Tag: title game

Dec 31, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; TCU Horned Frogs running back Kendre Miller (33) against the Michigan Wolverines during the 2022 Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

TCU hopes RB Kendre Miller (knee) cleared for CFP title game

Posted on | by Field Level Media

TCU standout running back Kendre Miller is questionable to play in the College Football Playoff title game because of a knee injury, head coach Sonny Dykes said Tuesday.

Miller sustained the injury in the Horned Frogs’ 51-45 win over Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve. The first-team All-Big 12 selection had eight carries for 57 yards before leaving the national semifinal game.

“We’re hopeful we’ll get Kendre back,” Dykes said, per The Athletic. “As the week progresses, we’ll know a little bit more every single day. Right now, I’d say he’s questionable and then we’ll try to make a determination as we get through the week.”

Miller ran for 1,399 yards and 17 touchdowns for TCU in 14 games played to lead the Horned Frogs in rushing this season. Behind him were Emari Demercado (622 yards, six TDs) and quarterback Max Duggan (461 yards, eight TDs).

The national championship game pits TCU (13-1) against defending champion Georgia (14-0). It will be played Monday in Inglewood, Calif.

–Field Level Media

Dec 3, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Tulane Green Wave wide receiver Lawrence Keys III (6) catches a pass and runs in for a touchdown against the UCF Knights during the first half at Yulman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

No. 18 Tulane topples No. 22 UCF to claim AAC title

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Michael Pratt threw for 394 yards and four touchdowns and ran for another to lead No. 18 Tulane to the American Athletic Conference title with a 45-28 victory over visiting No. 22 UCF on Saturday in New Orleans.

Pratt went 20-for-33 passing with an interception as Tulane (11-2) moved into position to claim a New Year’s Day bowl invitation as the highest-ranked Group of Five team.

Tulane, which is projected to play in the Cotton Bowl, hasn’t played in a New Year’s Day bowl since falling to Texas A&M in the Sugar Bowl in 1940.

UCF (9-4), which defeated Tulane 38-31 during the regular season, was likely denied its fourth BCS/New Year’s Day Bowl game in the past 10 seasons. The Knights will play in the Big 12 next season.

Shae Wyatt had five receptions for 110 yards and two touchdowns, while Duece Watts had three catches for 134 yards, including a 73-yard touchdown, for Tulane. Tyjae Spears powered the ground game with 199 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries.

John Rhys Plumlee, slowed by a lingering hamstring injury, went 21-for-39 passing for 209 yards and a touchdown. Backup quarterback Thomas Castellanos went 2-for-8 passing for seven yards.

Isaiah Bowser ran for 85 yards and a score on 20 carries, and Kobe Hudson had four receptions for 98 yards and two touchdowns for the Knights.

Leading 17-7 at halftime, Tulane took control of the game when Spears burst up the middle and weaved his way for a 60-yard touchdown run and a 24-7 lead with 12:09 left in the third quarter.

UCF pulled to within 24-14 on Plumlee’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Hudson with 1:53 left in the third quarter.

Pratt responded by throwing a 73-yard touchdown pass to Watts for a 31-14 lead with 14:29 left in the game.

RJ Harvey threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Hudson off a halfback-option pass to make it 31-21 with 12:26 remaining.

Bowser’s 10-yard touchdown run pulled UCF to within 31-28 with 9:48 left.

Pratt’s 60-yard touchdown pass to Wyatt extended the lead to 38-28 with 8:18 to go.

Pratt capped the win with an 18-yard touchdown run for a 45-28 lead with 4:04 left.

Tulane took a 7-0 lead on its first possession when Pratt threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Wyatt with 7:46 left in the quarter.

Valentino Ambrosio’s 27-yard field goal made it 10-0 with 1:01 left in the first quarter.

After the Knights stopped Pratt for no gain on fourth-and-2 from Tulane’s 32-yard line, Xavier Townsend’s 5-yard touchdown run eight plays later pulled UCF to within 10-7 with 6:48 left in the half.

Pratt responded four plays later with a 43-yard touchdown pass to Lawrence Keys III for a 17-7 lead with 5:00 left in the half.

–Field Level Media

Dec 4, 2021; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Will Anderson Jr. (31) and defensive lineman Phidarian Mathis (48) hoist the trophy after defeating the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Alabama won 41-24. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

NCAA looks to relax conference title game restrictions

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The NCAA took a major step toward updating rules surrounding conference title games for the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), reports said Monday.

The NCAA Football Oversight Committed put forward new recommendations on April 28 that, among other things, would remove a longstanding requirement for conferences to be split into divisions in order to stage a championship game.

Conferences with 12 or more members are currently obliged to have two divisions that play a round-robin schedule during the regular season, with the division winners meeting in a conference title game. Conferences without divisions, such as the 10-team Big 12, must play a full round-robin.

The oversight committee voted to recommend removing the requirements altogether, which would give individual conferences more freedom to decide which teams will play in their conference championship game.

Some conferences are expected to eliminate divisions in favor of alternative scheduling formats. ESPN reported Monday that the ACC has discussed eliminating divisions as early as the 2023 football season.

The Division I Council will meet later this month to ratify the updated rules, with multiple media reports indicating that the recommendation is expected to pass.

–Field Level Media