25 Players Guaranteed to Light Up the Stat Sheet This Bowl Season
This Saturday, the final act of the 2015 college football season will begin with the first slate of bowl games. And if some of college football's brightest stars have been saving their best for last, now is the time for them to go all out.
From the ace quarterbacks of pass-happy attacks to the do-it-all defenders who impact games in nearly every conceivable way, 'tis the season to stuff the box scores.
This year's edition of Bleacher Report's 25 players guaranteed to light up the stat sheet features a wide range of players from all across the country. Some of them are from Power Five powerhouses that every college football fan should know. Others are stars from smaller schools who are ready to take full advantage of the postseason spotlight.
All of them have one thing in common, though—they have tremendous potential to rack up tremendous numbers over the next few weeks. These 25 players were chosen based on their favorable individual matchups, supporting casts and statistical success throughout the regular season.
Tell us who you think will put up the best numbers during bowl season in the comments below and enjoy Saturday's postseason action.
BYU QB Tanner Mangum
1 of 25
Matchup: Las Vegas Bowl vs. Utah (Dec. 19, 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC)
The hero of BYU's first two incredible wins this season should star again in the Las Vegas Bowl, which will double as the return of the Holy War rivalry with Utah. The Utes have a stifling run defense, and the Cougars will most likely go to Mangum's deep passing game early and often.
"The Utes rank fourth in Rushing S&P+ and hold significant advantages over the Cougars in virtually every rushing category," Bill Connelly of SB Nation wrote. "BYU's offense will rest mostly on Mangum's shoulder. That has frequently worked out fine for BYU this year."
Magnum will have to be careful when he lets it fly Saturday against Utah, as the Utes picked off 19 passes in 12 games this season. But if the famous freshman can continue to be efficient and explosive through the air, he should have a big day in what is sure to be a top-notch bowl showdown.
Louisiana Tech QB Jeff Driskel
2 of 25
Matchup: New Orleans Bowl vs. Arkansas State (Dec. 20, 9 p.m. ET on ESPN)
The college career of Jeff Driskel will come to an end Saturday when the former Florida quarterback leads Louisiana Tech into a NOLA Bowl game matchup against Arkansas State. Expect plenty of fireworks from Driskel, who had at least 290 passing yards in nine of his 12 games this season for the Bulldogs.
It's feast or famine for most quarterbacks who face off with Arkansas State this season. The Red Wolves lead the country with 26 interceptions, but they also allowed more than 300 passing yards in three of their final five games. Driskel threw three picks in the season finale against Southern Miss, and he'll be determined to finish his time with the Bulldogs on a much higher note.
This game has the potential to be a high-scoring thriller between two potent offenses, and Driskel should get plenty of opportunities to create big plays through the air. Another 300-yard game should be the floor for him in this one.
Akron LB Jatavis Brown
3 of 25
Matchup: Famous Idaho Potato Bowl vs. Utah State (Dec. 22, 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN)
If you're looking for someone who can rack up the defensive stats in the early portion of bowl season, let your search begin with Akron linebacker Jatavis Brown. He led the MAC in sacks and tackles for loss while also leading his Zips in tackles and forced fumbles.
Brown, the leader of a strong Akron defensive front, will be asked to do a lot in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl when he squares off against Utah State's spread attack. He's a weapon against both the run and the pass and is also one of the surest tacklers in the Group of Five this season.
Brown recorded a tackle for loss in each of the final seven games of the season and hit double-digit total tackles in three of those contests. This Zip will pin his ears back and come after everything the Aggies throw his way this postseason.
Temple LB Tyler Matakevich
4 of 25
Matchup: Boca Raton Bowl vs. Toledo (Dec. 22, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN)
The Boca Raton Bowl will mark the end of Tyler Matakevich's excellent college career. The Temple linebacker has been a tackle machine for the Owls, hitting triple digits in that category in all four seasons.
At one point this season, Temple and Toledo were both front-runners for the Group of Five's New Year's Six bowl berth. But Temple lost to Houston in the American Championship Game, while Toledo dropped two of its final four games before the departure of head coach Matt Campbell to Iowa State.
Matakevich should have a lot of close encounters in the box with Toledo running back Kareem Hunt in this one, and he'll be motivated to lead Temple to its first 11-win season in school history. Look for this year's Bednarik and Nagurski winner to go all out for Temple and stuff the stat sheet one more time.
Boise State DE Kamalei Correa
5 of 25
Matchup: Poinsettia Bowl vs. Northern Illinois (Dec. 23, 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN)
Kamalei Correa could suit up for his final game with Boise State in the Poinsettia Bowl, a matchup between two of the most successful Group of Five programs of the last decade. This matchup should give Correa plenty of chances to shine for any NFL teams that may be watching.
Northern Illinois is 91st nationally in tackles for loss allowed this season, and it gave up plenty of those against stout rushes during its run to the MAC Championship Game. The Huskies also have some issues at quarterback heading into this bowl matchup, which impacted their top-notch rushing attack in a big way in the final two games of the season.
Those problems on the offensive side of the ball will give Correa a chance to wow the crowd in another bowl game. Last year in the Fiesta Bowl against Arizona, he was a constant presence in the Wildcats' backfield en route to a big-time win.
Bowling Green WR Roger Lewis
6 of 25
Matchup: GoDaddy Bowl vs. Georgia Southern (Dec. 23, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN)
The GoDaddy Bowl will match up two outstanding offenses that do things in completely different fashion. MAC champion Bowling Green will get most of its yardage through the air, with Matt Johnson slinging the ball to a variety of receivers—most notably Roger Lewis.
Georgia Southern gave up quite a lot through the air this season against great passing attacks, including rival Georgia State, who had 346 yards in the Eagles' regular-season finale. The Eagles gave up 119 yards alone to Georgia State's No. 1 receiver, Penny Hart.
Lewis, the nation's No. 4 receiver in terms of yards per contest, posted seven 100-yard games and three 200-yard games in the first nine games of the year. He's due for another big-time performance after a rather quiet end to the regular season.
Georgia Southern RB Matt Breida
7 of 25
Matchup: GoDaddy Bowl vs. Bowling Green (Dec. 23, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN)
That's right—this GoDaddy Bowl has great potential to produce a stat-sheet stuffer on both teams. Georgia Southern will counter with top back Matt Breida, the leader of its option-running attack.
Look for the Eagles to preach ball control all throughout the game against Bowling Green and its quick-strike offense. In turn, the Eagles should create explosive plays on the ground, as Bowling Green gave up a lot of rushing yardage against Tennessee, Ohio and Western Michigan this season.
Those teams were great challenges for the Falcons' rush defense, but none of them is like Georgia Southern, the nation's No. 1 running attack for the second straight season. In their first-ever bowl game, look for the Eagles to lean on their star running back.
Western Michigan WR Corey Davis
8 of 25
Matchup: Bahamas Bowl vs. Middle Tennessee (Dec. 24, noon ET on ESPN)
P.J. Fleck and Western Michigan are going to row the boat right on down to the Bahamas this bowl season for a matchup against Middle Tennessee. Last year, this bowl game featured 979 combined passing yards, so the Broncos should feel right at home with their aerial assault.
Daniel Braverman gets a ton of deserved attention in the Western Michigan passing game, but keep an eye on No. 2 receiver Corey Davis. He was on fire down the stretch of the regular season, posting six straight 100-yard games for Western Michigan. Davis should have no problem torching a Blue Raiders pass defense that gave up huge chunks of yards through the air against quality passing attacks in 2015.
Davis could be off to the NFL as a draft-eligible junior after this season, so expect him to get open and rack up plenty of yards down in the Bahamas Bowl.
SDSU RB Donnel Pumphrey
9 of 25
Matchup: Hawaii Bowl vs. Cincinnati (Dec. 24, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN)
Donnel Pumphrey won't be in a gift-giving mood on Christmas Even when his SDSU Aztecs take on Cincinnati in the Hawaii Bowl. Instead, this star running back will most likely hand out punishment to a Bearcats defense that has been woeful against the run all season long.
Pumphrey churned out 1,554 yards in the regular season for the Mountain West champions and hit triple digits in eight straight games. Cincinnati, on the other hand, allowed 200 rushing yards in four of its final games of the season, including a 361-yard effort from South Florida. Pumphrey should run wild on the islands.
If the Aztecs are forced to go to the air in order to keep up with Cincinnati's own prolific offense, Pumphrey can be a weapon there, too. He is coming off a game in which he recorded 64 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Marshall LB Evan McKelvey
10 of 25
Matchup: St. Petersburg Bowl vs. UConn (Dec. 26, 11 a.m. ET on ESPN)
Another senior defensive leader who is gearing up for his final game, Marshall linebacker Evan McKelvey has the perfect opportunity to dominate the stat sheet one more time for the Thundering Herd. He should be able to rampage through a UConn offense that was abysmal in 2015.
"The Herd held seven of its 12 opponents to 13 points or fewer and they are led by Conference USA player of the year Evan McKelvey, a senior linebacker who had 113 tackles to rank second in the league," Desmond Conner of the Hartford Courant wrote. "At 17.8 points a game, the Huskies are ranked 100th in the nation in scoring. They've been held to a touchdown or less three times."
UConn was also ranked near the bottom of the barrel nationally in both tackles for loss and sacks allowed this season. Look for McKelvey to do everything—and a lot of it—for this defense against the troubled Huskies offense.
Washington State QB Luke Falk
11 of 25
Matchup: Sun Bowl vs. Miami (Dec. 26, 2 p.m. ET on CBS)
The Sun Bowl should be a nice passing showcase between Washington State and Miami. And, if healthy, Luke Falk is the more likely to emerge victorious against Hurricanes quarterback Brad Kaaya.
Falk had monster games on almost everyone he played against this season in Mike Leach's famed Air Raid attack. He led the nation with 387.8 passing yards per game and only tossed eight interceptions in 591 passing attempts this season.
Another factor that will work in his favor against Kaaya is that Miami doesn't have a strong pass rush, while the Hurricanes quarterback should be up against plenty of pressure from the Cougars all game long. That should set up nicely for another day of eye-popping numbers from this Washington State star.
Duke QB Thomas Sirk
12 of 25
Matchup: Pinstripe Bowl vs. Indiana (Dec. 26, 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC)
Thomas Sirk and the rest of the Duke offense went on a late-season slide, but the dual-threat quarterback got back on track in the regular-season finale with a big day against Wake Forest. Now, he'll face an Indiana defense that was third-worst among Power Five teams in total yardage this season.
"All the guys are really bought in to what we’re going in to accomplish," Sirk said, per Marilyn Payne of WRAL. "We’re going to have a good time, but we’re going to have a good time winning."
This has all the makings of a fun shootout, and Sirk should be able to attack the Hoosiers both through the air and on the ground. When he got hot earlier in the season, he was tough to slow down. Getting to that point shouldn't be a problem against a defense that had a hard time stopping anybody in 2015.
Virginia Tech WR Isaiah Ford
13 of 25
Matchup: Independence Bowl vs. Tulsa (Dec. 26, 5:45 p.m. ET on ESPN)
Virginia Tech wide receiver Isaiah Ford just needs 63 yards in the Independence Bowl to get to 1,000 on the year. And with the way Tulsa's pass defense looked in 2015, he should have no problem getting that and a whole lot more in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Ford finished Virginia Tech's regular season on a high note, posting 155 receiving yards in an overtime loss to ACC Coastal champion North Carolina and 121 yards in a rivalry win over Virginia that sent the Hokies to the postseason.
He seems like a lock to reach his 1,000-yard milestone in head coach Frank Beamer's last game, as Tulsa had the nation's fifth-worst pass defense in the regular season. Ford should be motivated to have a huge day against the Golden Hurricane.
Pittsburgh WR Tyler Boyd
14 of 25
Matchup: Military Bowl vs. Navy (Dec. 28, 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN)
Tyler Boyd looks like an NFL-bound wide receiver, and the Pittsburgh star has another opportunity to stand out at the college level in a Military Bowl matchup against Navy.
The Midshipmen will be fired up to play in this virtual home game—the final one for legendary quarterback Keenan Reynolds—but Boyd could steal the show here. Navy gave up more than 275 passing yards this season to ECU, Notre Dame, Memphis, Tulsa and Houston. Option-running Army even cracked the 200-yard mark against the Mids.
Look for Boyd to dominate this matchup and showcase his full skill set in what could be the final game of his outstanding Pittsburgh career. He needs 127 yards to crack 1,000 for his third straight season as a Panther.
Air Force S Weston Steelhammer
15 of 25
Matchup: Armed Forces Bowl vs. Cal (Dec. 29, 2 p.m. ET on ESPN)
Not only does Weston Steelhammer lead Air Force in the "coolest name" category, but he is near the top in most of the actual statistics too. Steelhammer leads the Falcons in tackles and interceptions, and he has a high standing in tackles for loss and sacks—especially for a defensive back.
Steelhammer will be asked to do it all against Cal, which will bring prized pro quarterback prospect Jared Goff and the Bear Raid offense into the Armed Forces Bowl. He should get plenty of tackles against this passing attack, and there's a great chance he could get his hands on some deep balls from Goff.
"Jared Goff is an elite quarterback but at times he can throw picks," Jeremy Mauss of SB Nation wrote. "If the Air Force defense can get some picks—looking at you Weston Steelhammer—they could get the upset."
LSU RB Leonard Fournette
16 of 25
Matchup: Texas Bowl vs. Texas Tech (Dec. 29, 9 p.m. ET on ESPN)
Leonard Fournette's late-season slide cost him a shot at the Heisman Trophy this season, but he could get a head start on the 2016 campaign with a massive bowl performance. Texas Tech, LSU's opponent in the Texas Bowl, is the ideal team to face in this situation.
Texas Tech had the worst rush defense among Power Five teams this season, allowing almost six yards per carry and 42 touchdowns on the ground in 2015. Half of the Red Raiders' opponents got 300 rushing yards on them this season, and Oklahoma and Texas each passed the 400-yard threshold.
You know what happens when Fournette gets a bad defense in his cross hairs—he obliterates it. He should have no problem creating more highlight-reel moments in the Texas Bowl against a defense that won't put up much of a fight.
Baylor RB Shock Linwood
17 of 25
Matchup: Russell Athletic Bowl vs. North Carolina (Dec. 29, 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN)
Baylor's quarterback situation is still somewhat up in the air heading into the Russell Athletic Bowl against North Carolina. In that case, the Bears should be able to lean on big-play back Shock Linwood, who averaged 6.78 yards per touch in the regular season.
While North Carolina's defense improved under first-year coordinator Gene Chizik, it was woeful against the run down the stretch. The Tar Heels allowed at least 300 rushing yards in three of their final five games.
All three of those contests were high-scoring affairs, and this one looks like it has the potential to be another one as the nation's two best offenses in terms of yards per play go head-to-head. How well Baylor will be able to pass the ball remains to be seen, but Linwood should hit UNC for big plays time and time again on the ground.
Memphis QB Paxton Lynch
18 of 25
Matchup: Birmingham Bowl vs. Auburn (Dec. 30, noon ET on ESPN)
Don't be surprised if Paxton Lynch's final game as a Memphis Tiger doubles as an NFL draft highlight tape. Memphis is facing Auburn, which doesn't have a true defensive coordinator after Will Muschamp's departure to South Carolina, in this year's Birmingham Bowl.
"Paxton Lynch vs. Auburn's secondary is NSFW. https://t.co/UdLFDczifh
— Barrett Sallee (@BarrettSallee) December 6, 2015"
Lynch threw for 384 yards and three touchdowns earlier this year against a better SEC defense in Ole Miss. Auburn gave up 350 passing yards in three separate games this season, and one of those was a late-season win over lowly Idaho.
With a changing coaching situation on the defensive side of the ball—after what was a lackluster season in that department—Auburn could be in for a long day in its home state. Lynch should put up his 10th 300-yard game of the season and head to the next level on a high note.
Louisville OLB Devonte Fields
19 of 25
Matchup: Music City Bowl vs. Texas A&M (Dec. 30, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN)
December hasn't been kind to Texas A&M, especially on offense. Former highly recruited quarterbacks Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray were both granted their releases to transfer elsewhere, leaving third-stringer Jake Hubenak as the starter for the Music City Bowl.
That quarterback situation is already a huge long-term problem for the Aggies, and it doesn't look good in the short term as they face the relentless rush of Louisville outside linebacker Devonte Fields. The Cardinals star tied for second nationally in tackles for loss during the regular season, and the Texas A&M offensive line ranked 99th in sacks allowed.
Louisville will unleash the full strength of Fields against an offense that is already in a shaky situation heading into bowl season. The outside linebacker recorded multiple tackles for loss in five of his last six games, and that streak should continue in Nashville, Tennessee.
Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott
20 of 25
Matchup: Fiesta Bowl vs. Notre Dame (Jan. 1, 1 p.m. ET on ESPN)
The monumental New Year's Six matchup between legendary programs Ohio State and Notre Dame should feature a lot of Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott in his final game with the program.
Notre Dame was 79th in rushing yards allowed per play this season, and the Irish will face possibly their toughest big-play running back of the season in Elliott. The only thing that has been able to slow down the Buckeyes back has been Ohio State's play-calling—he ran for more than 100 yards in every game except for the lone loss to Michigan State.
Don't expect Urban Meyer and his offensive staff to limit Elliott's carries again, especially after he went for 214 yards and two touchdowns against a good Michigan defense in the regular-season finale. Elliott will look to put on a show against a Notre Dame defense that is talented but quite vulnerable on the ground.
Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey
21 of 25
Matchup: Rose Bowl vs. Iowa (Jan. 1, 5 p.m. ET on ESPN)
This one has to be the most obvious choice, right? Stanford star and Heisman runner-up Christian McCaffrey has racked up an average of 268.9 all-purpose yards per game this season and broke Barry Sanders' all-time single-season FBS record in that category. Now, he's ready to prepare for Iowa in the Rose Bowl.
"Whether I was [at the Heisman ceremony] or not, whether I won or not, the fuel always has to be there," McCaffrey said, per Vytas Mazeika of the Palo Alto Daily News. "I don't get the fuel from that. I can't control that. I can control how hard I work and how hard I practice, so that's what I'm going to do."
Iowa will be a tough defensive challenge for the do-it-all McCaffrey on offense, but the area he should be able to exploit for some extra yardage is in the kick-return game. The Hawkeyes ranked 106th nationally in average yards allowed per kick return, and McCaffrey has made plenty of teams pay in that department this season.
Ole Miss WR Laquon Treadwell
22 of 25
Matchup: Sugar Bowl vs. Oklahoma State (Jan. 1, 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN)
The Sugar Bowl will probably be Laquon Treadwell's last game for Ole Miss, and the Rebels offense will want to send him out on top in New Orleans. Quarterback Chad Kelly has been masterful at feeding the ball to Treadwell this season, as he had six 100-yard games in 2015.
Ole Miss' opponent, Oklahoma State, had some issues this season when it came to giving up big plays through the air. The nation's 92nd-ranked pass defense allowed 480 yards to Texas Tech, 445 to TCU and 396 to Baylor.
The amount of weapons Ole Miss has throughout its receiving corps will prevent Oklahoma State from just locking onto Treadwell in this bowl matchup. When he gets his opportunities, though, he should gash the Cowboys for big plays downfield.
Georgia OLB Leonard Floyd
23 of 25
Matchup: TaxSlayer Bowl vs. Penn State (Jan. 2, noon ET on ESPN)
Earlier this week, I mentioned Georgia's other edge-rushing specialist, Jordan Jenkins, as a player who could raise his NFL draft stock with a huge game against Penn State this bowl season. Let's give the nod to Leonard Floyd this time around, especially considering he had a stronger end to the 2015 regular season.
Floyd will line up with Jenkins against a Penn State offensive line that has been beyond dreadful at protecting the backfield this season. The Nittany Lions are ranked 118th nationally in sacks allowed and 110th in tackles for loss allowed, and now they have to deal with a constant menace like Floyd off the edge.
This is another potential draft showcase game for Floyd, who has first-round potential as a talented edge-rusher. He's shown the ability to take over games this season, and he's a strong candidate to do just that against Penn State in the TaxSlayer Bowl.
Arkansas QB Brandon Allen
24 of 25
Matchup: Liberty Bowl vs. Kansas State (Jan. 2, 3:20 p.m. ET on ESPN)
Another potential rising draft pick to watch, Brandon Allen will end his Arkansas career with a favorable matchup in the Liberty Bowl against Kansas State. His senior surge was quite impressive under first-year coordinator Dan Enos, as he cracked the 400-yard mark three times on a team known for power running.
"The Wildcats struggle to defend the pass, though they play in the pass-heavy Big 12," Sam Khan Jr. of ESPN.com wrote. "Kansas State allows 7.51 yards per pass attempt (101st nationally) and 283.1 passing yards per game (119th). Though his lack of postseason accolades don’t show it, Allen was arguably the SEC’s best quarterback this season."
Allen should light up the Wildcats without any problem, as he played some of his best games this season in the national spotlight. The Hogs will want to turn him loose for one more massive game through the air.
TCU QB Trevone Boykin
25 of 25
Matchup: Alamo Bowl vs. Oregon (Jan. 2, 6:45 p.m. ET on ESPN)
In another of the standard bowl matchups that promise a ton of points and yards, TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin will finish up his tremendous career against Oregon. While the Ducks should match the Horned Frogs on offense, they don't inspire a lot of confidence against Boykin on defense.
Oregon ranked 100th nationally in yards allowed per play during the regular season, and opponents were able to move the ball easily both on the ground and through the air. That's a perfect situation for Boykin, who averaged nine yards per pass and five yards per carry this season.
If star receiver Josh Doctson is able to return from injury for the Alamo Bowl, he will give Boykin a big weapon out wide. But even if Doctson doesn't play, a healthy Boykin is more than capable of lighting the Ducks up in his final game for the Horned Frogs.
Unless otherwise noted, statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com.
Justin Ferguson is a college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.
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