Holy Cross head coach Bob Chesney runs onto the field with the team for their homecoming game versus Colgate University on Saturday September 23, 2023 at Fitton Field in Worcester.

James Madison earns first bowl win in Boca Raton Bowl vs. Western Kentucky

Billy Atkins threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Taylor Thompson to break a fourth-quarter tie as James Madison won a bowl game for the first time, topping Western Kentucky 27-17 in the Boca Raton Bowl on Wednesday at Boca Raton, Fla.

JC Evans had a touchdown run and touchdown pass and George Pettaway rushed for 100 yards on 14 carries for the Dukes.

The Dukes (9-4) are in their second season of bowl eligibility in what largely has been the continuation of a strong transition from the Football Championship Subdivision.

“It’s about our program. It’s about our institution,” James Madison athletic director Matt Roan said. “That first bowl win, it’s a culmination. … To win nine games, to win that first bowl game.”

“We came together as a group,” added James Madison cornerback DJ Barksdale, who was named defensive player of the game. “We just put it in God’s hands, trusted God. We got the job done.”

It was the first touchdown throw of the season for Atkins, a redshirt junior who threw for 181 yards. He was filling in for Alonza Barnett III, who was banged up in the regular-season finale vs. Marshall.

Atkins had thrown two TD passes in both 2021 and 2022. It was the sixth touchdown catch of the year for Thompson, who made his grab with 9:20 to play.

Western Kentucky quarterback Caden Veltkamp, who entered the transfer portal last week, threw for 302 yards on 25-for-39 passing with two touchdowns.

Western Kentucky (8-6), which lost to Jacksonville State 52-12 in the Conference USA championship game, lost four of its last five games.

The Hilltoppers had converted a fourth-down play with about 3 1/2 minutes left before Khairi Manns’ sack of Veltkamp forced a fumble on the next play, giving the ball back to James Madison. That resulted in Noe Ruelas’ 25-yard field goal for the game’s final points.

The Hilltoppers were dinged by three lost fumbles, while James Madison didn’t commit a turnover.

“We had our opportunities and didn’t capitalize on them,” Western Kentucky coach Tyson Helton said. “The turnovers and a dropped pass or two. But that’s football.”

Ruelas kicked a 28-yard field goal for a 17-14 lead with 2:25 remaining in the third quarter. Lucas Carneiro’s 31-yarder tied it for Western Kentucky in the first minute of the fourth quarter.

Earlier, Veltkamp threw 17 yards to Moussa Barry on a screen pass for a touchdown, then put the Hilltoppers ahead with 51 seconds left in the first half on an 11-yard toss to Dalvin Smith. The second scoring drive covered 83 yards, using seven plays in less than two minutes.

Evans ran for seven yards for the only touchdown in the first quarter. His one-yard toss to Kyi Wright allowed the Dukes to tie the score at 14-14 before the midway mark of the third quarter. That 71-yard drive came on top of a 77-yard march in the first quarter.

Ruelas missed a 47-yard field goal and had a 56-yard attempt blocked in the first half.

–Field Level Media

Sep 21, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; James Madison Dukes head coach Bob Chesney on the sidelines in the second quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

James Madison vying for first bowl win, faces W. Kentucky in Boca Raton

Western Kentucky has made a habit of winning the Boca Raton Bowl, while James Madison is pretty much a newcomer to the Football Bowl Subdivision postseason scene.

The teams will clash in the bowl game Wednesday in Boca Raton, Fla.

It will be the second bowl game for James Madison, which first became eligible last year upon moving up to full FBS status. The Dukes lost last year to Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl.

“Really excited about winning this first bowl game in school history,” first-year coach Bob Chesney said.

Western Kentucky (8-5), with about two dozen players in the transfer portal, could be hurt in terms of personnel for the game. Quarterback Caden Veltkamp entered the portal but will play in the game.

The Hilltoppers are 2-0 in the Boca Raton Bowl, defeating Memphis in 2016 and Appalachian State in 2021. They’re coming off a 52-12 loss to Jacksonville State in the Conference USA championship game Dec. 6 after winning that matchup in the regular season.

“We’ll rebound and go get a big bowl win,” said Western Kentucky coach Tyson Helton, who holds a 4-1 bowl record. “It’s an honor to play in a bowl game, and it’s an even greater honor to go win a bowl game.”

James Madison (8-4) has lost its last two games, including 35-33 in double overtime to visiting Marshall on Nov. 30 to wrap up Sun Belt Conference play.

The Dukes likely will play without starting quarterback Alonza Barnett III, who was banged up in the regular-season finale vs. the Thundering Herd. Redshirt junior Billy Atkins will start in the bowl.

“He’s ready to go, and he has taken a ton of reps,” Chesney said. “He has been here the whole time. I’m excited for Billy to get his shot. He’s an old soul in there. … Billy has been preparing like he’s the starter.”

The Dukes have cranked up good rushing totals recently, and that could be a bonus with less experience at quarterback. Jobi Malary racked up a season-high 106 rushing yards in the Marshall game.

“All these guys understand the run game has to be a big part of what we do this game,” Chesney said.

Western Kentucky had two of Conference USA’s top players.

Veltkamp, who threw for 23 touchdowns and 2,806 yards this year, was named the Offensive Player of the Year. He was the Offensive Most Valuable Player in last year’s Famous Toastery Bowl.

C-USA Special Teams Player of the Year went to kicker Lucas Carneiro, who is 17-for-18 on field goals and 39-for-39 on extra points.

The Hilltoppers will want to be crisp on offense, with James Madison leading the country in turnover margin at plus-17.

Western Kentucky’s defense has allowed an average of nearly 5 yards per carry. Defenders Darius Thomas, Hosea Wheeler and Dallas Walker hit the portal.

Chesney, wrapping up his first season with an FBS program, said many of the Dukes are fired up about the bowl destination.

“Some guys are returning back home to Florida, so that will be nice for them,” Chesney said. “This is a big bonus that we’re playing in this bowl game.”

This will be James Madison’s first game in Florida in 24 years. It also will be the first meeting between the Dukes and Hilltoppers.

–Field Level Media

Dec 21, 2023; Boca Raton, FL, USA; South Florida Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown (17) drops back to pass against the Syracuse Orange in the first quarter during the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl at FAU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

South Florida throttles Syracuse in Boca Raton Bowl

Byrum Brown threw three touchdown passes and two South Florida players scored on long fumble returns as the Bulls trounced Syracuse 45-0 on Thursday night in the Boca Raton Bowl in Boca Raton, Fla.

Brown twice found Sean Atkins for a touchdown as part of a 19-of-26 passing performance in which he threw for 214 yards without an interception. Atkins finished with six catches for 93 yards, while Brown also registered a team-high 64 rushing yards for the Bulls (7-6).

The Orange (6-7) played without their top two quarterbacks due to injuries. Freshman Braden Davis made his first college start and finished 6 of 13 for 84 yards. The team also ran much of their offense out of a wildcat formation that featured running back LeQuint Allen (20 carries for 2 yards) and tight end Dan Villari (11 rushes for 37 yards and 4-of-11 passing for 55 yards).

Syracuse went 1 for 17 on third downs and had four turnovers in losing its bowl game for the second straight season.

After the teams exchanged punts to begin the contest, South Florida marched 64 yards on 10 plays, capped by Brown’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Atkins in the back of the end zone.

The Bulls doubled their lead late in the first quarter on Aamaris Brown’s 64-yard fumble return for a touchdown. The Orange were attempting a field goal, but they botched the hold, leading to the fumble.

Early in the second quarter, Byrum Brown found Khafre Brown deep over the middle for a 31-yard score, making it 21-0. John Cannon added a 40-yard field goal with 2:40 left in the period.

The cherry on top of the first-half uprising was Tramel Logan’s 61-yard fumble return with nine seconds left. Daquan Evans sacked Davis on the play, and Logan made the recovery.

Byrum Brown’s 35-yard pass to a wide-open Atkins made it 38-0 early in the third quarter. Nay’Quan Wright’s 2-yard touchdown run accounted for the only points of the fourth quarter as South Florida rolled to its first bowl win since 2017.

–Field Level Media

Nov 11, 2023; New York, New York, USA;  Syracuse Orange running back LeQuint Allen (1) runs with the ball against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the first half at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports

Syracuse runs into USF, Boca Raton Bowl thinking ground game

Without the coach and quarterback who helped the Orange reach the postseason, Syracuse stomps forward to face South Florida in the Boca Raton Bowl on Thursday.

The Orange (6-6) fired coach Dino Babers last month near the end of his eighth season at Syracuse. His temporary replacement was Nunzio Campanile, who defeated Wake Forest in the regular-season finale to make the Orange bowl-eligible, before the program hired Fran Brown as its next head coach earlier this month.

It’ll be Campanile who will be guiding Syracuse in Thursday’s clash in Boca Raton, Fla. He will have to defeat the Bulls without quarterback Garrett Shrader, who underwent shoulder surgery after passing for three touchdowns and running for another in the win over Wake Forest.

“It was important for me to get our team to a bowl game,” the senior quarterback said. “I would have (gotten surgery) earlier in the season, but I wanted to wait until we got bowl-eligible. This team has too much talent and works too hard not to play a 13th game.”

In Shrader’s absence, the Orange could opt for backup Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, who threw three touchdowns and six interceptions in limited action this season. Or the team could revisit its creative wildcat offense that it used while Shrader was injured late in the regular season.

In either event, the Orange are looking forward to playing in a bowl game for the second straight season. Previously, they had not played in back-to-back bowl games since 2012 and 2013.

“You have two teams that are trending in the right direction,” Campanile said, “and I just think it’s a really exciting opportunity. … It should be a really fun, entertaining game.”

The Bulls (6-6) showed drastic improvement this season under first-year coach Alex Golesh. The team had won a total of four games in the previous three seasons combined and now will play in their first bowl game since 2018.

“To get here in year one and to continue to lay a foundation for what we’re building in Tampa, it’s absolutely huge for us,” said Golesh, whose squad also became bowl-eligible by winning its regular-season finale. USF trounced Charlotte 48-14 in that contest behind four passing touchdowns and a rushing score from Byrum Brown.

The Bulls’ defense was among the worst in the nation in points allowed per game (34.9) and yards allowed per game (455.3). So, they’ll be banking on their dynamic offense and hope that their defense can contain Orange running back LeQuint Allen, who ran for 1,062 yards (including 100-plus yards in five of the last six games).

Also, USF will be relying on its expected home-field advantage.

“For us to be in our home state, playing against a really good football team, I would hope there’s a bunch of green and gold in the stands,” Golesh said. “It’ll feel like a home game in that regard.”

The teams have met 10 times previously, all between 2005 and 2016. South Florida won eight of those matchups with all eight of those victories coming by at least 14 points.

–Field Level Media

Nov 18, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Syracuse Orange quarterback Garrett Shrader (6) on the sideline against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the second half at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Syracuse QB out for bowl game after shoulder surgery

Syracuse quarterback Garrett Shrader is out for the Boca Raton Bowl following shoulder surgery, ending his six-year college career.

Shrader said he would’ve had the surgery earlier in the season but opted to play through a “tear” for two months, he said Monday. He threw three touchdown passes to lead Syracuse past Wake Forest, 35-31, in the regular-season finale to cement bowl eligibility for the Orange.

Syracuse faces USF in the Boca Raton Bowl.

“It was important for me to get our team to a bowl game,” Shrader said in a statement posted to X and released by Syracuse communications. “I would have done it earlier in the season, but I wanted to wait until we got bowl-eligible. This team has too much talent and works too hard not to play a 13th game.”

Syracuse signed his apparent replacement in the transfer portal last week when Ohio State’s Kyle McCord committed to the team.

Shrader finished with 21 touchdowns in 2023, including eight rushing scores.

Syracuse used a Wildcat-based offense with tight end Dan Villari lined up at quarterback at times while Shrader was limited.

A transfer from Mississippi State, Shrader was a two-time team captain. He arrived for spring practice in 2021 and became the starter four games into that season.

–Field Level Media

Dec 20, 2022; Boca Raton, Florida, USA; Liberty Flames linebacker Mike Smith Jr. (7) tackles Toledo Rockets quarterback Dequan Finn (7) during the first quarter in the 2022 Boca Raton Bowl at FAU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports

Toledo upends Liberty to halt bowl loss streak

Dequan Finn passed for one touchdown and rushed for another to help Toledo record a 21-19 victory over Liberty on a rainy Tuesday night in the Boca Raton Bowl in South Florida.

Finn was 16-of-24 passing for 133 yards for the Rockets (9-5), who ended a four-game bowl losing streak. Lenny Kuhl caught a touchdown pass and Jacquez Stuart rushed for 111 yards for Toledo.

Kaidon Salter completed 12 of 20 passes for 84 yards and one touchdown and added 63 rushing yards for Liberty (8-5), which lost its fourth straight game. Receiver CJ Daniels threw a touchdown pass to Bentley Hanshaw for Liberty.

Shedro Louis rushed for a score and Treon Sibley caught a touchdown reception for the Flames, who fell for the first time in four FBS bowl appearances.

Liberty star defender Durrell Johnson recorded five tackles for loss to raise his national-leading total to 27.5, including his ninth sack. Teammate Mike Smith Jr. racked up 16 tackles.

The Rockets outgained Liberty 356 to 253.

The Flames dipped into the trick play bag when Daniels received a backwards throw from Salter and threw to the wide-open Hanshaw, who caught the ball near the Rockets’ 35-yard line and finished off the 67-yard play to bring his team within two with 3:40 left in the game. The ensuing two-point pass was no good.

The Rockets covered the ensuing pooch kick and ran out the clock.

Toledo opened the second half with a 13-play, 75-yard drive to move ahead to stay. Finn capped it with a 4-yard scoring pass to Kuhl to give the Rockets a 10-7 edge with 8:45 left in the third quarter.

After a turnover, Thomas Cluckey’s 29-yard field goal made it a six-point margin with 7:09 left in the period.

The Rockets later possessed the ball for seven minutes and covered 80 yards on 16 plays. Finn finished it with a 1-yard run and then completed a two-point shovel pass to Stuart to give Toledo a 21-7 lead with 10:35 left in the contest.

The Flames moved within eight on Salter’s 29-yard touchdown pass to Sibley with 7:24 left. But holder Aidan Alves fumbled the point-after snap and Nick Brown’s off-kilter attempt wobbled wide to the right.

Liberty led 7-3 at halftime.

The Flames struck first on a 9-yard scoring run by Louis with 3:50 remaining in the first quarter.

Finn was injured late in the first quarter when he was sacked and missed Toledo’s next series. Backup Tucker Gleason engineered a 10-play, 68-yard drive in his absence that led to Cluckey’s 41-yard field goal with 10:51 remaining in the first half.

–Field Level Media

Nov 5, 2022; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Liberty Flames defensive tackle Dre Butler (5) and defensive end Durrell Johnson (11) tackle Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jefferson (1) in the second half at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Liberty won 21-19. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Liberty, Toledo look to end on high note in Boca Raton Bowl

Liberty was sailing along with an impressive season in early November but hasn’t prevailed since and lost coach Hugh Freeze to Auburn.

The Flames (8-4) will try to recapture their magic and end the season on an impressive note when they face Toledo (8-5) on Tuesday night in the Boca Raton Bowl in Florida.

Co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Jason Aldridge is serving as interim coach as Liberty aims to move to 4-0 in bowl games as an FBS program.

The Flames recorded wins over Arkansas and BYU but are carrying a three-game slide into the matchup with the Rockets.

“It’s been somewhat of an emotional roller-coaster this season — some of the biggest moments in school history and then your head coach leaves, which is part of this game,” Aldridge said in a press conference on Wednesday. “So, just trying to make sure these guys enjoy this week and hopefully go get a win.”

Jamey Chadwell, most recently of Coastal Carolina, will take over the Liberty program following the bowl game.

Toledo is 3-0 all-time against the Flames with all the wins coming during Liberty’s time in the FCS ranks.

The Rockets defeated Ohio 17-7 in the Mid-American Conference title game to earn this invitation to the South Florida bowl for the second time.

The first was in 2015 when Toledo defeated Temple 32-17 in Jason Candle’s first game as coach after Matt Campbell took the Iowa State job. Candle since is 0-4 in bowl trips.

Quarterback Dequan Finn leads the Rockets’ offense and has passed for 2,127 yards, 22 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while adding 608 yards and eight scores on the ground.

Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell has five interceptions and earned multiple All-American honors. He rocketed his way onto the national radar when he tied the school record with four interceptions and set a program mark by returning two of them for touchdowns in a 52-32 road win over Northern Illinois on Oct. 8.

“He’s not a guy that says a lot but he’s a guy that shows competitive spirit each day at practice,” Candle said during a press conference earlier this week. “He’s very gifted as an athlete and he produced. He had four interceptions in one game. That’s going to get anybody’s attention. That’s like a quarterback throwing six or seven touchdown passes.”

Liberty also has a defender receiving All-American honors in defensive end Durrell Johnson, who leads the nation with 22.5 tackles for loss. Johnson has eight sacks and three forced fumbles.

–Field Level Media

Dec 18, 2021; Boca Raton, Florida, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers quarterback Bailey Zappe (4) attempts a pass against the Appalachian State Mountaineers during the first half in the 2021 Boca Raton Bowl at FAU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Boca Raton Bowl: Bailey Zappe, Western Kentucky top Appalachian State

Bailey Zappe threw for six touchdowns on a record-setting day as Western Kentucky wasn’t stopped often in a 59-38 victory against Appalachian State in the Boca Raton Bowl on Saturday in Boca Raton, Fla.

Zappe threw for 422 yards by completing 33 of 47 passes without an interception.

He set Football Bowl Subdivision single-season records by finishing with 62 touchdown passes and 5,967 passing yards.

Jerreth Sterns caught three of the TD passes on his way to 13 catches for 184 yards. Mitchell Tinsley racked up 103 receiving yards on seven catches, with two resulting in touchdowns.

The Hilltoppers (9-5) also received 150 rushing yards on seven carries from Noah Whittington, who scored one touchdown.

Appalachian State (10-4) lost in a bowl game for the first time despite four touchdown throws from Chase Brice. He threw for 317 yards and was intercepted once.

Teammate Camerun Peoples gained 101 rushing yards on 13 carries.

Both teams compiled more than 600 yards of total offense, with Western Kentucky at 637 and Appalachian State at 609.

The Mountaineers held a 21-17 lead in the second quarter. Zappe threw two touchdown passes in the last seven minutes of the first half as Western Kentucky led 31-24 at the break.

Whittington’s 86-yard run opened the second-half scoring, and Zappe threw 2 yards to Tinsley as the margin grew to 45-24 with less than six minutes to play in the third quarter.

If there were snags for the Hilltoppers, they came with having to punt three times and missing a field goal.

Appalachian State was in a bowl for the seventh consecutive season since rising from the Football Championship Subdivision. The Mountaineers are 6-1 now.

Western Kentucky was in its eighth bowl in a 10-year span, improving to 5-3 in those games.

–Field Level Media

Dec 22, 2020; Boca Raton, Florida, USA; Brigham Young Cougars wide receiver Kade Moore (15) runs the ball against the UCF Knights during the first half at FAU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Wilson shines as No. 16 BYU routs UCF in Boca Raton Bowl

Zach Wilson threw for three touchdowns and rushed for two more in the first half to lift 16th-ranked BYU to a 49-23 victory over UCF on Tuesday in the Boca Raton Bowl in Florida.

Wilson completed 26 of 34 passes for a Boca Raton Bowl-record 425 yards for the Cougars (11-1), who amassed 434 of their 655 total yards before intermission. Memphis’ Riley Ferguson held the previous passing record with 372 yards in 2016.

Tight end Isaac Rex reeled in at least two touchdown receptions for the fifth time in seven games in which he has played. Rex finished with five catches for 96 yards and Neil Pau’u had five receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown to lift BYU to a 35-10 lead at halftime.

Tyler Allgeier highlighted his 19-carry, 173-yard performance with a 39-yard touchdown run just 1:49 into the third quarter.

Dillon Gabriel completed 21 of 45 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns for the Knights (6-4), who had been idle since posting a 58-46 win over South Florida on Nov. 27.

BYU wasted little time setting the tone in this contest.

Wilson raced up the middle and tucked the ball inside the left pylon for a 15-yard touchdown to open the scoring just 1:49 into the contest.

The Cougars benefited from a bit of razzle dazzle on their next touchdown, with Wilson receiving the ball back from a reverse before finding a wide-open Rex for a 36-yard score.

UCF was denied on a fourth-down play, allow BYU to seize control of the contest. Wilson punctuated a four-play, 76-yard drive with a 4-yard scamper around left end to give the Cougars a 21-0 lead with 25 seconds left in the first quarter.

The Knights attempted to crawl back into the contest as Greg McCrae scored from 5 yards out to cap a 15-play, 80-yard drive early in the second quarter.

Wilson, however, connected on 27- and 35-yard scoring strikes to Rex and Pau’u, respectively, to push the Cougars’ advantage to 35-7.

Gunner Romney answered Allgeier’s romp by scoring on a jet sweep with 9:31 remaining in the third quarter to effectively seal the win.

–Field Level Media

Dec 12, 2020; Provo, UT, USA; BYU quarterback Zach Wilson passes the ball as San Diego State linebacker Caden McDonald (54) defends in the first half, of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020, in Provo, Utah.  Mandatory Credit: George Frey/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports

No. 17 BYU, Central Florida meet in Boca Raton Bowl

BYU had little time to savor the flavor of a victory in its regular-season finale before learning the destination of its next game.

The 17th-ranked Cougars (10-1) will visit the Sunshine State on Tuesday to face Central Florida (6-3) in the Boca Raton Bowl at FAU Stadium.

“I was just really ecstatic about that and just really excited about another chance to play with my team,” BYU linebacker Isaiah Kaufusi said, per the Salt Lake Tribune. “… It’ll be fun to travel out to Florida and have some warmer weather, a lot warmer than last weekend.

“The team is really excited to play, prove ourselves again and be able to work and fix some of the things we have been lacking the last couple of weeks.”

The Cougars answered a 22-17 setback at undefeated Coastal Carolina on Dec. 5 with a 28-14 victory over San Diego State on Saturday. Zach Wilson threw for 310 yards and three touchdowns in the latter contest to help BYU secure its first 10-win season since 2011.

“It’s going to be warm and it’s just another opportunity — I think that’s the best thing that we can have,” Wilson said, per the Salt Lake Tribune. “What a great team we’re going against as well, it’s going to be an explosive offense we’re against on the other side. We’re going to have everything put together to play well against these guys. They’re a good team.”

Wilson wasn’t kidding about the offense of the Knights, who rank second in the nation in total offense (585.6 yards) and passing (373) and sixth in points per game (44.3). UCF outdid that last number in its last outing, a 58-46 victory over South Florida on Nov. 27.

Like Wilson, Knights quarterback Dillon Gabriel is a finalist for the Manning Award. Gabriel leads the nation with 3,353 passing yards and is second nationally with 30 touchdown passes.

Gabriel has added motivation for this game, and he didn’t have to look far to find it. His father, Garrett, previously played for Hawaii and engaged in a memorable battle against Ty Detmer and BYU back in his day.

“It’s almost funny because he had a chance to play them and now me. I’m super-excited for the opportunity,” Gabriel said, per the Orlando Sentinel.

With Marlon Williams (team-leading 71 catches for 1,039 yards and 10 touchdowns) opting out of the bowl game and declaring for the 2021 NFL Draft, UCF will lean on wideouts Jaylon Robinson (51 catches, 935 yards, five touchdowns) and Jacob Harris (seven touchdowns).

Greg McCrae leads the Knights in carries (131), rushing yards (681) and rushing touchdowns (nine). He found the end zone in every game but one this season.

While UCF boasts a potent offense, BYU’s defense isn’t too shabby. The Cougars have allowed an average of 14.6 points per game this season.

“Our players and staff are excited to be in this bowl game,” UCF coach Josh Heupel said. “It gives our guys one more time to play together and gives us one more chance to go 1-0. We’ve done a lot of good things this year, and we look forward to this next opportunity.”

The Knights will need to keep tabs on the Cougars’ rushing attack. Lopini Katoa amassed 130 all-purpose yards against San Diego State in place of injured Tyler Allgeier, who leads BYU in carries (131), rushing yards (957) and touchdowns (12).

–Field Level Media