College Football Week 18 – 20 down, 20 plus 1 to go
Bowl game mania – it’s hot

Are you having fun yet?

For me, Holiday Week 1 began with a root canal. I wasn’t having fun. Actually, the procedure really isn’t so bad anymore. But I needed some pampering from Swamp Mama so I played it to the hilt. I had my one and only other root canal when I was in college.

After a day off, the bowl games resumed on Monday, December 19th. That afternoon was a good time for me to relax and watch some football, while I was being pampered by Swamp Mama. Tulsa downed Central Michigan, 55-10, in the Miami Beach Bowl. The Golden Hurricane had a good day at the beach.

Tuesday evening, the Boca Raton Bowl took the spotlight. Western Kentucky blew past Memphis, 51-31. If you like offense, and a lot of it, this was a good game to watch. Meanwhile, the AAC must be saying, "Thank god for Tulsa." Otherwise the conference would be winless in the bowl games.

What’s going on with all the players backing out of the bowl games? Apparently, many of the players entering the NFL draft are worried about getting injured. Maybe we shouldn’t have the bowls at the end of the season. But then the players probably wouldn’t play in the last game or two of the regular season. Maybe we should just do away with college football all together.

Wednesday night in San Diego, BYU beat Wyoming in the Poinsettia Bowl, 24-21.

Speaking of backing out of bowl games, I bet Duke basketball player Grayson Allen wouldn’t back out of a bowl. Sometimes I think Allen must think he is playing football instead of basketball. Last week, Allen was suspended from the Duke team for tripping a player during a basketball game. Tripping players has become a habit for Allen and last week it finally caught up with him.

Now, I have to believe it was the Duke’s president Richard Brodhead or athletic director Kevin White who made the decision to suspend Allen. I can’t believe that arrogant coach Kranky Face would have suspended Allen that without being told to by a higher authority.

Thursday, Idaho surprised Colorado State in the Idaho Potato Bowl, 61-50 – yes football, not basketball. This was a big surprise and a good win for Idaho who will be dropping down to the FCS (Division IAA) level in 2018. Actually, Idaho would like to remain at the FCS (Division IA) level, but the school does not want to play at that level if it has to be an Independent.

Sadly, there is not an FCS conference that wants Idaho. Its current conference, the Sun Belt, is throwing the Vandals out after the 2017 season. Idaho wants to join the Mountain West Conference, but the MWC has no interest in the Vandals. In 2018, Idaho will play football in the Big Sky Conference.

Friday, Swamp Mama and I made the trek north to Florida’s panhandle to spend Christmas with Princess Gator, Bama Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe. We got an early start to beat the traffic. Highway 192 out of Melbourne was a breeze – hardly any traffic to speak of. Heading north, the traffic on the Florida Turnpike was moderate – acceptable.

Then we merged onto I-75 and it was a zoo. So 25 miles later, we exited I-75 in Ocala and took Highway 27 through Williston and Bronson to Chiefland. In Chiefland, we picked up U.S. 19 north. The driving on 27 and 19 was a breeze. North of Perry, we got onto I-10 west. The traffic, heading west on I-10, was moderate – not bad. It was a good trip.

Friday was also a big day for the bowls – three games. In the first game, Old Dominion beat Eastern Michigan in the Bahamas Bowl, 24-20 – not that many people in the Bahamas cared.

Next, in the Armed Forces Bowl, Louisiana Tech beat Navy, 48-45 – almost a basketball game. The Middies had a tough ending to their season which began so bright. After nine games, Navy was 9-2. Then the Mids lost their last three games to finish 9-5. But Navy had to play those last three games without starting quarterback Will Worth. Worth was out with a leg injury.

In the nightcap on Friday, Troy beat Ohio, 28-23, in the Dollar General Bowl in Mobile. During the season, Troy only lost to Clemson by 6 points – 30-24.

New Florida Atlantic coach Lane Kiffin named his offensive coordinator. Kiffin hired Baylor OC Kendal Briles. With the coaching change at Baylor, Briles was going to be out of a job following Baylor’s game in the upcoming Cactus Bowl.

So, after 12 bowls, C-USA and the Sun Belt are looking good at 4-1. The AAC and MAC are looking bad at 1-4 and 0-4 respectively.

We’ve been looking for some cool, refreshing weather, but there won’t be any this Christmas – not in Florida. It’s hotter than hell. It’s even hot in the panhandle. The visitors from the north love it. The residents hate it.

Christmas Eve (Who plays football on Christmas Eve?), Hawaii beat Middle Tennessee, 52-35, in where else, the Hawaii Bowl.

Christmas Day, I’m sitting at 8-5 on my bowl picks. Good thing I picked Hawaii.

December 26 and it is still hot. No relief in sight.

He’s not hot, but hey, there may be hope yet for poor ole Les Miles. The day after Christmas, Connecticut fired head coach Bob Diaco. It only took UConn 30 days to make the decision to fire Diaco. What was that all about? The Connecticut athletic director must suffer from mind stuttering. In three seasons with the Huskies, Diaco was 11-26 – 3-9 this season.

So, that makes it 18 coaches now.

And on the day after Christmas, there were three bowl games. In the first encounter, Mississippi State beat Miami (Ohio), 17-16, in the St. Petersburg Bowl. It took two blocked kicks for the Bulldogs to beat the RedHawks. The first was a blocked extra point kick. That block kept the score from being 17-17. The second was a blocked field goal kick that came at the end of the game. That block kept the final score from being 19-17, in Miami’s favor.

Next, in the Quick Lane Bowl, Boston College beat Maryland, 36-30. BC was hot in the first half. The Terps were hot in the second half – but not hot enough.

In the day’s finale, NC State downed Vanderbilt, 41-17, in the Independence Bowl, in Shreveport. Vandy was a hot team at the end of the regular season, beating Ole Miss and Tennessee. But the Dores weren’t hot enough to cool the Wolfpack.

Four games were on tap on December 27. Army and North Texas got the action started in the Heart of Dallas Bowl. It was a thriller. Army beat North Texas in overtime, 38-31. And the Cadets won the game in the Mean Green’s back yard.

Swamp Mama and I bid farewell to the kids and grandkids in the panhandle and made our way back to the shores of east-central Florida. We drove home on the same roads we drove up on – only in reverse. The driving was a breeze on all roads except one – yes, I-75. The traffic on I-75 was stop and go between Ocala and the Florida Turnpike at Wildwood. Fortunately, it was only 25 miles.

While driving home, we learned that Carrie Fisher died. I found it interesting that in addition to Fisher, “Star Wars” director George Lucas also seriously considered Cindy Williams, Amy Irving, Sissy Spacek and Jodie Foster for the role of Princess Leia.

When Wake Forest scored 31 points in the first half of the Military Bowl, it was obvious that Temple didn’t get a copy of the Deacons playbook and game plans. After all, Wake Forest only averaged 20 points a game all season. But then when the Deacons only scored 3 points in the second half, it became apparent that the playbook and game plans must have been a late delivery to the Owls.

Yeah, Wake Forest beat Temple, 34-26, in the Military Bowl, in Annapolis. The game was quite a reversal for the teams. Wake Forest came into the game on a three-game losing streak, while Temple entered the game on a seven-game winning streak.

Minnesota defied all odds, beating Washington State, 17-12, in the Holiday Bowl, in San Diego. The game was sloppy, but most amazing was Washington State being held to 12 points. The Cougars averaged 38 points a game during the season. Minnesota entered the game under troubling emotions. Hats off to the Gophers.

Last night, another team, entering its bowl under troubling conditions, pulled off an upset. Baylor surprised Boise State in the Cactus Bowl, 31-12. It was interim coach Jim Grobe’s swan song with the Bears.

So, after 20 games, the ACC at 3-0 and the Sun Belt at 4-1 are looking good. The MAC at 0-5 and the AAC at 1-5 are looking bad. Stay tuned!

It was good to hear from Steve Moon last week.

Yeah, it’s still hot. Let’s hope the Mountaineers are hot today!

Enjoy Holiday Week 2!

Happy New Year!

Touchdown Tom
December 28, 2016
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

Note: The next CFW – College Football Week 19 – will be posted on Tuesday, January 3.


Review of the Bowls

What a mismatch – (in the Miami Beach Bowl) – Tulsa 55, Central Michigan 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Tulsa 34, Central Michigan 30). Tulsa became the first team in FBS history to have a 3,000-yard passer (Dane Evans), two 1,000-yard rushers (James Flanders and D’Angelo Brewer) and two 1,000-yards receivers (Josh Atkinson and Keevan Lucas) in the same season. That’s impressive. The Golden hurricane led 55-3 early in the fourth quarter. That’s impressive too. Tulsa racked up 581 total yards in the game – 261 yards rushing and 320 passing. Tulsa won 6 of its last 7 games this season to finish with a good 10-3 record. Attendance in Miami: 15,262

Welshed – (in the Boca Raton Bowl) – Western Kentucky 51, Memphis 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Western Kentucky 37, Memphis 34). This game was close for two quarters. But after the halftime break, WKU passed and ran away from Memphis. The teams combined for 1,089 total yards. Both teams passed well. The difference was in the rushing game. Memphis didn’t have one. The Hilltoppers outgained the Tigers on the ground 272 yards to 73. WKU’s Anthony Wales rushed for 245 yards. He also caught four passes for another 84 yards. After beginning the season 3-3, WKU finished the season winning 8-straight games. The Hilltoppers ended their year with an excellent 11-3 record. Attendance in Boca Raton: 24,726

Too little too late – (in the Poinsettia Bowl) – BYU 24, Wyoming 21 (Touchdown Tom said: BYU 34, Wyoming 27). Early in the fourth quarter, BYU led Wyoming 24-7. That’s about the time the Cowboys decided to go to work. Wyoming scored two touchdowns in five minutes and trailed the Cougars by three. But time ran out and the Cowboys came up short. Surprisingly, BYU wasn’t much passing (96 yards), but the Cougars Jamaal Williams rushed for 210 yards. After a 1-3 start, BYU won 8 of its last 9 games to finish its season at 9-4. Attendance in San Diego: 28,114

Basketball bowl – (in the Idaho Potato Bowl) – Idaho 61, Colorado State 50 (Touchdown Tom said: Colorado State 35, Idaho 25). Actually, it was football. But would you believe the score was 0-0 at the end of the first quarter. All 111 points were scored from the second quarter on. Idaho balanced out its point total over the three quarters – 20-21-20. CSU, however, scored 36 of its 50 points in the fourth quarter. The teams combined for 1,206 total yards – 826 passing. Idaho’s Matt Linehan passed for 381 yards and CSU’s Nick Stephens threw for 445 yards. Only Linehan was free of interceptions. Stephens threw 2 picks. The Vandals were the better rushing team, with 225 yards on the ground. Idaho’s Isaiah Saunders was responsible for 147 of those rushing yards. The Vandals also controlled the clock – 36 minutes to 24 minutes for the Rams. Idaho finished its season at 9-4, winning its last five games. Attendance in Boise: 24,975.

It’s better in the Bahamas – (in the Bahamas Bowl) – Old Dominion 24, Eastern Michigan 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Old Dominion 34, Eastern Michigan 26). Well, that’s what the Monarchs say. This was anybody’s ball game for three quarters. The score was tied 17-17 at the beginning of the fourth. Eastern Michigan dominated the stats, but not the score. In its third year, the winner of the Bahamas Bowl the first two years has gone on to win its conference the following year. That could be a good omen for Old Dominion. EMU’s Brogan Roback passed for 300 yards, and ODU’s Ray Lawry rushed for 133 yards. Old Dominion finished its season on a 6-game winning streak and a record of 10-3. Attendance in Nassau: 13,422

The torpedoes were duds – (in the Armed Forces Bowl) – Louisiana Tech 48, Navy 45 (Touchdown Tom said: Navy 39, Louisiana Tech 37). This came close to being a basketball game. Twice in the first quarter, Louisiana Tech led by 10 points at 10-0 and 17-7. In the second quarter, Navy made things close. The Middies took the lead at 21-17, with 11:17 to go before the half. From that point on, the score was tied four times and neither team had more than a three-point lead. La Tech’s Jonathan Barnes kicked a 32-yard field goal as time expired to give the Bulldogs the win. La Tech had 409 yards passing, while Navy had 300 yards rushing. The Bulldogs’ quarterback Ryan Higgins was 29-40-0 for 409 yards. Louisiana Tech ended its season with a 9-5 record. Attendance in Fort Worth: 40,542

Turnover nightmare – (in the Dollar General Bowl) – Troy 28, Ohio 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Troy 27, Ohio 25). Five turnovers destroyed Ohio’s chances in this game. Neither team could run with the ball – 78 yards for Ohio and 87 for Troy. Both passed amassed passing yardage – 315 yards for the Bobcats and 235 for the Trojans. However, 4 of Ohio’s 5 turnovers were interceptions. Troy finished its season with a 10-3 record. Attendance in Mobile: 32,377

Pot of gold – (in the Hawaii Bowl) – Hawaii 52, Middle Tennessee 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Hawaii 31, Middle Tennessee 30). The second quarter was Middle Tennessee’s downfall. That’s when Hawaii outscored the Blue Raiders 21-7. In all other quarters, the teams were equal. They combined for 1,042 total yards. Hawaii’s was balanced – passing and rushing. Middle Tennessee’s was all passing. Blue Raiders quarterback Brent Stockstill passed for 452 yards. Hawaii’s Diocemy Saint Juste rushed for 170 yards. The Rainbow Warriors ended their season on a three-game winning streak and a 7-7 record. Attendance in Honolulu: 23,175

Block that kick – (in the St. Petersburg Bowl) – Mississippi State 17, Miami (Ohio) 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Mississippi State 31, Miami 22). And that’s exactly what Miss State did – not once, but twice. The Bulldogs blocked two kicks and that’s what won the game for them. Miss State blocked an extra point attempt early in the game, and the Bulldogs blocked a 30-yard field goal attempt in the last 5 seconds of the game. Miss State never led in the game until 12:03 on the clock in the fourth quarter. Miami should have won the game. The RedHawks controlled the clock – 35 minutes to 25 minutes. Miami had more first downs – 24 to 17, and more total yards – 433 to 335. But Miami had more turnovers too – 2 to 0, along with the two missed kicks. Bulldogs quarterback Nick Fitzgerald ran for 132 yards. Miss State finished its season with a record of 6-7. Attendance in St. Petersburg: 15,717

The Eagles gave the Terps a lube job – (in the Quick Lane Bowl) – Boston College 36, Maryland 30 (Touchdown Tom said: Maryland 28, Boston College 24). Boston College jumped out to a 29-13 halftime lead. Then Maryland got serious in the second half and outscored the Eagles 17-3. Still, the Terps came up short. The teams were pretty even in the stats. But Boston College controlled the clock 34 minutes to 26, while Maryland had 4 turnovers to 2 for the Eagles. The Terps Ty Johnson rushed for 159 yards. Boston College completed its season with a 7-6 record. Attendance in Detroit: 19,117

Howls that? – (in the Independence Bowl) – NC State 41, Vanderbilt 17 (Touchdown Tom said: NC State 25, Vanderbilt 22). After Vandy took a 3-0 lead in the first quarter, NC State scored 28 unanswered points to take a commanding 28-3 lead midway through the third quarter. The Commodores closed the gap to 11 at 28-17, before the Wolfpack scored another 14 points to finish the game. NC State finished its season with a 7-6 record. Attendance in Shreveport: 28,995

Heart and soul – (in the Heart of Dallas Bowl) – Army 38, North Texas 31 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Army 32, North Texas 23). This game was full of excitement. The teams combined for 943 total yards. Army had 480 yards rushing, while North Texas had 314 passing. After the Mean Green briefly led 7-6 in the first quarter, Army scored 18 unanswered points to take a 24-7 lead midway through the second quarter. Then North Texas went on a roll, twice pulling within 3 at 24-21 at the end of the second quarter and 31-28 at the end of the third quarter. With 28 seconds on the clock, North Texas kicked a 37-yard field goal to tie the score at 31-31. In overtime, Army scored and North Texas didn’t. Army’s rushing game enabled the Cadets to control the game clock – 36 minutes to 24. North Texas quarterback Alec Morris passed for 304 yards. Army ended its season with a 4-game winning streak and a final record of 8-5. Attendance in Dallas: 39,117

Temple couldn’t find Tommy Elrod – (in the Military Bowl) – Wake Forest 34, Temple 26 (Touchdown Tom said: Temple 33, Wake Forest 28). After Temple took an early 7-0 lead, Wake Forest proceeded to score 31 unanswered points to take a 31-7 halftime lead over the Owls. Then Temple scored 19 unanswered to pull within 5 at 31-26 late in the fourth quarter. Wake added a field goal with 1:59 on the clock. The teams were all but even in the stats – first downs, total yards, turnovers and ball control. Temple’s weakness was rushing – only 20 yards on the ground. The Owls quarterback P.J. Walker passed for 396 yards. The Demon Deacons finished their season at 7-6. Attendance in Annapolis: 26,656

Fired up Gophers – (in the Holiday Bowl) – Minnesota 17, Washington State 12 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington State 32, Minnesota 27). We knew Minnesota wouldn’t show much offense (279 total yards), but Washington State? What happened? The Cougars only had 303 total yards. Generally, they average more than that passing. The Gophers came out of their holes and played super defense. Minnesota held Washington State to only 2 field goals in the first half. The Cougars only touchdown came with just 19 seconds left in the game. Minnesota finished its season with a 9-4 record. Attendance in San Diego: 48,704

Talk about out of hibernation – (in the Cactus Bowl) – Baylor 31, Boise State 12 (Touchdown Tom said: Boise State 35, Baylor 27). After losing 6-straight games at the end of the season, Baylor won its first game since October 15. The Bears jumped out to a 21-6 halftime lead and continued to outscore Boise State in the second half. The Broncos were flat and the Bears were not. Baylor had 515 total yards – 140 rushing and 375 passing. The Bears ended their season at 7-6. Attendance in Phoenix: 33,328

Last 15 Bowl Game Picks: 9 correct picks, 6 fumbles (60 percent)
Total Bowl Game Picks: 11 correct picks, 9 fumbles (55 percent)


Superlatives


Impressive Passers:

Colorado State’s Nick Stephens – 21-36-2 for 445 yards; Middle Tennessee’s Brent Stockstill – 30-51-2-432; Temple’s P.J. Walker – 28-49-1-396; Idaho’s Matt Linehan – 21-31-0-381; Baylor’s Zach Smith – 28-39-1-375, and Memphis’ Riley Ferguson – 25-43-1-372.

Western Kentucky’s Mike White – 20-30-1 for 336 yards; Boise State’s Brett Rypien – 32-51-2-305; Tulsa’s Dane Evans – 28-38-0-304; North Texas’ Alec Morris – 26-38-1-304, and Eastern Michigan’s Brogan Roback – 26-46-1-300.


Impressive Rushers:

Western Kentucky’s Anthony Wales – 245 yards; BYU’s Jamaal Williams – 210 yards; Hawaii’s Diocemy Saint Juste – 170 yards, and Maryland’s Ty Johnson – 159 yards.

Idaho’s Isaiah Saunders – 147yards; Old Dominion’s Ray Lawry – 133 yards, and Mississippi State’s Nick Fitzgerald – 132 yards.


Quotes of the Week

“I’m the best player in the country. That’s how I think. That’s how I feel,” Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson.


Quote from the Past

“A school without football is in danger of deteriorating into a medieval study hall,” Notre Dame coach Frank Leahy.

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but sadly there were three passings of note last week – Fran Jeffries, George Michael and Carrie Fisher.

Fran Jeffries, a singer and dancer who performed a show-stopping samba in the 1963 film “The Pink Panther” and tantalized Tony Curtis with a seductive performance of the title song “Sex and the Singe Girl” a year later, died last week at her home in Los Angeles. She was 79. Jeffries was well-known on the cabaret and Las Vegas circuits as the singing partner of Dick Haymes, her husband. Jeffries was born Frances Ann Makris on May 18, 1937, in Mayfield, California, near Palo Alto. Two of her other movies were “A Talent for Loving” (1969) and the Elvis Presley film “Harum Scarum” (1965). Jeffries also recorded three albums from 1960 to 1966. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, she toured Europe with Sammy Davis Jr. and Southeast Asia with Bob Hope.

George Michael, the English singer/songwriter who sold tens of millions of albums as a member of the duo Wham! and on his own, died Sunday at his home in Goring in Oxfordshire, England. He was 53. Michael was one of pop’s reigning stars in the 1980s and 1990s – first with his lighthearted singles like “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” then arriving with his 1987 album “Faith.” Michael wrote ballads like “Careless Whisper” and “Father Figure,” as well as dance tracks like “Freedom ’90” and “I Want Your Sex.” George Michael was born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou in East Finchley, London, on June 25, 1963. In 1986, Wham! dissolved with a farewell concert at Wembley Stadium. Michael’s album “Faith” reached No. 1 on Billboard’s album chart. The album produced four No. 1 hit singles – “I Want Your Sex,” “Father Figure,” “Monkey” and “One More Try.”

Carrie Fisher, the actress, author and screenwriter whose best-known role was Princess Leia in the “Star Wars” movie franchise, died yesterday. She was 60. Fisher was the daughter of pop singer Eddie Fisher and the actress Debbie Reynolds. “Star Wars,” released in 1977, turned her overnight into an international movie star. Fisher reprised the Princess Leia role in three more “Star Wars” films – “The Empire Strikes Back” in 1980, “Return of the Jedi” in 1983 and, 32 years later, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in 2015. Carrie Frances Fisher was born on October 21, 1956, in Beverly Hills, California. At 17, Fisher made her first movie, “Shampoo” (1975). Her book “Postcards From the Edge” was made into a movie in 1990, starring Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine. Fisher was also in the movie “When Harry Met Sally” (1989). She was married to singer Paul Simon for less than a year.