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.

Houston: 2022 Independence Bowl Champions

SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) – University of Houston senior quarterback Clayton Tune connected with junior wideout Nathaniel Dell for a 12-yard touchdown with 20 seconds remaining, and Houston rallied from a 13-point deficit to beat Louisiana 23-16 inside Independence Stadium in the Radium Technologies Independence Bowl on Friday afternoon.

The TD pass was Tune's third of the game and 40th of the season, tying him with Western Kentucky's Austin Reed for the most in the nation. Before the winning throw, he completed a 41-yard pass to KeSean Carter on third-and-30 to move Houston into Ragin' Cajuns territory.

The Cougars (8-5) never led until that late touchdown as Tune heated up amid unseasonably cold temperatures in northwest Louisiana. It was 25 degrees at kickoff, with a wind chill of 12 degrees.

Louisiana (6-7) led 13-0 midway through the second quarter and 16-6 at halftime.

Tune, who finished 19 of 28 for 216 yards and was named the Independence Bowl Offensive MVP, led Houston on a 13-play, 70-yard drive to open the second half and hit Dell for a 2-yard touchdown that made it 16-13. Senior defensive back Art Green was named the game's Defensive MVP after recording nine tackles.

Clinging to a 3-point lead, Louisiana stuffed Houston on fourth-and-short at the Ragin' Cajuns 5-yard line midway through the third quarter, but the Cougars eventually tied the game on Kyle Ramsey's 19-yard field early in the fourth.

The Ragin' Cajuns wasted a chance to retake the lead when running back Chris Smith fumbled at the Houston 4.

Louisiana located three hours south of Shreveport, took the opening kick and orchestrated a 15-play, 75-yard drive that ended when tight end Johnny Lumpkin made a dazzling touchdown catch in the corner of the end zone.

The Cajuns got three field goals in the first half from by Kenneth Almendares (42, 42, and 22 yards). Chandler Fields finished 17 of 25 passing for 169 yards and a touchdown.

Tune's first TD toss was a 33-yarder to Carter in the second quarter. Carter finished with 104 yards on three catches, and Dell had six receptions for 44 yards and the two TDs.

ELITE COMPANY

Tune and Reed, who threw six TD passes in Wednesday's New Orleans Bowl victory over South Alabama, are three ahead of Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams of Southern California and Ohio State's C.J. Stroud. Williams still has a bowl game to play and Stroud's Buckeyes are in the College Football Playoff.

THE TAKEAWAY

Louisiana: First-year coach Michael Desormeaux guided the Ragin' Cajuns to their first losing season since 2017 (5-7). The program had posted three consecutive seasons with at least 10 victories (34-5 in that stretch).

Houston: Coach Dana Holgorsen honored one of his mentors, the late Mississippi State coach Mike Leach, by wearing a black hoodie with ''STATE'' on the front. Holgorsen played for Leach at Iowa Wesleyan and later coached under him at Texas Tech. Leach died on Dec. 12.

With the win, Holgorsen becomes the first Houston coach to lead the Cougars to multiple bowl wins since Bill Yeoman (6 victories). It also marked the first time a Cougar head coach had led the program to consecutive bowl wins since Yeoman in the 1980 Cotton Bowl Classic (Jan. 1, 1980) and 1980 Garden State Bowl (Dec. 22, 1980).

UP NEXT

Louisiana: The Ragin Cajuns remain in-state to open the 2023 season as they will host another Louisiana school, Northwestern State, on Sept. 2.

Houston: The Cougars open the 2023 campaign at home against UTSA on Sept. 2.

ISML 2022: Amethyst Period Continues

ISML 2022: Amethyst Period Continues

By Jo-Ryan Salazar

The Bedlam on Baltic Avenue

23 December 2022

Match Day 3 of the 2022 International Saimoe League Amethyst Period is in the books. We start with action in the Genshin Impact Tournament. Over in Teyvat, Hu Tao thumped Kokomi Sangonomiya 3408-1525, Yae Miko defeated Klee 2641-2213, Nahida pumped Venti 3158-1620, Ganyu dismissed Lumine 2961-1872, Raiden Shogun routed Shenhe 3489-1350, Keqing slaughtered Yoimiya 2941-1863, Ayaka Kamisato crushed Eula 3214-1598 and Zhongli prevailed over Kazuha Kaedehara 2374-2178.

In Exhibition action, Yuno Gasai won a 2015-1927 snoozer over Shouko Komi, Aqua crushed Konata Izumi 2850-1124, Yuiichirou Hyakuya and Shinoa Hiiragi won a 2320-2305 thriller over Li Syaoran and Sakura Kinomoto and Sasuke Uchiha won a four-way race with 1773 votes.

In the Female Division, Mikoto Misaka routed Tamako Kitashirakawa 3901-2264, Eru Chitanda grounded Azusa Nakano 3701-1943, Chika Fujiwara defeated Tsukasa Yuzaki 3002-2396, Mai Sakurajima romped past Megumi Katou 3107-2566, Chisato Nishikigi cruised past Zero Two 3195-2326, Isla got past Ritsu Tainaka 2909-2596 and Violet Evergarden flattened Emilia 3726-2068.

Sagiri Izumi defeated Index Prohibitorum 3034-2813, Marin Kitagawa roared past Taiga Aisaka 2947-2402, Rikka Takanashi rocked Kaguya Shinomiya 3250-2677, Kurumi Tokisaki shot down Shiro 3329-2221, Takina Inoue took down Ai Haibara 3195-2765, Elaina won the closest race of the round, a 2914-2903 nailbiter over Yui Hirasawa and Mio Akiyama boomed past Sora Kasugano 3422-2165.

Wrapping up Female Division play, Shouko Nishimiya got past Kamui Kanna 3047-2314, Rem rammed Mashiro Shiina 2924-2827, Miku Nakano slashed past Asuna Yuuki 2949-2651, Kanade Tachibana flew past Yui Yuigahama 2747-2608, Yukino Yukinoshita slayed Kuroko Shirai 3125-2911, Nao Tomori flattened Mitsuha Miyamizu 3490-2121 and Nino Nakano knocked down Utaha Kasumigaoka 2780-2462.

In the Male Division, Sakuta Azusagawa jojo'd Joutarou Kuujou 3357-1924, Touma Kamijou broke Haruka Kasugano 3185-1940, Tomoya Okazaki prevailed over Kyoujurou Rengoku 2395-2164, Kiyotaka Ayanokouji dominated Satoru Gojou 2807-1978, Izumi Miyamura got past Kousei Arima 2536-1981, Riku Dola rocked Ainz Ooal Gown 2637-1899 and Hachiman Hikigaya leveled Levi 3424-1852.

Yuu Otosaka pounded Mochizou Ouji 2807-1940, Kaito Kuroba prevailed over Nasa Yuzaki 2424-2396, Houtarou Oreki thumped Yuu Ishigami 3597-1887, Conan Edogawa defeated Shidou Itsuka 2682-2465, Loid Forger eased past Shirou Emiya 2596-2225, Subaru Natsuki drove past Dio Brando 2905-1974 and Saika Totsuka toasted Itachi Uchiha 2634-2145.

Wrapping up Male Division play, Accelerator accelerated past Rimuru Tempest 3217-2032, Taki Tachibana took down Ken Kaneki 2838-1943, Sorata Kanda prevailed over Tanjiro Kamado 2421-2373, Kazuto Kirigaya slashed past Miyuki Shirogane 2894-2325, Sora slammed Fuutarou Uesugi 2886-2046 and Takashi Natsume got past Masamune Izumi 2310-2284.

In Seasonal action, Ai Hayasaka belted Miko Iino 3476-1219, Tohka Yatogami slayed Zhong Lanzhu 3021-1344, Eiko Tsukimi rolled past Zhuge Kongming 2145-1722, Yoshino silenced Shikomori 2592-2092, Tomoyo Sakagami upended Filo 2366-1764, Shouko Komi blew past Kogorou Mori 2485-2028 and in a battle of the Ushios, Ushio Okazaki defeated Ushio Kofune 2399-2169.

Wrapping up Seasonal action, Fuuko Ibuki rolled past Serena 2769-1338, Reina Aharen drilled Mio Kofune 2515-1691, Kurumi grounded Ruka Sarashina 2772-1864, Sumi Sakurasawa slayed Son Goku 2536-1422, Shalltear Bloodfalled sat on Hinata Hyuuga 2238-1870, Kei Karuizawa whipped past Yume Irido 2371-1955, Albedo took down Jolyne Kuujou 2430-1704, Ayano Yugiri defeated Hizuru Minakata 2118-1939, Suzune Horikita prevailed over Kisara 2288-2260, Lucy routed David Martinez 2639-977 and Nazuna Nanakusa defeated Rin Shima 2079-1845.

Match Day 4 of the 2022 International Saimoe League Amethyst Period is scheduled for 25 December 2022. Vote for your favorite characters at InternationalSaimoe.com and join the ongoing debate.

Air Force: 2022 Armed Forces Bowl Champions

Air Force football (10-3) capped the 2022 season with a resounding 30-15 win over Baylor (6-7) at the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl Thursday night at Amon G. Carter Stadium on the campus of TCU in Fort Worth, Texas.   The Falcons reached double-figures in wins for the third-straight full season.

After a close 9-7 lead at the half, the Falcons out-scored the Bears 21-8 in the second half to roll to the win.

The Falcons racked up 276 yards rushing on the ground, led by senior quarterback Haaziq Daniels and senior running back Brad Roberts.  Daniels threw for two touchdowns and 103 yards passing.  In addition, Daniels ran for 81 yards and one touchdown.  For his efforts, Daniels took home bowl game MVP honors for the second straight season.

Roberts capped a standout season and career with his 11th 100-yard rushing game for the season, with 116 yards on 37 carries, including two touchdowns.  Roberts finished the season with a school-record 1,728 yards rushing and his 17 rushing TDs tied for eighth.  His 3,541 career rushing yards is third all-time at Air Force and the most by a fullback.  His 35 career rushing touchdowns is third at Air Force and the most by a fullback.  

After forcing a Baylor punt to start the game, Air Force scored on its first possession, grinding out a 15-play, 55-yard drive that took 8:44 off the clock to take a 6-0 lead after the extra point was blocked.  Roberts capped the drive with a two-yard plunge off the right side for the touchdown.

The Falcons forced another Baylor punt and drove right back down the field to score on a 37-yard field goal by Matt Dapore to go ahead 9-0 with 1:13 to play in the first quarter.

Baylor pulled to within two points right before the half with a touchdown.  The Bears drove 47 yards on six plays, capped by an eight yard touchdown pass by quarterback Blake Shapen to wide receiver Hal Presley with five seconds to play before the half to make it a 9-7 game.

Air Force re-took the momentum in the second half, opening with a touchdown on just five plays to go ahead 16-7.  The Falcons went 83 yards, capped by a two-yard run by Daniels.  Setting up the touchdown score was a 68-yard pass from Daniels to wide receiver Amari Terry.

The Falcons extended the lead with a touchdown after stopping Baylor on downs.  Air Force went 64 yards on six plays, capped by a 15 yard touchdown pass by Daniels to tight end Caleb Rillos, to make the score 23-7.

Air Force made it 30-7 on another Roberts touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.  The drive went for 42 yards on seven plays.

Baylor scored a late touchdown and converted the two-point attempt to make it 30-15.  The Bears went 85 yards on four plays, capped by a 14 touchdown reception by receiver Gavin Holmes.

The Falcons recovered the onside kick with 3:34 to play and took the clock down to 22 seconds to essentially run out the clock.

Air Force held Baylor to 230 yards of offense and just 42 yards rushing.  The Falcons held the ball for 40 minutes and three seconds and limited Baylor to just 19:57 with the ball.

Western Kentucky: 2022 New Orleans Bowl Champions

NEW ORLEANS – Led by its electric offense and dominant defense, WKU defeated South Alabama, 44-23, to win the 2022 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Championship Wednesday night at the iconic Caesars Supderdome. 

 

The Hilltoppers put up 677 yards of total offense on the night, including 522 yards passing. Those 522 yards set a New Orleans Bowl record, marking the best passing display the bowl game has ever seen.

 

Of those 522 passing yards, 497 belonged to quarterback Austin Reed. That mark set the individual record for passing yards in the New Orleans Bowl, and led to him being named the bowl game's Most Valuable Player. It was also the most passing yards a Hilltopper quarterback has ever thrown for in a bowl game, passing Brandon Daughty who threw for 486 in the 2014 Bahamas Bowl.

 

Reed's receivers were dynamic on the night, as Dalvin Smith, Jaylen Hall and Malachi Corley all surpassed 100 yards on the night. It marked the first time three WKU receivers have passed the century mark in a single game since 2017 against Middle Tennessee. Smith and Hall both caught a touchdown a piece while Corley hauled in two scores. Hall's touchdown reception came on a double pass, with fellow-receiver Smith recording the touchdown pass.

 

Defensively, the Tops took the Jaguars out of the game early by allowing only three points through the first half. The nation's leading defense in forced turnovers added two more off of interceptions by Kaleb Oliver and Upton Stout. Oliver's interception occurred in the end zone to keep the Jags off the scoreboard, and Stout picked off a pass with South Alabama in WKU territory, threatening to score.

 

Derrick Smith led WKU in tackles with nine in his final game in a Hilltopper uniform. Stout was close behind with eight, and Will Ignont recorded seven takedowns in his WKU finale. The Tops got after the quarterback all game long, recording four sacks between JaQues Evans, Tre Shaw, Dareon Goodrum and Mike Allen.

The bowl victory was WKU's second in a row and sixth all time. It was also the second year in a row the Hilltoppers defeated a 10-win team from the Sun Belt Conference in a bowl game. The win also gave WKU a 9-5 record overall for the second-consecutive season.

 

BoBA ISML 2022 Predictions: Amethyst Match Day 3

ARENA 1 Kitashirakawa Tamako [[Misaka Mikoto]]

by <=1300
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 2 Nakano Azusa [[Chitanda Eru]]

by <=1300
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 3 Yuzaki Tsukasa [[Fujiwara Chika]]

by <=1300
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 4 Katō Megumi [[Sakurajima Mai]]

by <=1300
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 5 [[Nishikigi Chisato]] Zero Two

by <=1300
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 6 [[Isla]] Tainaka Ritsu

by <=1300
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 7 [[Violet Evergarden]] Emilia

by <=1300
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 8 [[Izumi Sagiri]] Index L. Prohibitorum

by <=1300
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 9 Aisaka Taiga [[Kitagawa Marin]]

by <=1300
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 10 Shinomiya Kaguya [[Takanashi Rikka]]

by <=1300
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 11 [[Tokisaki Kurumi]] Shiro

by <=1300
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 12 Haibara Ai [[Inoue Takina]]

by <=1300
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 13 Hirasawa Yui [[Elaina]]

by <=1300
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 14 [[Akiyama Mio]] Kasugano Sora

by <=1300
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 15 [[Nishimiya Shōko]] Kanna Kamui

by <=1300
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 16 Rem [[Shiina Mashiro]]

by <=1300
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 17 Nakano Miku [[Yūki Asuna]]

by <=1300
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 18 Tachibana Kanade [[Yuigahama Yui]]

by <=1300
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 19 Shirai Kuroko [[Yukinoshita Yukino]]

by <=1300
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 20 [[Tomori Nao]] Miyamizu Mitsuha

by <=1300
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 21 Kasumigaoka Utaha [[Nakano Nino]]

by <=1300
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 22 Kūjō Jōtarō [[Azusagawa Sakuta]]

by >=300
Over/Under: 6900
Under

ARENA 23 Kasugano Haruka [[Kamijō Tōma]]

by >=300
Over/Under: 6900
Under

ARENA 24 Rengoku Kyōjurō [[Okazaki Tomoya]]

by >=300
Over/Under: 6900
Under

ARENA 25 [[Ayanokōji Kiyotaka]] Gojō Satoru

by >=300
Over/Under: 6900
Under

ARENA 26 Miyamura Izumi [[Arima Kōsei]]

by >=300
Over/Under: 6900
Under

ARENA 27 Ainz Ooal Gown [[Riku Dola]]

by >=300
Over/Under: 6900
Under

ARENA 28 Levi [[Hikigaya Hachiman]]

by >=300
Over/Under: 6900
Under

ARENA 29 [[Otosaka Yū]] Ōji Mochizō

by >=300
Over/Under: 6900
Under

ARENA 30 Yuzaki Nasa [[Kuroba Kaito]]

by >=300
Over/Under: 6900
Under

ARENA 31 Ishigami Yū [[Oreki Hōtarō]]

by >=300
Over/Under: 6900
Under

ARENA 32 [[Itsuka Shidō]] Edogawa Conan

by >=300
Over/Under: 6900
Under

ARENA 33 Loid Forger [[Emiya Shirō]]

by >=300
Over/Under: 6900
Under

ARENA 34 Ajiro Shinpei [[Togashi Yūta]]

by >=300
Over/Under: 6900
Under

ARENA 35 [[Natsuki Subaru]] Dio Brando

by >=300
Over/Under: 6900
Under

ARENA 36 [[Totsuka Saika]] Uchiha Itachi

by >=300
Over/Under: 6900
Under

ARENA 37 Rimuru Tempest [[Accelerator]]

by >=300
Over/Under: 6900
Under

ARENA 38 Kaneki Ken [[Tachibana Taki]]

by >=300
Over/Under: 6900
Under

ARENA 39 [[Kanda Sorata]] Kamado Tanjirō

by >=300
Over/Under: 6900
Under

ARENA 40 Kirigaya Kazuto [[Shirogane Miyuki]]

by >=300
Over/Under: 6900
Under

ARENA 41 Uesugi Fūtarō [[Sora]]

by >=300
Over/Under: 6900
Under

ARENA 42 Izumi Masamune [[Natsume Takashi]]

by >=300
Over/Under: 6900
Under

ARENA 43 [[Hayasaka Ai]] Iino Miko

by <=800
Over/Under: 6300
Under

ARENA 44 Zhong Lanzhu [[Yatogami Tōka]]

by <=800
Over/Under: 6300
Under

ARENA 45 Zhuge Kongming [[Tsukimi Eiko]]

by <=800
Over/Under: 6300
Under

ARENA 46 [[Yoshino]] Shikimori

by <=800
Over/Under: 6300
Under

ARENA 47 [[Sakagami Tomoyo]] Filo

by <=800
Over/Under: 6300
Under

ARENA 48 Mōri Kogorō [[Komi Shōko]]

by <=800
Over/Under: 6300
Under

ARENA 49 [[Okazaki Ushio]] Kofune Ushio

by <=800
Over/Under: 6300
Under

ARENA 50 Serena [[Ibuki Fūko]]

by <=800
Over/Under: 6300
Under

ARENA 51 [[Kofune Mio]] Aharen Reina

by <=800
Over/Under: 6300
Under

ARENA 52 Kurumi [[Sarashina Ruka]]

by <=800
Over/Under: 6300
Under

ARENA 53 Son Goku [[Sakurasawa Sumi]]

by <=800
Over/Under: 6300
Under

ARENA 54 Hyūga Hinata [[Shalltear Bloodfallen]]

by <=800
Over/Under: 6300
Under

ARENA 55 Irido Yume [[Karuizawa Kei]]

by <=800
Over/Under: 6300
Under

ARENA 56 Albedo [[Kūjō Jolyne]]

by <=800
Over/Under: 6300
Under

ARENA 57 Minakata Hizuru [[Yugiri Ayano]]

by <=800
Over/Under: 6300
Under

ARENA 58 Horikita Suzune [[Kisara]]

by <=800
Over/Under: 6300
Under

ARENA 59 [[Lucy]] David Martinez

by <=800
Over/Under: 6300
Under

ARENA 60 [[Shima Rin]] Nanakusa Nazuna

by <=800
Over/Under: 6300
Under

===

GENSHIN IMPACT TOURNAMENT SECOND ROUND PROPER

ARENA 61 Sangonomiya Kokomi [[Hu Tao]]

by >=1000
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 62 [[Klee]] Yae Miko

by <=700
Over/Under: 6400
Under

ARENA 63 [[Nahida]] Venti

by >=1500
Over/Under: 6100
Under

ARENA 64 [[Ganyu]] Lumine

by >=1500
Over/Under: 5400
Over

ARENA 65 [[Raiden Shogun]] Shenhe

by >=2000
Over/Under: 6200
Under

ARENA 66 Yoimiya [[Keqing]]

by <=1500
Over/Under: 6300
Under

ARENA 67 [[Kamisato Ayaka]] Eula

by >=2100
Over/Under: 6700
Under

ARENA 68 [[Zhongli]] Kaedehara Kazuha

by <=300
Over/Under: 5900
Under

===

ARENA 69 [[Komi Shōko]] Gasai Yuno

by <=2000
Over/Under: 5900
Under

ARENA 70 Izumi Konata [[Aqua]]

by <=2000
Over/Under: 5100
Under

ARENA 71 [[Li Syaoran]] Hyakuya Yūichirō [[Kinomoto Sakura]] Hiiragi Shinoa

by <=1000
Over/Under: 4800
Over

ARENA 72 [[Uchiha Sasuke]] Kurosaki Ichigo Son Goku Killua Zoldyck

by <=1000
Over/Under: 4900
Under

Voter Id: a612dfff-71a9-5692-a24c-31aa8597ad64

Toledo: 2022 Boca Raton Bowl Champions

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Quarterback Dequan Finn threw for one touchdown and ran for another to rally Toledo to a 21-19 victory over Liberty at the Roofclaim.com Boca Raton Bowl at FAU Stadium on Tuesday.

The win marked the first bowl victory for Toledo since a 31-17 win vs. No. 24 at the 2015 Marmot Boca Raton Bowl. Tuesday's win is also only the second time in Toledo history and the first time since 2001 that the Rockets won both the MAC Championship Game and a bowl game in the same season.

Finn, who was briefly knocked out of the game after being sacked in the first quarter, hit tight end Lenny Kühl for a four-yard touchdown in the third quarter, then ran it in himself in the fourth quarter to put the Rockets up 21-7 with 10:35 to play. UT withstood two fourth-quarter touchdowns from the Flames and stopped a two-point conversion attempt with 3:40 to play to hang on and win. For his efforts, Finn was named Offensive MVP.

Toledo's stout defense once again turned in a solid performance, holding Liberty to just 253 yards of total offense, including just 91 yards in the first half. Senior Nate Givhan was named Defensive MVP after contributing perhaps the biggest play of the game, a third-quarter strip sack that set up the Rockets inside the Liberty 10-yard line on the ensuing drive. Junior kicker Thomas Cluckey was named Special Teams MVP after going 2-for-2 on field goal attempts.

The Rockets controlled the pace in their victory, controlling the ball for 40:03 and holding Liberty to a time of possession of just 19:57.

First Quarter

      Liberty got on the board first, taking advantage of a short field, moving 53 yards in five plays after stopping Toledo for an eight-yard loss on fourth-and-eight from the LU 39-yard line. Shedro Louis capped the Flames' drive with a nine-yard run. On Toledo's next possession, Dequan Finn was helped off the field after a sack with an apparent injury.

Second Quarter

      Tucker Gleason stepped in for Finn on Toledo's first possession of the second quarter and led the Rockets' on a 10-play, 68-yard drive that led to a 41-yard field goal by Thomas Cluckey, trimming the Liberty lead to 7-3. Finn returned to the game on Toledo's next drive but the Rockets' drive was stopped on the LU 38-yard line, forcing a UT punt. Finn moved the Rockets down to the LU 31-yard line in the waning seconds of the half but the drive ended when Finn's third-down pass to Jacquez Stuart lost six yards, forcing Toledo to punt with 17 seconds left.

Third Quarter

      Toledo took the second-half kickoff and marched 75 yards in 13 plays to take a 10-7 lead. The drive, which

ate up 6:15 on the clock, culminated with a four-yard TD catch by redshirt freshman tight end Lenny Kuhl. Toledo's defense then came up with a big play when Nate Givhan forced a fumble that was recovered by Jamal Hines on the LU eight-yard line. Liberty's defense forced Toledo to settle for a Thomas Cluckey 29-yard field goal, increasing the Rockets' lead to 13-7. Liberty missed an opportunity to trim the lead following a Toledo fumbled punt that the Flames recovered on the UT nine-yard line. The Rockets forced Liberty to settle for a 32-yard field goal, which sailed wide left.

Fourth Quarter

      Toledo made it 21-7 on a one-yard dive by Finn that capped a 16-play, 80-yard drive with 10:35 to play. Finn hit Jacquez Stuart with a shovel pass for the two-point conversion on the play. Liberty cut the lead to 21-13 on a 29-yard touchdown pass with 7:24 left. The missed extra point by the Flames kept Toledo's cushion at  eight points. Liberty nearly tied the game with some trickery on its next drive, scoring on a 67-yard wide receiver pass to make it 21-19. The ensuing two-point conversion attempt was no good, keeping the Rockets' lead at two points with 3:40 to play. Quinyon Mitchell fittingly broke up the Flames' two-point attempt to keep UT ahead. Stuart rushed for 53 of his 111 yards on the final drive to run out the clock and seal the win.

Eastern Michigan: 2022 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Champions

BOISE, Idaho (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University football team is officially bringing home a championship trophy after defeating the San Jose State University football team, 41-27, in the 26th Annual Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, played today, Dec. 20, inside Albertsons Stadium in Boise Idaho.

Down 13-0 to begin the game, Eastern (9-4, 5-3 MAC) scored an incredible 33 unanswered points between the mid-first and early third quarter to take control of the game and earn its ninth win of the season and first bowl game win since 1987.

Quarterback Taylor Powell (Fayetteville, Ark.-Fayetteville-Troy) earned the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl's Most Valuable Player honor after going 18-for-30 for 298 yards, accounting for two touchdowns in the victory. 

Senior running back Samson Evans (Crystal Lake, Ill.-Prairie Ridge-Iowa) totaled 82 rushing yards on 25 carries, notching two touchdowns for the Green and White. Fellow back Jaylon Jackson (Burleson, Texas-Centennial-Lamar) totaled 54 rushing yards including a 31-yard touchdown run to help push Eastern past SJSU.

On the outside, junior Darius Lassiter (Chandler, Ariz.- Lawrence Free State (Kan.)-Butler) hauled in six passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns to lead the receiving corps. He is just the 16th player to go for more than 100 yards through the air in the bowl game's history.

Defensively, defensive back Joshua Scott (Antioch, Calif.-Deer Valley- City College of San Francisco) totaled four pass break ups, the second most in EMU single-game history, and an interception for the Eagles. Furthermore, senior Russell Vaden IV (Louisville, Ky.-Moore) grabbed an interception to seal the game for the Eagles while  senior linebacker Luke Cameron (Kokomo, Ind.-Kokomo) added an interception for the Green and White defense. 

How it Happened

Down 13-2, the Eagles engineered four touchdown drives before intermission, including a bowl-record 96-yard drive that spanned 13 plays and concluded with a one-yard touchdown pass from Powell to Lassiter.

Two of Eastern Michigan's scoring series began courtesy of an interception, one each Cameron and Scott. Evans punched in a pair of touchdowns on the ground in the opening half.

San Jose State marched 59 yards in just over a minute to score the game's first points. Junior quarterback Chevan Cordeiro found the end zone on a 27-yard scamper to cap the three-play opening possession.

The Spartans outscored the Eagles 14-11 in the second half, as Cordeiro tossed a pair of 17-yard touchdowns to senior wide receivers Nick Nash and Isaiah Hamilton. Cordeiro finished 26-for-44 for 366 yards and four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing).

 

Game Notes

» Down 13-0 with just over seven minutes on the clock, EMU's special teams came up big. Junior Sterling Miles (West Bloomfield, Mich.-West Bloomfield-Cincinnati) busted through to block his third PAT attempt of the season, his and the team's first since it blocked a point-after at Ball State, Oct. 22. He has the only three PAT blocks for the team this season, and three of the four during the Chris Creighton era (2014-Pres.).

» Miles' blocked kick was returned 97 yards for a touchdown by Junior Tristin Hines (Milan, Mich.-Milan). It was the first PAT returned for a score for Eastern Michigan since Ryan Downard also ran a blocked PAT back for a 97-yard score against the University of Michigan, Oct. 6, 2007.

» The Eastern Michigan offense used the momentum from the special teams unit to pull itself back in the game during its third offensive possession of the game. The Eagles used a seven-play, 74-yard drive capped by a one-yard Evans touchdown to find the pay dirt. The touchdown was Evans' career-best 14th of the season.

» The EMU scoring unit put together another scoring drive in its first touch of the ball in the second quarter. The Eagles used 13 plays to march 96 yards to find the end zone yet again. That score, the longest of the season for Eastern Michigan in terms of yards, gave EMU its first lead of the game, 15-13.

» EMU's 96-yard scoring drive was capped by a one-yard Lassiter touchdown reception. The catch was Lassiter's third touchdown of the season, and capped a four-reception drive for the first-year Eagle. The four receptions tied for the second-best single-game total for Lassiter this season.

» The Eastern Michigan defense came up big in numerous spots in the first half. After a critical fourth-down stop to begin the second quarter, it was Cameron that hauled in his first career interception. Just one possession later, Scott added his third interception of the season. The three interceptions give EMU multiple picks in a game for the fourth time this season, the most four any Chris Creighton-led team (2014-Pres.). The trio of picks ties a season-high for the Eagles (3 - Akron, Nov. 8; 3 - Central Michigan, Nov. 25). 

» Evans added another rushing score with just under five minutes remaining in the second quarter. The touchdown was his second of the game, giving him his career-best fifth multiple-score game of the season.

» Lassiter added his second score of the game, a 28-yard grab, with just 55 seconds on the clock in the second quarter. Coming into the game, Lassiter had never recorded a multiple-score game, and had just two total touchdowns.

» EMU totaled 21 points in the second quarter of today's game. Eastern scored 21 points in a single frame just one other time this season, against Western Michigan, Oct. 8.

» Eastern scored 33 unanswered points between the first and third quarters of today's game. That number is the most for the team in any game this season.

» EMU scored its first points of the third quarter when sophomore kicker Jesús Gómez (Puebla, Mexico-Prepa Tec Puebla) drilled a 51-yard field goal with 8:23 on the clock. The kick was his second-longest of the season, just four yards behind his EMU-record 55-yard kick at Ball State. Gómez is 2-of-3 from 50+ yards this season.

» Jackson used a 31-yard touchdown run to help give EMU a 41-20 lead in the third quarter. It was Jackson's second rushing score of the season and his third total (kick return touchdown vs. University of Buffalo, Sept. 24). Jackson finished with 54 yards on the ground on seven totes.

» Vaden IV sealed Eastern's victory with his first interception of the 2022 campaign. The pick is his fourth in his collegiate career, as he earned three in the 2021 season.

» Coming into the game, San Jose State had committed just six turnovers the entire season. Tonight, Eastern Michigan forced them into three. It was the fourth game this season, and second consecutive, in which EMU has forced three turnovers. 

Historical Notes

» With today's victory, Eastern Michigan has earned its second postseason win. EMU's first bowl game victory game against the same San Jose State Spartans in the 1987 California Raisin Bowl.

» Eastern Michigan finished with exactly nine victories in a season for the first time ever in 2022, and officially finished with the school's second-best win total in the 131-year history of the program. Eastern's best season came in 1987, when the team won 10 games.

» With the victory over San Jose State, EMU defeated its eighth Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent during the 2022 campaign. That number is the second-most in a single season in program history (FBS officially established in 1978); only the 1987 team took down the same amount with eight FBS wins during its nine-win regular season.

» Miles' blocked PAT marks just the second blocked kick in a bowl game for Eastern Michigan. The first was a blocked punt against Georgia Southern University, Dec. 15, 2018. Additionally, the returned PAT for a score by Hines is the first such play in EMU postseason history.

» Eastern's 96-yard scoring drive is officially the longest in the 26-year history of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. The previous record was a 92-yard scoring drive by Western Michigan University, which they completed against the Air Force Academy during the 2014 edition of the bowl game.

» Eastern Michigan's 30 points in the first half is a Famous Idaho Potato Bowl record. Three previous participants (San Diego State University, 2013; University of Maryland, 2008; University of Idaho, 1998) had held the previous record of 28.

» Evans' score in the second quarter was historical in numerous aspects. His second rushing touchdown of the game tied the Eastern Michigan postseason record. Prior to the score, no EMU player had rushed for multiple scores in a postseason bowl since Bob Foster scored a pair in the 1987 California Bowl. Additionally, the score was the 29th of Evans' career, moving him into second place on the all-time total touchdowns list at Eastern. He sits just two behind Gary Patton (1984-87) for the all-time record.

» Eastern Michigan added another to its list of "firsts" under Creighton. With its appearance in today's Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Eastern officially made four consecutive bowl appearances (excluding COVID-shortened 2020 season) for the first time in program history.

» Lassiter etched his name in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl record book in today's contest. With his 108 yards on six receptions, he became the 16th player to record 100+ yards receiving in the bowl's 26-year history.

» Gómez's 51-yard field goal make in the third quarter ties the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl record. Two other players, Brandon Talton (University of Nevada, 2019), and Michael Cklamovski (Northern Illinois University, 2010), have also hit from the same distance.

» Scott finished the game with four pass break ups in today's game. That is tied for the second most in a single game in EMU history (record kept since 1998). The record, five, was recorded by Andrae Brooks, against Southeast Missouri State University, Sept. 1, 2001. Four pass break ups has only occurred once prior to today's game.

Marshall: 2022 Myrtle Beach Bowl Champions

 

CONWAY — Marshall capped off its first season as a member of the Sun Belt with a bang.

The Thundering Herd handled Connecticut, 28-14, in the third-annual Myrtle Beach Bowl at Coastal Carolina’s Brooks Stadium on Dec. 19.

With the win, Marshall ended the season on a five-game winning streak, the first time the Herd has done that since 2002.

“This 2022 team will always be remembered,” Marshall head coach Charles Huff said. “One, for the first Sun Belt team. They’ll be remembered for a team that found a way to go 4-0 in November (and) create an opportunity for us to party in December. They’ll always be remembered as the 2022 Myrtle Beach (Bowl) champions, and for the rest of their lives, they’ll be called champions.”

Marshall finished the season at 9-4 with the win, while UConn dropped to 6-7 with the loss. It was the Huskies’ first bowl appearance since 2015, and it was Marshall’s first bowl victory since 2018.

Quarterback Cam Fancher led Marshall with two touchdown passes, completing 9-of-18 passes for 59 yards. Running back Rasheen Ali, who was named the bowl game MVP, led the Herd’s ground game with 81 yards on 12 carries and a score, and tight end Devin Miller and wide receiver Corey Gammage each caught a touchdown pass.

For UConn, Zion Turner went 5-for-18 for 99 yards and two interceptions, and running back Victor Rosa led the ground game with 57 yards on 13 touches and two scores. Keelan Marion was the high man in receiving yards with two catches for 69 yards for the Huskies.

After Hancher fumbled on fourth down on Marshall’s opening drive in Huskie territory and UConn recovered, Turner fumbled on the very next play and Marshall recovered. This set up a 9-yard touchdown pass from Fancher to Gammage to put the Herd up 7-0 with 11:15 to go in the first quarter.

After four consecutive punts, Marshall scored again when defensive lineman Damion Barber Jr. picked off Turner and returned it 34 yards for a score to put the Herd up 14-0 with 3:23 to go in the first quarter. It was the first pick six for Marshall since Steven Gilmore, the brother of former South Carolina Gamecocks great Stephon Gilmore, had one in the win over Notre Dame on Sept. 10.

UConn squandered its first opportunity to get on the board when kicker Noe Ruelas missed a 45-yard field goal with 8:25 to go before half.

Marshall extended its lead when Fancher found Miller for a 10-yard touchdown pass to put the Herd up 21-0 with 7:05 to go before half.

UConn had another chance to put points on the board late in the second quarter, but the Huskies turned it over on downs when a pass from Tucker fell incomplete in the back of the end zone.

Ali padded Marshall’s lead with a 2-yard touchdown run to put the Herd up 28-0 with 9:51 to go in the third quarter.

UConn finally got on the board with 5:35 to go in the third quarter when Rosa found pay dirt from 14 yards out to cut the lead to 28-7. Rosa found the end zone again on UConn’s next drive, this time on a 24-yard run to cut the Herd to 28-14 as the third quarter clock expired.

UConn defensive back Malik Dixon-Williams picked off Fancher early in the fourth quarter to give the Huskies the ball back, but a sack and multiple penalties on UConn, including an unsportsmanlike conduct call on UConn head coach Jim Mora, left the Huskies with a 4th-and-13 try, and Turner’s pass to Kevens Clercius was broken up by Gilmore to give Marshall the ball back at its own 45-yard-line with 9:57 to go in the game.

After a Marshall punt, two costly penalties on the Herd got UConn into Marshall territory, but Herd defensive back Micah Abraham picked Turner off in the end zone to give Marshall the ball back at its own 20-yard-line with 5:09 to go in the game.

From there, Marshall was able to run the clock out and win the game thanks to UConn only having one timeout left.

Genshin Impact: Genshin Misadventures - Life And Times With Itto And Hei...

#GenshinImpact

Argentina 3-3 (4-2 Penalties) France

That moment has arrived that an entire country was waiting for 36 years ago. A month ago it was just a wish, a dream. But little by little, it began to become reality. THE ARGENTINE SELECTION IS WORLD CHAMPION. The Albiceleste is at the top of world football. Hand in hand with Lionel Scaloni as coach, Lionel Messi as its great figure and captain, and with a team that invaded us with football and dedication until the end. After drawing 3-3 at the Lusail Stadium, they defeated France on penalties in the final and won the most coveted cup on the planet.

 

The match

The first chance was at the feet of Alexis Mac Allister, with a mid-distance shot that was well controlled by the goalkeeper. Argentina continued to control the party's strings. A collective move ended with a shot by Rodrigo de Paul who was looking for a rival goal, but was deflected by a defender.

 

France always waited in its own camp. La Albiceleste continued to control the rhythm of the game and, after the first 20 minutes, Dembelé committed an offense inside the area against Di María and Lionel Messi changed the penalty for a goal to break zero.

The second blow came with a lethal counter. Argentina came out with a quick transition to pure touch: from Molina to Messi, Leo opened to the right for Álvarez, Julián did the same for Mac Allister and it was Alexis who assisted Di María, who did not hesitate and defined before the goalkeeper left for the 2-0.

The second part began with the same trend as the first. Scaloni's team continued to manage possession of the ball, looking for spaces with a touch and breaking lines with the precision of their playmakers. De Paul was the one who had the first approximation of the complement, with a volley well controlled by Lloris.

Julián Álvarez also had his own: he received near the area and shot against the goalkeeper's right post, which he controlled in two stages.

At 70 minutes into the game, France had their first approach with an individual play by Mbappé, which culminated in a shot that missed over the crossbar.

 

With just over 10 minutes to go, Kolo Muani got into the area, Nicolás Otamendi took him by the shoulder and Mbappé correctly executed the penalty marked by the referee: Emiliano Martínez came to touch the ball, but could not prevent it from it gets against his right stick.

 

The European team was going to hit again. Once again it was Kylian Mbappé who managed to beat the Argentine goalkeeper and, with an accurate volley shot, made it 2-2.

 

The emotion lasted until the last moment of regulation time. Lloris shone with a phenomenal save against a mid-range shot from Leo Messi and thus forced the game to go into extra time.

 

The first part of the extra time was very even. Both teams tried to find air and strength after a round trip game. Lautaro Martínez had two dangerous chances in front of the goal, but the last French line drowned out his goal cry.

 

Argentina never gave up. He fought until the end with football and courage. And, after a rebound from Lloris after a shot from Lautaro Martínez, it was Messi who pushed her under the arc to make things 3-2. However, the story incredibly did not end. After a shot on the edge of the area, the ball hit Montiel's arm and the referee awarded the third penalty of the final: Mbappé put things back to the beginning to take the title to the penalty shootout. But before, Dibu Martínez had an anthology save to bring the team to life.

 

Argentina 3 (4) - France 3 (2)

This is how history should have been defined from the twelve steps: Mbappé himself was the one who opened the penalty shootout, a shot that the Argentine goalkeeper could not contain at all.

Lionel Messi equalized the score and, in the next execution, Dibu Martínez became a hero again after saving France's second penalty: history put itself to the advantage for Argentina, once again. 

Paulo Dybala was in charge of keeping the score in favor of the Albiceleste with a shot in the middle and then Tchouaméni finished off the goal. With the goal from Leandro Paredes, Argentina sealed their difference by two goals. 

If the Frenchman Kolo Muani missed his penalty, Argentina was champion. But when converting, it was Gonzalo Montiel who had the sacred and definitive cry, which would materialize in the third world star. 

 

Summary of the party

Argentina: Emiliano Martinez; Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Nicolás Otamendi and Nicolás Tagliafico; Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernández and Alexis Mac Allister; Ángel Di María, Julián Álvarez and Lionel Messi. DT: Lionel Scaloni.

France: Hugo Lloris; Jules Koundé, Raphael Varane, Dayot Upamecano and Theo Hernández; Aurelien Tchouaméni and Adrien Rabiot; Kolo Muani, Antoine Griezmann and Thuram; Kylian Mbappé. DT: Didier Deschamps.

Goals in the first half: 23m. Messi (A), from a penalty kick, and 36m. Say Maria (A).

Goal in the second half: 35m. Mbappé (F), from a penalty kick, and 36m. Mbappe (F).

Goals in the second extra time: 4m. Messi (A) and 12m. Mbappé (F), from a penalty kick.

Definition by penalties: Mbappé and Kolo Muani converted for France.

Messi, Dybala, Paredes and Montiel scored for Argentina. "Dibu" Martínez blocked the shot from Coman (F) and Tchouanémi (F) deflected his shot.

Changes in the first half: 40m. Marcus Thuram for Dembelé and Randal Kolo Muani for Giroud (F). In the second half: 19m. Marcos Acuna for Di Maria (A); 26m. Kingsley Coman for Griezmann and Eduardo Camavinga for Hernández (F). In the first extra time, at the beginning, Gonzalo Montiel for Molina (A); 5m. Youssouf Fofana for Rabiot (F); 12m. Leandro Paredes for De Paul and Lautaro Martínez for Álvarez (A). In the second half: 7m. Ibrahima Konate by Varane (F) and 10m. Germán Pezzella by Mac Allister (A) and 15m. Dybala for Tagliafico (A) and Axel Disasi for Koundé (F).

Admonished: Enzo Fernández, Acuña, Paredes, Montiel and "Dibu" Martínez (A). Rabiot, Thuram and Giroud (F)

Referee: Szymon Marciniak (Poland), accompanied by his compatriots Pawel Sokolnicki (first assistant), Tomasz Listkiewicz (second) and Tomasz Kwiatkowski (VAR).

Stadium: Lusail.

Audience: 88,966 viewers.

 

Passes, possession and goals

The Argentine team totaled 3,804 passes, achieved a possession average of 73.5 percent with an accuracy of 59% in the seven games that led them to their third World Cup after the 1978 and 1986 titles.

The numbers demonstrated the offensive vocation of the team led by Lionel Scaloni that had Lionel Messi as its scorer with 7 goals in six of the seven challenges he had on his way to the title.

The Rosario was the one who scored the most on the net and the breakdown is as follows:

Saudi Arabia (1), Mexico (1), Australia (1), Netherlands (1); Croatia (1) and France (2).

In the seven games the albiceleste team finished off the rival goal on 132 occasions and generated 48 goal situations in the rival areas.

In the Qatar 2022 champion team, 23 of the 26 players that made up the World Cup squad participated.

 

presidential salute

President Alberto Fernández greeted the Argentine team: "Thanks to the players and technical team. They are the example that we should not give up. That we have a great people and a great future," Fernández wrote on his Twitter account, adding : "Always together, always united. We are world champions. There are no other words. Thank you."

 

MATCH REFEREES:

Referee: Szymon Marciniak (Poland)

Assistant 1: Pawel Sokolnicki (Poland)

Assistant 2: Tomasz Listkiewicz (Poland)

Fourth official: Ismail Elfath (United States)

Fifth official: Kathryn Nesbitt (United States)

VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski ( Poland)

AVAR: Juan Soto (Ecuador)

OVAR: Kyle Atkins (United States)

SVAR: Fernando Guerrero (Mexico)

SBAVAR: Corey Parker (United States)

SBVAR: B. Dankert (Germany)

ISML 2022: Genshin Impact Is Inevitable!

ISML 2022: Genshin Impact Is Inevitable!

By Jo-Ryan Salazar

The Bedlam on Baltic Avenue

19 December 2022

Match Day 2 of the 2022 International Saimoe League Amethyst Period is history. We start our roundup with a look back at the first round of the Genshin Impact Tournament. Over in Teyvat, Hu Tao routed Ningguang 3621-913, Kokomi Sangonomiya throttled Xiao 2770-1539, Yae Miko grounded Ayato Kamisato 3388-911, Klee exploded past Fischl 2788-1535, Nahida romped past Mona 3229-1131, Venti flew past Tartaglia 2627-1306, Ganyu raced past Diluc 3545-811 and Lumine eased past Qiqi 2832-1441.

Wrapping up Genshin Impact play, Raiden Shogun eradicated the Wanderer 3792-709, Shenhe buried Nilou 2377-1768, Keqing bolted past Yun Jin 3219-1173, Yoimiya got past Barbara 2664-1519, Ayaka Kamisato froze Aether 3542-889, Eula prevailed over Paimon 2227-2185, Zhongli flattened Yelan 2529-1709 and Kazuha Kaedehara defeated Noelle 2239-1991.

In a number of three-way races, advancing were Ruiko Saten (2723), Misaki Shokuhou (2856) and Ram (2218). Willem Kmetsu and Yuzuru Otonashi defeated Rentarou Satomi and Lelouch Lamperouge 2090-1948 and Joseph Joestar and Giovanna Giorno defeated Inuyasha and Roronoa Zoro 2334-2079.

In the Female Division, Yukino Yukinoshita thumped Mitsuha Miyamizu 3626-2103, Nao Tomori blew past Nino Nakano 3285-2223, Kuroko Shirai overcame Utaha Kasumigaoka 3391-2250, Mikoto Misaka routed Azusa Nakano 3858-2142, Eru Chitanda stormed past Chika Fujiwara 3805-2083, Tamako Kitashirakawa pounded Tsukasa Yuzaki 2963-2292 and Mai Sakurajima rompedpast Zero Two 3505-1873.

Chisato Nishikigi defeated Isla 2719-2579, Megumi Katou eased past Ritsu Tainaka 2866-2460, Violet Evergarden got past Index Prohibitorum 3427-2722, Sagiri Izumi slayed Marin Kitagawa 2942-2396, Emilia dismantled Taiga Aisaka 3121-2103, Rikka Takanashi rocked Shiro 3588-2090 and Kurumi Tokisaki shot down Takina Inoue 3291-2299.

Wrapping up play in the Female Division, Kaguya Shinomiya shook Ai Haibara 3361-2572, Elaina rolled past Sora Kasugano 3497-2081, Mio Akiyama boomed past Shouko Nishimiya 3034-2415, Yui Hirasawa drilled Kamui Kanna 3195-2135, Rem rammed Asuna Yuuki 3204-2297, Miko Nakano hammered Yui Yuigahama 3056-2466 and Mashiro Shiina flew past Kanade Tachibana 3010-2281.

In the Male Division, Kazuto Kirigaya slashed past Fuutarou Uesugi 3060-1668, Sora defeated Takashi Natsume 2427-2208, Miyuki Shirogane eased past Masamune Izumi 2573-2090, Sakuta Azusagawa slaughtered Haruka Kasugano 3490-1522, Touma Kamijou broke Tomoya Okazaki 3171-1840, Joutarou Kuujou jojo's Kyoujurou Rengoku 2322-2038 and Kiyotaka Ayanokouji defeated Kousei Arima 2692-1874.

Izumi Miyamura scored the Upset of the Round, a 2533-2049 win over Riku Dola, Satoru Gojou bounced past Ainz Ooal Gown 2435-1881, Hachiman Hikigaya pounded Mochizou Ouji 3626-1549, Yuu Otosaka defeated Kaito Kuroba 2890-2038, Levi leveled Nasa Yuzaki 2405-2174, Houtarou Oreki thumped Shidou Itauka 3779-1599 and Conan Edogawa slipped past Loid Forger 2757-2302.

Wrapping up Male Division play, Yuu Ishigami took down Shirou Emiya 2315-2197, Yuuta Togashi flattened Dio Brando 3609-1588, Subaru Natsuki drove past Itachi Uchiha 2734-2068, Saika Totsuka toasted Shinpei Ajiro 2367-2304, Accelerator accelerated past Ken Kaneki 3521-1518, Taki Tachibana defeated Tanjiro Kamado 2784-2008 and Rimuru Tempest stormed past Sorata Kanda 2439-2093.

In Seasonal action, Nezuko Kamado defeated Silence Suzuka 2539-2024, Kotoko Iwanaga rolled past Tooru Amuro 2582-1917, Illyasviel von Einzbern rolled past Sakura Matou 2136-1557, Takagi talked down Special Week 2348-1510, Ninym Ralei rallies past Toge Inumaki 2390-1614, Sajuna Inui defeated Kobayashi 2334-2197, Kyaru overcame Yuuko Yoshida 2061-1750 and Eris Boreas Greyrat ratted out Wakana Gojo 2496-1572.

Match Day 3 of the 2022 International Saimoe League Amethyst Period is scheduled for 20 December 2022. Vote for your favorites at InternationalSaimoe.com and join the ongoing debate.