Tag: gasparilla bowl

North Carolina State powers past Memphis 31-7 at Gasparilla Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

CJ Bailey threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as North Carolina State had an efficient first half in a 31-7 victory against Memphis in the Gasparilla Bowl on Friday afternoon in Tampa.

Bailey was 14-for-25 passing for 221 yards. Teammate Jayden Scott rushed for 108 yards on 19 carries to help the Wolfpack (8-5) end the season on a three-game winning streak.

Memphis (8-5), which looked like a contender for a spot in the College Football Playoff through the first few months of the season, lost its final four games. The Tigers played the bowl game under interim coach Reggie Howard after coach Ryan Silverfield took the Arkansas job.

Dual-threat quarterback Brendon Lewis finished 14-for-25 for 106 passing yards with a touchdown and an interception and gained 51 rushing yards on 11 carries for Memphis.

NC State played without running back Hollywood Smothers after it was revealed late in the week that he would enter the transfer portal. All of the game’s points were scored before halftime, as the Wolfpack had the highest-scoring half for any team in Gasparilla Bowl history.

The Wolfpack began the game with a 75-yard drive that ended with Bailey’s 14-yard touchdown run.

Later in the first quarter, NC State went 67 yards on four plays, and Bailey tossed a 31-yard touchdown pass to Wesley Grimes.

NC State’s defense set up the next scoring opportunity. Caden Fordham returned an interception, which came off a deflected pass, 55 yards to the Memphis 3-yard line. Will Wilson scored on a 1-yard run on a direct snap.

Memphis had a chance to get on the board, but a 10-play possession ended on Gianni Spetic’s missed field goal from 56 yards out.

The Wolfpack stretched the margin to 24-0 on Kanoah Vinesett’s season-long 51-yard field goal.

The Tigers responded with a 75-yard drive, with Lewis throwing to Jamari Hawkins on a 28-yard touchdown play.

Teddy Hoffmann got free down the left sideline and Bailey hooked up with him for a 40-yard touchdown with 1:28 left in the first half.

NC State only outgained Memphis 337-303 on the day, as the Tigers threatened but turned the ball over on downs twice in the fourth quarter.

–Field Level Media

Nov 15, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; NC State Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey (11) looks for a passing option against the Miami Hurricanes during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

NC State pursues strong finish vs. Memphis in Gasparilla Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

North Carolina State has momentum going into the Gasparilla Bowl, and would like to build more before the offseason.

The Wolfpack will take on a Memphis team in transition on Friday afternoon in the bowl matchup in Tampa, Fla.

“It helps in the offseason, like, we won three out of the last four, and we’d love to finish four out of five,” North Carolina State coach Dave Doeren said. “It gives you a little momentum. And for a coach and a player, when you lose a game, you don’t get rid of that feeling until you play the next game, and that’s a long ways from now.”

The Wolfpack (7-5) won their final two games of the regular season against non-bowl teams Florida State and North Carolina.

Memphis (8-4) has a three-game losing streak following a winless November. So the Tigers went from a contender for a spot in the College Football Playoff to trying to find a positive ending in a pre-Christmas bowl.

Memphis interim coach Reggie Howard, who spent this season as cornerbacks coach, has been in charge since the last day of November after Ryan Silverfield left to take the head-coaching job at Arkansas.

Meanwhile, North Carolina State quarterback CJ Bailey hasn’t committed to the team beyond this week’s game.

“I plan to go home and talk to my mom and my dad,” he said of any decisions. “Just relax and enjoy my time off.”

But before that, Bailey has a plan.

“I’ve never won a bowl game before — I need one,” he said. “I need a win, and the program needs a win. We need to try to find a way to bounce back from all those losses we had, and it’s going to start from right here.”

Wolfpack running back Hollywood Smothers will be among Howard’s concerns.

“The kid is a home run guy. Great speed, track speed,” Howard said. “You’ve got to worry about that guy.

Already, it’s a different lead-up to the bowl for the Wolfpack. Playing in a pre-Christmas event has created a need to juggle some logistics.

“Playing earlier is a different thing for us,” Doeren said. “So it’s really expedited. … It’s almost like a bye week and then a game getting ready.”

Then there’s the uncertainty of preparing for a team with an interim coach who’ll be in his first game directing the Tigers.

“There’s going to be wrinkles,” Doeren said. “You have to expect that, but you have to also expect that they can’t change their systems completely.”

The Wolfpack expect a heavy dose of Memphis quarterback Brendon Lewis, who has 15 touchdown passes this season, with six interceptions. Lewis, who scored nine TDs on the ground, and teammate Sutton Smith both have more than 600 rushing yards.

“This guy runs the ball a lot, QB draws and zone read, avoid, keeps and things, and he’s their leading rusher,” Doeren said. “If you take his sack yardage out, he’s 860 yards rushing.”

Lewis made it through an injury-riddled season. His top target is Cortez Braham Jr., who has 889 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Reserve quarterback Arrington Maiden is heading to the transfer portal.

While Memphis and NC State meet for the first time, they have a common 2025 opponent. Both teams faced East Carolina this season, with North Carolina State defeating the Pirates in the opener and Memphis falling in a mid-November road game.

Memphis is in a bowl for the 12th consecutive season, the longest streak among non-Power 4 conference teams.

North Carolina State will look to pull even in its bowl record, which is 17-18. The other time the Wolfpack played in Raymond James Stadium, the site of Friday’s game, was as a visiting team against South Florida in a 2014 victory.

–Field Level Media

Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) throws an interception during the first half at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL on Friday, December 20, 2024 in the 2024 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]

DJ Lagway, Florida pull away from Tulane to win Gasparilla Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

DJ Lagway threw a touchdown pass, Trey Smack kicked four field goals and Florida’s defense dominated in a 33-8 victory over Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl on Friday in Tampa, Fla.

Lagway completed 22 of 35 passes for 305 yards with two interceptions and improved to 6-1 as a starter as the Gators (8-5) won their fourth consecutive game.

The Gators allowed just 194 yards to the Green Wave (9-5), who lost their third consecutive game. Florida had three interceptions of Ty Thompson, who completed 11 of 29 for 125 yards in his first college start in place of regular-season starter Darian Mensah, who transferred to Duke.

It was 9-0 Florida on three field goals after Smack kicked a 24-yarder with 9:11 left in the third quarter.

On the fourth play of the ensuing possession, Thompson was intercepted by Alfonzo Allen Jr., giving Florida the ball at its 40. Six plays later the Gators finally reached the end zone when Lagway’s 7-yard pass to Tony Livingston produced a touchdown and a 16-0 lead at the end of the third.

Florida got the ball back at the Tulane 47 when Thompson was stopped for a 2-yard loss on fourth and 2. Early in the fourth quarter, Smack kicked a 30-yard field goal that increased the lead to 19-0.

The Green Wave turned the ball over on downs again at their 34, and four plays later KD Daniels picked up Lagway’s fumble and advanced it 27 yards for a 26-0 lead.

Anthony Rubio rushed 9 yards for the Gators’ final touchdown with 1:11 remaining, and Thompson threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Mario Williams and added a two-point pass with 29 seconds left.

On Tulane’s first offensive play, Thompson was intercepted by Trikweze Bridges, leading to Smack’s 34-yard field goal and a 3-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

On the second play of the second quarter, the Green Wave’s Patrick Durkin was wide right on a 35-yard field goal attempt and the Gators drove to Smack’s 44-yard field goal and a 6-0 halftime lead.

–Field Level Media

Nov 28, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Tulane Green Wave quarterback Ty Thompson (7) throws before a game against the Memphis Tigers at Yulman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Backup QB guides Tulane into Gasparilla Bowl vs. Florida

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Florida wasn’t always sure it was going to win enough games to become bowl-eligible.

Tulane flirted with the possibility of playing its way into the College Football Playoff.

Eventually a late-season surge by the Gators (7-5) and consecutive losses by the Green Wave (9-4) landed them both in the Gasparilla Bowl on Friday in Tampa.

Florida, which failed to make a bowl game at 5-7 last season, dropped two of its first three games this year, falling to then-No. 19 Miami and Texas A&M. The results led to early-season speculation that third-year coach Billy Napier might not make it to the end of the season, let alone coach a fourth season.

However, when the Gators reached 4-4 after being competitive in losses to then-No. 8 Tennessee and then-No. 2 Georgia, athletic director Scott Stricklin said Napier would continue as head coach.

After losing the next game to then-No. 5 Texas, the Gators improved over the final three games behind freshman quarterback DJ Lagway. Florida swept those three contests, defeating then-No. 21 LSU 27-16, then-No. 9 Ole Miss 24-17 and Florida State 31-11.

“We want to keep the momentum we have,” Napier said.

Lagway, who is 5-1 as a starter and has passed for 1,610 yards with 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions, is expected to start against Tulane. He has been hampered by a hamstring injury sustained against Georgia on Nov. 2, an injury that kept him out against the Longhorns.

Napier doesn’t expect a significant number of absences due to opt-outs.

“We talk a lot in terms of, it doesn’t matter who the opponent is, where we’re playing, what time we’re playing, who’s available,” Napier said. “It’s kind of become part of our DNA. When they put the ball down and kick the thing off, we’ll be ready to go.”

Tulane, which won eight consecutive games before losing 34-24 at home to Memphis on Nov. 28 and 35-14 at Army in the American Athletic Conference championship game on Dec. 6, hasn’t been as fortunate with its quarterback situation.

Redshirt freshman Darian Mensah, who unexpectedly won the starting position during preseason camp and helped lead the Green Wave to as high as the No. 17 spot in the CFP rankings, entered the transfer portal after the loss to Army and committed to Duke.

Kai Horton also departed through the portal, leaving former Oregon five-star signee Ty Thompson as the starter and only experienced quarterback for the bowl game. This will be his first college start, but he did play in 11 games this season as a wildcat change of pace to Mensah.

Thompson averaged 6.1 yards on 40 rushes, scoring six touchdowns, and completed 6 of 11 passes for 74 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.

“I’m really, really blessed for this opportunity,” Thompson said. “I’ve prayed for this since I was 17 and showed up in college.”

Thompson has indicated he might leave via the portal as well, but he is sticking around to face the Gators.

“His response (to not winning the starting job) says a lot about who he is,” Tulane coach Jon Sumrall said of Thompson. “He wanted to be the guy and wasn’t, so he could have either tanked it or pushed on to get better. He really handled it the right way.”

Thompson figures to have top receiver Mario Williams and top rusher Makhi Hughes available.

–Field Level Media

Dec 22, 2023; Tampa, FL, USA; UCF Knights quarterback John Rhys Plumlee (10) runs the ball around Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive back Clayton Powell-Lee (5) during the first half of the Gasparilla Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Gasparilla Bowl: Haynes King helps Georgia Tech knock off UCF

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Haynes King threw for a touchdown and rushed for another to lift Georgia Tech to a 30-17 victory over UCF on Friday in the Gasparilla Bowl in Orlando, Fla.

Jamal Haynes rushed for a career-high 128 yards and King added 89 for the Yellow Jackets (7-6), who rolled up for 284 yards on the ground. Dontae Smith also rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown as Georgia Tech overcame an early 14-point deficit en route to recording its fourth win in six outings.

Aidan Birr drilled field goals of 36, 29 and 38 yards for the Yellow Jackets.

UCF’s John Rhys Plumlee completed 16 of 29 passes for 198 yards and tossed a scoring strike to both Javon Baker and Kobe Hudson. Baker had nine catches for 173 yards and RJ Harvey rushed for 120 yards for the Knights (6-7), who have lost seven of their last 10 games.

UCF bolted out of the blocks as Plumlee connected on a pair of touchdown passes to give his team an early 14-0 lead. Baker reeled in a 23-yard pass from Plumlee to cap the opening drive and Hudson added a 17-yard reception to complete a 10-play, 98-yard drive with 6:26 remaining in the first quarter.

The teams traded field goals before King ignited a pair of scoring drives to allow Georgia Tech to forge a 17-17 tie at halftime. King scored from 5 yards out with 4:23 to play in the second quarter for his 10th rushing touchdown of the season. He then connected on an inside post with Malik Rutherford, who gained a step on two defenders and reeled in a 41-yard touchdown pass.

Birr drilled a 29-yard field goal to give the Yellow Jackets their first lead of the contest at 20-17 with 12:07 remaining in the third quarter.

Georgia Tech relied on its ground attack on its next scoring drive. The Yellow Jackets ran the ball on 12 of 13 plays, capped by Smith’s 1-yard touchdown to take a 27-17 lead with 13:37 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Birr made his third field goal with 4:52 to play in the fourth quarter and UCF turned the ball over on downs on its ensuing possession and tossed an interception on its final offensive play.

–Field Level Media

Dec 23, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons quarterback Sam Hartman (10) drops back to pass against the Missouri Tigers in the first quarter in the 2022 Gasparilla Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Sam Hartman sets ACC passing TD mark in Wake’s Gasparilla Bowl win over Missouri

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Sam Hartman threw for three scores and set the ACC record for career touchdown passes while helping Wake Forest notch a 27-17 victory over Missouri on Friday night in the Gasparilla Bowl at Tampa, Fla.

Hartman completed 23 of 36 passes for 280 yards and one interception as Wake Forest (8-5) won for just the second time in six games. Hartman, who has 110 touchdown passes, entered the game in a tie with former Clemson star Tajh Boyd (107 from 2010-13).

Taylor Morin caught two touchdown passes and Jahmal Banks had one for the Demon Deacons. Justice Ellison added a scoring run and A.T. Perry caught 11 passes for 116 yards for Wake Forest.

Brady Cook was 29-of-48 passing for 215 yards and one touchdown for Missouri. Cody Schrader rushed for a touchdown and Demariyon Houston had a scoring catch as the Tigers (6-7) finished .500 or lower for the fourth consecutive season.

Hartman got the record-setting 108th touchdown pass on Wake Forest’s first drive when he connected with Morin on a 5-yard aerial.

Hartman has stated that he will either declare for the NFL draft or enter the transfer portal. He finishes the Wake Forest portion of his career with 12,967 passing yards, second in ACC history behind North Carolina State’s Philip Rivers (13,484 from 2000-03).

Missouri took its first lead of the game at 17-14 when Schrader scored on a 4-yard run with 5:45 left in the third quarter.

The Demon Deacons answered rapidly with Hartman finding Banks wide open at the Tigers’ 25-yard line and the receiver finishing the play for a 48-yard touchdown. Matthew Dennis clanked the extra point off the right upright for his first miss of the season to keep the Wake Forest lead at three.

The Demon Deacons tacked on when Hartman hit Morin on a 16-yard scoring pass to make it 27-17 with 2:33 left in the game.

After Wake Forest’s early touchdown, Missouri got on the board on Harrison Mevis’ 35-yard field goal with 1:46 left in the opening quarter. The Demon Deacons responded with Ellison’s 1-yard scoring run to boost their lead to 14-3 with 10:51 remaining in the first half.

The Tigers moved within four later in the half when a scrambling Cook saw approaching defenders in his path and quickly threw a 1-yard scoring pass to Houston with 2:28 left.

–Field Level Media

Nov 19, 2022; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons quarterback Sam Hartman (10) holds up his helmet during the singing of the school alma mater after the win against the Syracuse Orange at Truist Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

A Wake Forest era ends vs. Missouri in Gasparilla Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Sam Hartman takes the field for the final time as Wake Forest quarterback when the Demon Deacons face Missouri in the Dec. 23 Gasparilla Bowl at Tampa, Fla.

The record-setting signal-caller has decided to play in the bowl game but made it clear last month that he isn’t returning to Wake.

“No shot,” Hartman said.

Hartman, 23, is weighing whether to enter the NFL draft or transfer to another school for a sixth season. Schools needing a quarterback are preparing possible name, image and likeness deals.

“Whatever decision Sam makes we support him,” Demon Deacons coach Dave Clawson told reporters. “Again, I think right now his intention is to go to the NFL. When the bowl game is over, if there’s some incredible offer for him to go to another school and get life-changing money, how can we fault him for that? So it’s a good problem to have, and he’s going to have many good options.”

Hartman has passed for 3,421 yards, 35 touchdowns and 11 interceptions this season.

He enters his final contest for Wake Forest (7-5) with a record easily in reach. Hartman is tied for the ACC career passing touchdowns record at 107 with former Clemson star Tajh Boyd (2010-13).

Hartman also ranks second in ACC history with 12,687 passing yards and is aiming to join former North Carolina State star Philip Rivers (13,484 from 2000-03) as the only quarterbacks in conference history to reach the 13,000-yard mark.

“Sam is a tremendous player who’s played a long time,” Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz said. “… It’ll be a great challenge. Dave’s football teams are always well coached. They don’t beat themselves, they don’t turn the football over.”

The Tigers (6-6) have won four of their past six games but they will be short-handed on defense as they try to slow Hartman.

Defensive ends Isaiah McGuire (team-best 7.5 sacks) and DJ Coleman (4.5 sacks) and safety Martez Manuel (4.0 sacks) all opted out of the bowl and declared for the NFL draft.

Several other Missouri players entered the transfer portal, including standout receiver Dominic Lovett, who led the Tigers with 56 receptions and 846 yards.

The loss of Lovett could make things challenging for quarterback Brady Cook, who has passed for 2,504 yards, 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Wake Forest, which has dropped four of its last five games, will have star receiver A.T. Perry. He caught 11 scoring passes this season and holds the school career record with 28.

Star linebacker Ryan Smenda has 106 tackles and ranks ninth in Demon Deacons’ history with 344.

This is the first meeting between the schools.

–Field Level Media

Florida Gators linebacker Ty'Ron Hopper (28) brings down UCF Knights quarterback Mikey Keene (16). The Gators lead 10-9 over the Central Florida Knights at the half in the Gasparilla Bowl Thursday, December 23, 2021, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL. [Doug Engle/Ocala Star-Banner]2021 Oca 122324 Ufvsucfgasbowl

Ryan O’Keefe, UCF stun rival Florida in Gasparilla Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Wide receiver Ryan O’Keefe had a pair of huge plays — a 74-yard end around and a 54-yard touchdown catch — as the UCF Knights defeated the Florida Gators 29-17 on Thursday night in the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa.

It was the first win over Florida in UCF history. In the previous two matchups, the Gators won 42-0 and 58-27.

Florida (6-7) finished with a losing record for the first time since 2017.

UCF (9-4) won a game that featured five lead changes as O’Keefe finished with seven catches for 85 yards, four carries for 110 yards and two kickoff returns for 56 yards.

UCF running back Isaiah Bowser ran 35 times for 155 yards and two TDs. Teammate Mikey Keene completed 14-of-22 passes for 144 yards and one TD.

The Gators, who were six-point favorites, struggled in the passing game as Emory Jones overthrew several receivers. He completed 14-of-36 passes for 171 yards and no scores.

Gators linebacker Tyrone Harper, their fourth-leading tackler this season, threw a punch and was ejected in the third quarter. Gators receiver Justin Shorter, carted off the field in the fourth, suffered an unspecified injury.

Florida led 10-9 at halftime.

The Gators opened the scoring on Dameon Pierce’s 2-yard run.

UCF took the ensuing kickoff and cut its deficit to 7-6 on Bowser’s 3-yard run. However, UCF’s two-point conversion attempt failed.

After Florida’s Chris Howard missed a 51-yard field goal, UCF took a 9-7 lead on its next possession, getting Daniel Obarski’s 34-yard kick.

With 1:36 left in the half, Howard was true from 26 yards, putting Florida on top. However, earlier in that drive, Jones overthrew Trent Whittemore, who would have scored easily.

There were two lead changes in the third quarter.

UCF went ahead 16-10 on Bowser’s 4-yard run up the middle. That touchdown was set up by O’Keefe’s 74-yard end around. O’Keefe faked out one potential tackler and sped past a second. Bowser scored on the next play.

Florida’s Malik Davis ran 19 yards to put the Gators on top, 17-16. Davis ran three times for 54 yards on that drive, including a 32-yarder.

Obarski’s 21-yard field goal put UCF back on top, 19-17. That drive was set up by a failed onside kick and two major penalties on Florida (taunting and a late hit).

O’Keefe then got behind Florida’s defense for his 54-yard TD catch on a lofted throw by Keene. That gave UCF a 26-17 lead with 68 seconds left in the third.

Howard missed wide right from 45 yards with 7:57 left in the fourth, but Obarski’s 33-yarder with 2:41 remaining gave UCF a 29-17 lead, and the Knights defense did the rest.

–Field Level Media