Bowl Roundup!

A look back at all the bowl games prior to the national title game. What an incredible season it has been and the bowl season has been just as fun. Let us know what your favorite bowl was!

The best time of the year has officially come to close with end of the holiday season and bowl mania. That also means only one game remains in 2025-26 CFB season with National Title between Indiana and Miami next Monday night from Miami. I’m going to look back at every bowl game that happened this bowl season outside of the CFP games.

Celebration Bowl (South Carolina State vs Prairie View A&M)

The Celebration Bowl is always a great way to kick off the bowl season from Mercedes Benz Stadium with the SWAC champion and the MEAC champion. This season was South Carolina State vs Prairie View A&M also Prairie View’s first ever Celebration Bowl appearance after the hiring of Tremaine Jackson. The game was an absolute thriller and took four overtimes to determine a winner. After Prairie View made some questionable calls in overtime, South Carolina State was able to convert a game winning two-point conversion which had plenty of discussion behind it. Was he in, was he out? We will never know but either way it was the ending of an epic 21-point second half comeback. Still an incredible season for Jackson and Prairie View. This was a team that had the longest losing streak in college football history just a few decades ago that was playing for an HBCU National Title this season. Also, must give a shoutout to their QB Cameron Peters with one of the best individual performances of bowl season. He went for 412 passing yards and four touchdowns along with another rushing touchdown. Excited to see what Jackson next season does as I look at him as one of the quickest coaching risers in the sport right now after his success at Valdosta State and immediate success at Prairie View A&M this season.

Bucked Up LA Bowl (Washington vs Boise State)

After an elite day of a four-overtime thriller in the celebration bowl, a classic in America’s game, and some incredible FCS playoff games I had high hopes for the LA Bowl. Those high hopes ended quickly after kickoff. Washington was just the straight up better team against Boise State. All season the Broncos felt like they were just off, lost out of the gate to what ended up being a real good USF team, never had good QB play, and never had that signature Boise State P4 victory. They did however still find a way to beat UNLV twice in route to another Mountain West title. Unfortunately, many of those issues were exasperated in the LA Bowl. Washington quarterback, Demond Williams threw for 215 passing yards, four touchdowns, and went 15/24. Meanwhile Boise State’s Maddux Madsen was taken out of the game at halftime due to a lingering injury. Backup Max Cutforth came in for the second half but threw three interceptions and only one touchdown. Boise must figure out their QB play going into next season. The Sire Gaines/Dylan Riley running back duo is too nasty to have an inconsistent offense. As for Washington a nice bowl win to cap off an underrated season nationally.

IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl (Troy vs Jacksonville State)

This game was awesome and was one of my favorite bowl games all season. Two Alabama teams playing an in-state game in a rivalry that was awesome in their FCS days especially in the 90’s into early 2000’s. An injury to Troy quarterback Goose Crowder in the SBC title game and an injury/opt out for Cam Cook took a bit of juice out of the offense but this was a great game. After a touchdown by Jax State at the beginning of the fourth quarter to give the Gamecocks the lead, Troy had one last chance to win the game with a touchdown but came up just short on a Hail Mary attempt that was literally inches from happening. Another great season for Jax State has they were runner-ups in the CUSA despite Rich Rod leaving prior to the season. I’m excited to see Deondre Johnson play against next season, 6’8 wide receiver that once he wrapped his head around the playbook was incredible. He finished the season leading the nation in yards per catch with 24.1. Seeing him not enter the transfer portal was an awesome sight. For Troy a great season for them as well after finishing runner-up in the Sun Belt without many preseason expectations. Loved their OCD hire and excited to see what their product on the field again next fall is.

StaffDNA Cure Bowl (Old Dominion vs South Florida)

This was a game I couldn’t wait to watch when it was announced, but ended up unfortunately being littered with opt outs. USF obviously had their head coach Alex Golesh already at Auburn, but both team’s quarterbacks also opted out of the game. Byrum Brown now headed to Auburn while ODU’s quarterback Colton Joseph is headed to Wisconsin. The game itself was decent, I as a Tennessee fan liked seeing Gaston Moore get an opportunity to start a football game after being a backup his whole career at UCF, Tennessee, and then USF. Was also really impressed by ODU’s Quinn Henicle who had 127 passing yards, 107 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns. He needs to develop some more arm talent as he missed multiple easy throws, but his ground game reminded me of Joseph’s. This ODU team will look different next season but heck of a job this season securing their first bowl win with a ten-win season since 2016. They’ll lose a lot of their playmakers but have already shown signs of rebuilding through the portal, I wouldn’t doubt them next season because this team’s portal class was lots of JUCO talent that worked out.

68 Ventures Bowl (Louisiana vs Delaware)

Another fun SBC vs CUSA game that happened in Mobile. It may not have been the most visually appealing first 45 minutes of football, but the fourth quarter was awesome. Delaware quarterback Nick Minicucci led his offense with running back Jo Silver going for 116 rushing yards and a touchdown. Both players will be running it back this upcoming fall in Newark. I was incredibly impressed with Louisiana quarterback Lunch Winfield who was starting due to Walker Howard’s previous injuries in the season. Winfield had a good season during his time as QB1 but his fourth quarter showed all the grit and determination that kid has. After getting down 20-6 he was able to throw a seam to Shelton Sampson Jr. to make it 20-13. After a big stop for the Louisiana defense, they got the ball back where lunch rallied his team down 80+ yards in under two minutes barely able to walk making play after play. It ended up being an incomplete pass to end the game after getting in the redzone with a chance to tie or win the game, but it was a pass that should’ve been caught. At the end of the day just an incredible bowl win for Delaware in their first FBS season, they are building a great culture there with some key guys running it back.

XBOX Bowl (Arkansas State vs Missouri State)

This bowl was so weird it was epic. Weeknight football in the Dallas Cowboy’s indoor practice field with giant XBOX logos on the field on short notice, yes please. This was another thrilling SBC vs CUSA game stop me if you’ve heard this before. Arkansas State got out to a big lead 34-15 but Missouri State wasn’t going down easy as Dash Luke and Jmariye Robinson scored back-to-back touchdowns to make it 34-28. That ultimately ended up being the end of the scoring as Arkansas State was able to ice the game away. I would be remised to not talk about Missouri State’s Jacob Clark going 25/35, with 349 passing yards, and four touchdowns to cap off one of the greatest careers in Missouri State history. One of my personal favorite players in the nation Corey Rucker also ended his college career with 6 receptions, 166 yards, and a touchdown. He got his 4,000^thcareer receiving yard in this game as well, a feat less than 25 players in FBS history have completed. He will go down as one of the most decorated players in Sun Belt history. Even after a win Butch Jones will be at a crossroad as Rucker departs to the NFL and quarterback Jaylen Raynor will be the next quarterback in Ames at Iowa State. The Arkansas State pass rush though in this game was swarming and something fun to watch next fall.

Myrtle Beach Bowl (Western Michigan vs Kennesaw State)

This was the dud of bowl season. The MAC champion vs the CUSA champion with hardly any opt outs was set to be a thriller, the game ended up being a 41-6 massacre in favor or WMU. Before you could even fully wake up for the 11am start the Broncos led 14-0 76 seconds into the game thanks to a Jalen Buckley 65-yard house call and then a scoop and score defensive touchdown immediately after. The blowout didn’t stop and any momentum the Owls had was always just immediately erased. Jalen Buckley ended the game with 174 rushing yards and a touchdown despite not even playing the second half. Still a great season for Jerry Mack and Kennesaw State. He turned a 2-win team into a 10 win conference champion in one season. Meanwhile WMU is out for blood next season and Lance Taylor has the best running back In the MAC Jalen Buckley, his quarterback Broc Lowry, and many other key pieces returning to Kalamazoo in the fall next season, I believe they have a a great chance of repeating a MAC title.

Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl (NC State vs Memphis)

This was another game I thought would be highly competitive. That is before Memphis had Cortez Braham and Sutton Smith opt out moments before kick. NC State had pretty much all their guys playing, and CJ Bailey had a nice game going 14/25, 221 passing yards, and two touchdowns. Memphis’s Brendon Lewis was just in a tough spot here and I hated to see his college career end with his head coach already in Fayetteville, his receiving core basically a no show, and his offensive line getting pretty much dominated. Not a whole lot of takeaways here other than NC State’s Caden Fordham was one of the most slept of linebackers if not defensive players in the nation this season. NC State will lose Terrell Anderson and Noah Rogers this fall to the portal along with elite running back Hollywood Smothers who opted out of this game but will return CJ Bailey who still has one of the highest ceilings in the ACC.

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Washington State vs Utah State)

The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl will always hold a special place in the heart of all college football sickos, the game is played 1PM local time on a Monday, on a blue field, and the winning coach is showered with french fries. This was a decent game and got kind of competitive but Washington State kind of just always kept a two-score lead. Tons of wild interceptions in the first half but that’s the fun of bowl season. I thought the turning point in the game was Utah State’s standout safety Ike Larsen ejected from the game from targeting in what was ot targeting. Once Bryson Barnes was injured USU’s chances pretty much ended and led to a 34-21 Washington State victory. Zevi Eckhaus did throw three interceptions during the game for the Cougars but also had 334 passing yards and three touchdowns. The fry bath at the end is just so good. It’s what makes bowl season special you must love that stuff. The Kirby Moore era is officially here.

Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl (Louisville vs Toledo)

This was a great game. Louisville got off to a sleepy start but credit to Toledo without their starting to QB they hung in this game the whole way. Louisville’s running back duo in Issac Brown and Keyjuan Brown just ended up being too much for the Rockets. Things got wild as Louisville took a 27-14 lead via a 53-yard run. The extra point was then blocked and ran back for two points for Toledo. They then moments later went down and scored on a 68 yard scoring drive to make it 27-22 but that ended up being the final score as Louisville was able to get a couple first downs to ice the game. Keyjuan Brown and Issac Brown did not have to play this game especially IB who was injured and came back for this game to finish off the season. Louisville will lose Duke Watson, but the Issac Brown/Keyjuan Brown duo is the best running back duo in America next fall. Issac had the most yards per carry in the nation this season while Keyjuan was third. This game’s trophy was also a bowl full of baked beans if that’s your thing. No thanks for me but congratulations to Louisville who had one of the best wins in CFB this season defeating Miami back in October. Also shoutout to Toledo for playing a solid game, that’s a great squad and hate to see Junior Vandeross and Chip Trayanum go out these Toledo teams have been really fun loaded with talent the last few seasons.

New Orleans Bowl (Southern Miss vs WKU)

Another impressive showing by the CUSA as WKU handed USM the loss as the Hilltoppers won 27-16. Congrats to coach Helton on another solid season in Bowling Green. WKU has been one of the most consistent CFB programs in the nation the last four seasons. This was another one of those games that may not have been the best football but it was exciting to watch. Once Maverick McIvor came into to be QB WKU started moving the ball through the air as he threw for 199 yards but I once again left this game really impressed by Marvis Parrish. Southern Miss moved the ball pretty good they had 377 offensive yards just couldn’t score many points. That was kind of the story of this game. My favorite player to watch in the game though was USM’s Josh Moten NFL CB and just a high level defensive player. I’ll be interested to see WKU this next fall they landed a QB commitment for FSU’s Brock Glenn but I still see Rodney Tisdale Jr. winning the job he played really good as a freshman most of the season.

Scooters Coffee Frisco Bowl (UNLV vs Ohio)

This game just had an odd feel from the beginning, back at that Dallas Cowboys facility again and weird things just happens. The first half was filled with turnovers and UNLV never got it going Anthony Colandrea probably played his worst game of the season and they could never get Jet Thomas to pop one off in the run game. Ohio also didn’t play their best but it was good enough for 17-10 win. Sieh Bangura led the way for the Bobcats with 149 rushing yards and a touchdown. Just an incredible running back and it was great to see him to return to Athens this fall after his stint away. Ohio continues their incredible run the past three seasons and did it all without their head coach from the regular season Brian Smith after that odd situation.

Hawaii Bowl (Hawaii vs Cal)

The bowl game of the season occurred on Christmas Eve in Honolulu Hawaii vs a Mountain West team and an ACC team, yes ACC. The two QB’s are electric JKS and Micah Alejado and the skill position players on both groups are super fun. Cal jumped out to a big lead 21-0 but Hawaii just kept responding. Pofele Ashlock made it 21-7 and then the Tokyo Toe knocked in a field goal to make it 21-10 at half. After another field goal and another touchdown from Ashlock this game was tied at 21-21 early in the fourth quarter. Cal would go onto to score a touchdown to make it 31-28 with five minutes to go but then magic struck in Hawaii. After Micah Alejado made some massive plays through the air and on the ground on the final drive his helmet was knocked off forcing him to come off the field for a play. That’s when backup quarterback Luke Weaver came in and through the game winning touchdown to Nick Cenacle with 10 seconds left to win 35-31. Cenacle who had battled injures all season after being a huge receiver last season became WR3/4 this season with the emergence of Jackson Harris but when it mattered most, he had the biggest catch of his life. An incredible season for Chang and Hawaii and it feels like the Bows are finally back.

GameAbove Sports Bowl (CMU vs Northwestern)

Not much to say about this game CMU had four turnovers and pretty much shot themselves in the foot before halftime leading to a 34-7 Northwestern victory. Can’t say enough good things about what Braun has done since taking over. Preston Stone was up an down but Griffin Wilde is just too fun to watch he will be a WR that sits in the NFL for 10-12 seasons and just racks up money. CMU also had a fantastic season in their first season under Drinkall.

Rate Bowl (Minnesota vs New Mexico)

The Rate Bowl was another insane game that not enough people will remember. Definitely a slow start but things came out humming in the second half. New Mexico was in it all game and after a housed punt return it look like they may pull off the upset but after going into OT and only settling for a field goal Minnesota was able to score a touchdown courtesy of Jalen Smith for his second of the day to win the game 20-17. I thought Drake Lindsey showed a lot in the game he made some good throws and led his team to a win and the PJ Fleck bowl streak at Minnesota just can’t be killed. This team doesn’t lose bowl games. Hated to see New Mexico’s season end that way but you must love what Jason Eck is building in Albuquerque. Both teams I’ll be highly interested in next season.

SERVPRO First Responders Bowl (UTSA vs FIU)

If you like fireworks early in the game this was your game to watch. FIU got off to a hot start up 14-0 including a 97-yard punt return from Maguire Anderson. Then they proceeded to outscored 57-6 by UTSA the rest of the game for a Roadrunner victory 57-20. Not ideal. FIU never got their offense going as Keyone Jenkins sat until the end of the game. FIU elected to start Joe Pesansky who made some good plays but was just destroyed in the pocket all game. I thought it was very odd that Jenkins sat the first three quarters, as he was the starter all season and he seemed completely healthy when he came back in. Jenkins then proceeded to enter the transfer portal a couple weeks later, so I must imagine that played a factor in it. This was UTSA’s best offensive game of the season even with some key players playing. Quarterback Owen McCown had 295 passing yards and three touchdowns while wide receiver Devin McCuin had 73 receiving yards and a touchdown. Jeff Traylor extended his almost two-decade streak without a losing season throughout high school and college football. FIU ended with a disappointing loss but a fantastic start this season to the Willie Simmons era, one of the most exciting up and coming coaches in the nation.

Go Bowling Military Bowl (ECU vs Pitt)

East Carolina with one of the upsets of bowl season who took down Pitt 23-17. Pitt who had a legit chance to make the college football playoff with a month to go in the season slipped late in the season but still had an elite defense that ECU knew would cause havoc to their offense. ECU was without their starting quarterback, running back, wide receiver two, tight end, and a few other depth pieces and still won. ECU elected to start true Freshman Chase Ditta who went for 177 passing yards and two touchdowns. The offensive story here was Anthony Smith who was in an increased role in this game without Yannick Smith in the receiver room. He went for 156 receiving yards and two touchdowns on only four receptions. ECU controlled the entire second half and if it wasn’t for a phantom whistle on an ECU touchdown that caused a fumble on the next play that was taken to the house for Pitt this game would’ve been even more lopsided. As for Pitt their offense never got going Kenny Johnson didn’t even have a reception, the rush game wasn’t great without Desmond Reid, and Mason Heintschel was inconsistent throughout much of the game. Rasheem Biles all over the field on defense with 16 tackles, two sacks, and a fumble return touchdown unfortunately for the Panthers he will be playing elsewhere in 2026. It was another disappointing bowl game for Pitt while a fantastic end to the season for ECU who really has it rolling right now.

Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl (Penn State vs Clemson)

This game was beyond ugly. Possibly the ugliest bowl game all bowl season ugly. Sub 30-degree real feel in a baseball stadium post-Christmas at noon, what could go wrong? The game itself had big plays both quarterbacks through for 190+ passing yards in the conditions, the teams had 600+ yards of offense combined, and there were zero turnovers and yet the two teams combined for nine points in the first three quarters. Penn State broke it open in the fourth quarter with a long touchdown pass to Trebor Pena and then one more touchdown pass from Ethan Grunkemeyer to Andrew Rappleyea to finish off a 22-10 victory. Clemson is at a tough crossroad in their football program right now. Dabo and his teams have not been preforming the way Clemson expects the past few seasons now. This season was a definite regression from Cade Klubnik but the injuries in the wide receiver room also caused problems. I’m not proud to admit but the Tigers were my preseason national title pick as many people I thought Klubnik would be the best QB in the ACC with an elite wide receiver room and lockdown defense. None of that game to fruition. As for Terry Smith couldn’t be happier for him to get a bowl win after turning around the program midway to the end of the season. That is a man who bleeds Penn State football.

Wasabi Fenway Bowl (Army vs UConn)

This was another complete blowout. I was super excited to watch this game, as I expected the UConn offense vs the Army defense to be a fun matchup instead it ended up being the opt out bowl for UConn losing to 41-16. Without head coach Jim Mora who is already in Fort Collins I expected there to be some opt outs, however after UConn wide receiver Skyler Bell said he’d be playing I figured the UConn offense would play. Boy was I wrong. Joe Fagnano who had possibly the best statistical season of any FBS quarterback in the country this season was a no show, backup QB was a no show, and Skyler Bell played one drive and then opted out. Now I’m not going to sit here and bash Skyler Bell, he’s one of the most impactful players in UConn history and is an NFL draft pick. If he would’ve opted out no one would’ve batted an eye but the fact that he played a drive after he was playing rubbed me the wrong way a bit but as an athlete that’s been that good over the past two seasons that’s a decision your allowed to make. Just would’ve liked him to opt out completely. Anyways, the situation put quarterback Ksann Farrar in a tough spot and running back Cam Edwards was their only offense. I really liked watching UConn this season and hated to see it end like this. Army though deserves their flowers they turned it around after losing to FCS Tarleton State week one. Godspower Nwawuihe may be the QB of the future, and he showed his legs off going for 171 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Excited to see the rebound that this group makes next season. With the success of Navy the past two seasons you know Army is hungry to get back to last season success and further.

Pop-Tarts Bowl (BYU vs Georgia Tech)

The people’s national championship, the Pop-Tarts Bowl. One of the most incredible sports watching experiences a fan can have occur in this bowl game as the winning team eats life sized Pop-Tarts you truly can’t make this stuff up. This season BYU was the winning team after defeating Georgia Tech 25-21. An absolute classic went down in Orlando as Georgia Tech jumped out to a first half lead 21-10. After a muffed punt by BYU right before half Georgia Tech was able to put an explanation mark on the first half with a touchdown pass from Haynes King to J.T. Byrne. The fourth quarter was when the scoring resumed, and the Cougars scored 15 fourth quarter points to get the win. Georgia Tech got the ball back with around a minute left to go the length of the field, and we all thought this was going to be a Haynes King legacy drive to end his career and we all really thought that after his incredible fourth down completion to extend the drive. Unfortunately, once they got in the redzone head scratching play calling led to a turnover on downs to end the game. Special season BYU and Bear Bachmeier who ended this game with 325 passing yards. They have their quarterback, and their coach resigned and back and I would absolutely expect this team to be around in BIG12 contention next season especially with LJ Martin back for his senior season.

Snoop Dog Arizona Bowl (Fresno State vs Miami OH)

This was not a good game. Now I will be honest I watched this game sparingly due to it being the same time as the Pop-Tarts Bowl and the New Mexico Bowl (y’all know I got to watch my 2025 North Texas offense any chance I get) and, I just straight up hate the production of the CW football games. I don’t like to complain because I do watch more college football than almost anyone and will watch any two teams play but this game just didn’t do much for me. Kam Perry who was probably my favorite player in the MAC opted out and with Miami’s quarterback Tommy Gotkowski getting chased and abused in the pocket every single snap by the Fresno State pass rush to go 6/22, for 72 passing yards, and an interception this game was never competitive. Fresno State went on to win 18-3. I’m happy for Fresno State to win nine games, I really like when football is good in the valley. Entz was a great hire from NDSU and they will keep it rolling I believe over the next fw seasons as they head to the reformed PAC12.

Isleta New Mexico Bowl (North Texas vs San Diego State)

What. A. Game. This was just a back-and-forth thriller if you like points. 96 combined points, 1,100+ combined offensive yards, 53 first downs, and four and a half hours of football. I was just happy to watch this North Texas offense with all the characters one last time in a Mean Green uniform. Drew Mestemaker, Caleb Hawkins, Wyatt Young, Cameron Dorner, and Miles Coleman, all running it one last time. Now we will see them all next season in Stillwater except Dorner who’s headed to the NFL but it won’t be the same as watching them run all over American defenses. As for the game without Jayden Denegal it was time for former Central Michigan legend Bert Emmanuel Jr. at quarterback and man was it fun to watch he was running all over the field including a 72-yard rushing touchdown. Unfortunately, he got injured and third string quarterback Kyle Crum came in. SDSU kept matching UNT late in the game even after getting down multiple scores but even without Drew Maestemaker’s best game UNT still won 49-47 with a last second SDSU touchdown but time ran out before anything else could be done. It showed how unreal that offense was this season, even without the passing game being great Caleb Hawkins went for 198 rushing yards, 31 carries, and two rushing touchdowns. Excited to watch them all at Oklahoma State again. As for SDSU without some of their elite defensive players playing you knew UNT would score but still a fantastic season for a team without a ton of preseason expectations.

TaxSlayor Gator Bowl (Virginia vs Mizzou)

Was just happy to see Virginia get the win here after the excruciating ACC championship loss. Tony Elliot did a heck of a job this season and was thrilled to see Chandler Morris’s career come to an end with a win. It was a low scoring one as UVA won 13-7. Mizzou never got the passing game under Matt Zollers going in this game. I thought Ahmad Hardy was good in the first half, but he couldn’t keep his momentum going through the ground game either. UVA locked up the win with 10 second half points including a Harrison Waylee two-yard rushing touchdown and a field goal in the fourth quarter. I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending of the game, Mizzou had the ball and had a chance for a Hail Mary but Matt Zollers was forced to come out of the game for the play as refs determined he had to get checked for a concussion after the hit on the previous play. I thought it was kind of weak as Virginia had a player get hit earlier in the game and was able to keep playing but it didn’t really matter the Hail Mary throw was on the money but just wasn’t caught.

Kinder’s Texas Bowl (Houston vs LSU)

10-win Houston baby. Unreal season for the Coogs and something exciting to build on with Conner Weigman next season. This was another good game as the Coogs got the 38-35 win. Weigman went 28/37, 230 passing yards, and four touchdowns. Dean Connors and Tanner Koziol also had great games on the offensive side of the ball. This game got off to a wild start with an LSU kickoff return touchdown on the first play of the game. After Houston got down 14-0 they ended up going on a 38-21 run to end the game and dominated the second half. LSU will obviously look like a new team next season with Kiffin but there will be some important pieces returning including Trey’Dez Green who went for 80 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He is an elite player. These will be two teams that most likely will compete for their conference titles next season.

JLab Birmingham Bowl (Georgia Southern vs App State)

This was an odd game for sure, in conference SBC game in a bowl after plenty of teams declined the invitation. I know a lot of people hated this; I personally thought it was kind of cool. It was tough for App State as they had tons of their team in the portal. They ended up having a kid that was a scout team defensive back as their quarterback, but you must respect them for saying they would play the game. This one was all Georgia Southern in route to their 29-10 victory. App State honestly moved the ball solid just way too many turnovers in the redzone and missed opportunities. Georgia Southern’s OJ Arnold went for 152 rushing yards for a 1,000 yard rushing season and being fourth in the nation for 7.2 yards per carry. Overall not an overly great season for either team but at least GSU gets into the offseason with a bowl win.

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl (LA Tech vs Coastal Carolina)

I figured this would probably be a pretty important game for LA Tech. Coach Cumbie really needed a bowl victory after his past few seasons at LA Tech. They’ve always had a good defense or offense with the other side of the ball not being good the past few seasons. This season they matched it up pretty good and with a 23-14 win in the bowl I think an eight win season is a big building point for Tech. Coastal Carolina got off to a big start here and was up 14-3 but was then outscored 20-0 the rest of the game as LA Tech finally got the ground game going. Quarterback Trey Kukuk went for 114 passing yards, 121 rushing yards, and a touchdown. For CCU I was very impressed by Tad Hudson’s performance as he went for 311 passing yards and two touchdowns. I really liked the Ryan Beard hire for Coastal Carolina and I’m excited to see what they put on the field next season along with LA Tech.

Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl (Illinois vs Tennessee)

As some of you know, I go to the University of Tennessee so this was the most important bowl game of the season for me. As for anyone else reading this you probably didn’t care too much about this game. The Music City Bowl always has pretty good juice, you get to go to a bowl game in one of the most fun cities in the nation right around New Year’s the problem for this addition was it was absolutely freezing. This was a back-and-forth competitive game. Illinois jumped out to a 17-7 lead in the third quarter. Vols responded though with two DeSean Bishop touchdowns to make it 24-21. After an Illini field goal Tennessee found themselves down six before a 94-yard kickoff return by Joakim Dodson (why did we not have him returning kicks all season???) but it was a classic score to early as Illinois marched down the field and kicked the game winning field. Illinois ended with the win 30-28. As disappointing as the season was Josh Heupel isn’t messing around right he fired DC Tim Banks and has now compiled a very good transfer class. Next season is playoffs or bust again if QB play is good especially with this defense being built.

Valero Alamo Bowl (TCU vs USC)

TCU and Alamo Bowl comebacks. They just always happen. Everyone remembers the 31-point comeback in 2016 against Oregon but this season’s addition was pretty impressive as well. 24-14 comeback to get to overtime and then a game winning touchdown from Jeremy Payne. The USC tackling once again proved to be the problem and the reason for the lose here 30-27. I was still impressed with USC this season and they had lots of injuries at the running back position and then opt outs in the wide receiver room which didn’t help their case in this game but still a nine-win season that could’ve been 10. They say bowl games don’t matter but we all saw Ken Seals reaction to the win. Bowl games do still in fact matter.

ReliaQuest Bowl (Iowa vs Vanderbilt)

Just how good was Iowa this season? They lost to Indiana by only a score, they almost beat Oregon, and they beat Vanderbilt 34-27. This was just straight dominance by the Iowa offensive and defensive line the whole game. Iowa kind of just always held a one to two procession lead here. Possibly the oddest moment of bowl season happened this game as the Vandy punter attempted a fake punt ran and then punted the ball past the line of scrimmage, which kind of summed up this game for the Dores. Diego Pavia played well 347 passing yards and three offensive touchdowns. Even though he was a rival of my team, all the stuff he said, and sometimes the way he acted I will miss the way he captivated the sport. As for Iowa a great ending to Mark Gronowski’s career a fantastic career from South Dakota State to Iowa and Kirk Ferentz just continues to show he’s ageless.

Tony The Tiger Bowl (Duke vs Arizona State)

I always love the Sun Bowl, the stadium is just too scenic and it saddens me this place doesn’t get the attendance it and UTEP deserve through the regular season. This was another Sun Bowl classic just an absolute back-and-forth affair and Jeff Sims played the game of his life as the ASU quarterback. 375 passing yards, 27/38, and 3 touchdowns. I figured without Sam Leavitt and Raleek Brown ASU would struggle a bit offensively but that wasn’t the case as they went for 619 offensive yards. Unfortunately their late game fumble that gave Duke the ball back that led to touchdown and a 42-39 Duke win will be remembered the most. Duke quarterback Darian Mensah went for 327 passing yards and four touchdowns. This Duke team was just never dead. Even with five losses they win an ACC title and a bowl game.

Las Vegas Bowl (Utah vs Nebraska)

This game was all Utah as they ran over Nebraska 44-22. Not a whole lot to talk about in this game other than this Utah team played great under Morgan Scalley and Devon Dampier played his best game of the season showing his ceiling going for 310 passing yards, 148 rushing yards, and five offensive touchdowns. Incredible game. I thought he may follow Whittingham to Michigan but it appears he will be staying at Utah which is great for them.

Cheez-It Citrus Bowl (Texas vs Michigan)

Hard to not like this matchup, two massive brands going at it. Texas ended up with the win 41-27, and Arch Manning played one of his best games of the season showing his dual threat abilities he went for 221 passing yards, 155 rushing yards, and four offensive touchdowns. On Michigan’s side Bryce Underwood had three interceptions but threw for 199. I’ll be interested to see Bryce next season; I expected a little more out of him but his development was sacrificed by his head coach. He needs to get better with his foot work but has immense talent if he can put it all in the bottle. At the end of the day the Michigan offense is always going to be beat you at the line of scrimmage and run it down your throat, so his stats aren’t always everything. Both quarterbacks from this game will be intriguing next season.

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (Texas State vs Rice)

Texas State never played to their potential this season, the defense never went to plan, and they had multiple blown leads in the first half of the season. To beat an in-state Rice team 41-10 though definitely makes GJ Kinne feel better going into the offseason. Lincoln Pare and Beau Sparks finished off their seasons with solid games as both players went for 1,000 yard seasons as Pare had 1,128 rushing yards and Sparks had 1,200 receiving. Two very underrated offensive players.

Autozone Liberty Bowl (Navy vs Cincinnati)

Was there any doubt that a service academy would beat a BIG12 team in the pouring rain in a bowl game? No there was not. Navy gets the win 35-13 and controlled the game the whole way. Eli Heidenreich’s career ended with 64 receiving yards and a touchdown as I would assume he will have an NFL future on his hands. Another solid game for Blake Horvath and Alex Tecza. This senior group of Navy football will go down as one of the best ever. 11-2, beat Army, and won a bowl game. What coach Newberry has been as been incredible and they are doing this all with no NIL.

Duke’s Mayo Bowl (Wake Forest vs Mississippi State)

What a season for Wake Forest with a 43-29 win over Mississippi State they finish their season with 9 wins. Something nobody expected before the season. Robby Ashford ended with one of his best games ever 303 passing yards and three touchdowns. I have to ask though why as Mississippi State is down 14 with less than two minutes to go in the game their QB1 next season Kamario Taylor is in the game where he then got injured. Luckily it appears it wasn’t as bad as originally thought but still very tough to watch with the unreal talent that he has.

Holiday Bowl (SMU vs Arizona)

Two really fun quarterbacks going at it with one another in this game. SMU got the win 24-19 but Noah Fifita went for 265 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 73 rushing yards. Kevin Jennings also went for 278 passing yards but had three interceptions and zero touchdowns. His defense was able to hold up for him and SMU was able to take a commanding 24-0 lead to make sure this game was wrapped up early. Arizona clawed back but after an onside kick attempt failed SMU wrapped up their ninth win of the season. Another impressive season for Rhett Lashlee’s group.

Another fantastic bowl season and CFP along with a great FCS playoffs shows why this sport is the best on earth. We had it all this bowl season. We get one more game in the national title and before you know it we will be previewing for next season and remember bowl games do in fact matter. — Garrett Armbrust (@ 4thandSaturday on Twitter/X)