attention in regards to the Chargers has shifted to the offseason, with only two games left to be played.

With college football bowl games kicking off this week, now is a good time to take a look at what each game has to offer in terms of 2021 NFL draft prospects that could be on Los Angeles’ radar.

To give you all a preview of what to expect this week, I will break down each bowl game taking place and give a quick breakdown of some of the players that might intrigue L.A.

Let’s start with the games taking place on Dec. 22.

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Tulane vs. Nevada, 1:30 p.m. PT on ESPN

Tulane has done a nice job of shipping players off to the next level, with the likes of Bears’ Darnell Mooney and Jets’ Tanzel Smart, among others. This year, the Green Wave boasts a pair of pass rushers that would be solid additions by Los Angeles, Patrick Johnson (#7) and Cameron Sample (#5). Unfortunately, Johnson, a first-team All-American Athletic Conference selection that had 10 sacks this year, won’t be playing in the bowl game. His teammate, however, will be. Sample finished the 2020 season with 7.5 tackles for loss and five sacks to go along with 50 quarterback pressures. He is a bit of a tweener, size wise, but he competes with the quick hands, energy and toughness that translates to production the next level. Nevada has two offensive players that are considered draftable, including wide receiver Romeo Doubs (#7). Doubs is a good-sized wideout who has the speed and tracking ability to make plays at the next level.

Boca Raton Bowl: UCF vs. BYU, 6:00 p.m. PT on ESPN

UCF has a couple of guys on the defensive side of the ball that could appeal to the Bolts, starting with arguably their top prospect, cornerback Aaron Robinson (#31). Robinson, the 6-foot and 193 pounder has the reactive athleticism and closing speed to be a solid corner either on the inside or outside. Should the Chargers look to add more depth to the free safety position, Richie Grant (#27) is an intriguing option. Grant is a rangy, deep-zone safety who has the speed, ball skills and tackling ability to make it at the next level.

Meanwhile, BYU is rich with talented players that have gone under the radar, most notably offensive tackle Brady Christensen (#67). Christensen, Pro Football Focus’ top-ranked left tackle, has the pass blocking chops, run blocking prowess and athleticism to project as a starter at the next level, but his anchor ability and hand use needs work. The Cougars also boast two other offensive linemen that have NFL potential, right tackle Chandon Herring (#77) and center James Empey (#66). Herring was featured in Bruce Feldman’s 2020 list of the 50 freakiest athletes in college football, having bench pressed 410, power cleaned 380 and snatched 285. Herring is a quick, reactive athlete that possesses footwork and lateral-movement skills for the next level. Both Christensen and Herring are capable of playing guard, too. Empey has a quality combination of athleticism, movement skills, and instincts. On defense, Los Angeles might benefit from adding someone like nose tackle Khyiris Tonga (#95) to play behind Linval Joseph. Tonga is a massive gap eater who wins with his quickness and explosion. He has good range and is stout versus the run.