Bowl season in faculty soccer is in full swing with six video games set for Saturday after two have been performed on Friday. The video games have been thrilling on Friday and there are many wonderful storylines to be careful for forward of Saturday’s slate.
The postseason started with the HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl the place Miami (OH) (6-7) confronted UAB (7-6). The Blazers gained 24-20 after linebacker Reynard Ellis tackled broad receiver Jalen Walker two yards wanting the endzone.
The Duluth Buying and selling Treatment Bowl was the primary recreation between ranked groups of the bowl season, and would be the just one till Dec. 29. The sport featured two nice tales in Solar Belt champion Troy (12-2) and Convention-USA (C-USA) champion UTSA (11-3). The Trojans gained a defensive battle 18-12 in a recreation that they had 153 whole yards.
Linebacker KJ Robertson altered the sport when he intercepted a cross as UTSA was driving for landing and returned it 62 yards. Troy took the lead on the subsequent possession and by no means appeared again.
Saturday’s schedule begins with the juiciest storyline. Louisville (7-5) takes on Cincinnati (9-3) within the Wasabi Fenway Bowl. Intrigue is added as a result of Scott Satterfield subplot. He coached Louisville this season earlier than accepting the pinnacle teaching place at Cincinnati.
Per Sports activities Illustrated, as an alternative of teaching both group, he’ll loom over the proceedings, possible scouting to see which gamers he needs to take with him from Louisville and which of them he needs to discard at his new dwelling.
Florida (6-6) takes on No. 14 Oregon State (9-3) within the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl. The Gators have been up-and-down in Billy Napier’s first yr as head coach however can document wins in opposition to two of the highest groups within the Pac-12 with a win in opposition to the Beavers. The group started the season with a house win in opposition to Pac-12 champion Utah.
Washington State (7-5) was seventh within the Pac-12 and can face Mountain West (MW) champion Fresno State (9-4) within the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl. The sport will reveal how the Bulldogs stack up in opposition to a Energy 5 opponent, which may very well be essential in its analysis as a possible future Pac-12 group as convention realignment continues over time.
Per the Fresno Bee, college officers started preliminary talks with a doable transfer to the Pac-12 after information broke that USC and UCLA have been planning on departing the convention. (h/t The Collegian)
Different video games embrace the Frisco Bowl introduced by SERVPRO between C-USA and MW championship recreation runner-ups North Texas (7-6) and Boise State (9-4), and SMU (7-5) versus BYU (7-5) within the New Mexico Bowl.
There’s an argument that there are too many bowl video games; the actual fact there weren’t sufficient groups with six wins to fill out the bowls would seem to steer credence to that notion. That is why Rice (5-7) will play within the LendingTree Bowl in opposition to Southern Miss (6-6). The Owls obtained an invitation as this system with the very best Tutorial Progress Ranking amongst 5-7 groups. (h/t At The Roost)
The alternatives that bowl video games present gamers is sufficient to justify their existence. With a win on Saturday, Rice can remind us why there can by no means be an excessive amount of of a great factor.
