Bowling Them Over
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
Here it is Jan. 3 and there are still six bowl games to be played. A couple of them could very well go down as the most memorable bowl games in recent history, though topping the Alamo, Rose and Fiesta Bowls will be a tough task. There are a couple of bowls remaining that may only be remembered by the participants. At least the BBVA Compass Bowl is the only game on the day it is played, not that you have your daily reminders set on it – or can even tell us which teams are participating.
Alas, through the first 29 bowl games there have been many outstanding individual performances. Some have resulted in gaudy stats that light up a box score, including what Houston quarterback Case Keenum did against Penn State in a 30-14 TicketCity Bowl victory on Monday.
It is hard to imagine Keenum producing another head-shaking stat, but that’s exactly what he did against the Nittany Lions. And I’m not talking about the 532 yards passing, eye-opening that number is. Rather, Keenum threw for 227 yards in the opening quarter! That’s an all-time bowl record for most yards passing in a quarter. Keenum finished the 14-game season with 5,631 yards passing, 48 TDs and….here’s another exclamation point: five interceptions in 603 attempts! The gun-slinger finished his Cougars career with FBS records of 19,217 yards passing and 155 touchdowns.
A few other notable bowl performances through games of Jan. 2:
Quarterbacks
Blaine Gautier, La.-Lafayette
The Ragin’ Cajun was raging with 470 yards and 3 TDs in a 32-30 New Orleans Bowl win over San Diego State. The junior's big bowl game enabled him to finish with single- season school records for passing yards (2,958) and touchdown passes (23), breaking marks held by Jake Delhomme.
Keith Price, Washington
We will certainly remember this Alamo. Price threw for 438 and 4 TDs (no picks) and ran for three more scores in a thrilling and record-setting (most combined points) 67-56 loss to Baylor in the Alamo Bowl. Taking over for Jake Locker, the first-year starter finished his sophomore season with 33 TD passes and what will be a top-10 rating.
Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State
In the final game of his college career, Weeden threw for 399 yards, 3 touchdowns and he added one score rushing in leading Oklahoma State to a 41-38 overtime victory against Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl. Weeden threw for 4,727 yards – second to Keenum -- and 37 touchdowns on the season.
**
Running backs
Terrance Ganaway, Baylor
While Washington’s Price accounted for 7 touchdowns, Ganaway ran for 200 yards and 5 TDs on 21 carries in the Alamo shootout. With so much Heisman and “Will he turn pro?” attention heaped on more heralded teammate Robert Griffin III since before Thanksgiving, Ganaway had 598 yards and 9 touchdowns rushing in his last three games against Texas Tech, Texas and the Huskies. His 1,547 yards and 21 rushing TDs are both Baylor records.
Doug Martin, Boise State
It’s hard to imagine Martin having finished his career on a better note, though a BCS bowl would have been a more deserving platform for the No. 7 Broncos. As it was, Martin took the opening kickoff 100 yards to the house, ran for 151 yards and finished with 301 all-purpose yards in Boise State's 56-24 Las Vegas Bowl win over Arizona State. He also had 2 touchdowns in his final college game.
De’ Anthony Thomas, Oregon
With an average of 77.5 yards per rush, who needs LaMichael James? Too bad the freshman had only two carries, but they were exhilarating 91- and 64-yard touchdown journeys on the Rose Bowl stage. Thomas offered more than two great scoring runs in the 45-38 win over Wisconsin. He had 125 yards on kick returns and 34 receiving for 314 all-purpose yards on a mere 11 touches.
**
Receivers
Jordan White, Western Michigan
The senior caught 13 passes for 265 yards and a touchdown in the Broncos’ 37-32 loss to Purdue in the Little Caesars Bowl. When the bowl season is complete, the senior will be atop the nation with 140 receptions. He caught at least a dozen passes in eight of WMU’s 13 games and finished the year with 1,901 yards and 17 TDs.
Patrick Edwards, Houston
Of Case Keenum’s bowl-record 227 yards passing in the opening quarter against Penn State, Edwards was on the receiving end of 112. On the day, he had 10 catches for 228 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Edwards finished the season averaging 19.7 yards on 89 receptions and a nation’s-best 20 TD catches.
Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State
He wanted the ball and he got it down the stretch in the Pokes’ 41-38 OT verdict in the Fiesta Bowl against Stanford. Blackmon had 3 TD receptions among his 8 catches, which were good for 186 yards. With his team trailing 14-0 in the second quarter, Blackmon scored on 43- and 67-yard connections with Brandon Weeden in a span of less than three minutes to tie the game. He also had half his receptions in the fourth quarter, including a 17-yard TD that tied the game at 31. On the season, Blackmon caught 121 passes for 1,522 yards and 18 TDs.
Darryl Surgent, La.-Lafayette
Blaine Gautier was not the only Ragin’ Cajun to have a high-level performance in a New Orleans Bowl win over San Diego State. How about this consistency from Surgent, a receiver/return man who completed his sophomore season with:
5 kick returns for 98 yards
3 punt returns for 93 yards
2 receptions for 92 yards, including an 87-yard TD
That’s more than 90 yards three different ways (283 yards total) in a single game. I wonder how many times that has happened?
Here it is Jan. 3 and there are still six bowl games to be played. A couple of them could very well go down as the most memorable bowl games in recent history, though topping the Alamo, Rose and Fiesta Bowls will be a tough task. There are a couple of bowls remaining that may only be remembered by the participants. At least the BBVA Compass Bowl is the only game on the day it is played, not that you have your daily reminders set on it – or can even tell us which teams are participating.
Alas, through the first 29 bowl games there have been many outstanding individual performances. Some have resulted in gaudy stats that light up a box score, including what Houston quarterback Case Keenum did against Penn State in a 30-14 TicketCity Bowl victory on Monday.
It is hard to imagine Keenum producing another head-shaking stat, but that’s exactly what he did against the Nittany Lions. And I’m not talking about the 532 yards passing, eye-opening that number is. Rather, Keenum threw for 227 yards in the opening quarter! That’s an all-time bowl record for most yards passing in a quarter. Keenum finished the 14-game season with 5,631 yards passing, 48 TDs and….here’s another exclamation point: five interceptions in 603 attempts! The gun-slinger finished his Cougars career with FBS records of 19,217 yards passing and 155 touchdowns.
A few other notable bowl performances through games of Jan. 2:
Quarterbacks
Blaine Gautier, La.-Lafayette
The Ragin’ Cajun was raging with 470 yards and 3 TDs in a 32-30 New Orleans Bowl win over San Diego State. The junior's big bowl game enabled him to finish with single- season school records for passing yards (2,958) and touchdown passes (23), breaking marks held by Jake Delhomme.
Keith Price, Washington
We will certainly remember this Alamo. Price threw for 438 and 4 TDs (no picks) and ran for three more scores in a thrilling and record-setting (most combined points) 67-56 loss to Baylor in the Alamo Bowl. Taking over for Jake Locker, the first-year starter finished his sophomore season with 33 TD passes and what will be a top-10 rating.
Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State
In the final game of his college career, Weeden threw for 399 yards, 3 touchdowns and he added one score rushing in leading Oklahoma State to a 41-38 overtime victory against Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl. Weeden threw for 4,727 yards – second to Keenum -- and 37 touchdowns on the season.
**
Running backs
Terrance Ganaway, Baylor
While Washington’s Price accounted for 7 touchdowns, Ganaway ran for 200 yards and 5 TDs on 21 carries in the Alamo shootout. With so much Heisman and “Will he turn pro?” attention heaped on more heralded teammate Robert Griffin III since before Thanksgiving, Ganaway had 598 yards and 9 touchdowns rushing in his last three games against Texas Tech, Texas and the Huskies. His 1,547 yards and 21 rushing TDs are both Baylor records.
Doug Martin, Boise State
It’s hard to imagine Martin having finished his career on a better note, though a BCS bowl would have been a more deserving platform for the No. 7 Broncos. As it was, Martin took the opening kickoff 100 yards to the house, ran for 151 yards and finished with 301 all-purpose yards in Boise State's 56-24 Las Vegas Bowl win over Arizona State. He also had 2 touchdowns in his final college game.
De’ Anthony Thomas, Oregon
With an average of 77.5 yards per rush, who needs LaMichael James? Too bad the freshman had only two carries, but they were exhilarating 91- and 64-yard touchdown journeys on the Rose Bowl stage. Thomas offered more than two great scoring runs in the 45-38 win over Wisconsin. He had 125 yards on kick returns and 34 receiving for 314 all-purpose yards on a mere 11 touches.
**
Receivers
Jordan White, Western Michigan
The senior caught 13 passes for 265 yards and a touchdown in the Broncos’ 37-32 loss to Purdue in the Little Caesars Bowl. When the bowl season is complete, the senior will be atop the nation with 140 receptions. He caught at least a dozen passes in eight of WMU’s 13 games and finished the year with 1,901 yards and 17 TDs.
Patrick Edwards, Houston
Of Case Keenum’s bowl-record 227 yards passing in the opening quarter against Penn State, Edwards was on the receiving end of 112. On the day, he had 10 catches for 228 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Edwards finished the season averaging 19.7 yards on 89 receptions and a nation’s-best 20 TD catches.
Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State
He wanted the ball and he got it down the stretch in the Pokes’ 41-38 OT verdict in the Fiesta Bowl against Stanford. Blackmon had 3 TD receptions among his 8 catches, which were good for 186 yards. With his team trailing 14-0 in the second quarter, Blackmon scored on 43- and 67-yard connections with Brandon Weeden in a span of less than three minutes to tie the game. He also had half his receptions in the fourth quarter, including a 17-yard TD that tied the game at 31. On the season, Blackmon caught 121 passes for 1,522 yards and 18 TDs.
Darryl Surgent, La.-Lafayette
Blaine Gautier was not the only Ragin’ Cajun to have a high-level performance in a New Orleans Bowl win over San Diego State. How about this consistency from Surgent, a receiver/return man who completed his sophomore season with:
5 kick returns for 98 yards
3 punt returns for 93 yards
2 receptions for 92 yards, including an 87-yard TD
That’s more than 90 yards three different ways (283 yards total) in a single game. I wonder how many times that has happened?
