The first Saturday of college football's bowl season is in the books. From Ohio's outstanding freshman to a torrential downpour in Orlando, here are the day's winners and losers.
Ohio running back Rickey Hunt: The Bobcats freshman turning in a record performance after barely playing during the regular season. Entering Ohio's 41-21 win over Georgia Southern, Hunt had seven touches for 22 yards. He finished Saturday's game with 133 total yards and five touchdowns, tied for the most in bowl game history, setting him up for a large role in 2024.
Sun Belt: The conference has the most bowl teams this year (12) but got off to a rough start to its bowl season. It went 1-2, including Georgia Southern's ugly loss to Ohio and Louisiana's 34-31 overtime loss in the New Orleans Bowl despite winning the turnover battle 4-0. The only positive was Appalachian State's rain-soaked 13-9 win in the Cure Bowl over Miami (Ohio).
Jacksonville State: The Gamecocks showed how absurd the NCAA's rule blocking first- or second-year FBS programs from qualifying for a bowl game is in their overtime New Orleans Bowl win. Rich Rodriguez's team outgained the Ragin' Cajuns 526-247, proving it belonged despite its struggles to protect the ball. Per Game On Paper, Jacksonville State had a higher explosive play rate, defensive stop rate and dominated the "Middle 8," or the last four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half. Because of the NCAA's rule, Jacksonville State – which will enter its second FBS season in 2024 – could find itself in the same position next season.
Myrtle Beach Bowl: It's been four years since the inaugural Myrtle Beach Bowl and the bowl is still searching for its first competitive game. Including Ohio's win over Georgia Southern on Saturday, the average margin of victory in the four games in the bowl's history is 18.8 points. The attendance this year also dipped from a high of 12,023 in 2022 to 8,059, a sign people are wising up to the worst bowl game on the schedule.
Florida A&M: The Celebration Bowl turned into a thriller after Florida A&M was installed as a 7.5-point favorite over Howard pregame. The Bison jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first five minutes and led 26-24 following a fourth-quarter pick-six lead, but the Rattlers avoided the upset with a flea-flicker touchdown midway through the fourth and a pair of interceptions (including one with under two minute) to ice the 30-26 win.
4th | 5:46
— Florida A&M Football (@FAMU_FB) December 16, 2023
FLEA-FLICKER TOUCHDOWN!!!!
Jah'Marae burns the Bisons defender for six!
FAMU - 30
HU - 26#FAMU | #Rattlers | #OurTime pic.twitter.com/nAO6GV0kXL
ANOTHER INTERCEPTION!!
— Florida A&M Football (@FAMU_FB) December 16, 2023
RATTLERS TAKE OVER ON THE BISONS 19 WITH 1:45 REMAINING.
FAMU - 30
HU - 26#FAMU | #Rattlers | #OurTime pic.twitter.com/48tGATnP8W
Weather conditions at the Cure Bowl: Some teams get to play their bowl games in idyllic locales including the Bahamas and Hawaii. Appalachian State and Miami (Oh) weren't among those lucky few. Instead, the Mountaineers and Redhawks played in an Orlando monsoon.
The teams combined for 13 fumbles, five of which were lost. Here are a few plays to further illustrate the impossible conditions.
How much is it raining at the Cure Bowl?
— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) December 16, 2023
App State’s Christian Horn makes the catch and is tackled directly on the numbers at the 40-yard line.
Horn then comes up, covered in paint.
Bowl season is the best. pic.twitter.com/IUH3jXz23f
The Cure Bowl featured 13 fumbles.
— Armando Salguero (@ArmandoSalguero) December 17, 2023
Thirteen!
pic.twitter.com/ZOqnKwrEXD
Cure Bowl continues to devolve into madness. pic.twitter.com/QjvLDpQeKS
— Sickos Committee (@SickosCommittee) December 16, 2023
Slip n' slide celebration at the Cure Bowl pic.twitter.com/3VihCzPbNp
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) December 17, 2023
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