Ad Disclosure
It’s still early. None of the 10 SEC bowl teams has played yet.
The New Year’s Six, including the College Football Playoff semifinals, are days away.
But the preliminaries have provided some fun and excitement to bridge the gap between the conference championships and the Playoff games.
Here’s a quick review of some of the best moments as we reach the halfway point (tonight’s Quick Lane Bowl is Game No. 20) in this extravaganza of ESPN programming:
5. Navy beats Pitt in the Military Bowl: Did anyone really believe Pitt had a chance? The Midshipmen always show up no matter how insignificant the bowl game might seem to the rest of the college football world. Basketball-on-grass fans might not like the Middies’ ground-based (ironic, perhaps?) option attack. But the Middies’ execution blows opposition out of the water. Ken Niumatalolo’s offense put on a clinic in a 44-28 triumph over the ACC’s Panthers, rushing for 417 yards against guys recruited to play football — not command a warship. Directing the option, Navy QB Keenan Reynolds ran for 144 yards and three touchdowns and threw for 126 yards and another TD. Oh yeah, he caught a 47-yard pass, too. He finished his career with an NCAA-record 88 TDs from scrimmage.
4. Frank Beamer goes out with a victory: The Hokies won, though beating Tulsa 55-52 in the Independence (aka Weed-Eater Bowl) to finish 7-6 wasn’t a fitting way to send out their outstanding coach. Known best for defense and special teams (and a quarterback who enjoyed dog fighting) over Beamer’s career, the Hokies didn’t show much bite on defense, though longtime coordinator Bud Foster stayed with Beamer until the bitter end and will remain under Justin Fuente. They did score on a punt return. When a rally from the always dangerous Hurricanes was thwarted, Beamer got a well-deserved ride off the hallowed grounds in Shreveport.
3. Snow replaces Sun in El Paso: Argh! Shiver me timbers! It must have been particularly cold for “the Pirate,” Washington State coach Mike Leach. It definitely wasn’t a day for Hurricanes. Leach’s Cougars held on for a 20-14 victory over Miami as snow fell along the border at the Sun Bowl. A little blizzard didn’t keep the Cougars from chucking it all over the field 53 times. Not a Leach fan? You would have enjoyed seeing him doused with Gatorade in his players’ post-game celebration.
2. Utah wins the “Holy War”: Brigham Young almost pulled off a miracle victory in Las Vegas. All the Cougars needed was one more “7.” This in-state rivalry may not get the national attention reserved for the Iron Bowl or Florida State vs. Florida. But it’s serious in Utah, where it pits families against their wives. The Utes raced out to a 35-0 lead in the first quarter. Back came the Cougars, pulling within 35-28 with 3:23 to play. There would be no miracle, though. Utah got two first downs to run out the clock, leaving the sellout crowd plenty of time to hit the casinos before buzzing back to the Beehive State.
1. Duke beats Indiana 44-41 on a missed 3-pointer at the buzzer: Griffin Oakes’ 3-pointer from 114 feet (do the math) clanked off the iron (well, it would have if the upright had been taller), giving Duke its first bowl victory since 1961. Replays were inconclusive, though the kick appeared to sail just outside the right upright from an angle directly behind that upright. The kick looked good from an angle in between the uprights. Oakes tried to appeal to the Pinstripe Bowl game officials, who quickly left the field after calling the kick no good. In maybe the best game in the early bowl season, the two basketball schools played at Yankee Stadium. Makes sense, huh? Indiana coach Kevin Wilson showed extreme class in defeat, failing to rail against the field-goal call. What would Bob Knight have done?
