Click here to read the 2016 Popeyes Bahamas Bowl Weekly Release – Week 11 – November 8-12 (PDF)
PASSPORT STAMPED (BOWL-ELIGIBLE TEAMS): AAC (6): Houston (7-2), Temple (7-3), Tulsa (7-2), USF (7-2), Navy (6-2; will play in Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl), Memphis (6-3); C-USA (4): Louisiana Tech (7-3), WKU (7-3), Middle Tennessee (6-3), Old Dominion (6-3); MAC (3): Western Michigan (10-0), Toledo (8-2), Ohio (7-3), Eastern Michigan (6-4). AT CUSTOMS (ONE VICTORY SHY): AAC (1): UCF (5-4); C-USA (2): Southern Miss (5-4), UTSA (5-4); MAC (2): Akron (5-6), Central Michigan (5-5).
THIS WEEK: Week 11 began with #MACtion on Tuesday as Western Michigan ran its record to 10-0 (6-0) with a 37-21 victory over Kent State (2-4, 3-7). Also, Eastern Michigan (6-4, 3-3) reached bowl eligibility for the first time since 1995 after overcoming a 21-point first-quarter deficit to beat Ball State (4-6, 1-5) 48-41. Wednesday, Bowling Green (2-8, 1-5) upset Akron (5-6, 3-4) 38-28 and Toledo (8-2, 5-1) kept pace with WMU in the MAC West with a 31-28 victory over Northern Illinois (3-7, 3-3). All other action in all three conferences are on Saturday. In the American, the top two teams in the West square off as Tulsa (7-2, 4-1) visits Navy (6-2, 4-1). Also, UCF (5-4, 3-2) can reach bowl eligibility with a victory at home over Cincinnati (4-5, 1-4), and USF (7-2, 4-1) will try to keep pace behind East leader Temple as the Bulls play at Memphis (6-3, 3-2). In Conference USA, the top two teams in the West play as UTSA (5-4, 4-2) needing one victory to become bowl eligible, goes to Louisiana Tech (7-3. 5-1). Southern Miss (5-4, 3-2) looks to gain bowl eligibility as they play at Old Dominion (6-3, 4-1). The only MAC game Saturday has Miami (4-6, 4-2), trying to stay one game back of Ohio in the East race, at Buffalo (2-7, 1-4).
POLLING PLACE: Western Michigan (MAC) is No. 14 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 21 in the Amway Coaches’ Poll after Week 10. WMU is also No. 21 in the College Football Playoff Rankings (Nov. 8). Houston (AAC), Tulsa (AAC), USF (AAC) and Navy (AAC) are receiving votes in the AP poll. Receiving votes in the Coaches’ Poll are Houston, USF, Navy, Tulsa and Louisiana Tech (C-USA).
WEEK 11 SCHEDULE
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Saturday, Nov. 12
* Cincinnati at UCF (ESPNU)
* SMU at East Carolina (ESPNews)
* Tulsa at Navy (CBSSN)
* Tulane at Houston (CBSSN)
* USF at Memphis (ESPNU)
CONFERENCE USA
Saturday, Nov. 12
* Rice at Charlotte (CI)
* UTSA at Louisiana Tech (KMYS)
* North Texas at WKU (ESPN3)
* Southern Miss at Old Dominion (ASN)
* UTEP at Florida Atlantic (CUSATV)
* Middle Tennessee at Marshall (ASN)
MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Tuesday, Nov. 8
* Eastern Michigan 48, Ball State 41
* Western Michigan 37, Kent State 21
Wednesday, Nov. 9
* Bowling Green 38, Akron 28
* Toledo 31, Northern Illinois 28
Saturday, Nov. 12
* Miami at Buffalo (ESPN3)
* – conference games
WEEK 10 RESULTS
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Friday, Nov. 4
* Temple 21, UConn 0
Saturday, Nov. 5
Navy 28, Notre Dame 27
BYU 20, Cincinnati 3
* Memphis 51, SMU 7
* UCF 37, Tulane 6
* Tulsa 45, East Carolina 24
CONFERENCE USA
Saturday, Nov. 5
* UTSA 45, Middle Tennessee 25
* Charlotte 38, Southern Miss 27
* Florida Atlantic 42, Rice 25
* WKU 49, FIU 21
* Louisiana Tech 45, North Texas 24
* Old Dominion 38, Marshall 14
UTEP 42, Houston Baptist 10
MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Tuesday, Nov. 1
* Western Michigan 52, Ball State 20
* Northern Illinois 45, Bowling Greeen 20
Wednesday, Nov. 2
* Toledo 48, Akron 17
Thursday, Nov. 3
* Ohio 34, Buffalo 10
Friday, Nov. 4
* Miami 37, Central Michigan 17
* – conference games
WEEK 10 INDIVIDUAL HONORS
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Offensive Player of the Week
Memphis QB Riley Ferguson: The junior threw for four touchdowns in a 51-7 victory at SMU.
Defensive Player of the Week
UCF S Drico Johnson: The senior scored on a fumble recovery and an interception in a 37-6 victory over Tulane.
Special Teams Player of the Week
Memphis K Jake Elliott: The senior made three field goals and six PATs in a 37-6 win at SMU.
CONFERENCE USA
Co-Offensive Player of the Week
Florida Atlantic RB Devin Singletary: The freshman ran for 252 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-25 victory at Rice.
Co-Offensive Player of the Week
Louisiana Tech WR Carlos Henderson: The junior 133 receiving yards and four TDs and ran for a score in a 45-24 victory over North Texas.
Defensive Player of the Week
Charlotte DB Terrance Winchester: The senior had two interceptions and two solo tackles in a 38-27 victory over Southern Miss.
Special Teams Player of the Week
Charlotte WR Juwan Foggie: The sophomore blocked a punt for a touchdown in a 38-27 victory over Southern Miss.
MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE
East Division Offensive Player of the Week
Miami QB Gus Ragland: The sophomore threw for 218 yards and four touchdowns in a 37-17 win over Central Michigan.
East Division Defensive Player of the Week
Ohio LB Blair Brown: The senior had 11 tackles and two sacks in a 34-10 win over Buffalo.
East Division Special Teams Player of the Week
Ohio K Louis Zervos: The redshirt freshman made two field goals and made four PATs in a 34-10 victory over Buffalo.
West Division Co-Offensive Player of the Week
Northern Illinois RB Joel Bouagnon: The senior scored five touchdowns in a 45-20 victory over Bowling Green.
West Division Co-Offensive Player of the Week
Western Michigan WR Corey Davis: The senior had 12 catches for 272 yards and three touchdowns in a 52-20 victory over Ball State.
West Division Defensive Player of the Week
Western Michigan DB Darius Phillips: The junior returned an interception 75 yards for a TD in a 52-20 victory over Ball State.
West Division Special Teams Player of the Week
Toledo P Nick Ellis: The senior averaged 43.5 yards per punt in a 48-17 victory at Akron.
“POWER FIVE” VICTORIES
A list of American, C-USA and MAC victories over “Power Five” opponents (teams from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC)
Team (Conference) – Opponent/Score
Sept. 3
Houston (AAC) – Oklahoma (Big 12)/33-23
Southern Miss (C-USA) – Kentucky (SEC)/44-35
Western Michigan (MAC) – Northwestern (Big Ten)/22-21
Sept. 10
Cincinnati (AAC) – Purdue (Big Ten)/38-10
Central Michigan (MAC) –Oklahoma State (Big 12)/30-27
East Carolina (AAC) – N.C. State (ACC)/33-30
Ohio (MAC) – Kansas (Big 12)/37-21
Sept. 17
Memphis (AAC) – Kansas (Big 12)/43-7
UConn (AAC) – Virginia (ACC)/13-10
USF (AAC) – Syracuse (ACC)/45-20
Western Michigan (MAC) – Illinois (Big Ten)/34-10
Oct. 22
Middle Tennessee (C-USA) – Missouri (SEC)/51-45
SATURDAYS TO SUNDAYS
Three players who saw action in the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl are currently on active 53-man NFL rosters in 2016.
S Kevin Byard – Tennessee (Middle Tennessee)
TE Tyler Higbee – Los Angeles (WKU)
DE Leterrius Watson – Pittsburgh (Central Michigan)
AROUND THE CONFERENCES
In the American, Navy has won its last 14 home games, ranking second in FBS, while Houston is third with 13 straight home wins.
In C-USA, UTSA is one win away from being bowl-eligible in just the third season that the program is fully eligible for postseason play.
The MAC is home to two of the top 10 wide receivers with the longest current reception streak in the nation. Western Michigan WR Corey Davis (45 games) is second in FBS, while Bowling Green’s Ronnie Moore (39 games) ranks eighth.
#PASSPORTTOKICKOFF
#PassportToKickoff is our hashtag and a reminder that all U.S. citizens must have a valid passport to travel to the Bahamas & the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl. For U.S. passport info, go to: passports.state.gov
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Each week in 2016, the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl will spotlight an alumni player from each of our partner conferences: the American Athletic Conference, Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference.
WILLIE ROAF (LOUISIANA TECH)
Louisiana Tech OL Willie Roaf (Photo Credit: Louisiana Tech Athletics)
Former NFL offensive lineman and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Willie Roaf was a consensus All-American during his college career at Louisiana Tech from 1989-92.
A four-year letterman, Roaf became the program’s first consensus All-American in his 1992 senior season, and he was a finalist for the Outland Trophy that season, given to the best collegiate offensive lineman.
During his college career, Roaf was selected All-South Independent and All-Louisiana in 1991 and 1992. Louisiana Tech had a record of 25-16-3 during his four seasons, and the Bulldogs did not lose at home during that time.
During his time in Ruston, he blocked for two of the top five career rushers in Louisiana Tech history (Jason Cooper, Jason Davis). His No. 71 jersey is one of two retired by the school.
Roaf was drafted No. 8 overall in the first round of the 1993 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints, and he was an All-Rookie selection at right tackle. He moved to left tackle the following season, and he became of the most dominant players at his position.
An 11-time Pro Bowler and a seven-time All-Pro, Roaf played nine seasons with the Saints. He was traded to Kansas City prior to the 2002 seasons, and played four years with the Chiefs before retiring after the 2005 season. He played in a total of 189 regular-season games.
He was voted to both the 1990s and the 2000s NFL All-Decade Team by the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee.
He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012, and was named to the 75th Anniversary All-America Third Team by the Football Writers Association of America in 2015.
POPEYES BAHAMAS BOWL MEDIA PROJECTIONS
Media Organization (Reporter) – Date: Predicted Matchup
10thYearSeniors.com (John Marc Nutt) – Nov. 9: Tulsa vs. Eastern Michigan
Nassau Tribune (Renaldo Dorsett) – Nov. 9: Louisiana Tech vs. Memphis
USA Today (Erick Smith) – Nov. 9: WKU vs. Ohio
SI.com (Colin Becht) – Nov. 8: SMU vs. Akron
Athlon Sports (Steven Lassan) – Nov. 8: Eastern MIchigan vs. Old Dominion
Gridiron Now (Mike Huguenin) – Nov. 8: South Alabama vs. Old Dominion
Bleacher Report (Kerry Miller) – Nov. 8: UCF vs. Miami (Ohio)
CBSSports.com (Jerry Palm) – Nov. 8: Louisiana Tech vs. Ohio
ESPN.com (Brett McMurphy) – Nov. 8: Old Dominion vs. Tulsa
ESPN.com (Mark Schlabach) – Nov. 8: WKU vs. Tulsa
SB Nation (Jason Kirk) – Nov. 8: Tulsa vs. Akron
FOXSports.com (Stuart Mandel) – Nov. 8: Memphis vs. Akron
The Sporting News (Bill Bender) – Nov. 7: UCF vs. Southern Miss
CollegeFootballNews.com (Pete Fiutak) – Nov. 6: Memphis vs. Akron
Campus Insiders (Dave Miller) – Nov. 6: USF vs. Toledo
Phil Steele Magazine (Phil Steele) – Nov. 4: Tulsa vs. Ohio
Orlando Sentinel (Brant Parsons) – Oct. 23: Temple vs. Central Michigan
Sports on Earth (Matt Brown) – Aug. 22: Memphis vs. Northern Illinois
ESPN EVENTS
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of collegiate sporting events worldwide. The roster includes three Labor Day weekend college football games; FCS opening-weekend game; 13 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 250-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); AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl (Houston); Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl (Atlanta); Birmingham Bowl (Alabama); Boca Raton Bowl (Florida); Camping World Kickoff (Orlando, Fla.); Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise); Gildan New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque); Hawai’i Bowl (Honolulu); Las Vegas Bowl (Nevada); Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth); MEAC/SWAC Challenge (Orlando, Fla.); Montgomery Kickoff Classic (Montgomery, Ala.); Popeyes Bahamas Bowl (Nassau); Raycom Media Camellia Bowl (Montgomery, Ala.); St. Petersburg Bowl (Florida); 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.); 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 (Uncasville, Conn.); NIT Season Tip-Off (Brooklyn, N.Y.); PK80 (Portland, Ore.); State Farm Armed Forces Classic (Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Honolulu); State Farm Champions Classic (New York City); Tire Pros Invitational (Orlando, Fla.) and Wooden Legacy (Orange County, Calif.)
