B/R's College Football Awards: 2023 Bowl Season Part 1
The most wonderful time of the year, as always, also featured the start of college football's bowl season.
From Dec. 16-23, there were 17 games between Football Bowl Subdivision teams. We had wild comebacks, breakout freshmen, ridiculous box scores and historic wins.
And people still think there's too many bowls. Pssh.
B/R's Weekly Awards will be awfully busy throughout the postseason. This edition will be heavy on Group of Five programs, along with a few shoutouts for Power Five teams.
If you're new here, hi! B/R's Weekly Awards is an often-lighthearted review of what happened in college football over the weekend.
Team of the Week: Northwestern Wildcats
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Shortly before the season, allegations of hazing ended the tenure of longtime Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald.
David Braun, who'd recently been hired as the defensive coordinator, took on the interim position as head coach. He entered a ridiculously tough position, not solely because of the timing in July. Last season, NU averaged 13.8 points—the worst in the P5—and finished just 1-11.
Fast-forward six months, and the Wildcats are entering the offseason on an unexpectedly positive note.
Northwestern capped the campaign with an 8-5 record thanks to a tight victory over Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl. The defense surrendered just 211 yards in a 14-7 triumph.
Braun did a remarkable job in a difficult spot, and his recent promotion to the permament job is well-deserved.
Statement of the Week: Georgia Tech Rolls UCF
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Winning a bowl doesn't suddenly launch a program into a higher range of competitiveness in future seasons.
It certainly doesn't hurt the vibes, either.
During the Gasparilla Bowl opposite UCF, Georgia Tech recovered from an early 14-point deficit and secured a 30-17 victory to earn its first bowl win since 2018.
The latter note is not a coincidence. Georgia Tech has endured a challenging half-decade since Paul Johnson retired. Transitioning from his triple-option scheme to a modern offense was always going to be difficult, but the Yellow Jackets went 10-28 in Geoff Collins' tenure.
Brent Key replaced him as the interim and—like NU's Braun this season—sparked the program.
After a 4-4 finish to 2022, the Jackets made Key their permanent coach. They've now posted a winning record and just signed the seventh-best class in the ACC, its best finish in the league since 2020.
Momentum is an intangible concept, but a stronger recruiting pitch can help Georgia Tech keep moving in a positive direction.
Backup of the Week: Caden Veltkamp Sparks WKU
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So far, Caden Veltkamp is the most interesting player of bowl season.
Back in November, he entered the transfer portal but chose to stick around for the Famous Toastery Bowl. That decision may have altered his future at Western Kentucky.
As starter Austin Reed sat, WKU turned to Turner Helton and Veltkamp. Helton struggled as the Hilltoppers fell behind 21-0, and another fumble on Veltkamp's first possession led to a 28-0 deficit.
And then, magic.
Veltkamp propelled an epic comeback, completing 40-of-52 passes for 383 yards and five touchdowns. He tossed three scores in the fourth quarter, including one in the final minute to force overtime. Lucas Carneiro's 29-yard field goal eventually sealed WKU's 38-35 win.
But that's not all.
"[The coaches] told me if I come back I'm a tight end," Veltkamp told reporters after the memorable win. "So we will see if they still want to do that. We'll see."
How brutally and lovably honest. Veltkamp proved himself worthy of a chance, whether it's at WKU or elsewhere.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Relief of the Week: Air Force Breaks the Skid
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I wanted to love you, Air Force. (And boost my ego.)
Back in mid-September, I pushed the Falcons into a projected New Year's Six bowl. Between a strong rushing attack, stingy defense and favorable schedule, they had a terrific shot at making an appearance on the national scene. And, hey, Air Force rattled off an 8-0 start!
November, however, was unkind to an injury-plagued team, and it humbled my selfish hope of getting it right earlier than others.
The collapse began with a 23-3 loss to Army (then 2-6) before Air Force stumbled at Hawai'i, against UNLV and at Boise State. One disastrous month later, the Falcons were 8-4.
Finally, the streak is over. Air Force ended the slide with a 31-21 win over an admittedly short-handed James Madison in the Armed Forces Bowl. Emmanuel Michel keyed the Falcons with 203 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Throw out the shortened 2020 season, and Air Force has recorded nine-plus wins in four straight years.
Freshman of the Week: Ohio's Rickey Hunt
5 of 7Heading into the Myrtle Beach Bowl against Georgia Southern, running back Rickey Hunt had totaled seven touches in 2023.
So, naturally, the freshman scored five touchdowns.
After top backs Sieh Bangura and O'Shaan Allison both entered the transfer portal, Ohio leaned on Hunt and Nolan McCormick (and backup quarterback Parker Navarro, too). Hunt turned his 17 carries into 115 yards and four scores, also catching an 18-yard touchdown.
Aided by a terrific defensive effort—the unit forced five turnovers—the Bobcats cruised to a 41-21 victory.
Hunt has three years of eligibility left, and he might not have a better performance in his college career.
First-Timers of the Week: Historic Bowl Wins
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This kind of accomplishment helps make bowl season special.
Jacksonville State edged Louisiana 34-31 in overtime at the New Orleans Bowl, capping its FBS debut with a first-ever bowl victory. Garrison Rippa converted the decisive 27-yard field goal in OT.
Within a week, both UTSA and South Alabama followed suit as first-time bowl winners.
Even without star quarterback Frank Harris in the Frisco Bowl, UTSA rolled Marshall 35-17. South Alabama then obliterated Eastern Michigan 59-10 in the 68 Ventures Bowl. (We're not really going to talk about the postgame punch, but please don't hit people.)
I hope you don't believe there are too many bowls. Otherwise, we'd lose moments like these.
Best of the Rest
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Defense of the Week: USF Blanks Syracuse
Over the past three seasons, South Florida mustered a 4-29 record and ranked no better than 117th in points allowed per game. While the defense was still a work in progress this season, the unit ended on a tremendous note. The unit limited Syracuse to 159 yards with a 1-of-17 mark on third down, propelling USF to a 45-0 shutout in the Boca Raton Bowl.
Record of the Week: Freddie Brock's Big Day
Freddie Brock, like Ohio's Hunt, ascended from a seasonlong backup to a postseason star. Brock entered the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl with six carries for 31 yards in 2023. He replaced Missouri-bound starter Marcus Carroll and proceeded to set Georgia State's single-game record with 276 rushing yards in a 45-22 triumph over Utah State.
Golf Clap of the Week: Louisiana's Opportunistic Defense
Look, the Ragin' Cajuns lost to Jacksonville State in OT. Sure, they allowed 34 points, but it's tough to blame the defense. Jalen Clark returned two interceptions for touchdowns, and Tyree Skipper had a third pick-six. The unit yielded 526 yards yet faced 109 plays—allowing only 4.8 yards per snap is actually really good! It would've helped if UL's offense gained more than 247 yards.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
