TAMPA, Fla. (AP) CJ Bailey threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns, and scored another on the ground as NC State took down Memphis 31-7 in the Gasparilla Bowl on Friday.
Showing posts with label gasparilla bowl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gasparilla bowl. Show all posts
Florida: 2024 Gasparilla Bowl Champions
TAMPA, Fla. — At the end of an oftentimes turbulent season and a game with its share of yawns, the Gators did what winning bowl teams do.
They danced and laughed and took silly photos together. They clutched the Gasparilla Bowl trophy and paraded around the field at Raymond James Stadium, relishing Friday's 33-8 victory over Tulane.
Florida's first bowl victory in five seasons was far from a masterpiece, but that had little significance to the players and coaches celebrating the final moments of a long and trying season.
"Great to finish the right way,'' head coach Billy Napier said.
The Gators, after a pair of blowout losses to Miami and Texas A&M early in the season, after Napier's future in charge of the program was in question, after losing several key players to season-ending injuries, after not becoming bowl-eligible until the next-to-last game of the regular season, finished the season on a four-game winning streak and a healthy dose of momentum heading into 2025.
Florida's season featured more zigzags than anything the players rode at Busch Gardens earlier in the week. And Fridays' thumping of the Green Wave was no different.
Two moments stood above all others in the end. Both featured 6-foot-5, 449-pound senior defensive lineman Desmond Watson, who grew up a short drive from downtown Tampa and played at nearby Armwood High School. The first came in the first quarter when Watson stopped Tulane quarterback Ty Thompson on a third-and-2 play at UF's 48. Watson didn't just stop Thompson short of the first down; he bear-hugged him and lifted him three feet off the ground as officials blew their whistles. He turned the 6-foot-4, 224-pound Thompson into a rag doll.
The second play that had people talking about Watson afterward — and earned him a highlight on ESPN's "SportsCenter" — happened on third-and-1 from Tulane's 26-yard line late in the fourth quarter as Florida attempted to run out the clock. Napier inserted Watson into the game at running back as part of what the Gators call the "Hawk Package," a nod to Armwood High's mascot.
"Been thinking about it the whole year," Napier said. "And Des has played really good. Bowl games, you're looking for buttons to push. I think this one helped our team. You saw that sideline light up when he went out there. A lot of fun, and he did a great job. I think the guys rallied around him."
Watson took the handoff from backup quarterback Aidan Warner and rumbled for a first down to the delight of the prominent Orange & Blue faithful among the announced crowd of 41,472. Watson stayed in on the next play to serve as lead blocker for walk-on running back Anthony Rubio, the son of Florida senator Marco Rubio.
The party had officially started with the Gators on their way to a final touchdown scored on a 9-yard run by Rubio, a walk-on who rushed six times for 32 yards in his memorable bowl debut. Watson grinned ear to ear when discussing his turn in the spotlight.
"It was great,'' he said. "Since I came to college, every time I go on the internet, I see somebody say I should be in some type of package to get the ball, especially since I wear No. 21, a running back number. I never really looked too much into it. I never went to Coach Napier about it. But I feel like he's seen it, too. It was a great moment to finish off my career as a Florida Gator."
Watson even did a Heisman pose when he returned to the sideline.
"They were begging me to do it," he said.
Watson is part of a senior class that had not tasted victory in a bowl game until Friday. He is a rarity in today's landscape, playing as a true freshman in 2021 and spending all four seasons at one school.
Watson said he had 20 friends and family at the game and, more than anything else, wanted to leave the field as a winner in his final game.
"That was the biggest thing for me, being here all four years, that was a great way to finish it,'' Watson said. "I feel like the season we had, it set the floor for the young guys. I say the floor because we always feel like we need to get better. If things go the way they should go, I feel like I'm part of the reason and helped the team."
While Watson's show-stopping moments highlighted the victory, Gators true freshman quarterback DJ Lagway (22 of 35, 305 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT) earned MVP honors. Lagway tossed a 7-yard touchdown to tight end Tony Livingston late in the third quarter to overcome a pair of first-half interceptions that cost the Gators in the red zone.
Lagway finished 6-1 as Florida's starting quarterback and was undefeated in games he started and finished. His only loss came to Georgia when he left the game in the second quarter with the Gators leading because of a hamstring injury. Lagway is still not 100 percent, but he and kicker Trey Smack (four field goals) provided enough offense for the Gators to turn back the Green Wave handily.
But he was not satisfied.
"It's a bad taste in my mouth, that performance,'' Lagway said. "I was just playing bad football, not taking care of the football. Seeing plays that I thought I could make and just forcing it."
Lagway's two interceptions, one a pass into coverage in the end zone, became a nonfactor thanks to another strong defensive performance. Despite missing starting defensive linemen Caleb Banks and Cam Jackson to injuries and edge rusher T.J. Searcy absent after he entered the transfer portal, the Gators recorded three interceptions, stopped Tulane on fourth down three times, and limited the Green Wave to a season-low 194 yards.
"We were sloppy early,'' Napier said. "We were a little rusty on offense. We could have had control of the game earlier if we played cleaner on offense. You're going to have days like that. That's why you play complementary ball.
"One of the reasons we've been able to turn it around is we've played really good defense. Today was no different. We stopped the run. We made them one-dimensional. We kept the shots in front of us. We did a good job of tackling on the perimeter."
Smack scored the early points, Lagway was MVP, and the defense dominated. Those factors added to a winning recipe, as Florida finished 8-5 in its first winning season since 2020. With the victory, Napier climbed back to .500 (19-19) and boarded the bus back to Gainesville, eager to work on the future.
But before all that, he took part in the fun. He put in a running play for Watson that they created on the fly.
"I can do it all,'' Watson said.
"We literally put the play in on the field at practice,'' Napier said. "The guys were, 'Hey, give him the ball, Coach. Give him the ball.'
"Have you ever seen a 400-plus guy run the ball before?"
No, Coach, we have not. Refrigerator Perry was listed at only 335 pounds. But it was fun to watch, another memorable moment in a season full of plot twists.
Georgia Tech: 2023 Gasparilla Bowl Champions
TAMPA, Fla. — For the first time in seven years, Georgia Tech has won a bowl game.
The Yellow Jackets finished off a very productive season in head coach Brent Key's first full season with the team by capping off the year with a 30-17 win over the University of Central Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl.
After going down 14-0 early, the Jackets responded with 17 second-quarter points to tie the game up at 17-all heading to the break.
In the second half, their weakest unit all season stepped up in a big way. Tech's defense shut out UCF's offense in the second half in dominant form.
After the offense was led by quarterback Haynes King for most of the season, it was Georgia Tech's ground game that shined brightly in Tampa, Florida, on Friday night.
The Jackets rushed for over 270 yards, led by sophomore running back Jamal Haynes, who tallied 128 yards on 18 carries. King even provided a spark of his own with his legs, rushing for 89 yards on 12 carries -- including a 5-yard score in the second quarter.
The big play of the game came for the Jackets just before halftime, when King connected with wide receiver Malik Rutherford on a 41-yard touchdown pass to tie the game up with just 56 seconds before halftime.
The Yellow Jackets had a bounce-back year in head coach Brent Key's first full year as head coach. They were 7-6 overall and 5-3 in the ACC, with ranked wins over Miami (FL) on the road and North Carolina at home on The Flats.
It was Georgia Tech's first winning season since 2018, Paul Johnson's last season as head coach.
Key got some revenge over the team he used to coach for 10 years, from 2005-2015. In 2022, Tech lost to UCF in Orlando 27-10 under then-head coach Geoff Collins.
Key also defeated his wife's alma mater, which he joked about prior to the bowl game matchup.
Wake Forest: 2022 Gasparilla Bowl Champions
TAMPA – Behind a three-touchdown performance from Sam Hartman as he earned MVP honors on Friday night, Wake Forest defeated Southeastern Conference representative Missouri 27-17 to win the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. The win marked Wake Forest's fifth in the last seven years since the Deacs began the Atlantic Coast Conference's second-longest bowl streak back in 2016.
Head coach Dave Clawson's five bowl victories, which is the most in school history, now ranks tied for fifth in ACC history for postseason wins. Clawson ranks behind Bobby Bowden (Florida State, 11), Dabor Swinney (Clemson, 11), Frank Beamer (Virginia Tech, 6) and Danny Ford (Clemson, 6). Meanwhile, he is now tied with Jimbo Fisher (Florida State, 5) and Ralph Friedgen (Maryland, 5).
Hartman earned his second-straight bowl game MVP honor, as he garnered the accolade following his standout performance against Rutgers in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl in 2021.
With that, the Charlotte, N.C. native is the first player in program history to earn two bowl game MVPs in their career at Wake Forest.
Overall for the game, Hartman completed 23-of-36 passes for 280 yards and three touchdown passes. His five-yard touchdown throw to redshirt sophomore Taylor Morin in the first quarter set a new Atlantic Coast Conference record for career TD passes. The scoring toss was his 108th of his storied career as he passed Clemson's Tahj Boyd for the league record.
The 2022 Wake Forest football team (8-5, 3-5 ACC) is just the 10th in program history to win eight games in a season in the 115-year history of the program. Four of the 10 eight-win seasons have come in the Dave Clawson era (40 percent).
On Friday night, the Deacs forced one Missouri turnover and wreaked havoc in the Tigers backfield with 10 tackles-for-loss as a team. Individually, senior captain Ryan Smenda, Jr. led Wake Forest with a game-high 11 tackles, his seventh double-digit tackle performance of the season, as he moved into eighth all-time in program history with 355 career tackles.
Additionally on offense, redshirt junior wideout A.T. Perry caught 11 passes for 116 yards, marking the fifth 100-yard receiving game of the season as well as the 12th of his career.
Meanwhile, Taylor Morin reeled in a career-high tying two touchdown passes in the first and fourth quarters, respectively. Additionally, Jahmal Banks found the end zone with a 48-yard reception in the third.
Looking forward, Wake Forest Athletics is excited to raise the standard of success and looking forward to an exciting 2023 season. Season ticket deposits for the 2023 season are available now for $50 per seat. New or existing season ticket holders can visit GoDeacs.com/tickets to make their deposit online or email the Wake Forest Ticket Office at tix@wfu.edu over the holidays.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Wake Forest won the coin toss and deferred to the second half as Missouri opened the contest on offense.
The Demon Deacon defense forced a three-and-out on the Tigers' first offensive possession as Wake Forest took over at its own 15-yard line.
On 3rd and 1, Dylan Hazen and Chase Jones stuffed Missouri's rush attempt to force a punt on the opening possession of the game.
A five-yard touchdown pass from Sam Hartman to Taylor Morin gave the Deacs an early 7-0 lead with 9:43 remaining in the first quarter.
The touchdown helped Hartman pass Tajh Boyd (Clemson, 107) for the most career touchdown passes in ACC history.
Big plays fueled the 11-play, 85-yard drive as Hartman found A.T. Perry for a 28-yard pass and Justice Ellison powered his way for 14 yards on 3rd and 4.
Overall, Ellison picked up 26 yards on five carries.
Missouri trimmed Wake Forest's advantage to 7-3 with a 35-yard field goal following a 13-play, 58-yard drive.
Once the Tigers got into the red zone, the Demon Deacon defense stepped up. Evan Slocum recorded a tackle for a loss on three yards on first down before Chase Jones made a stop on 3rd down to force the field goal.
The teams traded punts on the next two possessions as Wake Forest continued to lead 7-3 with 14 minutes left in the second quarter.
Tyler Williams recorded a sack on 3rd and 5 to force Missouri's second punt of the game.
A one-yard rush by Justice Ellison increased Wake Forest's lead (14-3) with 10:51 remaining in the first half.
Hartman connected with Donavon Greene for 29 yards and Jahmal Banks for 12 yards on the first two plays of the drive before an eight-yard completion to Blake Whiteheart put the Deacs into the red zone.
Prior to Ellison's score, the Ashburn, Va. native picked up nine yards on the ground.
Wake Forest's defense forced its second-straight Missouri punt as Wake Forest took over at its own 14-yard line with nine minutes left in the quarter.
After a false start penalty backed up Missouri, Ryan Smenda, Jr. and Dion Bergan, Jr. stuffed a Tiger rushing attempt on first down before back-to-back incompletions.
Evan Slocum was credited with a pass breakup on 2nd and 16.
After the Deacs were forced to punt, Will Cobb made a spectacular play, recovering a muffed Missouri return to give Wake Forest the ball back in its own territory with 6:53 remaining. The Tigers intercepted a Demon Deacon pass attempt in the end zone to get the ball back less than two minutes later.
Missouri found the end zone for the first time of the contest thanks to a one-yard touchdown pass, trimming Wake Forest's lead to 14-10 late in the second quarter.
Wake Forest went into the half with a four-point lead (14-10) after the defense contained Missouri on its final offensive possession of the opening 30 minutes.
A four-yard touchdown run on 3rd and goal gave Missouri its first lead of the game (17-14) with 5:45 remaining in the third quarter.
Wake Forest immediately answered with a touchdown of their own as Hartman connected with Banks on a 48-yard touchdown through the air. The extra point was unsuccessful as the Deacs led 20-17 with 4:29 remaining in the game.
The Deacs defense forced its second three-and-out of the game on Missouri's next offensive possession. Evan Slocum broke up a pass attempt on fourth down to give the Deacs the ball back as Wake Forest held onto its three-point (20-17) advantage after three quarters of play.
For the second-straight possession, a Demon Deacon defender made an outstanding play on fourth down as Caelen Carson smothered a Missouri receiver on a deep pass down the sideline.
The Deacs regained possession with 5:55 left after another tough defensive stand by Wake Forest, highlighted by a Tyler Williams sack and a Dylan Hazen defensive stop on 3rd down.
Hartman and Morin connected for the duo's second touchdown of the night, increasing Wake Forest's lead to 27-17 with 2:33 remaining in the game.
Wake Forest ran off 3:22 off the game clock on the drive as Ellison rushed the ball four times and Hartman scampered for a 15-yard rush on 1st and 10.
Wake Forest's defense came up big again on Missouri's next possession as Kobie Turner and Rondell Bothroyd notched sacks on back-to-back plays to force a 4th and 33.
The Deacs got the ball back with 1:00 remaining and ran out the clock to secure the 27-17 victory.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Head coach Dave Clawson's five bowl victories, which is the most in school history, now ranks tied for fifth in ACC history for postseason wins. Clawson ranks behind Bobby Bowden (Florida State, 11), Dabor Swinney (Clemson, 11), Frank Beamer (Virginia Tech, 6) and Danny Ford (Clemson, 6). Meanwhile, he is now tied with Jimbo Fisher (Florida State, 5) and Ralph Friedgen (Maryland, 5).
Clawson has now won 149 games as a head coach and he is the only active Power 5 head coach (entering bowl season) in the country to win double-digit games in a single season at four different Division I institutions.
STANDOUT STATS
The Deacs have set a new standard for success in the win column with a record of 19-8 over the last two seasons. The 19 wins in a two-year period are the second most in school history and three away from the program record of 21 set in 2006 & 2007. Additionally, Wake Forest's 19-8 record is the 10th-best mark in all of Power-5 in the last two seasons:
Wins in Last Two Seasons as of Dec. 4 (Power-5) Aside from Wake Forest:
1. Georgia (27-1)
2. Michigan (25-2)
4. Alabama (23-4)
3. Ohio State (22-3)
5. Clemson (21-5)
6. Utah (20-7)
T7. Oklahoma State (19-7)
T7. Oregon (19-7)
T7. Pitt (19-7)
10. Wake Forest (19-8)
T11. Baylor (18-8)
T11. Kansas St. (18-8)
T11. Ole Miss (18-7)
Wake Forest's 1,367 points scored during the 2020-22 period is the highest-scoring three-year period in Deacon history. Additionally, Wake Forest has scored 1,043 points over the last two seasons combined and their scoring average of 38.6 points per game ranks sixth during that time. The Deacs are the only ACC school with 1,000 points and lead the ACC in points per game this season:
Rank Team GP TP PPG
1. Ohio State 25 1,128 45.1
2. Georgia 28 1,088 38.9
3. Alabama 27 1,087 40.3
4. W. Kentucky 27 1,085 40.2
5. Tennessee 25 1,079 43.2
6. Wake Forest 26 1,043 38.6
7. Utah 27 1,026 38.0
8. Michigan 27 1,022 37.9
9. UTSA 27 1,019 37.7
All totals aside from Wake Forest are as of Dec. 4.
A key to the Deacs scoring success has been the numbers that they have put up through the air in the last two seasons. Wake Forest is one of six schools to throw for more than 8,000 yards in that time and nearly 600 yards more than any other ACC team:
Rank Team GP Passing Yards
1. WKU 27 10,479
2. Miss. State 25 8,690
3. Ohio State 25 8,482
4. Alabama 27 8,412
5. Purdue 26 8,354
6. Wake Forest 27 8,0358
All totals aside from Wake Forest are as of Dec. 4.
Additionally, the Demon Deacons have found the endzone through the air 21 more times than any other ACC team since the start of the 2021 season and their 82 passing touchdowns are the third most in the country:
Rank Team GP Passing TDs
1. WKU 27 101
2. Ohio State 25 84
3. Wake Forest 26 82
4. Alabama 27 80
5. SMU 24 73
All totals aside from Wake Forest are as of Dec. 4.
The 43 passing touchdowns as a team this season are the most in the country and has helped propel the Demon Deacons to the highest-scoring offense in the ACC:
Season Total Points Points per game
2022 469 36.1
2021 574* 41.0*
2020 324 36.0
2019 414 31.8
2018 427 32.8
2017 459 35.3
* Wake Forest program record
FROM COACH CLAWSON
"I am just really proud of our whole program. From the players and the staff, this was just a really good team win. I think we probably played some of our best defense of the year tonight as we got a pass rush and we covered. There were so many games this year that were like that in the fourth quarter, and unfortunately we did not win as many of those as we would like. However, to be able to finish tonight and win that game in the fourth quarter is a big deal. It is always great to win a bowl championship, add a trophy to the trophy case and to get rings for our players. It will be a great memory. Also, I just want to thank our players and staff for their hard work and dedication all year. So many times when you see things not going a team's way, they kind of give up or stop working. We never did that. Again, we were 6-1 and No. 10 in the country and then we lost some close games. But our guys never stopped working, they never stopped preparing and they never stopped believing in each other. We always played hard. I think tonight was just a great example that we were a football team that finished. The fact that we did not have a bunch of guys opt-out. Bowls are important, and so are bowl championships. I want to thank our band, our cheer squad, our students and the fans that came down to Tampa to support the Deacs. And, I really want to thank all of the people with the Gasparilla Bowl. This is a great bowl. They do a great job. We're honored they invited us and we're very proud to be the Gasparilla Bowl Champions."
2022 SEASON RECAP
Awards:
Wake Forest had 12 student-athletes earn All-ACC honors.
Quartet of Demon Deacons Garnered CSC 2022 Academic All-District Honors.
Sam Hartman Wins ACC Brian Piccolo Award.
Stats & Recaps:
All recaps and box scores from the season are located on this page.
2022 Season Stats are here.
Senior Day on Nov. 19 at Truist Field:
Wake Forest Athletics honored 22 football players, 15 members of the Spirit of the Old Gold & Black, 15 Deacs from the Spirit Squads and six student staffers last Saturday evening at Truist Field. Several football student-athletes that were honored on Saturday have remaining eligibility and following this season will assess the potential of returning for the 2023 season in the coming weeks.
Dec. 21, 2022: Early National Signing Day
Wake Forest set to add 19 high school prospects for the 2023 season.
2022 Team and Individual Notes:
Wake Forest has won eight games in a season for just the 10th time in the 115-year history of the program.
Four of the 10 eight-win seasons have come in the Dave Clawson era (40 percent).
Friday's Gasparilla Bowl victory over Missouri marked Wake Forest's first ever win over Missouri as this was the first matchup between the two schools.
Additionally, the Deacs moved to 3-0 against SEC opponents in the Clawson era.
With the win over Missouri on Friday and a victory in Week 2 at Vanderbilt, Wake Forest defeated two programs from the Southeastern Conference this fall for the first time since 2008, and just the second time in program history the Deacs accomplished this feat in a single season.
Sam Hartman was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2022 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl.
Hartman earned his second-straight bowl game MVP honor, as he garnered the accolade following his standout performance against Rutgers in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl in 2021.
Hartman is the first player in program history to earn two bowl game MVPs in their career at Wake Forest.
The 2022 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl marked Wake Forest's seventh-straight bowl appearance, a new school record.
Additionally, the Demon Deacons' streak is the second-longest active streak in the Atlantic Coast Conference and the 12th longest in the nation.
Overall, Wake Forest holds a 11-6 all-time in bowl games.
Since the start of the 2016 season, the Deacs are tied for the second-most wins in the ACC not counting the COVID-shortened 2020 season entering bowl season:
Clemson -- 73
Wake Forest -- 49
Pitt - 45
NC State- 45
Miami- 43
Additionally over the last five years, the Deacs have the second-most wins in a single five-year period:
38 (2017-21)
37 (2018-22)
36 (2004-08 & 2006-10)
34 (2016-20)
33 (2015-19)
31 (1944-48)
After scoring 44 points in Week 1 vs. VMI, 45 points in Week 2 at Vanderbilt, 37 points in Week 3 vs. Liberty, 45 points in Week 4 vs. Clemson, 31 points in Week 5 at Florida State, 45 points in Week 6 vs. Army, 43 points in Week 8 vs. Boston College, 21 points in Week 9 vs. Louisville, 21 points in week 10 vs. NC State, 34 points in week 11 vs. North Carolina, 45 points in week 12 vs. Syracuse, 31 points in week 13 vs. Duke and 27 points in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl, Wake Forest's 469 total points ranks second in program history.
1. 2021 574 points
2. 2022: 469 points
3. 2017 459 points
Wake Forest finished the 2022 season averaging 36.1 points per game, helping the Deacs post its sixth consecutive season of averaging 30 or more points a game. This is the longest active streak and the fourth longest in ACC history.
Entering the 2022 season, Wake Forest is the only program in the Atlantic Coast Conference to average at least 30.0 per game in each of the last five seasons. This is tied for the fourth longest streak in ACC history:
12 - Florida State (1992-03)
10 - Clemson (2011-20)
8 - Florida State (2008-16)
6 - Wake Forest (2017-22)
5 - North Carolina (2012-16)
Wake Forest has now thrown for 43 touchdowns as a team this season. The program record was set last season with 39 passing touchdowns.
Individual Notes:
Sam Hartman:
Here is a feature from Jen Lada and ESPN that details how his offseason medical condition was discovered and Sam Hartman's inspiring road to recovery.
This piece aired on Nov. 19, 2022.
Sam Hartman has completed 270-of-428 passes (63.1%) for 3,701 yards and 38 touchdowns.
Sam Hartman completed 23-of-36 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns on Friday. This marked Hartman's 34th-straight game with a touchdown, the longest active streak in the nation.
Hartman broke the Wake Forest all-time passing mark against Liberty, eclipsing Riley Skinner (2006-09) with a five-yard pass to Ke'Shawn Williams in the third quarter. With 280 yards today against Missouri, he has now thrown for 12,967 career passing yards.
Sam Hartman (2018-present), 12,967
Riley Skinner (2006-09), 9,762
Tanner Price (2010-13), 8,899
John Wolford (2014-17), 8,794
Brian Kuklick (1994-98), 8,017
Hartman is the 41st player in NCAA history and just the third passer in the history of the ACC to eclipse the 12,000-yard passing barrier for his career, joining elite company. Last week, Hartman passed Kenny Pickett and is remains second in ACC history in this category:
1. Philip Rivers, NC State (2000-03) 13,484
2. Sam Hartman, Wake Forest (2018-Pres.) 12,967
3. Kenny Pickett, Pitt (2017-21) 12,303
4. Tajh Boyd, Clemson (2010-13) 11,904
5. Ryan Finley, NC State (2014-18) 10,501
6. Sam Howell, North Carolina (2019-21) 10,283
7. Deshaun Watson, Clemson (2014-16) 10,168
8. Trevor Lawrence, Clemson (2018-20) 10,098
9. Thaddeus Lewis, Duke (2006-09) 10,065
10. Brad Kaaya, Miami (2014-16) 9,968
With his five-yard touchdown pass to Taylor Morin in the first quarter on Friday, Hartman passed Tajh Boyd (Clemson, 107) for the most career touchdown passes in ACC history.
Overall, with three touchdowns on Friday, Hartman has thrown 110 touchdowns over the course of his collegiate career.
1. Sam Hartman, Wake Forest (2018-Present) – 110
Tajh Boyd, Clemson (2010-13) – 107
3. Philip Rivers, NC State (2000-03) – 95
4. Sam Howell, North Carolina (2019-21) – 92
5. Deshaun Watson, Clemson (2014-16) – 90
Trevor Lawrence, Clemson (2018-20) – 90
7. Kenny Pickett, Pitt (2017-21) – 81
8. Chris Weinke, Florida State (1997-00) – 79
9. Russell Wilson, NC State (2008-10) – 76
He was just the 26th QB in FBS history to cross over the 100 touchdown mark for his career.
With 110 career passing touchdowns and 17 career rushing scores, Hartman's 127 total touchdowns are the second most in conference history:
1. Tajh Boyd, Clemson (2010-13) – 133
2 Sam Hartman, Wake Forest (2018-Present) – 127
3. Malik Cunningham, Louisville (2018-Pres.) – 119
Lamar Jackson, Louisville (2015-17) – 119
5. Deshaun Watson, Clemson (2014-16) – 116
6. Philip Rivers, NC State (2000-03) – 113
7. Sam Howell, North Carolina (2019-21) – 111
8. Trevor Lawrence, Clemson (2018-20) – 108
9. Kenny Pickett, Pitt (2017-21) – 102
10. Marquise Williams, North Carolina (2012-15) – 99
With one touchdown catch on Saturday, redshirt junior wide receiver A.T. Perry has recorded 28 career touchdown receptions, the most by a Demon Deacon wideout in program history.
Wake Forest Career Receiving Touchdowns
1. A.T. Perry (2018-Present), 28
2. Ricky Proehl (1986-89), 25
3. Todd Dixon (1990-93), 22
4. Cam Serigne (2014-17), 21
Red O'Quinn (1946-49), 21
Chris Givens (2009-11), 21
6. Desmond Clark (1995-98), 20
8. Kenny Duckett (1978-81), 19
9. Greg Dortch (2017-18), 17
Jaquarii Roberson (2017-21), 17
Sam Hartman and A.T. Perry finished their Wake Forest careers as one of the top QB-WR duos in conference history. The pair has combined for 27 touchdowns, which is tied for the second most in ACC history.
1. Torry Holt & Jamie Barnette, 28
2. Sammy Watkins & Tajh Boyd, 27
AT Perry & Sam Hartman, 27
4. Tee Higgins & Trevor Lawrence, 25
5. Nuk Hopkins & Tajh Boyd, 24
Calvin Johnson & Reggie Ball, 24
Perry also moved into the top 10 in program history in career receptions and is tied for the most in the Dave Clawson era by a wide receiver:
Career Receptions
1. Michael Campanaro (2010-13) 229
2. Desmond Clark (1995-98) 216
3. Ricky Proehl (1986-89) 188
4. Jammie Deese (1996-99) 184
5, Cam Serigne (2014-17) 174
6. AT Perry (2018-pres.) 171
7. Chris Givens (2009-11) 163
8. Thabiti Davis (1994-97) 161
9. James Brim (1983-86) 153
10. John Henry Mills (1988-92) 142
Greg Dortch (2017-18) 142
Additionally, Perry now is the Clawson era receiving yards leader and ranks third in program history in that category:
CAREER RECEIVING YARDS
1. Ricky Proehl (1986-89) 2,949
2. Desmond Clark (1995-98) 2,834
3. AT Perry (2018-Pres.) 2,662
3. Michael Campanaro (2010-13) 2,506
4. Chris Givens (2009-11) 2,473
6. Wayne Baumgardner (1978-81) 2,431
7. Jammie Deese (1996-99) 2,348
8. Todd Dixon (1990-93) 2,300
9. Jaquarii Roberson (2017-21) 2,158
10. Cam Serigne (2014-17) 2,075
11. Jason Anderson (2001-04) 2,066
12. James Brim (1983-86) 2,040
Perry and Donavon Greene have been some of the most explosive receivers in program history:
Career Avg. Per Reception (min. 75 Rec.)
1. Donavon Greene (2019-Pres.) 18.6 (79/1,473)
2. Jason Anderson (2001-04) 18.0 (115/2,066)
3. Wayne Baumgardner (1978-81) 17.24 (141/2,431)
4. Todd Dixon (1990-93) 17.16 (134/2,300)
5. AT Perry (2018-Pres.) 15.9 (171/2,662)
6. Ricky Proehl (1986-89) 15.7 (188/2,949)
Fabian Davis (1999-02) 15.6 (100/1,557)
8. Red O'Quinn (1946-49) 15.28 (124/1,895)
9. Scotty Washington (2016-19) 15.24 (110/1,676)
10. Chris Givens (2009-11) 15.172 (163/2,473)
11. Sage Surratt (2018-19) 14.8 (107/1,582)
12. Jaquarii Roberson (2017-21) 14.8 (146/2,158)
13. Bill Millner (1973-76) 14.37 (75 of 1078)
Ryan Smenda, Jr. inched up on the Wake Forest all-time tackles list on Friday, recording a game-high 11 tackles. This moved him up into eighth on the all-time list and gave the senior sole possession of the most tackles by a Demon Deacon since 2000.
Earlier this season, Smenda, Jr. eclipsed his previous high for tackles in a season.
Coming into the bowl, his 9.6 tackles per game ranked fourth in the ACC.
Wake Forest Top-5 Tackles since 2000
1. Ryan Smenda (2018-Pres) 355
2. Aaron Curry (2005-08) 332
3. Ryan Janvion (2013-16) 328
4. Brandon Chubb (2012-15) 326
5. Jon Abbate (2004-06) 297
6. Marquel Lee (2013-16) 291
Wake Forest Career Tackle Leaders
1. Ed Stetz (1969-71): 460
2. Carlos Bradley (1978-80): 431
3. Kevin Giles (1991-94):410
4. Bill Armstrong (1973-76): 402
5. Kelvin Moses (1994-99): 399
6. Ernie Purnsley (1985-88): 385
7. Reggie McCummings (1983-85): 374
8. Ryan Smenda (2018-Pres): 355
9. Jimmie Simmons (1984-87): 346
10. Aaron Curry (2005-08): 332
11. Ryan Janvion (2013-16): 328
12. Brandon Chubb (2012-15): 326
13. Marc Hester (1977-79): 322
14. Rory Holt (1982-86): 319
Wake Forest went into the season with a veteran bunch of offensive linemen led by starters Je'Vionte Nash, DeVonte Gordon, Sean Maginn, Loic Nya and Michael Jurgens all returning up front.
The Demon Deacons are one of just eight FBS teams to return five starters along the offensive line.
The starting Beef Boy unit has combined to play in 237 games in their career; the most in FBS by nine combined games:
Wake Forest 237
Pitt 226
Georgia State 216
NC State 213
Utah State 205
In the ACC, Wake Forest is also one of the most veteran units returning from a season ago with Green Bay Packer fourth-round selection Zach Tom as the only absence from last season's starting unit:
1 Pitt - 98.6%
2 Louisville - 83.5
3 Wake Forest - 82.9
4 Syracuse - 82
5 NC State - 80.5
UP NEXT
Wake Forest Athletics is excited to raise the standard of success and looking forward to an exciting 2023 season. Season ticket deposits for the 2023 season are available now for $50 per seat. New or existing season ticket holders can visit GoDeacs.com/tickets to make their deposit online or email the Wake Forest Ticket Office at tix@wfu.edu over the holidays.
UCF: 2021 Gasparilla Bowl Champions
TAMPA, Fla. -- — Isaiah Bowser ran for 155 yards and two touchdowns, Ryan O'Keefe had 85 yards on seven receptions, and Central Florida earned Sunshine State bragging rights by beating Florida 29-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl on Thursday night.
UCF (9-4) took a 26-17 lead late in the third when Daniel Obarski made a 21-yard field goal and Mikey Keene threw a 54-yard scoring strike to O'Keefe in the span of about two minutes. Obarski then made it 29-17 on a 33-yarder with 2:41 to play.
"Yeah, we are the best in Florida," said O'Keefe, who also had 110 rushing yards. "We always thought that, but now we finally got to prove it."
Florida quarterback Emory Jones, playing in his final game with the Gators before entering the transfer portal, completed 14 of 36 passes for 171 yards. He also ran for 62 yards on 10 carries.
"Not thinking about my future right now," Jones said. "Will talk to my mom and family, and then made a decision."
Florida was led by interim coach Greg Knox, who took over when Dan Mullen was fired before the regular-season finale against Florida State. Former Louisiana coach Billy Napier will take over for the 2022 season. Florida (6-7) finished with its first losing record since 2017.
The Gators had eight penalties for 85 yards.
"You can't make the mistakes we made and expect to win," Knox said. "I think our guys played hard, just was not able to overcome the mistakes we made."
UCF outgained Florida 436-376.
"We beat 'em handily," UCF coach Gus Malzahn said. "The best is yet to come. We're fighting against the three big in-state schools. A lot of them, the logos are really cool, but I really believe we're the program of the future."
It was the first time the time the two teams played since Florida won 42-0 during its 2006 national championship season. The Gators also won 58-27 in 1999.
Florida led 10-9 at halftime behind Chris Howard's 26-yard field goal with 1:36 left in the second quarter.
O'Keefe had a 74-yard run in third quarter, setting up Bowser's TD run from 4 yards out to put UCF up 16-10. Florida regained the lead, 17-16, on its next possession when Malik Davis had a 19-yard rushing TD. But UCF ended up scoring again in the quarter, taking the lead for good.
Keene replaced starting QB Dillon Gabriel, who broke his left collarbone against Louisville in September. The true freshman went 14 of 22 for 144 yards on Thursday.
The announced crowd at Raymond James Stadium, the home of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was a Gasparilla Bowl record of 63,669.
SCARY MOMENT
Florida wide receiver Justin Shorter was taken off the field on a cart after a hard hit late in the fourth quarter. His neck was immobilized by medical personnel on the field. Knox had no update postgame.
A TRIBUTE
UCF brought a No. 2 uniform onto the field before the game to honor former Knights running back Otis Anderson Jr., who died last month at the age of 23.
"Otis was like a big brother to me and when he passed away, it hit me hard," O'Keefe said. "I saw his jersey in the locker room and I decided I was going to play for him."
STRANGE STOPPAGE
The game was briefly delayed in the first quarter when Florida linebacker Ty'Ron Hopper lost his helmet. It got caught in the facemask of UCF guard Cole Schneider, and it took a couple of minutes to separate the two helmets. Later, Hopper was ejected in the third quarter after throwing a punch.
PUSH AND SHOVE
After the game ended, the teams were involved in a scrum that featured pushing and shoving near midfield.
Central Florida: 2019 Gasparilla Bowl Champions
It may not be where UCF has become accustomed to playing this time of the year, but the Knights are ending their 2019 season with 10 wins and a bowl victory. UCF (10-3, 6-2 AAC) finished off their season on a winning note by topping Marshall (8-5, 6-2 Conference USA)in the highest-scoring Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl Monday afternoon, 48-25.
Marshall imploded early in the game with five turnovers on each of their first five offensive possessions. Isaiah Green had a third-down pass intercepted on the third play of the game and Richie Grant returned the football 39 yards for a defensive touchdown to give UCF an early lead. Green connected on a 45-yard pass to Armani Levias on the first play of the ensuing possession but LEvias fumbled the football at the end of the play. After falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter, Marshall turned the football over again and the Knights defense struck again with Tre’Mon Morris-BRash returning a fumble 45 yards for a score.
UCF built a 31-7 lead in the third quarter before Marshall began to get the ball moving and a better grip on the football. But by then, the damage had essentially been done.
Dillon Gabriel passed for 260 yards and two touchdowns for UCF before getting some rest at the end of the game. Marlon Williams had a big day with seven receptions for 132 yards and a touchdown in the winning effort. As a team, UCF rushed for 310 yards and out-gained Marshall 587-351. The game was also a bit testy in the second half as Big Ten officials did their best to keep control before things devolved into something ugly. Marshall’s Darrius Hodge was ejected from the game late in the third quarter after coming off the bench to get involved in some verbal jabbing at the end of a play. It was his second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty of the game, which results in an automatic ejection. Making his ejection unique was the fact Marshall was on offense at the time. The two teams combined for 18 penalties and 167 penalty yards with a handful of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties distributed to players on both teams.
The 73 combined points scored in the game are the most in a Gasparilla Bowl. The previous record point total was 69 scored by Rutgers and UCF in 2009 (Rutgers won 45-24) when the game was called the St. Petersburg Bowl. It was the second year of the bowl game’s existence.
With the win, UCF head coach Josh Heupel has won his first bowl game as a head coach. UCF also has won 10 or more games for a third consecutive season for the first time in program history. UCF could be lining up a possible spot in the final top 25 rankings, which would also be the third consecutive season for the first time in program history.
UCF’s 2020 season will begin at home next year with a home game against Mack Brown and UNC. The 2020 season opener is currently scheduled for a Thursday night kickoff on Sept. 3, 2020. UCF will also face Georgia Tech in Atlanta for a second game against a power conference opponent. The Knights also host FIU and Florida A&M in non-conference play. UCF will get some key division and conference games at home with home dates against Cincinnati and Temple, but a road trip to Memphis also looms.
Marshall’s 2020 season is currently scheduled to begin on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020 at East Carolina. The Thundering Herd will host Pittsburgh and Boise State and travel to Ohio in other non-conference matchups before jumping into the Conference USA schedule.
Marshall: 2018 Gasparilla Bowl Champions
TAMPA, Fla. -- It was a family affair as Marshall ended the season with another bowl victory.
Isaiah Green completed 17 of 25 passes for 221 yards, cousin Keion Davis ran for two touchdowns and Marshall beat South Florida 38-20 in the Gasparilla Bowl on Thursday night.
"It's fun to get to play my senior year with my cousin, sharing the experience," said Davis, who was the game MVP.
Marshall, 6-0 in bowl games under head coach Doc Holliday, gained 503 years. The Thundering Herd (9-4) had 282 rushing yards and 221 through the air.
"It was my first time contributing to a (bowl) win," Green said. "It feels good to be able to show people that just because I'm a freshmen doesn't mean I can't play this game like I'm not a freshman."
Green also had a touchdown run in the first quarter, while Davis' second TD -- from 16 yards out -- put the Thundering Herd ahead 38-20 with 6 1/2 minutes to play.
Davis had 94 yards on 14 carries, while Brenden Knox gained 93 yards on 12 rushes -- all during the first half.
Knox left with a broken hand, giving Davis extended playing time. Davis entered with 308 rushing yards and one TD in eight games.
"Keion is a special player," Holliday said. "He makes things happen every time he gets the opportunity to play."
Blake Barnett, slowed by shoulder and ankle injuries, replaced Chris Oladokun for South Florida 10 minutes into the game and completed 11 of 23 passes for 212 yards. Barnett, a transfer from Arizona State who also started one game for Alabama in 2016, sat out two of the Bulls' previous three games.
USF (7-6) lost the bowl game played on its regular-season home field to end the season by losing six in a row after a 7-0 start.
"We know this, there's work that needs to be done in the program, and we've got to go get it done," coach Charlie Strong said.
Green scored on an 10-yard dash and Anthony Anderson had an one-yard TD run over a 37-second span as Marshall took a 14-0 lead with 4:43 left in the first. The second score was set up by Darius Hodge's fumble recovery and 29-yard return after Barnett couldn't handle a high snap.
After USF wide receiver Tyre McCants took a direct snap and threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Randall St. Felix, the Thundering Herd went up 21-7 during the final minute of the first on Knox's eight-yard TD run.
St. Felix had six receptions for a school-bowl record 165 yards.
Marshall has outscored its opponent 101-39 in the first quarter this season.
Davis' 5-yard run made it 28-7 with 90 seconds left in the second.
USF got to 28-10 on Coby Weiss' 22-yard field goal four seconds before halftime.
South Florida settled for a 31-yard field goal by Weiss on a second-half opening 14-play drive.
"We were in position to make some plays and we didn't make them," Strong said. "We had our opportunities."
Marshall countered with Justin Rohrwasser's 28-yard field before Barnett connected on a 33-yard scoring pass with St. Felix that cut the Bulls deficit to 31-20 late in the third.
UP NEXT
Marshall: Green will be back next season to anchor a promising offense as the Thundering Herd try to win eight or more games for the fifth time in six years.
South Florida: Barnett returns in 2019 and being healthy could be key in the Bulls' bid for their first American Athletic Conference championship.
Temple: 2017 Gasparilla Bowl Champions
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Geoff Collins has lofty expectations for Temple.
"The future is bright," the first-year coach said after Frank Nutile threw for 254 yards and a touchdown to lead the Owls to a 28-3 victory over Florida International in the Gasparilla Bowl on Thursday night.
Nutile teamed with Isaiah Wright on 45-yard TD play in the fourth quarter and also scored on a 4-yard run to give the Owls (7-6) an early lead. He completed passes of 13 and 17 yards to escape a first-and-30 hole before throwing 39 yards to Adonis Jennings to set up another TD.
The victory was the fourth in five games for Temple, which rebounded from a 3-5 start to finish with a winning record. The Owls, American Athletic Conference champions a year ago, won a bowl game for the first time since the 2011 New Mexico Bowl.
"The ceiling is the roof," Collins said amid a celebration at Tropicana Field.
FIU (8-5) matched a school record for victories in its first year under Butch Davis, the former Miami, North Carolina and Cleveland Browns coach.
"Nobody's ever happy about losing a game," Davis said. "But what these kids accomplished this year, nobody thought was even remotely possible."
The Panthers played most of the night without quarterback Alex McGough, who left in the opening quarter with what Davis said was a fractured collarbone. Maurice Alexander replaced him, but had limited success throwing the ball and was intercepted twice.
Nutile finished 17 of 27 passing with no interceptions and was named game MVP. He threw 13 yards to Keith Kirkwood and 17 yards to Isaiah Wright on consecutive plays before Jennings' long reception moved the Owls into position to go up 14-3 on David Hood's 1-yard TD run.
Wright's TD reception made it 21-3 midway through the fourth quarter. Ryquell Armstead also scored on a 5-yard run for Temple.
"It means a lot. ... We've been through a lot," Nutile said. "Our team's mindset was to go out there and leave it all on the field."
FORCED INTO ACTION
Alexander completed 16 of 33 passes for 162 yards for FIU. The Panthers were unable to run the ball consistently to take pressure off the backup quarterback, finishing with 88 yards on the ground and avoiding a shutout with Jose Borregales' 27-yard field goal in the third quarter.
WHAT A RUSH
Temple's defense set a Gasparilla Bowl record with seven sacks. LB William Kwenkeu led the way with two. The Owls also forced three turnovers, including a fumble that Freddie Booth-Lloyd recovered to set up Armstead's late TD.
THE TAKEAWAY
Temple: Collins inherited a program that won the American Athletic Conference in 2016, the Owls' first league crown since 1967. After a slow start that saw them lose five of eight, the Owls returned from a bye week to win three of four to become bowl eligible. This year's senior class won 33 games over four seasons, an Owls record.
FIU: The Panthers hope to raise their profile under Davis, and matching the school record for wins and appearing in a bowl for the first time is a start. The Panthers finished second in Conference USA's East Division and placed 12 players on the league's all-conference team.
UP NEXT
Temple: The Owls made significant strides in first-year offensive coordinator David Patenaude's system after Nutile, a redshirt junior moved into the starting lineup in October. Starting receivers Kirkwood and Jennings are seniors, however Wright, a sophomore, led the Owls with 46 receptions for 668 yards with four TDs and will provide some continuity at the position.
FIU: Key changes on offense. McGough, the Panthers' career leader in TD passes and No. 2 in career completions and passing yards, is a senior. Alexander appeared in seven games during the regular season, however the sophomore only attempted six passes. Leading receiver Thomas Owens (59 receptions, 887 yards, 6 TDs in nine games) is also a senior.
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