Getty Images

No. 19 Texas A&M closes Year 1 of Jimbo era by blasting NC State in Gator Bowl

By Zach BarnettDec 31, 2018, 11:09 PM EST
6 Comments

Jimbo Fisher is still finding his way in the big, bad SEC, but he’s still got this ACC thing figure out. His 19th-ranked Aggies scored the final 45 points to race past NC State 52-13 in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl in Jacksonville on Monday night.

Texas A&M opened the game with a 2-play, 71-yard drive that was all Kellen Mond. Texas A&M’s first snap was a 9-yard pass from Mond to Kendrick Rogers, and its second a 62-yard Mond touchdown run.

NC State (9-4) responded with a 13-0 run, aided greatly by a Mond interception inside A&M territory. His tip passed landed in the arms of Wolfpack defensive lineman Eurndraus Bryant at the Aggies’ 27-yard line, setting up a 9-yard Ryan Finley pass to CJ Riley. Two Christopher Dunn field goals, from 43 and 49 yards, put NC State up front 13-7 at the 10:45 mark of the second quarter, but Texas A&M seized the lead back with a run of its own.

A 28-yard strike to tight end Jace Sternberger and a 30-yard rush by Trayveon Williams put the ball at the NC State 2, leading to Williams’ 2-yard plunge to put the Aggies back in front.

After an NC State three-and-out, Texas A&M went 72 yards in 11 plays, closing on a third-and-goal 6-yard strike to Rogers with 32 seconds left in the first half. Mond led all players in passing and rushing, connecting on 13-of-23 passes for 142 yards with a touchdown and a pick while rushing for 82 yards and another score on four carries.

Finley tried to serve up more points to the Aggies by tossing a late interception, but Seth Small‘s 52-yard field goal on the final play of the first half sailed wide right.

That theme continued in the second half, when Finley was picked by A&M linebacker Tyrel Dodson, who took the ball 78 yards for a touchdown.

Williams put the game away for good by posting consecutive touchdown runs on A&M’s next two possessions, a 17-yarder and then a 93-yard that put the Aggies up 42-13 at the 13:56 mark of the fourth quarter. He finished the game with 19 carries for 236 yards and three touchdowns.

After a 35-yard Small field goal, the Aggies closed the game with a rushing touchdown by 12th man Cullen Gillaspia with 22 seconds left in the game.

Texas A&M out-rushed NC State 401-134, while Finley finished his college career hitting 19 of 32 passes for just 139 yards with a touchdown and two picks.

Fisher’s 9-4 debut matches the second-best showing by Texas A&M in seven seasons of SEC membership. The Gator Bowl’s Dec. 31 kickoff was perhaps fitting for the maroon and white, as they close 2018 with a sign that 2019 will become the Year of Jimbo.

CFT Previews: VRBO Citrus Bowl

Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
By Kevin McGuireJan 1, 2019, 7:07 AM EST
Leave a comment

WHO: No. 12 Penn State (9-3) vs. No. 14 Kentucky (9-3)
WHAT: The 73rd VRBO Citrus Bowl
WHEN: 1:00 p.m. ET on ABC
WHERE: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
THE SKINNY: Kentucky is going for the first 10-win season in school history in over three decades. Penn State is looking for a third-straight double-digit win season for the first time since joining the Big Ten. Something will have to give as both Kentucky and Penn State see the final games played by some influential playmaker in a college uniform.

Kentucky linebacker Josh Allen has collected a good amount of hardware this past awards season as he cements his legacy as one of the top defensive players to ever wear a Kentucky uniform. Playing one final game rather than sit out to focus on the NFL Draft is a testament to how much Allen wants to help the Wildcats accomplish a rare feat of a 10-win season before he moves on to the next level. He will be tasked to making sure Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley doesn’t get opportunities to make big plays with his arm or his legs. McSorley has been banged up this season but the time off before the bowl game may have helped get him closer to being the player Penn State needs him to be. With backup quarterback Tommy Stevens not available due to offseason surgery, it will be McSorley or bust for the Nittany Lions.

The running back matchup with Kentucky’s Benny Snell and Penn State’s Miles Sanders should be fairly even and just as much of a factor in the outcome of this game. Neither defense has a way of shutting everything down against the run so Snell and Sanders could have some opportunities to do some damage. But in the end, Penn State may have the edge of their receivers and tight ends keep their hands on the football.

THE LINE: Penn State -7.0
THE PREDICTION: Penn State 34, Kentucky 26

No. 22 Northwestern races past No. 17 Utah in Holiday Bowl

Associated Press
By Zach BarnettDec 31, 2018, 10:59 PM EST
1 Comment

The good news for No. 17 Utah: it won the first, second and third quarters 20-3.

The bad news: it lost the third 28-0.

No. 22 Northwestern used an explosive third quarter to overcome a sluggish other three to win the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl on Monday night, 31-20.

Trailing 20-3 at the half, Northwestern intercepted Utah quarterback Jason Shelley near midfield, then hit Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman for a 52-yard gain, taking the ball to the Utah 4. Clayton Thorson nailed Riley Lees one play later to pull the Wildcats within 10.

After a pair of punts, Utah (9-5) drove into the Wildcat red zone before Jared McGee turned the tables by picking up a fumble and racing it 82 yards for a touchdown.

Now leading by just three, Utah helped Northwestern (9-5) again when wide receiver Jaylen Dixon coughed up the Utes’ third turnover of the quarter and his own second fumble of the game, when Northwestern’s JR Pace scooped up and returned 34 yards to the Utes’ 31. Thorson put the Wildcats on top two plays later with a 20-yard scoring strike to Trey Klock.

Now leading 24-20, Northwestern put Utah away the old-fashioned way. The Wildcats’ defense forced a three-and-out, and their offense knifed 67 yards in four plays, scoring on an 8-yard Lees run at the 1:40 mark of the third quarter.

Shelley finished off a disastrous third quarter by serving up Utah’s fourth turnover of the frame, tossing an interception to Pace inside Northwestern territory. He then finished the game by coughing up Utah’s fifth turnover of the second half with a fumble at his own 24 with 2:44 to play in the game, killing the faintest hope of a comeback.

The win closes one of the best seasons in school history, with the school’s first Big Ten West championship and just the fifth bowl win in school history, though three of those have come in the past three seasons.

Late surge puts No. 19 Texas A&M ahead of NC State in Gator Bowl

Associated Press
By Zach BarnettDec 31, 2018, 9:18 PM EST
1 Comment

Kellen Mond bookended the first half with touchdowns to give Texas A&M a 21-13 halftime lead over NC State at the Gator Bowl.

The Aggies opened the game with a 2-play, 71-yard drive that was all Mond. Texas A&M’s first snap was a 9-yard pass from Mond to Kendrick Rogers, and its second a 62-yard Mond touchdown run.

NC State responded with a 13-0 run, aided greatly by a Mond interception inside A&M territory. His tip passed landed in the arms of Wolfpack defensive lineman Eurndraus Bryant at the Aggies’ 27-yard line, setting up a 9-yard Ryan Finley pass to CJ Riley. Two Christopher Dunn field goals, from 43 and 49 yards, put NC State up front 13-7 at the 10:45 mark of the second quarter, but Texas A&M seized the lead back with a run of its own.

A 28-yard strike to tight end Jace Sternberger and a 30-yard rush by Trayveon Williams put the ball at the NC State 2, leading to Williams’ 2-yard plunge to put the Aggies back in front.

After an NC State three-and-out, Texas A&M went 72 yards in 11 plays, closing on a third-and-goal 6-yard strike to Rogers with 32 seconds left in the first half. Mond led all players in passing and rushing, connecting on 13-of-23 passes for 142 yards with a touchdown and a pick while rushing for 82 yards and another score on four carries.

Finley tried to serve up more points to the Aggies by tossing a late interception, but Seth Small‘s 52-yard field goal on the final play of the first half sailed wide right.

NC State will take the ball to open the second half.

Utah handling Northwestern in Holiday Bowl

Associated Press
By Zach BarnettDec 31, 2018, 8:42 PM EST
3 Comments

A matchup of title game losers is going the way of the Pac-12 so far in the Holiday Bowl. Pac-12 runner-up Utah holds a 20-3 lead over Big Ten runner-up Northwestern at the break in San Diego.

The Utes jumped out to a 14-0 lead through one quarter on a pair of Jason Shelley touchdown passes, the first a 27-yarder to Jaylen Dixon and the second a 4-yarder to Jake Jackson. Shelley led both teams in passing and rushing in the half, hitting 13-of-20 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns while rushing seven times for 52 yards.

Dixon seemingly allowed Northwestern back in the game when he fumbled away a 6-yard completion at his own 42-yard line, but the Wildcats wound up punting from midfield.

Northwestern got on the board on its next possession with a 21-yard Charlie Kuhbander field goal, but Utah matched that with a 32-yard Matt Gay boot.

Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorson then returned Dixon’s favor by tossing an interception at his own 35. After trying and failing on six chances — thanks to a third down pass interference by Northwestern — from the 10-yard line and in, Utah settled for a 20-yard Gay field goal to close the half.

The Utes will receive to open the second half.