SERVPRO First Responder Bowl Weekly Notes (11/8)
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl Notes
BIG TEN: With just three weekends remaining in the regular season, all 14 teams will take the field this week. The action opens on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT and features six divisional matchups. Big Ten Standings here.
C-USA: For only the second time this season there are seven conference games Saturday as the league runs towards the finish line of the 2018 regular season. C-USA Standings here.
GIANT KILLERS: Purdue defeated Iowa 38-36 on Saturday by virtue of Spencer Evans’ 25-yard field goal. It was the third time this season that the Boilermakers beat a ranked team and the first time they’ve beaten a trio of ranked teams in a season since 2003.
NASTY BUNCH IS BACK: The Southern Miss defense is turning in some of its best numbers since the days of the Golden Eagles “Nasty Bunch” defense in the early years of C-USA. The unit is second in C-USA and seventh in FBS in total defense at 282.5 yards per game. The Golden Eagles are 10th nationally in passing yards allowed (171.0) and 19th in rushing yards allowed (111.5). Southern Miss leads the FBS in first down defense, surrendering a total of 113 first downs all season.
CORBIN RUNS WILD: Illinois running back Reggie Corbin ran 13 times for a career-high 213 yards against Minnesota on Saturday, making him the first Illini to reach the 200-yard plateau since Mikel Leshoure ran for 330 yards against Northwestern in 2010.
MIDDLE BOWLING AGAIN: Middle Tennessee reached bowl eligibility for the 10th time in 13 years under coach Rick Stockstill with a 29-10 victory over rival WKU on Friday. Freshman RB Chaton Mobley, who entered the game with 128 rushing yards for the season, ran for 198 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore K Crews Holt kicked five field goals as the Blue Raiders won for the fourth time in five games. The MT defense has forced 12 turnovers in those five games.
IN THE NEWS
Mike Poorman (@PSUPoorman) of StateCollege.com postulates that Penn State may have lost its mojo with the departure of JoeMo, aka Joe Moorhead. See if you agree by reading here.
Brett Vito (@BrettVito) of the Denton Record-Chronicle gives North Texas fans the lowdown on what to expect out of ODU this weekend. Check out his five things to know here.
The Iowa Hawkeyes are wearing a special helmet for Sunday’s game against Northwestern for Military Appreciation Day. In addition to a special Tigerhawk logo, the helmet will honor Nile Kinnick, the stadium’s namesake and Navy veteran. More in the Cedar Rapids Gazette here.
Eric Moreno (@UTSARivals) of BirdsUp.com introduces us to Michael Egwuagu. The former Roadrunners’ safety is a hip-hop artist, entrepreneur, financial analyst and philanthropist. Read more about the Renaissance Man here.
TICKETS ON SALE: Tickets for the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl are now on sale at www.firstresponderbowl.com. Tickets range from $25 for a general admission seat, to $75 for a reserved lower bowl seat and $150 for a mid-field chair back seat.
Fans will again be able to help thank first responders by “Sponsoring a Responder.” Fans can choose to purchase “additional” tickets for $15 that will be distributed to first responder members and their families. These generous ticket sponsors will be recognized during the game on Dec. 26.
PROJECTING THE MATCHUP
ESPN (Bonagura): Arizona State vs. North Texas
ESPN (Sherman): Arizona State vs. North Texas
SBNation: Minnesota vs. North Texas
USA Today: Louisiana-Lafayette vs. LA Tech
SI.com: Boise State vs. North Texas
CBS Sports: California vs. Miami
