Top Performers of Opening Weekend of 2015 Bowl Season
Be merry, college football fans. Bowl season has arrived.
Five bowl games took place on opening weekend and provided the perfect tease of the type of drama to expect in the weeks to come.
There was BYU's furious comeback stopped one touchdown short against Utah, Arizona's win over New Mexico in the wacky New Mexico Bowl and Appalachian State's game-winning field goal.
With that, let's check out the top performers from the first five bowl games.
Tevin Carter, Utah
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Utah Utes defensive back Tevin Carter threw himself the best sendoff party any player on that side of the ball could ask for.
In his final game as a Ute, Carter picked off two passes and took one to the house, the latter coming in the first quarter as part of Utah's 35-0 rout in the first 15 minutes in the Las Vegas Bowl.
The BYU Cougars weren't done rolling the dice on the day and ended up pulling to within seven points of Utah. However, Utah prevailed 35-28, making Carter's pick-six the difference-maker.
Tanner Mangum, BYU
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OK, so BYU Cougars quarterback Tanner Mangum didn't have the most impressive day statistically.
He threw three picks to the Utah Utes defenders, thanks largely to the fact that the Cougars fell down 35-0 thus forcing Mangum to throw 56 passes.
Nonetheless, Mangum showed a certain mettle and grit that has endured him to fans in Provo, as he nearly led a wild comeback that fell just one touchdown short.
Mangum, who started the season by winning two games on Hail Mary passes, finished the Las Vegas Bowl with 315 yards and three total touchdowns on 25-of-56 passing.
Zach Matics, Appalachian State
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Following the trend on this list just set by BYU's Mangum, Appalachian State's kicker Zach Matics didn't exactly have a great day.
He was just 1-for-3 on field goal attempts, missing his first two, although he connected on all four of his extra points.
It was that first and only made field goal, though, that pushed the Mountaineers over the Ohio Bobcats in the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl.
As time expired, Matics put the ball through the uprights on a 23-yarder—again, a very easy kick—to give the Mountaineers the victory.
So a 23-yard field goal puts you on the top performers list? Well, when it sends your team into the offseason with a thrilling win, with the ensuing jubilation not condemned to die off with a game a week later, yes it does.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Marcus Cox, Appalachian State
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Now running back Marcus Cox, there's a guy you can wrap your head around as a top performer.
While Appalachian State kicker Matics tied the bow on the Mountaineers bowl win over Ohio, it was Cox that did the legwork. Pun intended.
Cox finished the Camellia Bowl with 162 yards on 24 carries (6.8 yards per carry) and a touchdown. He had two runs of 25 or more yards and proved to be the spark that kept the Mountaineers' pistons firing in what was a wild game.
Jeff Driskel, Louisiana Tech
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The rebirth story you haven't heard this college football season has almost certainly been authored by Jeff Driskel, with the formerly ostracized Florida gunslinger closing the book with a massive performance in the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs' 47-28 win over Arkansas State in the New Orleans Bowl.
Driskel, who finishes the year with 4,033 yards and 27 touchdowns through the air with only eight picks, was 26-of-38 passing on Saturday for 458 yards and three touchdowns.
Obviously, Driskel faced far more inferior competition this season in Conference USA and Arkansas State on Saturday than he would have in the SEC. But Driskel has displayed all season the type of swagger and potential that Florida scouts saw in him and that NFL scouts are starting to see again.
Kenneth Dixon, Louisiana Tech
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Very quietly, running back Kenneth Dixon broke Keenan Reynolds' FBS record for most career touchdowns, scoring four on Saturday against Arkansas State to finish his career with 87. He also now holds the record for most points in NCAA history by a non-kicker with 522.
Obviously, Reynolds still has his bowl game with Navy to reclaim his record.
But Dixon's day was stellar regardless. In addition to his four touchdowns—two rushing and two receiving—he rushed for 102 yards in the Bulldogs' rout of Arkansas State.
Playing at Louisiana Tech meant Dixon's stellar career was vastly overshadowed by the Power Five's daily dealings. But make no mistake, Dixon is one of the most accomplished college football players to ever play.
Cayleb Jones, Arizona
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While Arizona quarterback Anu Solomon certainly had an efficient day, going 13-of-24 through the air for 329 yards, his favorite target is the one he should be buying dinner.
Cayleb Jones, the Wildcats' wideout, hauled in four catches for 182 yards and a score. You want efficiency? There it is.
Jones was responsible for more than half of the team's total yardage through the air and proved to be the biggest playmaker in Arizona's 45-37 win over New Mexico in the New Mexico Bowl.
Tarik Cohen, North Carolina A&T
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In the inaugural Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl, a pair of HBCU conference champions, North Carolina A&T and Alcorn State, squared off at the Georgia Dome.
NC A&T stole the show with a 41-34 victory in the first bowl game of the 2015-16 college football season, with the team being led on all fronts by running back Tarik Cohen.
Cohen finished the game with a whopping 295 yards on the ground, including two touchdown runs of 74 and 83 yards.
The game itself was a showcase of two HBCU programs on the rise, but it also turned into a pedestal for Cohen to show off his dynamic playmaking ability.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
