5 Top Performers of Opening Weekend of 2014 Bowl Season
How action-packed was Saturday's slate of bowl games? One way to look at it is that we're already about one-eighth of the way through bowl season.
We're going to be at the College Football Playoff semifinals before you know it.
But before looking ahead to those games and more, it's time to look back at the weekend that was and which players stood out. The top performers from each of Saturday's five bowl games can be found in the following slides.
While many of this weekend's top performers were named bowl MVPs, it's not a requirement here.
Utah Quarterback Travis Wilson
1 of 5
Stats: 17-of-26 passing, 249 total yards, 4 total TDs
Quarterback has been a seesaw at times for Utah this season. Between Tyler Wilson and Kendal Thompson, the Utes haven't always been able to get consistent play from that position.
Wilson not only settled into the starting job by the end of the season, he provided some optimism for next year as well in a 45-10 win over Colorado State in the Las Vegas Bowl.
The junior threw for just 158 yards but scored three rushing touchdowns as the Utes ran over the Rams. In all, the Utes ran for 359 yards, at a whopping 7.5 yards per rush, and five touchdowns. Running back Devontae Booker led the team with 162 yards, but Wilson was a threat with his legs, producing 91 yards on the ground.
"Obviously, we were prepared for the zone read, they were giving it to us out of a couple of formations that we hadn't seen," CSU linebacker Max Morgan told Matt L. Stephens of USA Today. "A couple missed tackles, there were a couple missed assignments. Hindsight is 20/20, but you (have to) give credit to them and their scheme and their execution."
Hand it to Utah's coaching staff. Right from the start, the Utes started pulling out trick plays and got creative with the playbook. Colorado State was on its heels all game.
Louisiana-Lafayette Quarterback Terrance Broadway
2 of 5
Stats: 26-of-31 passing, 227 passing yards, 1 TD
In addition to having an all-time name, Louisiana-Lafayette quarterback Terrance Broadway ended his collegiate career on a solid note.
The Ragin' Cajuns' 16-3 win over Nevada in the New Orleans Bowl didn't feature a ton of offense, but Broadway was spectacular. He was on point all day in the passing game, setting an NCAA Division I bowl game record by completing his first 14 passes.
In a battle of dual-threat quarterbacks, Broadway outplayed Nevada's Cody Fajardo, who had 124 yards passing and 49 yards rushing but averaged only about four yards per touch.
In that sense, ULL's defense could have been the star of the game. Specifically, the Ragin' Cajuns defensive line got penetration into the Wolf Pack's backfield all day.
It's tough to argue with a NCAA record, however. As Chris B. Brown of Grantland opines, Broadway could be an intriguing developmental project at the NFL level.
Utah State Linebackers Nick and Zach Vigil
3 of 5
Stats: 16 combined tackles, 1 rushing TD
Yeah, we're cheating and taking two players here, but it's impossible not to be impressed with Utah State linebackers Zach and Nick Vigil.
The brothers combined for 16 tackles in a 21-6 win over UTEP in the New Mexico Bowl. Zach, a senior, had nine of those tackles and was named Defensive Player of the Game; Nick, a sophomore, added another seven tackles and a three-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. On the day, Nick had eight carries for 34 yards.
Utah State leaned on its defense after fourth-string quarterback Kent Myers went down with an injury in the second quarter. Ronald Butler, a fifth-string quarterback and receiver, briefly filled in before Myers came back into the game.
The Aggies defense held UTEP to just 270 total yards and 12 first downs.
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Air Force Running Back Shayne Davern
4 of 5
Stats: 12 carries, 101 yards, 2 TDs
Western Michigan wide receiver Corey Davis had a big game with eight receptions for 176 yards and three touchdowns, but he didn't do most of his damage until the fourth quarter. That's when the Broncos had to pass the ball to come from behind.
It didn't work either way, and Air Force came away with a 38-24 win the Idaho Potato Bowl.
Leading the way for the Falcons was running back Shayne Davern, who had 101 yards and two touchdowns on just 12 carries. The 101 yards was a career high for the sophomore. His longest rush of the day was a 55-yard touchdown.
Western Michigan had no answer for Air Force's ground game. The Falcons ran the ball 64 times at 4.4 yards per rush. Though Davern had the fewest carries between him, running back D.J. Johnson (20) and quarterback Kale Pearson (14), he was the most explosive playmaker by far.
Bowling Green Wide Receiver Roger Lewis
5 of 5
Stats: 4 catches, 137 yards, 2 TDs
Bowling Green Wide Receiver Roger Lewis didn't have the most catches in the Camellia Bowl. That would be Falcons receiver Gehrig Dieter. But Lewis did have the most important catch of the game: a 78-yard touchdown reception with 1:04 remaining.
That gave Bowling Green the thrilling 33-28 win over South Alabama.
"Obviously we wanted to be aggressive with that play call, and Roger was 1-on-1," Falcons quarterback James Knapke told The Associated Press after the game (via ESPN.com). "My job was to just give him the ball and he made the play after that."
Knapke was named the game's MVP, but Lewis, just a freshman, came through in the clutch with the crucial catch. On the season, Lewis finished with 1,093 yards and seven touchdowns. He eclipsed the 100-yard mark six times, including Saturday.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football.
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