Cnotes 2019-2020 College Football Trends-News-Notes-Best Bets & Opinions !

[StarDust Bum]

MACâ??s Kent State, Buffalo each get first bowl victory
December 20, 2019
By The Associated Press

FRISCO, Texas (AP) Dustin Crum passed for 289 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 147 yards and the clinching score to help Kent State beat Utah State 51-41 on Friday night in the Frisco Bowl for the Golden Flashesâ?? first bowl victory.

Kent State (7-6) closed with four straight wins to finish with a winning record for the first time since 2012.

Matthew Trickett kicked five field goals to set a Kent State game record.

Crum threw a 78-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah McKoy down the right sideline on Kent Stateâ??s third play from scrimmage. Crum flipped a 1-yard scoring pass to Antwan Dixon with 9:36 to play to put the Golden Flashes ahead for good, then scored with 1:56 left on a fourth-and-1 run from the 4.

Jordan Love passed for 308 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to Siaosi Mariner, in his final game for Utah State (7-6). The junior announced last week that heâ??ll bypass his senior season to enter the NFL draft.

Deven Thompkins scored on a 57-yard run and a 17-yard reception for the Aggies.

BAHAMAS BOWL

BUFFALO 31, CHAROTTE 9

NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) - Jaret Patterson ran for 173 yards and two touchdowns, Kyle Vantrease passed for a touchdown and ran for another and Buffalo won a bowl game for the first time in school history.

The Bulls (8-5) were winless in three previous bowl appearances. Charlotte (7-6) played its first bowl game.

Patterson had 32 carries for, who were winless in three previous bowl appearances. He finished the year with a slew of school single-season records, including 330 carries, 1,799 yards and 19 rushing touchdowns.

Antonio Nunn caught a 12-yard pass from Vantrease on the first Buffalo drive to open the scoring, and Vantrease capped a 15-play, 74-yard drive by plunging in from the 1 with 3:33 left in the half to make it 14-0. Patterson scored on a 6-yard run midway through the third quarter to make it 24-0, then sealed it with a 10-yard TD run to cap a 16-play scoring drive.

Chris Reynolds threw a 51-yard scoring pass to Victor Tucker for Charlotte.

[StarDust Bum]

Bowl Games Best Bets & Opinions ( All Based On 5 Units )

DATE................W-L-T...........%........UNITS

12/20/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50

Totals...............1-1-0 50.00% -0.50


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Best Bets

Date......................Ats..................Uni ts...................O/U...................Units..............Total


12/20/2019..........1 - 0.................+5.00.................0 - 1..................-5.50..............-0.50

Totals...................1 - 0.................+5.00.................0 - 1..................-5.50..............-0.50

[StarDust Bum]

207C MICHIGAN -208 SAN DIEGO ST
C MICHIGAN is 7-0 ATS (7 Units) after covering the spread in 2 out of their last 3 games in the current season.

211SMU -212 FLA ATLANTIC
SMU is 0-9 ATS (-9.9 Units) in road games after 2 conference games in the last 3 seasons.

215WASHINGTON -216 BOISE ST
BOISE ST is 10-2 ATS (7.8 Units) after going under the total over the last 2 seasons.

217UAB -218 APPALACHIAN ST
APPALACHIAN ST is 8-1 ATS (6.9 Units) after 2 consecutive game where they committed 1 or less turnovers in the current season.


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Saturday, December 21

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C MICHIGAN (8 - 5) vs. SAN DIEGO ST (9 - 3) - 12/21/2019, 2:00:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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LIBERTY (7 - 5) vs. GA SOUTHERN (7 - 5) - 12/21/2019, 2:30:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LIBERTY is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in road games in non-conference games since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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SMU (10 - 2) at FLA ATLANTIC (10 - 3) - 12/21/2019, 3:30:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SMU is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) after playing a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
SMU is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in road games off a win against a conference rival over the last 3 seasons.
SMU is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
FLA ATLANTIC is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) after playing a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
FLA ATLANTIC is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) off a win against a conference rival over the last 3 seasons.
FLA ATLANTIC is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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FLA INTERNATIONAL (6 - 6) vs. ARKANSAS ST (7 - 5) - 12/21/2019, 5:30:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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WASHINGTON (7 - 5) vs. BOISE ST (12 - 1) - 12/21/2019, 7:30:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOISE ST is 154-112 ATS (+30.8 Units) in all games since 1992.
BOISE ST is 154-112 ATS (+30.8 Units) in all lined games since 1992.
BOISE ST is 29-14 ATS (+13.6 Units) as an underdog since 1992.
BOISE ST is 108-80 ATS (+20.0 Units) when playing on a Saturday since 1992.
BOISE ST is 97-66 ATS (+24.4 Units) after playing a conference game since 1992.
BOISE ST is 88-55 ATS (+27.5 Units) off a win against a conference rival since 1992.
BOISE ST is 96-68 ATS (+21.2 Units) after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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UAB (9 - 4) vs. APPALACHIAN ST (12 - 1) - 12/21/2019, 9:00:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
APPALACHIAN ST is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
APPALACHIAN ST is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
APPALACHIAN ST is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 2 seasons.
APPALACHIAN ST is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) when playing with 2 weeks or more of rest over the last 3 seasons.
APPALACHIAN ST is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) after a bye week over the last 3 seasons.
APPALACHIAN ST is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games in games played on turf over the last 2 seasons.
APPALACHIAN ST is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1992.
UAB is 23-12 ATS (+9.8 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 3 seasons.
UAB is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) after playing a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
UAB is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) in games played on turf over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.


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Saturday, December 21

Central Michigan @ San Diego State
Central Michigan
Central Michigan is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Central Michigan is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
San Diego State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Diego State's last 5 games
San Diego State is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games

Liberty @ Georgia Southern
Liberty
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Liberty's last 6 games
Liberty is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
Georgia Southern
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Georgia Southern's last 5 games
Georgia Southern is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games

Southern Methodist @ Florida Atlantic
Southern Methodist
Southern Methodist is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Southern Methodist's last 12 games
Florida Atlantic
Florida Atlantic is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Florida Atlantic is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

Florida International @ Arkansas State
Florida International
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Florida International's last 5 games when playing Arkansas State
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Florida International's last 18 games
Arkansas State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arkansas State's last 5 games when playing Florida International
Arkansas State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

Boise State @ Washington
Boise State
Boise State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boise State's last 5 games
Washington
Washington is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
Washington is 10-5 ATS in its last 15 games

Appalachian State @ Alabama-Birmingham
Appalachian State
Appalachian State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Appalachian State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Alabama-Birmingham
Alabama-Birmingham is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Alabama-Birmingham's last 6 games


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Dec 21- New Mexico Bowl
San Diego State went 9-3 despite scoring 17 or less points in half their games- they beat a I-AA team 6-0, were 6-0 SU scoring more than 17 points. 10 of their 11 games stayed under. Aztecs lost bowls 42-35/27-0 last two years; they’ve got senior QB making 19th start. Central Michigan went 1-11 LY, made bowl TY in McElwain’s first year at CMU. Chippewas are in 5th bowl in six years but they lost last four bowls, scoring 12.7 ppg in last three. CMU won six of last eight games, losing MAC title game 26-21; they’re 4-2-1 ATS as an underdog TY. Over is 6-2 in their last eight games. Underdogs covered five of last seven New Mexico Bowls; Mountain West team is 3-2 in this game last five years, with average total of 55.2.

Cure Bowl, Orlando
Liberty is in its first bowl in their 2nd year of I-A ball; Hugh Freeze is 3-1 in bowls, going 3-0 when he coached at Ole Miss. Flames have a senior QB making his 43rd/last start; they’re 1-4 when they allow 31+ points, 6-1 when they allow less than 31. Liberty is 6-7 ATS as an underdog since going D-I. Four of their last five games went over. Georgia Southern won six of last eight games after a 2-4 start; they scored 40.7 ppg in last three games. Eagles won their only two bowls, nipping Eastern Michigan 23-21 LY- they’ve got a junior QB with 35 starts who threw for 704 yards, ran for 674 yards TY. Four of their last five games went over. Sun Belt teams split four Cure Bowls, with average total of 49.

Boca Raton Bowl, Boca Raton, FL
Is it good to play a bowl on your home field? After your coach bolted to an SEC job? Owls are 3-0 in bowls, winning this game 50-3 over Akron LY, now they’re playing a home bowl for 2nd year in a row. FAU won 10 of 11 games after losing to Ohio St/UCF to open season; they’ve got a soph QB wth 23 starts. Owls covered five of last six games; they’re 1-8 ATS in last nine games as a home underdog, 5-1 ATS TY in games with single digit spread. SMU split its last four games after an 8-0 start; they scored 28-48 points in their losses; over is 9-3 in their games TY- Mustangs are 2-4 ATS in last six games as a road favorite, 1-1 TY. SMU is in its 2nd bowl in seven years; they lost 51-10 to La Tech in a bowl two years ago. Favorites covered four of first five Boca Raton Bowls, with average total of 61.8.

Camellia Bowl, Montgomery, AL
Arkansas State has had emotional 7-5 season; their coach’s wife passed away August 19- he missed their first game. Red Wolves won four of last five games, throwing for 300+ yards in last four games; they’re 4-3 ATS in games with single digit spread. FIU went 6-6 this year, after going 16-10 last two years; they’ve split four bowl games, with dogs covering three of them. Panthers are 1-4 ATS TY in games with single digit spread- they did upset Miami, but then lost to Marshall. FIU allowed 200+ YR in five of its six losses; they’ve got a senior QB with 38 starts. Butch Davis is 6-3 in bowl games. Underdogs covered four of last five Camellia Bowls, with average total of 57.8. Sun Belt teams won this bowl three of last four years.

Las Vegas Bowl
Chris Petersen unexpectedly quit as Washington’s coach; his last game is against his old team, where he went 92-12 from 2006-13. Huskies were disappointing 7-5 TY with only two starters back on defense- they’re 0-5 in games decided by 10 or fewer points. Washington is 1-4 in bowls under Petersen, with average total of 54.2. Boise State’s bowl game LY in Dallas was cancelled because of severe weather with 5:08 left in first quarter; Broncos are 3-1 in bowls under Harsin- they upset Oregon in this game two years ago. Boise won its last six games; their only loss was 28-25 at BYU in October. Four of their last five games went under. Mountain West team won this bowl last three years; favorites are 5-3 ATS in this game last eight years, with average total in last five, 55.8.

New Orleans Bowl
UAB lost C-USA title game 49-6 to FAU two weeks ago; they’re 9-4 TY, scoring 13 or fewer points in all four losses. UAB won three of last four games; they’re 0-3 ATS as an underdog TY, after covering 13 of previous 18 tries as an underdog. Blazers are 1-2 in bowls, with favorites covering all three games. Appalachian State is 12-1, with only loss by FG to Ga Southern on Halloween; Mountaineers scored 45.8 ppg in last four games- they’re 5-4 as a double digit favorite TY. ASU won this bowl 45-13 LY; they’re 4-0 in bowls, scoring 31+ points in all four- this is their 6th year as a I-A team. Favorites won/covered last four New Orleans Bowls; Sun Belt team won this game six of last eight years. Average total in this bowl last five years, 56.2.


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Central Michigan @ San Diego St

Game 207-208
December 21, 2019 @ 2:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Central Michigan
80.133
San Diego St
81.038
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Diego St
by 1
25
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Diego St
by 3 1/2
41
Dunkel Pick:
Central Michigan
(+3 1/2); Under

Liberty @ Georgia Southern

Game 209-210
December 21, 2019 @ 2:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Liberty
77.183
Georgia Southern
79.381
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Georgia Southern
by 2
54
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Georgia Southern
by 5
58 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Liberty
(+5); Under

SMU @ Florida Atlantic

Game 211-212
December 21, 2019 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
SMU
90.043
Florida Atlantic
90.344
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Florida Atlantic
Even
73
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
SMU
by 3
70
Dunkel Pick:
Florida Atlantic
(+3); Over

FIU @ Arkansas St

Game 213-214
December 21, 2019 @ 5:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
FIU
74.807
Arkansas St
73.181
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
FIU
by 1 1/2
66
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Arkansas St
by 3
63
Dunkel Pick:
FIU
(+3); Over

Boise State @ Washington

Game 215-216
December 21, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boise State
97.058
Washington
97.282
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boise State
Even
42
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
by 3 1/2
50
Dunkel Pick:
Boise State
(+3 1/2); Under

Appalachian St @ UAB

Game 217-218
December 21, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Appalachian St
92.028
UAB
78.006
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Appalachian St
by 14
46
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Appalachian St
by 17
48
[B] Dunkel Pick:
UAB
(+17); Under


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Saturday, December 21

CENTRAL MICHIGAN at SAN DIEGO STATE (New Mexico Bowl)...Aztecs “under” 12-1 since last 2018. SDSU also 4-1 “under” its last five bowls. Aztecs 5-1 SU away in 2019 but just 4-11 as chalk since LY (0-8 in 2018). Jim McElwain covered 9 of last 11 this season and 5 of last 6 as dog.
Slight to CMU and “under,” based on team and ‘totals” trends.


LIBERTY vs. GEORGIA SOUTHERN (Cure Orlando Bowl)...First-ever bowl for Liberty. Flames covered 7 of last 10 this season but just 2-3 as dog. GS only 2-4 vs. spread away from Statesboro in 2019, and Eagles “over” 13-6 since midway in 2018.
“Over” based on “totals” trends.


SMU at FLORIDA ATLANTIC (Boca Raton Bowl)...SMU cooled off down stretch after covering first five TY, only 3-4 vs. spread last seven. Though mustangs were 5-1 SU vs. line away this season. FAU 7-2 vs. spread last nine in 2019, also won and covered 4 of last 5 at Boca Raton. Mustangs 9-3 “over” in 2019.
FAU and slight to “over,” based on team and “totals” trends.


FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL vs. ARKANSAS STATE (Camellia Bowl)...FIU was only 4-8 vs. lin3 this season but did cover last two, after 10-3 spread success a year ago. Butch Davis 2-3 as dog TY after 10-4 mark in role previous two seasons. Ark State 2-5 as chalk this season and just 1-4 SU and vs. spread in bowls past five years.
Slight to FIU, based on extended trends.


WASHINGTON vs. BOISE STATE (Las Vegas Bowl)... Huskies 5-1 vs. line last six outside of Pac and 7-3 as chalk in 2019 Petersen 2-3 vs. line in bowls with Huskies. Boise has won and covered 3 of last 4 bowls and Harsin 5-1 last six as dog. Also 24-11 vs. number last 35 away from home since 2015. MW has won and covered last 3 LV Bowls.
Slight to Boise State, based on team trends.


UAB vs. APPALACHIAN STATE (New Orleans Bowl)...UAB only 2-4 vs. spread away from Legion Field TY and 0-3 as dog after 9-4 mark getting points in 2017-18. App 9-4 vs. spread TY, 22-10-1 vs. line since late 2017. Mounties also 5-1 vs. line away TY.
Slight to App State, based on team trends.


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[StarDust Bum]

Saturday's Early Bowl Tips
Joe Williams

New Mexico Bowl (ESPN, 2:00 p.m. ET)
Central Michigan vs. San Diego State

-- The Central Michigan Chippewas (8-5 straight up, 9-3-1 against the spread) of the Mid-American Conference will face off against the San Diego State Aztecs (9-3 straight up, 7-5 against the spread) from the Mountain West Conference in the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque, N.M.

-- The Chippewas will be making their 12th bowl appearance in school history, and first since falling in the Idaho Potato Bowl against Wyoming on Dec. 22, 2017 by a 37-14 score. CMU has dropped four consecutive bowl appearances since topping Kentucky in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl back on Dec. 26, 2012. They're 3-8 SU all-time in bowl games in school history.

-- The Aztecs have posted 17 bowl appearances, going 8-9 in their previous appearances. Like Central Michigan, this will be their first-ever appearance in the New Mexico Bowl. The Aztecs enter on a two-game bowl losing streak, falling in last season's Frisco Bowl against Ohio by a 27-0 score. They topped Houston by a 34-10 score in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 17, 2016 for their most recent bowl success.

-- CMU is coming off a disappointing 26-21 loss against Miami-Ohio in the MAC Championship Game at Ford Field on Dec. 7. That loss snapped a three-game win and cover streak to close out the regular season, and the Chips are still 6-2 ATS across the past eight games despite the non-cover vs. Miami. The Chippewas were 2-2 SU/3-1 ATS in four non-conference tilts, including a 42-28 win over New Mexico State in their final non-conference tilts on Oct. 12.

-- San Diego State blew their chance at a conference championship, falling 17-13 against Nevada at home on Nov. 9, and 14-11 at Hawaii on Nov. 23. They scored 20 or fewer points in each of their final five games, while allowing 17 or fewer points in each of their final six. As such, the 'under' connected in each of their final six contests of the regular season. They are 3-0 SU/2-1 ATS in three non-conference tilts, and these two teams have a common opponent - New Mexico State. The Aztecs spanked the Aggies 31-10 back on Sept. 14 to cover a 16.5-point spread, recording their largest margin of victory of the season.

-- Central Michigan ranks 27th in total yards per game (447.4), 40th in passing yards per game (258.9), 40th in rushing yards per game (188.5) and 44th in points scored (31.9). Defensively the Chips ranked 38th in total yards allowed (351.8), 84th in passing yards allowed (235.2) and 21st in rushing yards allowed (116.7), while checking in 62nd in the country with 26.8 points per game allowed.

-- San Diego State ended up ranked 115th in the nation with 330.1 total yards per game offensively, while finishing 99th in passing yards (194.8) and 99th in rushing yards (135.3). They also posted just 19.0 points per game to finish 119th in the country. On the defensive side of the ball, the Aztecs were dominant, allowing just 288.7 total yards per game to rank fifth, while checking in 53rd with 216.3 passing yards allowed and second with only 72.4 rushing yards per contest. They also yielded only 12.8 PPG to finish fourth in the nation.

-- Aztecs DB Luq Barcoo was tied for second in the country with eight interceptions, while ranking first with 24 passes defensed and he was tied for No. 1 with 16 pass breakups.

-- San Diego State QB Ryan Agnew (calf) is expected to be ready after leaving the regular-season finale due to injury. However, leading RB Juwan Washington (lower body) is a question mark, so RB Chase Jasmin might have to do more of the heavy lifting.

-- Central Michigan is 5-1 ATS in the past six non-conference games and 6-2 ATS in the past eight games overall. However, they're 2-5 ATS in the past seven against winning sides and 0-4 ATS in the past four neutal-site games.

-- San Diego State is 5-2 ATS in their past seven games as a favorite, but they're just 5-13 ATS in the past 18 games on a grass surface and 3-8 ATS in their past 11 appearances in the month of December.

-- The Chippewas have hit the over in six of the past eight games overall, and the over is 4-0 in their past four as an underdog. The over is also 4-1 in their past five non-conference tilts.

-- The under has connected in four in a row for the Aztecs as a favorite, and 4-1 in their past five neutral-site battles while going 20-8-1 in the previous 29 non-conference tilts.

-- The under is 4-1 in San Diego State's past five bowl games.

-- Kickoff is slated for 2:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.


Cure Bowl (ABC, 2:30 p.m.)
Liberty vs. Georgia Southern

-- The FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl will feature a battle between the independent Liberty Flames (7-5 straight up, 6-6 against the spread) and the Georgia Southern Eagles (7-5 straight up, 5-7 against the spread) at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.

-- Liberty will be appearing in its first-ever bowl game in just their second-ever season at the FBS level. Head coach Hugh Freeze earned a contract extension on Dec. 10 after securing the historic bowl berth for the Flames.

-- The Eagles are the bowl veterans, although this is just their third-ever postseason appearance. They picked up an exciting 23-21 win over Eastern Michigan in last season's Camellia Bowl. They also blasted Bowling Green by a 58-27 count in the 2005 GoDaddy Bowl, so they've never lost a bowl game in their brief history.

-- Liberty started off the season 0-2 SU/ATS, but rattled off five straight wins to get to the precipice of bowl eligibility in late October. A disappointing loss at Rutgers on Oct. 26 spoiled their momentum, but they routed Massachusetts (who didn't?) by a 63-21 score to gain eligibility in style. They fell at BYU and at Virginia on Nov. 9 and Nov. 23, but crushed New Mexico State by a 49-28 count to end the season on a high note, covering a 14.5-point spread.

-- Georgia Southern opened 1-3 SU in their first four outings of the regular season, and they covered just once in the first six games to open the year. The Eagles recorded their most impressive victory of the season with a 24-21 win at Appalachian State on Halloween night, a treat for Eagles fans everywhere. That also likely spoiled any chance App State had of appearing in the Cotton Bowl, although they were still in the running late.

-- Like CMU and San Diego State above, Liberty and Georgia Southern also had a common opponent in New Mexico State. The Eagles routed NMSU 41-7 to cover a 13.5-point spread on Oct. 26, and Liberty pounded them in the finale as mentioned above.

-- Liberty ranked 34th in the country with 443.3 total yards per game, while also posting 290.5 passing yards per game to end up 21st in the land. They're 32nd in points scored with 33.7, while they struggled with 152.8 rushing yards per game to finish 72nd in the nation. Defensively the Flames were very average, ranking 88th with 422.4 total yards per game allowed, 74th against the pass (229.8), 100th against the run (192.9) and 77th in points allowed (29.1).

-- Georgia Southern was a dismal 112th in total yards per game (333.6), 130th in passing yards per contest (72.8) and 63rd in points scored (29.2). However, the triple-option Eagles rank eighth in the nation with 260.8 rushing yards per contest. The Eagles ranked 53rd in total yards per game allowed 377.3, they were 91st against the pass (240.2) and 38th against the rush (137.1) while yielding 28.6 PPG to check in 72nd in the land.

-- Liberty is 17-7 ATS in the past 24 as an underdog, while going 0-4 ATS in the past four non-conference tilts.

-- Georgia Southern is 1-4 ATS in the past five games following a cover in their most recent appearance.

-- The Flames hit the over in four of the past five games overall, but the under is 5-1 in Liberty's past six games as an underdog.

-- The Eagles hit the over in four of their final five games in the regular season, while the over is 4-1 in the past five against winning teams. The over is also 9-3 in Georgia Southern's past 12 games on a grass surface, while going 5-1 in the past six after a straight-up win and 4-0 in the past four after a cover.

-- Kickoff is slated for 2:30 p.m. Eastern on CBSSN.


Boca Raton Bowl (ABC, 3:30 p.m.)
Southern Methodist vs. Florida Atlantic

-- The Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl features a battle between the Southern Methodist Mustangs (10-2 straight up, 7-5 against the spread) of the American Athletic Conference and the Florida Atlantic Owls (10-3 straight up, 9-4 against the spread) of Conference USA at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Fla.

-- SMU has a rich bowl history, and they'll make their first appearance in the Boca Raton Bowl. After going 1-4-1 SU in their first six bowl appearances the Mustangs are 6-4 SU across the past 10 appearances, including 4-2 in the past six. They're 0-1 in their only bowl appearance against a Conference USA foe, falling 51-10 to Louisiana Tech in their most recent bowl showing in the 2017 Frisco Bowl.

-- FAU doesn't have a lengthy bowl history, but it has been successful. They debuted Dec. 21, 2007 with a 44-27 win over Memphis, an AAC opponent, before posting a 24-21 win over Central Michigan in the 2008 Motor City Bowl. In their only previous Boca Raton Bowl showing they routed Akron by a 50-3 score on Dec. 19, 2017.

-- SMU fired out of the box with eight straight victories to open the season, while going 5-0 ATS in the first five contests. The 'over' also went 7-0 in the first seven battles, and 9-0-1 in their first 10 contests. Their only losses came in a 54-48 slugfest at Memphis on Nov. 2, and a 35-28 showdown at Navy on Nov. 23. The Mustangs did limp home with a 1-4 ATS mark in the final five games.

-- The Mustangs ranked ninth in the country with 495.3 total yards per game on offense, while ranking 12th in passing yards (309.3) per contest. They're also 41st in the land with 185.9 rushing yards per game and 43.0 points per game to end up seventh in the nation. Defensively the Mustangs allowed 438.6 total yards per game to rank 102nd, while ranking 121st in passing yards allowed (284.9) and 100th in points allowed (31.8 PPG).

-- SMU QB Shane Buechele threw for 3,626 passing yards with 33 touchdowns and nine interceptions while completing 63.2 percent of his passes. RB Xavier Jones ran for 1,249 yards and 21 touchdowns while WR James Proche ended up with 102 receptions, 1,139 yards and 14 combined touchdowns.

-- The Owls will be playing their first game with interim head coach Glenn Spencer at the helm after Lane Kiffin bolted for the vacant Ole Miss head coaching position.

-- FAU ranked 32nd with 443.5 total yards per game on offense while ranking 30th in passing yards (278.4). They were also 16th in the country with 35.2 PPG. Defensively the Owls were 48th with 371.3 total yards per game allowed, 81st against the pass (233.6) and 41st against the run (137.7). They also ranked 33rd while allowing 22.3 PPG.

-- Owls TE Harrison Bryant posted 1,002 yards while capturing the Mackey Award, recognized as college football's best tight end.

-- SMU posted a 4-0 ATS mark in their past four non-conference games, but they're 1-4 ATS in the past five games overall.

-- FAU is 5-1 ATS in the past six games overall, while going 4-0 ATS in the past four against teams with a winning overall mark. They're also 5-0 ATS in the past five neutral-site contests.

-- The over is 9-3 in SMU's past 12 games overall, and 6-2 in the past eight as a favorite. The over is also 6-0 in the past six non-conference games, but the under is 4-0 in the past four neutral-site battles and 5-0 in SMU's past five bowl games.

-- The over is 5-1-1 in FAU's past seven as an underdog, while the under is 7-1 in their past eight appearances in the month of December and 8-3 in the past 11 games on a grass surface.

-- This is the first-ever meeting between SMU and FAU on the gridiron.

-- Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. Eastern on ABC.


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Saturday's Late Bowl Tips
Joe Williams

Camellia Bowl (ESPN, 5:30 p.m. ET)
Florida International vs. Arkansas State

-- The Florida International Golden Panthers (6-6 straight up, 4-8 against the spread) of Conference USA will take on the Arkansas State Red Wolves (7-5 straight up, 5-7 against the spread) from the Sun Belt Conference in the Camellia Bowl in Montgomery, Ala. in the Cramton Bowl.

-- The Golden Panthers are bowling for a school-record third straight season under the leadership of head coach Butch Davis. They are 2-2 overall in their four previous bowl games, having won the 2010 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl over Toledo in 2010, while losing the Beef O' Brady's Bowl to Marshall in 2011, both under Mario Cristobal, now at Oregon. They lost the Gasparilla Bowl to Temple in 2017 under Davis, before rebounding with a 35-32 last season in the Bahamas Bowl, again over Toledo.

-- FIU barely qualified for the postseason, but a big late victory turned their season. They started out 1-3 SU/0-4 ATS, with only a win over FCS New Hampshire in the first four games. They throttled Massachusetts 44-0 on Oct. 5, a common theme for most teams this season, to get their first win against an FBS team. They followed that up with their first conference win of the season Oct. 12 against Charlotte, a bowl team, while running their record to 4-3 SU on Oct. 19 with another C-USA win over Texas-El Paso. However, a 50-17 humbling at Middle Tennessee, and a 37-7 whitewashing on the road against rival Florida Atlantic had them in another 0-4 ATS tailspin, and a 5-5 SU hole heading into Nov. 23 against Miami-Florida. However, they stunned the Hurricanes 30-24 at Marlins Park for one of the biggest, if not the biggest, wins in school history to attain bowl eligibility before a 30-27 overtime loss at Marshall in the season finale. FIU ended the season 6-1 SU at home, but 0-5 SU on the road, something to remember here.

-- The Red Wolves wer beaten by SMU in their opener, 37-30, and they lost to another bowl team Georgia, 55-0, on Sept. 14 at Sanford Stadium in Athens. They rattled off two wins in a row against FCS Southern Illinois and at Troy, but fell to a pair of bowl teams, Georgia State and Louisiana, to go back under .500. However, a four-game win streak against Texas State, Louisiana-Monroe, Coastal Carolina and Georgia Southern meant they were bowl again, although they enter this game on a losing streak after a 34-30 failure in Mobile against a bad South Alabama side.

-- Ark State has posted a 3-6 SU record in FBS bowl games, falling in the past two appearances. They lost to Nevada in the Arizona Bowl last season by a 16-13 score in overtime, and against Middle Tennessee by a 35-30 count in their only previous appearance in the Camellia Bowl. They're also 0-2 SU in two previous showings in a bowl game against C-USA teams, falling 31-19 to Southern Miss in the 2005 New Orleans Bowl, too.

-- Offensively, the Red Wolves were strong, especially in the pass game. They ranked 44th in the nation with 432.2 total yards per game, and 14th with 305.3 passing yards per contest. Rushing, they're a dismal 110th with 126.8 yards per contest, but it all equated to 33.7 points per game to rank 31st. Defensively, ugh, the Red Wolves were 127th in the country with 481.9 total yards per game, and 104th against the pass (257.3), 123rd against the run (224.6) and they allowed 34.8 points per game to rank 117th.

-- FIU's strength is against the pass, ranking sixth in the country with just 178.5 pass yards allowed per game. That's because their rush defense was atrocious, allowing 205.1 yards per game on the ground to rank 111th. Overall they allowed 26.7 points per game to check in 61st. Offensively, FIU was balanced, although not in a good way. They ranked 97th with 371.3 total yards per game, 91st in pass yards (203.5), 61st in rushing (167.8) and 84th in points score (26.5).

-- The Golden Panthers are 7-2 ATS in the past nine against winning teams, but they're just 1-5-1 ATS in the past seven neutral-site games. They're 11-5 ATS in the past 16 as an underdog, too.

-- The Red Wolves are 1-5 ATS in the past six non-conference games, while going 1-4 ATS in the past five neutral-site affairs. They're also 1-4 ATS in the past five bowl games, while also going 1-5 ATS in the past six vs. C-USA teams.

-- FIU has hit the over in five of the past six against winning teams, while going 5-2 in their past seven as an underdog.

-- For Ark State, the over is 5-2 in their past seven as a favorite, but the under is 4-1 in the past five games in December, and 36-17-1 in the previous 54 non-conference tilts.

-- These teams have a history, as they were each previously SBC members together. The favorite is 4-0 ATS in the past four meetings, with the under cashing in five in a row.


Las Vegas Bowl (ABC, 7:30 p.m.)
Boise State vs. Washington

-- The Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl will pits the Boise State Broncos (12-1 straight up, 7-5-1 against the spread) from the Mountain West Conference and the Washington Huskies (7-5 straight up, 7-5 against the spread) of the Pac-12 Conference at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas (technically Whitney, Nev.).

-- The game marks the final one for head coach Chris Petersen at Washington, and it comes against the program where he made a name for himself in Boise. He went 92-12 across eight seasons with the Broncos from 2006-13 before taking the gig with the Huskies in 2014.

-- Boise State has an interesting bowl history, and they'll likely be glad to be back in the fair weather of Las Vegas. They were trailing 7-0 with 5:08 to go in the first quarter last season in the First Responder Bowl before the remainder of the game was cancelled due to inclement/severe weather, with the bowl designated a no contest.

-- The Broncos will be making their fifth appearance in the Las Vegas bowl, previously named the Maaco Bowl. These teams met in bowl game on Dec. 22, 2012, with the Broncos coming away with a 28-26 win under Petersen. In their four previous appearances the Broncos are 4-0 with wins over Utah (2010), Arizona State (2011), Washington (2012) and Oregon (2017). Overall they're 12-6 SU in their previous 18 FBS bowl appearances dating back to Dec. 30, 1999.

-- The Huskies have dropped three bowl games in a row under Petersen, and they're 1-4 SU across their five appearances under his leadership. They're also just 5-13 SU in their past 18 bowl games after a 10-3 SU run from 1978-92 under Don James.

-- Boise State ranks 38th with 441.5 total yards per game, and they're 35th in passing yards (267.4) while ranking 52nd in rushing yards (174.2). The Broncos are also 14th in the nation with 36.8 points per game. Defensively they rank 35th with 347.5 total yards per game allowed, while clamping down against the rush with 113.1 yards per contest allowed. They also gave up just 20.6 PPG to check in 24th.

-- Freshman QB Hank Bachmeier (shoulder) is a question mark due to a shoulder injury, but QB Chase Cord and QB Jaylon Henderson have proven to be more than capable, if/when needed. Henderson started four games, passing for 1,032 yards and 11 touchdowns with just two interceptions, while Cord cut the mustard, too. He appearance in eight games, throwing for 670 yards, nine touchdowns and just three intereceptions while also running for 100 yards and two scores. RB George Holani, also a freshman, rolled up a team-best 979 rushing yards with seven touchdowns

-- Washington was a mediocre 73rd in total yards per game (397.3), while ranking 55th in passing yards (245.1), 76th in rushing yards (152.2) and 47th in points scored (31.5) per game Defensively they allowed 358.3 total yards per outing to rank 39th, while checking in 64th against the pass (225.1) and 33rd against the run (133.3). They also allowed 20.4 points per game to finish 23rd in the land.

-- Boise State is 7-0 ATS in their past seven games as an underdog, while going 5-1 ATS in the past six as a bowl underdog. They're also 7-3 ATS in the past 10 bowl games overall, and 9-4 ATS in their past 13 neutral-site battles.

-- Washington is 6-2 ATS in the past eight as a favorite, and 4-1 ATS in the past five non-conference tilts. However, they're just 1-4 ATS in the past five bowl games and 1-4 ATS in the past five neutral-site affairs.


New Orleans Bowl (ESPN, 9:00 p.m.)
Appalachian State vs. Alabama-Birmingham

-- The R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl features the Sun Bowl champion Appalachian State Mountaineers (12-1 straight up, 9-4 against the spread) against the Alabama-Birmingham Blazers (9-4 straight up, 7-6 against the spread) at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, La.

-- The Mountaineers had a tremendous season, including wins on the road against Power 5 teams North Carolina and South Carolina. They head to New Orleans looking for a 13-win season, and they'll also be looking to stay unbeaten in bowl games. They are 4-0 SU in two Camellia Bowl appearances, a Dollar General Bowl appearance and a 45-13 dismantling of Middle Tennessee in last season's New Orleans Bowl.

-- The only blemish on App State's record was a 24-21 loss on Halloween night agaisnt Georgia Southern. Since then they won five in a row, covering four of those outings. That run includes the win over South Carolina, as well as a 56-27 at Georgia State (a bowl team), and a 45-38 win over Louisiana (also a bowl team) in the Sun Belt title game. Overall the Mountaineers beat bowl teams Charlotte, North Carolina, Louisiana (twice) and Georgia State.

-- For the Blazers, they're a heavy underdog after getting demolished by Florida Atlantic (a bowl team) in the Conference USA title game in Boca Raton, Fla., essentially a road game. They have QB Tyler Johnston III (knee) on the injury report due to a knee injury. He led the team with 1,949 passing yards in 2019.

-- UAB fell 49-6 to FAU in the title game, splashing cold water on a 3-0 SU/2-1 ATS run to close out the regular season, including a 20-14 win over bowl team Lousiana Tech. They had a rare over in the C-USA title game, too, as they closed out the regular season on a 4-1 'under' run.

-- The Blazers struggled offensively, ranking 105th in total yards per game (352.9), 101st in passing yards (193.4) and 68th in rushing yards (159.5) while posting 23.6 PPG to rank 100th in the country. Defensively the Blazers had it on lockdown most of the season, allowing just 295.2 yards per game to rank eighth, while checking in 14th against the pass (186.8) and 13th against the rush (108.3). They also allowed just 20.8 points per game to rank 26th in the nation.

-- For App State, they ranked 42nd in total yards (435.5) while ranking 87th in passing yards (206.3) and 17th in rushing yards (229.2). Overall, they scored 39.4 points per game to finish ninth in the nation. Defensively, the Mountaineers were solid across the board, ranking 26th in total yards (335.9), 30th in passing yards (199.7), 37th in rushing yards (136.2) and 22nd in points (20.2) allowed per game.

-- The Mountaineers are led by SBC offensive player of the year RB Darrytnon Evans, who posted 1,323 yards on the ground while posting a total of 17 touchdowns.

-- App State is 8-1 ATS in the past nine non-conference battles, 5-1 ATS in the past six against teams with a winning record and 22-8 ATS in the past 30 overall. They're also 17-8 ATS in the past 25 as a favorite.

-- UAB is 2-5 ATS in the past seven against teams with a winning record while going 1-4 ATS in the past five as an underdog.

-- App State has hit the over in seven of the past eight against winning teams while going 6-2 in the past eight non-conference battles.

-- The under is 9-4 in UAB's past 13 against winning teams, and 10-3 in their past 13 as an underdog. The over is 4-1 in the past five appearances in December, while the over is 8-3 in their past 11 against SBC foes.

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday’s 6-pack

Teams making highest %age of their foul shots:

6) New Orleans 81.3%

5) Sacred Heart 81.4%

4) South Carolina State 81.6%

3) Northeastern 81.9%

2) Pepperdine 84.7%

1) Western Illinois 85%

Quote of the Day:
“I think the chess game still is going to be in play but … the endgame decisions are going to be drastically different. You’ll see from game No. 1. We’re all going to have to learn a different type of strategy.”
Bud Black, on the new rule about relievers having to face three hitters

Saturday’s quiz
What team did Kevin Durant break into the NBA with?

Friday’s quiz
CBS/FS1 basketball analyst Bill Raftery was once the basketball coach at Seton Hall.

Thursday’s quiz
Other than Dak Prescott, Kellen Moore was the last QB to start for the Dallas Cowboys; he is the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator now.

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Saturday’s List of 13 Clearing out a cluttered mind…….

13) Lot of times when I’m writing this space late at night, I turn the TV off and listen to podcasts on my phone. Thought it would be a good idea to post some of those podcasts and recommend them to you, so every so often, I’m going to do that.

If you hate the podcasts, forget that I recommended them; if you enjoy them, you’re welcome.

a) The Steam Room, with Ernie Johnson/Charles Barkley. If you like Inside the NBA on TV, you’ll love this podcast, because Barkley runs amok as Ernie points him in the right direction.

b) The Moment, with Brian Koppelman, who co-writes Billions and co-wrote Rounders, Oceans 13. He talks to a variety of people who are successful, whether in show business, cooking, sports (his podcast with JJ Redick was kind of random, but interesting).

His podcast with the great author John Grisham was excellent.

12) There is a bowl game in Phoenix every year called the Cheez-It Bowl- some thoughts:
— I ate my share of Cheez-Its when I was a kid, because my dad liked them, so they were always around.
— Wasn’t terribly fond of Cheez-Its; too dry. It surprises me that they’ve lasted this long. The puffed-up Doritos they sold a few years ago were great, but they never caught on. Why?
— For the Cheez-It people to have enough money to sponsor a bowl is alarming, well not alarming, but very surprising.

Like you give a rat’s ass what I think of Cheez-Its. Lets move on…….

11) In case you were wondering, Pete Rose had 51 games in his carer with 7+ plate appearances; Rickey Henderson had 43. No one else has/had more than 32.

10) They had G-League showcase games on ESPNU Friday, mostly players who left college early but haven’t stuck in the NBA. Kids go from playing in front of 15,000 fans to playing in a casino events center, where there is a wall right behind the benches. Has to be kind of a reality check.

9) The minimum salary for NBA rookies is $898,310, which is why the most talented kids don’t want to play college basketball; the really big money is in that second contract, though, so you better have your game ready when you get to the pros. Not a lot of patience there.

Guys in the G-League make less money than players who go overseas to play ball.

8) There are also 18 referees who split their time between the NBA and G-League; when you see one of these G-League games, keep in mind that the refs are trying out for the bigtime, too.

7) Baseball stuff:
— Minnesota Twins gave P Tyler Clippard a one-year deal is worth $2.7M.
— Chicago White Sox signed P Gio Gonzalez to a one-year deal worth $4.5M.
— C Martin Maldonado signed a 2-year deal with Houston, worth $7M.
— 2B Ian Kinsler announced his retirement; he had 1,999 career hits.

6) I have a baseball cap collection that is too big, but had to look anyway when the new XFL caps came out. Think the Seattle team has the best logo, but it looks an awful lot like UAB’s logo. Houston’s logo is a smaller version of the old Houston Oilers’ logo.

5) Back when John Chaney was a highly-successful coach at Temple (1982-2006), if one of his players got two fouls in the first half, Chaney would take him out and the kid would sit for the rest of the half. It became a thing in college basketball, just about everyone did it.

Last few years, coaches are starting to play kids more with two fouls in first half, partially because rosters are generally thinner now, because of the transfer epidemic. Not a lot of teams go more than eight quality players deep.

4) Giants are going back to Daniel Jones at QB for their game at Washington Sunday.

3) Georgia 87, SMU 85 2OT— Fun game to watch; not sure how good these teams are, but they are evenly matched. SMU was only 8-32 on arc, but had 26 offensive rebounds. Three of their guys played 45:00, a 4th kid played 42:00. Georgia played ten guys 10:00+; no one played more than 37:00.

2) Buffalo 31, Charlotte 9— Bulls get their first bowl win in their 4th try; this was Charlotte’s first-ever bowl. Jaret Patterson ran for 173 yards and two TD’s for Buffalo.

1) Kent State 51, Utah State 41— Kent is coached by 33-year old Sean Lewis, the youngest I-A coach in the country. This was their first bowl win ever, only their fourth bowl ever. Kent went 7-6 TY, after being 12-47 the previous five years.

This might wind up being the most fun bowl game this year, unless you bet the under.

People at this game outside of Dallas looked like they were at Lambeau Field in January; they were dressed warmer than I was this week, when it was 10 degrees here in Albany. According to my phone, it was 47 degrees at the game. Oy.

[StarDust Bum]

Random bowl facts; Merry Christmas……

— Over the last three years, Pac-12 teams are 7-15 SU in bowl games, 3-18-1 ATS, which is hard to believe, so I checked it twice. 3-18-1 it is.

— Last five tears, Pac-12 teams are 12-27-1 ATS in bowls, 9-20-1 when favored.

— Friday was a huge day for the MAC; they won two bowl games. Over the previous three years, MAC squads were 2-15 SU in bowls, 5-12 ATS.

— Over last three years, SEC teams are 17-19 SU in bowls, 9-12 ATS when favored.

— Underdogs won four of last five Pinstripe Bowls SU.

— Three years ago, big 14 teams were 3-7 SU in bowls; the last two years, they went 12-5 SU/ATS.

— In last five Cheez-It Bowls, Big X teams are 5-0 SU, beating four Pac-12 teams and Boise State.

— Over last five years, Big X teams 5-7 ATS when favored in bowls, 13-8 when the underdog; they’re 13-6 SU in bowls the last three years.

— Over last three years, Sun Belt teams are 9-5 SU in bowls. Go figure.

— Last four years, AAC teams are 10-20 SU in bowls; 6-11 ATS when favored, 4-9 when an underdog.

— Last three years, ACC teams are 20-12-1 ATS in bowls, 9-4 when favored, 11-8-1 when they’re getting points.

— Last five years, Conference USA teams are 11-5 ATS when favored, 7-11 when an underdog.
— Pac-12 teams beat an ACC team in four of last five Sun Bowls; four of the five games were decided by 6 or fewer points.

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CMU at SDSU 02:00 PM
CMU +3.5
U 39.5

LIB at GASO 02:30 PM
LIB +6.5
O 58.0

SMU at FAU 03:30 PM
SMU -9.0
O 65.0

FIU at ARST 05:30 PM
FIU -1.0
O 60.5

BSU at WASH 07:30 PM
WASH -3.5
O 48.0

APP at UAB 09:00 PM
UAB +16.5
U 47.0

[StarDust Bum]

San Diego State beats Central Michigan in NM Bowl
December 21, 2019
By The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS (AP) Jacob Eason threw for 210 yards and a touchdown and Washington sent out coach Chris Petersen with a 38-7 victory over No. 18 Boise State in the Las Vegas Bowl on Saturday night.

Richard Newton rushed for 69 yards with a short touchdown run and threw a touchdown pass for the Huskies (8-5). They capped an erratic season with a dominant finale for Petersen - who left Boise State to coach Washington - after he announced Dec. 2 he was stepping down.

Myles Bryant and Elijah Molden had interceptions, and coordinator Jimmy Lake's defense allowed 266 yards. Lake is taking over as head coach.

Jaylon Henderson threw for 48 yards and a touchdown for the Broncos (12-2). They lost for the first time in five appearances in the Las Vegas Bowl. Henderson replaced Hank Bachmeier in the second half after the freshman threw his second interception.

NEW MEXICO BOWL

SAN DIEGO STATE 48, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 11

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Ryan Agnew passed for 287 yards and three touchdowns, Jesse Matthews caught three passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns and San Diego State won a bowl game for the first time since 2016, beating Central Michigan in the New Mexico Bowl.

Jordan Byrd ran for a career-high 139 yards and a touchdown to help the Aztecs (10-3) cap their 10th straight bowl appearance with a victory. San Diego State opened 7-1 record, then dropped two of its last three conference games to fall out of contention for a Mountain West title game berth

It was a homecoming for San Diego State coach Rocky Long. He last won the New Mexico Bowl in 2007 as New Mexico's coach.

San Diego State prevented Central Michigan (8-6) from sustaining consistent drives, with quarterback Quinten Dormady under pressure and forced to throw into tight coverage. He passed for 164 and threw three interception. Central Michigan's Jonathan Ward, who came into the game with 1,082 yards and 15 touchdowns, was held to 7 rushing yards and 26 yards receiving.

BOCA RATON BOWL

FLORIDA ATLANTIC 52, SMU 28

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) - Chris Robison passed for 305 yards and two touchdowns and Florida Atlantic scored two touchdowns in a 24-second span late in the first half to take control in the Boca Raton Bowl.

It was FAU's first game since Lane Kiffin left the Owls to take over at Ole Miss - and the Conference USA champions, playing on their home field, didn't miss a beat under interim coach Glenn Spencer.

James Charles ran for two touchdowns for FAU (11-3), which tied a school record for wins in a season and improved to 4-0 in bowl games. Rashad Smith ran a fumble back for a score in the third quarter to help FAU blow the game open. Brandon Robison completed 27 of 37 passes for FAU.

Shane Buchele completed 27 for 47 passes for 303 yards for SMU (10-3).

CAMELLIA BOWL

ARKANSAS STATE 34, FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL 26

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Layne Hatcher passed for 393 yards and four touchdowns, including a late 13-yarder to Jonathan Adams, and Arkansas State beat Florida International in the Camellia Bowl.

The Red Wolves (8-5) came back to life offensively for a final big drive, highlighted by All-American and game MVP Omar Bayless's 52-yard catch down to the 12. Then they had two interceptions in the final minutes.

The Panthers (6-7) converted a fourth-and-5 play with a pass to Austin Maloney, who matched the huge game of Bayless. But James Morgan's overthrow on the next play was intercepted by Jeremy Smith, who returned it 21 yards into FIU territory.

CURE BOWL

LIBERTY 23, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 16

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Frankie Hickson ran for 120 yards on 22 carries, Stephen Calvert went 16 of 35 passing for 270 yards and two touchdowns in Liberty's Cure Bowl victory on Saturday.

Flames coach Hugh Freeze, who began his first season coaching Liberty from a hospital bed in the press box following back surgery Aug. 16, got his 50th career victory. Liberty (8-5) joined Georgia Southern and Appalachian State as the only teams to move from FCS to FBS and win a bowl game in its first season of eligibility. Georgia Southern finished 7-6.

NEW ORLEANS BOWL

NO. 20 APPALACHIAN STATE 31, UAB 17

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Darrynton Evans ran for 161 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown after he scooped up a fourth-down fumble, in Appalachian State's win over UAB in the New Orleans Bowl.

The Mountaineers (13-1) scored twice in the third quarter on quarterback fumbles.

Evans' go-ahead score came first when Zac Thomas lost the ball on a fourth-and-1 sneak. Later, outside linebacker Nick Hampton stripped UAB quarterback Tyler Johnston, and inside linebacker Trey Cobb picked it up and returned the ball 24 yards to put Appalachian State in front 24-17.

Johntson, passed for 298 yards and two touchdowns for UAB (9-5) in his first start since injuring his knee Nov. 2 at Tennessee.

The game marked the head coaching debut for Appalachian State's Shawn Clark, who took over after Eli Drinkwitz was hired by Missouri.

Thomas Hennigan caught two touchdown passes and Zac Thomas finished with 142 yards and two TDs passing for the Mountaineers, who were the Sun Belt Conference champions and finished the season on a six-game winning streak.

[StarDust Bum]

MONDAY DECEMBER 23, 2019
Time (ET) Bowl Away Home
2:30 PM Gasparilla Bowl Marshall Thundering Herd Central Florida Knights


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Bowl Games Best Bets & Opinions ( All Based On 5 Units )

DATE................W-L-T...........%........UNITS

12/21/2019 4-8-0 33.33% -24.00
12/20/2019.......1-1-0........50.00%.....-0.50

Totals...............5-9-0........35.71%.....-24.50


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Best Bets

Date......................Ats..................Uni ts...................O/U...................Units..............Total

12/21/2019..........2 - 3..................-6.50.................1 - 4..................-17.00............-23.50
12/20/2019..........1 - 0.................+5.00.................0 - 1..................-5.50..............- 0.50

Totals..................3 - 3.................-1.50..................1 - 5..................-22.50.............-24.00

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday’s 6-pack

Top six picks for Week 16 in Westgate Super Contest:

6) Arizona +9.5 (781)

5) Tennessee +3 (813)

4) Green Bay +5.5 (829)

3) Kansas City -6.5 (845)

2) Houston -3 (907)- T

1) Buffalo +6.5 (909)- L

2019 record: 48-39-4

Quote of the Day:
“They literally got me through a season. Through the toughest part of my life.”
Arkansas State football coach Blake Anderson, whose wife passed away in August. His Red Wolves won their bowl game 34-26 over FIU Saturday

Sunday’s quiz
Where did Houston Texans’ QB Deshaun Watson play his college football?

Saturday’s quiz
Kevin Durant broke into the NBA with the Seattle SuperSonics, a year before they moved to Oklahoma and became the Thunder.

Friday’s quiz
CBS/FS1 basketball analyst Bill Raftery was once the basketball coach at Seton Hall.

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Sunday’s List of 13: Wrapping up a sports Saturday…….

13) Texans 23, Bucs 20:
— Houston clinches the AFC South with this win.
— Texans’ first TD scored on a pick-6.
— Houston had three FG’s, only one TD on four drives to red zone.

— Bucs’ first five possessions: three INT’s, a FG and a blocked FG.
— Tampa Bay outgained Houston, 435-229.
— If Jameis Winston played for the Rams, I’d have a nervous breakdown.

12) Patriots 24, Bills 17:
— Buffalo lost 16-10/24-17 in its two games vs NE this season.
— Bills are already in playoffs, will likely play winner of AFC South in Wild Card.
— Buffalo was only 2-11 on third down, Patriots 7-14.

— New England clinches AFC East, has game lead over KC for the #2 seed.
— Patriots lost field position by 7 yards, only 3rd time that happened this year.
— NE’s 2nd half possessions: 4 drives, 28 plays, 182 yards, TD, two FG’s.

11) 49ers 34, Rams 31:
— Rams’ first five drives: 209 yards, three TD’s.
— Rams’ last eight drives: 167 yards, one TD/one FG/one pick-6
— Rams are 1-3 this year in games decided by 6 or fewer points.

— Gould kicked a 33-yard FG at the gun for the win.
— 49ers are half-game up on Seattle in NFC West; they play next week.
— This was SF’s 4th game in row decided by 3 or fewer points, or in last 0:10.

10) Colorado 78, Dayton 76 OT— Buffs hit a 3 at the buzzer to win this game, which was a lot like an NCAA tourney game; two good teams on a neutral floor.

Dayton led 19-5 early on, trailed by 8 with 7:51 left. They could meet again in March.

9) St John’s 68, Arizona 67— This game was part of the Al Attles Classic in San Francisco; Attles coached the Warriors when they won the 1974 NBA title, when their best player was Rick Barry, one of the most underrated basketball players ever.

Bill Walton was the TV analyst on this game; he spoke the truth when he talked about how Barry is one of the 10-12 best players ever. He was as good as Larry Bird, but he played before the NBA took off inn popularity and before ESPN began in the early 80’s.

Mike Anderson is doing a nice job in his first year at St John’s; they’re 11-2 after this upset win.

8) Ohio State 71, Kentucky 65— Wildcats are 8-3 vs schedule #310; they were outscored 21-8 on foul line, are shooting 27.8% on arc this year (#323). Meanwhile, John Calipari’s son Brad plays for the Detroit Titans, where he is shooting 45.3% on the arc this year- go figure.

7) College basketball upsets:
— Florida A&M (+13.5) 71, Seattle 57
— St John’s (+11) 68, Arizona 67
— North Dakota (+9) 75, Nebraska 74
— Northwestern State (+7.5) 67, Lamar 61
— Green Bay (+6.5) 85, Northern Illinois 84
— Texas A&M (+6.5) 64, Oregon State 49
— Colorado (+5.5) 78, Dayton 76 OT

6) Villanova 56, Kansas 55— Wildcats hit a 3-pointer with 0:24 left for the win. Kansas is the 5th team to lose this year while ranked #1 in country. Gonzaga becomes the new #1.

5) Baseball stuff:
— White Sox signed P Dallas Keuchel to a 3-year, $55.5M contract.
— Detroit signed 1B CJ Cron, 2B Jonathan Schoop to 1-year, $6.1M contracts. Tigers will be Schoop’s 4th team in four years.

4) Florida State 66, South Florida 60— Seminoles ended game on a 21-3 run; South Florida pretty much imploded down the stretch- they led 57-47 with 6:20 left.

3) Colorado State 111, Tulsa 104, 3OT— Rams blew an 8-point lead with 1:08 left in regulation, then rallied back from down 89-86 with 0:59 left in first OT. Rams were minus-8 in turnovers; they had three guys play 46:00+.

2) One of the reasons a lot of college basketball teams like to play these neutral court games just before Christmas, is that it is legal for them to pay for kids’ trips home from the neutral site to wherever the player lives, os he can have a few days off for Christmas.

1) Good news is that tonight it starts getting dark later every day; its all downhill until spring. Lot of bowl games and college hoop coming up in the next week, as 2019 winds down to its end.

[StarDust Bum]

Monday’s 6-pack

Top six picks for Week 16 in Westgate Super Contest:

6) Arizona +9.5 (781)- W

5) Tennessee +3 (813)- L

4) Green Bay +5.5 (829)

3) Kansas City -6.5 (845)- W

2) Houston -3 (907)- T

1) Buffalo +6.5 (909)- L

2019 record: 50-40-4

Quote of the Day:
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”
Abraham Lincoln

Monday’s quiz
Rams have played in four Super Bowls, under four different head coaches; who are they?

Sunday’s quiz
Houston Texans’ QB Deshaun Watson played his college football at Clemson.


Saturday’s quiz
Kevin Durant broke into the NBA with the Seattle SuperSonics, a year before they moved to Oklahoma and became the Thunder.


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Monday’s Den; Wrapping up an NFL Sunday……

Jets 16, Steelers 10:
— Rudolph replaced Hodges at QB at 9:00 mark in 2nd quarter, with Jets up 10-0; Hodges went back in when Rudolph got hurt early in 4th quarter.
— Steelers scored 7-10-10 points in their last three losses.
— Pittsburgh in 2nd half: 30 plays, 61 yards, 5 first downs, zero points.

— When Ficken kicked a FG to make it 10-0, it was first FG of day league-wide, after 13 TD’s had been scored. Unusual.
— Over last 11 years. Jets are 23-12-2 ATS as a home underdog, 4-2 TY.
— Jets scored 36.5 ppg in winning their last four home games.

Saints 38, Titans 28:
— Michael Thomas set an all-time record with his 144th catch of the year.
— Saints won 10 of their last 12 games, winning last six on road
— NO is 11-3 ATS in last 14 games as a road favorite, 3-0 TY.

— Titans led this game 14-0 after the first quarter.
— Tennessee had three TD plays of 36+ yards; that is explosive.
— Eight of Titans’ last nine games went over the total.

Falcons 24, Jaguars 12:
— Jaguars lost six of last seven games, were outscored 82-9 in first half last four games.
— Jacksonville is 4-8-1 ATS in last 13 games as a road underdog, 3-4 TY.
— Atlanta converted 7-13 on third down, Jaguars 3-14.

— Falcons scored TD on opening drive, Jaguars fumbled kickoff, Atlanta scored again and led 14-0 after 5:32 of play. Game, set, match.
— Falcons won five of last seven games, covered six of last eight.
— Julio Jones caught 10 balls for 166 yards.

Giants 41, Redskins 35 OT:
— Jones threw a TD pass to Smith on first drive in OT to end this game.
— Barkley ran ball 22 yards for 189 yards, including a 67-yard TD.
— Giants won five of their last seven visits here; they won two road games this year, and gave up 30+ points in both of them.

— Rookie QB Haskins hurt his ankle; veteran Keenum came in and rallied Washington back from a two-TD deficit to tie game with 0:29 left.
— With the loss, Redskins move up to the #2 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
— Washington was outgained 552-381; Giants ran ball for 206 yards.

Dolphins 38, Bengals 35 OT:
— Bengals went 55-137 from 1991-2002, under four different coaches.
— Bengals were 131-122-3 with Marvin Lewis as coach, from 2003-18.
— Bengals are 1-14 in first year after they fired Lewis; why did they fire him?

— Miami led this game 35-12 with 6:30 left, but blew the lead.
— 80 different players have played for Miami this year, an NFL record.
— Dolphins split their last eight games, after an 0-7 start.

Colts 38, Panthers 6:
— Carolina lost its last seven games.
— Last four weeks, Panthers are minus-11 (1-12) in turnovers.
— Carolina had ball in red zone three times, scored total of 3 points.

— Nyheim Hines had punt returns of 84-71 yards for TD’s.
— Colts won for only second time in their last eight games.
— Indy is +6 in turnovers in its last three games.

Ravens 31, Browns 15:
— Ravens’ first four drives: 23 plays, 120 yards, no points.
— Ravens’ next five drives: 42 plays, 353 yards, four TD’s, one FG
— Baltimore won its last 11 games, covering eight of last nine.

— Browns are 7-17-1 ATS in last 25 games as a home underdog, 0-2 TY.
— Cleveland allowed 451-445-481 TY in last two games; they’re 0-5 giving up 400+ TY.
— Baltimore scored 35 TD’s on its last 72 drives.

[StarDust Bum]

Gasparilla Bowl Preview
December 20, 2019
By Joe Nelson

After big bowl Saturday, college football action picks up again early on Monday with an afternoon clash between the AAC and Conference USA.

Marshall and UCF face off in the Gasparilla Bowl from Tampa with one of the biggest spreads of the bowl season.

Gasparilla Bowl Betting Preview

Marshall Thundering Herd vs. Central Florida Knights
Venue: At Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida
Time/TV: Monday, December 23, 2:30 PM ET, ESPN
Line: UCF -17½, Over/Under 61½
Last Meeting: 2012 Central Florida (-2½) 54, at Marshall 17

These teams met annually from 2002 to 2012 as MAC and Conference USA foes. Marshall remains a Conference USA squad while Central Florida moved to the American in 2013 and has risen in stature to play in New Year’s Six Bowl games the past two years.

Following back-to-back perfect regular seasons UCF slipped to 9-3 this season and surrendered the AAC East title to Cincinnati. The three losses came by a combined seven points while there were notable wins over Florida Atlantic, Stanford, and Temple. UCF outscored foes 516-274, though last season the Knights outscored foes 562-295.

Long-time starting quarterback McKenzie Milton suffered a brutal injury late last season and he was expected to be replaced by Notre Dame transfer Brandon Wimbush. That plan didn’t last long as freshman Dillon Gabriel quickly moved to the top of the offense early in the season, compiling big numbers but with below 60 percent completions and with seven interceptions while taking 21 sacks.

UCF also saw a big decline in rushing production compared with last season with Gabriel not much of a threat on the ground. Four players have 449 or more rushing yards but on the whole the ground game dipped significantly in production and yards per rush compared with last season.

UCF still had a number of dominant scores but wound up allowing 34 more points than last season over eight AAC regular season games and in nine of the season’s final 10 games the Knights allowed at least 21 points. UCF struggled down the stretch with narrow wins vs. Houston and Tulane as well as a loss at Tulsa before winning easily in the season finale vs. South Florida.

UCF has actually lost three of its last four bowl games with only the Peach Bowl win over Auburn in that run going back to the 2014 season. UCF has allowed at least 27 points in five straight bowl games, granted that run covers three different coaching staffs. Josh Heupel is now 21-4 in his career with two strong seasons at UCF but he will be without his offensive coordinator for this game as Jeff Lebby was hired to take that role at Ole Miss under Lane Kiffin.

Marshall shouldn’t be underestimated due to the size of this spread as Doc Holliday is 78-50 with the program since 2010 and he is 6-0 in bowl games and the program owns an amazing 12-1 S/U and ATS record in bowl games since 1998. Under Holliday the Herd has only been favored by more than three points in one of the six wins while turning in two outright underdog wins in the bowl season.

For a second straight season Marshall finished 6-2 in Conference USA to finish second in the East division. The Herd is actually returning to the Gasparilla Bowl for a second straight season after a 38-20 win over South Florida in this game last season in what was a home game for the Bulls. Marshall had a convincing 503-360 edge in production with a sizable rushing edge and never looked back after scoring three first quarter touchdowns.

Marshall started just 2-3 this season with a competitive seven-point loss at Boise State but then had a lopsided home loss to Cincinnati while losing by 11 at Middle Tennessee State to start 0-2 in conference play. Marshall closed the season winning six of the final seven games led by defense, allowing fewer than 20 points per game on average in that span. That included notable wins over Florida Atlantic, Western Kentucky, and Louisiana Tech with the lone loss coming at Charlotte. With the head-to-head win in tow Marshall didn’t get a late season loss from Florida Atlantic to move to the top of the division as the Owls wound up with the league championship.

Sophomore quarterback Isaiah Green wound up with nearly identical numbers to last season while the offense was led by 1,200-yard rusher Brenden Knox who had his best game in the upset over Florida Atlantic with 220 yards. Marshall went 6-0 when Knox rushed for at least 100 yards this season.

UCF is accustomed to being a heavy favorite, laying 21 or more points five times this season (2-3 ATS) while this will be a rare steep underdog price for Marshall, last dogged this much in September 2017 in a loss but cover at NC State. Marshall is on a 4-1 ATS run in games as a double-digit underdog going back to 2016 and is 26-19-1 ATS as an underdog under Holliday including 24-14-1 ATS is you take out his first season in Huntington.

In half of UCF’s 12 games this season they won by at least 18 points however as something will have to give in Tampa. It is worth noting that heading into this bowl season four of the past five bowl underdogs of 16 points or higher have won the game outright going back to 2013 but Marshall will have to find a way to control the pace of a high-scoring UCF team to make that a possibility.

[StarDust Bum]

219MARSHALL -220 UCF
UCF is 7-0 ATS (7 Units) after allowing <=14 pts. over the last 2 seasons.

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Monday, December 23

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MARSHALL (8 - 4) vs. UCF (9 - 3) - 12/23/2019, 2:30:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MARSHALL is 12-2 ATS (+9.8 Units) in a bowl game since 1992.
MARSHALL is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in games played on a neutral field since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.


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Monday, December 23

Central Florida @ Marshall
Central Florida
Central Florida is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Marshall
Central Florida is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games

Marshall
Marshall is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Marshall's last 15 games


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Dec 23- Gasparilla Bowl, Tampa

Marshall won its last seven bowl games; they won here 38-20 LY, beating the home team (South Florida). Thundering Herd also won this game in ’15. Favorites won this bowl the last four years (3-1 ATS). Average total in this bowl last four years: 37.0. Marshall won six of its last seven games overall after a 2-3 start; they’re 9-3 ATS in last dozen games as an underdog. 2-1 TY. Central Florida is 9-3, with losses by total of 7 points; they won five of last six games, are 4-5 ATS as a double digit favorite TY. UCF allowed 35-27-34 points in their three losses. Knights lost three of last four bowl games, with average total of 66.4 in last five bowls. Three of their last four games went under total.


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Monday, December 23

Central Florida @ Marshall

Game 219-220
December 23, 2019 @ 2:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Central Florida
94.181
Marshall
79.940
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Central Florida
by 14
65
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Central Florida
by 17 1/2
61 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Marshall
(+17 1/2); Over


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Monday, December 23

MARSHALL vs. UCF (Gasparilla Bowl)...UCF dropped 7 of last 9 vs. line TY and 4 of last 5 away from Orlando. Though Knights 7-8-1 vs. spread previous two seasons (counting a W for Cincy game in 2017). Herd only 9-16 vs. line past two seasons but Doc Holliday is 10-3 as dog since 2017 (2-1 TY)and MU has won and covered its last seven bowls (Doc 6-0).
Marshall, based on team trends.


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Random bowl facts; Merry Christmas……

— Over the last three years, Pac-12 teams are 7-15 SU in bowl games, 3-18-1 ATS, which is hard to believe, so I checked it twice. 3-18-1 it is.

— Last five tears, Pac-12 teams are 12-27-1 ATS in bowls, 9-20-1 when favored.

— Friday was a huge day for the MAC; they won two bowl games. Over the previous three years, MAC squads were 2-15 SU in bowls, 5-12 ATS.

— Over last three years, SEC teams are 17-19 SU in bowls, 9-12 ATS when favored.

— Underdogs won four of last five Pinstripe Bowls SU.

— Three years ago, big 14 teams were 3-7 SU in bowls; the last two years, they went 12-5 SU/ATS.

— In last five Cheez-It Bowls, Big X teams are 5-0 SU, beating four Pac-12 teams and Boise State.

— Over last five years, Big X teams 5-7 ATS when favored in bowls, 13-8 when the underdog; they’re 13-6 SU in bowls the last three years.

— Over last three years, Sun Belt teams are 9-5 SU in bowls. Go figure.

— Last four years, AAC teams are 10-20 SU in bowls; 6-11 ATS when favored, 4-9 when an underdog.

— Last three years, ACC teams are 20-12-1 ATS in bowls, 9-4 when favored, 11-8-1 when they’re getting points.

— Last five years, Conference USA teams are 11-5 ATS when favored, 7-11 when an underdog.
— Pac-12 teams beat an ACC team in four of last five Sun Bowls; four of the five games were decided by 6 or fewer points.

[StarDust Bum]

MONDAY, DECEMBER 23
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

UCF at MRSH 02:30 PM

MRSH +18.0

O 59.5

[StarDust Bum]

UCF gets 10th by beating Marshall 48-25 in Gasparilla Bowl
December 23, 2019

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Central Florida is best known for a high-powered offense, but the Knights are capable of big plays on defense, too.

Richie Grant and Tre'mon Morris-Brash had first-quarter defensive touchdowns, Dillon Gabriel led three third-quarter scoring drives and UCF beat Marshall 48-25 in the Gasparilla Bowl on Monday.

''We finished the season the right way,'' UCF coach Josh Heupel said. ''The turnovers were critical. I thought defensively we started about as fast as you can.''

Grant had a 39-yard interception return on Marshall's third play from scrimmage 56 seconds into the game, and Morris-Brash recovered a fumble and ran it 55 yards for a score that helped UCF go up 21-0 with 7 minutes left in the first quarter.

Gabriel threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Otis Anderson, connected on a 75-yard score with Marlon Williams, and added a 3-yard TD run as UCF went ahead 45-22 with 6:39 remaining in the third.

Gabriel completed 14 of 24 passes for 260 yards as the Knights (10-3) reached 10 or more wins in a school-record third consecutive season. Williams caught seven passes for 132 yards and Greg McCrae had 80 rushing yards on 14 carries.

''We're happy with the 10-3, but at the same time we know what we could have done,'' Gabriel said.

Isaiah Green went 9 of 23 for 173 yards with a TD and had a rushing touchdown for Marshall (8-5). Brenden Knox, the Conference USA MVP, had 103 yards on 26 carries.

''I thought our kids fought their tail off,'' Marshall coach Doc Holliday said. ''They fought the entire game.''

Green had a 3-yard rushing touchdown and hit Willie Johnson on a 70-yard TD pass, and Justin Rohrwasser made a 50-yard field goal during the third quarter.

Marshall got within 21-7 with 12:28 to go in the second when Micah Abraham picked off backup quarterback Darriel Mack Jr.'s pass and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown.

Abraham's father, Donnie, played his home games with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1996-01) at Raymond James Stadium, the site of the Gasparilla Bowl.

McCrae had a 26-yard TD run early in the first and Dylan Barnas made a 36-yard field goal as time expired as UCF took a 24-7 halftime advantage.

THE TAKEAWAY

UCF: The Knights had no letdown after playing in New Year's Day bowl games the previous two seasons, beating Auburn two years ago in the Peach Bowl and losing to LSU in the last season's Fiesta Bowl.

''You look at this season, there's goals that we didn't accomplish, right?'' Heupel said. ''But I hope we never get to the point as a program and a fan base where fans and outside voices aren't really appreciative of what our kids do every single day.''

Marshall: It was the first bowl loss for the Thundering Herd under Holliday, who entered 6-0 in bowls at the school. Knox, a sophomore, topped 100 yards rushing for the seventh time.

STRANGE STATS

UCF lead 21-0 after the first quarter despite being outgained 133-86. Marshall, however, had three turnovers. The Knights had a 168-0 yardage advantage during the second quarter and were outscored 7-3.

STANDOUT `D'

UCF linebacker Nate Evans finished with 12 tackles and a sack. Defensive back Antwan Collier made six tackles, recovered two fumbles and had an interception.

UP NEXT

UCF: Hosts North Carolina on Sept. 3 to open the 2020 season.

Marshall: Begins the 2020 season at East Carolina on Sept. 5.