Click here to read the 2017 Bahamas Bowl Weekly Release – Week 5 – September 30 (PDF)
THIS WEEKEND: The entire slate of Conference USA and MAC action will take place on Saturday. In C-USA, three conference games highlight the schedule, all division matchups. FIU (2-1, 1-0) will be the last FBS team to play a home game as the Panthers host Charlotte (0-4) in a East Division game. Middle Tennessee (2-2) visits Florida Atlantic (1-3) in the first league game of the season for both schools, a rematch of last season’s record-setting 77-56 MTSU victory, the highest-scoring game in C-USA annals. North Texas (2-2, 1-0) goes to Southern Miss (2-1) for a key West Division game. in non-conference C-USA action, Rice (1-3, 1-1) visits ACC foe Pittsburgh in the first meeting between the schools since 1951, UTEP (0-4, 0-1) plays at Army, Louisiana Tech (2-2, 1-0) hosts South Alabama and Marshall (2-1) visits Cincinnati.
In the MAC, there are three conference games as Buffalo (2-2) is at Kent State (1-3) in a East Division game, Akron (1-3) is at Bowling Green (0-4) in another East matchup and Ball State (2-2) visits Western Michigan (2-2) in a West Division tilt. The MAC also has a pair of games against ranked opponents as Northern Illinois (2-1) visits No. 19 San Diego State and Miami (2-2, 1-0) goes to No. 22 Notre Dame. Eastern Michigan (2-1, 0-1) visits Kentucky, Central Michigan (2-2, 0-1) is at Boston College and Ohio (3-1, 1-0) goes to UMass.
C-USA VS. MAC: The final three games between Conference USA and the MAC before bowl season occured last Saturday, and C-USA captured two of the three games to finish with a 4-3 record over the MAC. Middle Tennessee defeated Bowling Green 24-13 and WKU beat Ball State 33-21 for the C-USA victories while Buffalo beat Florida Atlantic 34-31 for the MAC victory.
MAC WEEK 4 REVIEW: Miami opened MAC play with a 34-31 victory at Central Michigan as QB Gus Ragland threw for two TDs … Ohio captured a 27-20 two-OT conference victory at Eastern Michigan thanks a pair of overtime TD tosses by Bobcats QB Nathan Rourke.
C-USA WEEK 4 REVIEW: Two exciting conference games were not decided until late last Saturday … North Texas got a game-winning field goal from K Trevor Moore with seven seconds left to hold off UAB 46-43 in Denton … FIU went on the road to Houston and beat Rice 13-7 thanks to a defensive effort that held the Owls to 248 total offense yards.
WEEK 5 SCHEDULE
CONFERENCE USA
Saturday, Sept. 30
* Charlotte at FIU (beIN)
* Middle Tennessee at Florida Atlantic (STAD)
* North Texas at Southern Miss
Rice at Pittsburgh (ACCRSN)
UTEP at Army (CBSSN)
South Alabama at Louisiana Tech (ESPN3)
Marshall at Cincinnati (ESPN3)
MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Saturday, Sept. 30
* Buffalo at Kent State (ESPN3)
* Akron at Bowling Green (ESPN3)
* Ball State at Western Michigan (ESPN3)
Central Michigan at Boston College (ACCRSN)
Ohio at UMass (Eleven Sports)
Eastern Michigan at Kentucky (SECN)
Miami at Notre Dame (NBCSN)
Northern Illinois at San Diego State (CBSSN)
* – conference games
WEEK 4 RESULTS
CONFERENCE USA
Saturday, Sept. 23
* North Texas 46, UAB 43
* FIU 13, Rice 7
Middle Tennessee 24, Bowling Green 13
WKU 33, Ball State 21
UTSA 44, Texas State 14
Virginia Tech 38, Old Dominion 0
South Carolina 17, Louisiana Tech 16
Georgia State 28, Charlotte 0
Buffalo 34, Florida Atlantic 31
New Mexico State 41, UTEP 14
MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Saturday, Sept. 23
* Miami 31, Central Michigan 14
* Ohio 27, Eastern Michigan 20 (2 ot)
Troy 22, Akron 17
WKU 33, Ball State 21
Middle Tennessee 24, Bowling Green 13
Buffalo 34, Florida Atlantic 31
Louisville 42, Kent State 3
Miami (Fla.) 52, Toledo 30
Western Michigan 49, Wagner 14
* – conference games
WEEK 4 INDIVIDUAL HONORS
CONFERENCE USA
Offensive Player of the Week
North Texas RB Jeffrey Wilson: The senior had 26 rushes for 211 yards and a touchdown in a 46-43 victory over UAB.
Co-Defensive Player of the Week
UTSA LB Josiah Tauaefa: The sophomore had five tackles and a fumble return for a TD in a 44-14 victory over Texas State.
Co-Defensive Player of the Week
WKU DB Joe Brown: The senior had three tackles and an interception return for a TD in a 33-21 victory over Ball State.
Special Teams Player of the Week
North Texas K Trevor Moore: The senior kicked four FGs, including the game-winner in a 46-43 victory over UAB.
MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE
East Division Offensive Player of the Week
Ohio RB A.J. Ouellette: The junior rushed for 145 yards and had 42 receiving yards in a 27-20 overtime victory over Eastern Michigan.
East Division Defensive Player of the Week
Miami LB Sam Connolly: The junior had nine tackles and an interception in a 31-14 victory over Central Michigan.
East Division Special Teams Player of the Week
Buffalo K Adam Mitcheson: The junior made two field goals in a 34-31 victory over FAU.
West Division Offensive Player of the Week
Toledo QB Logan Woodside: The senior threw for 342 yards and three TDs in a loss at Miami (Fla.).
West Division Defensive Player of the Week
Eastern Michigan DB Brody Hoying: The sophomore had 10 tackles and two forced fumbles in a two-OT loss vs. Ohio.
West Division Special Teams Player of the Week
Toledo K Jameson Vest: The junior made three field goals in a loss at Miami (Fla.).
C-USA VS. MAC
The 2017 Bahamas Bowl will be contested between Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference. C-USA won the 2017 season series vs. the MAC 4-3.
Conference USA is 2-1 vs. the MAC all time in the Bahamas Bowl.
Sept. 1
Eastern Michigan (MAC) 24, Charlotte (C-USA) 7
Sept. 2
Marshall (C-USA)31, Miami (MAC) 26
Sept. 9
Ball State (MAC) 51, UAB (C-USA) 31
Sept. 16
Marshall (C-USA) 21, Kent State (MAC) 0
Sept. 23
WKU (C-USA) 33, Ball State (MAC) 21
Middle Tennessee (C-USA) 24, Bowling Green (MAC) 13
Buffalo (MAC) 34, Florida Atlantic (C-USA) 31
AROUND THE CONFERENCES
• Ball State senior DE Anthony Winbush leads the FBS with 7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. He is third on the team with 22 tackles.
• FIU is the only FBS team that has not played a home game in 2017, but that hasn’t stopped the Panthers from posting a 2-1 record for the second time in three years, but they’ve had to accomplish that all on the road, thanks in part to Hurricane Irma. After a 17-10 win over Alcorn State in Birmingham on Sept. 8, FIU opened conference play with a 13-7 victory at Rice last Saturday.
• Northern Illinois sophomore DE Sutton Smith leads FBS with 9.5 tackles for loss. He was part of the staunch effort that led the Huskies to a 21-17 win at Nebraska on Sept. 16.
• UTSA is off to a 3-0 start thanks to dominating performances on both sides of the ball. UTSA held its fifth straight opponent to less than 300 total yards of offense last Saturday in a victory over Texas State. The Roadrunners are second in FBS in total defense, allowing 207.0 yards per game. Only Michigan (203.3) is allowing less. UTSA is sixth in rushing defense (86.0) and third in passing defense (121.0).
• Southern Miss has had a stout defense so far this season. The Golden Eagles have allowed 13.7 points per game (second in C-USA), 122.0 passing yards (second) and 241.3 total yards (second). In the last two games, opponents are just 3-of-28 on third down against USM.
“POWER FIVE” VICTORIES
A list of Conference USA and MAC victories over “Power Five” opponents (teams from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC).
Sept. 9
Central Michigan (MAC) 45, Kansas (Big 12) 27
Eastern Michigan (MAC) 16, Rutgers (Big Ten) 13
Middle Tennessee (C-USA) 30, Syracuse (ACC) 23
UTSA (C-USA) 17, Baylor (Big 12) 10
Sept. 16
Northern Illinois (MAC) 21, Nebraska (Big Ten) 17
Ohio (MAC) 42, Kansas 30 (Big 12) 30
SATURDAYS TO SUNDAYS
Seven players who played in the Bahamas Bowl are currently on NFL club active 53-man rosters in 2017.
S Kevin Byard – Tennessee (Middle Tennessee)
WR Corey Davis – Tennessee (Western Michigan)
S Kavon Frazier – Dallas (Central Michigan)
TE Tyler Higbee – Los Angeles Rams (WKU)
G Taylor Moton – Carolina (Western Michigan)
WR Taywan Taylor – Tennessee (WKU)
DE Leterrius Watson – Pittsburgh (Central Michigan)
BAHAMAS BOWL MEDIA PROJECTIONS
Media Organization (Reporter) – Date: Predicted Matchup
10thYearSeniors.com (John Marc Nutt) – Sept. 27: Southern Miss vs. Ohio
Nassau Tribune (Renaldo Dorsett) – Sept. 27: Louisiana Tech vs. Toledo
USA Today (Erick Smith) – Sept. 27: Marshall vs. Northern Illinois
The Score (Brett McMurphy) – Sept. 26: Southern Miss vs. Northern Illinois
Orlando Sentinel (Brant Parsons) – Sept. 26: Southern Miss vs. Northern Illinois
SI.com (Eric Single) – Sept. 25: Louisiana Tech vs. Northern Illinois
The Sporting News (Bill Bender) – Sept. 25: Marshall vs. Ohio
CollegeFootballNews.com (Pete Fiutak) – Sept. 25: WKU vs. Toledo
SB Nation (Jason Kirk) – Sept. 24: Southern Miss vs. Miami (Ohio)
ESPN.com (Kyle Bonagura) – Sept. 24: Middle Tennessee vs. Ohio
ESPN.com (David M. Hale) – Sept. 24: North Texas vs. Eastern Michigan
CBSSports.com (Jerry Palm) – Sept. 24: Southern Miss vs. Western Michigan
College Sports Madness (CSM Staff) – Sept. 24: Old Dominion vs. Toledo
The Athletic (Stewart Mandel) – Aug. 29: UTSA vs. Northern Illinois
Bleacher Report (David Kenyon) – Aug. 23: Louisiana Tech vs. Western Michigan
Sports on Earth (Matt Brown) – Aug. 21: Southern Miss vs. Miami (Ohio)
Athlon Sports (Steven Lassan) – July 5: UTSA vs. Ohio
Phil Steele Magazine (Phil Steele) – Magazine: Louisiana Tech vs. Miami (Ohio)
2017 BAHAMAS BOWL PARTICIPANT SELECTION
The highest-ranked conference champion by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee from the American Athletic, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West or Sun Belt will play annually in one of the College Football Playoff bowls (Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, PlayStation Fiesta Bowl or Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl for the 2017 season) if it is not selected for the Playoff Semifinals.
Conference USA has secured guaranteed commitments with six bowl partners for the 2017 season, as well as one secondary agreement: Bahamas, Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla, Boca Raton, Gildan New Mexico, Lockheed Martin Armed Forces and R+L Carriers New Orleans are primary agreements. The Independence Bowl is a secondary agreement, should the ACC or SEC not be able to provide a bowl-eligible team. There is no set selection order among C-USA’s bowl partners.
The MAC has 2017 primary bowl tie-ins with Bahamas, Dollar General, Famous Idaho Potato and Raycom Media Camellia Bowls. The MAC has secondary 2017 bowl agreements with Boca Raton, Frisco and Quick Lane Bowls. The Dollar General Bowl has first selection in 2017, and there is no order of selection for the remaining three primary MAC tie-ins.
The 2017 Bahamas Bowl participants – selected from among bowl-eligible teams in Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference – will be announced by the bowl, ESPN Events and conference partners once finalized.
ESPN EVENTS
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of 31 collegiate sporting events worldwide. The roster includes three Labor Day weekend college football games; FCS opening-weekend game; 14 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 300-plus hours of programming, reaches almost 64 million viewers and attracts over 700,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in Albuquerque, Birmingham, Boca Raton, Boise, Dallas-Fort Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Montgomery and St. Petersburg, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.
ESPN Events also manages the Big 12 Corporate Partner Program.
Collegiate Football
AdvoCare Texas Kickoff (Houston); Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl (St. Petersburg, Fla.); Bahamas Bowl (Nassau); Birmingham Bowl (Alabama); Boca Raton Bowl (Florida); Camping World Kickoff (Orlando, Fla.); Celebration Bowl (Atlanta); Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise); Frisco Bowl (Frisco, Texas); Gildan New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque); Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff (Montgomery, Ala.); Hawai’i Bowl (Honolulu); Las Vegas Bowl (Nevada); Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth); MEAC/SWAC Challenge (Baton Rouge, La.); Raycom Media Camellia Bowl (Montgomery, Ala.); Texas Bowl (Houston); The Home Depot College Football Awards (Atlanta) and Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth)
Collegiate Basketball
AdvoCare Invitational (Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.); Armed Forces Classic (Ramstein Air Base, Germany); College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy’s (Los Angeles); Gildan Charleston Classic (South Carolina); Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic (Honolulu); Jimmy V Men’s Classic presented by Corona (New York City); Jimmy V Women’s Classic presented by Corona (TBD); NIT Season Tip-Off (Brooklyn, N.Y.); PK80 (Portland, Ore.); Puerto Rico Tip-Off (San Juan); State Farm Champions Classic (Chicago) and Wooden Legacy (Fullerton, Calif.)
