2020 College Football Insider | Bowl Season

2020 - Week 17 COLLEGE FOOTBALL

INSIDER | 2020 | WEEK 17

Quote of the week “In an unprecedented season, it is our great pleasure to reward two teams coming off of great years. What a great way to celebrate our 50th anniversary, with two Arizonans at quarterback.”

- Fiesta Bowl Chairman of the Board of Directors Patrick Barkley after No. 25 Oregon and No. 10 Iowa State were selected for the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl

GAME PREVIEW:

No. 25 Oregon vs.

No. 10 Iowa State The 50th Anniversary of the PlayStation ® Fiesta Bowl will feature a never-seen-before matchup when No. 25 Oregon faces No. 10 Iowa State on Saturday, January 2, 2021. Kickoff is set for 2 pm MST at State Farm Stadium and will be telecast live on ESPN. The Ducks return to the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl for the first time since 2013, coming off their second consecutive Pac-12 Championship, defeating USC, 31-24. This is Iowa State’ first-ever trip to the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl and first major Bowl game berth. The Cyclones finished as Big 12 Conference regular season champions and had a narrow 27-21 loss to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship Game.

Oregon makes its third trip to the Fiesta Bowl, with a 2-0 record, defeating Colorado in 2002 and Kansas State in 2013. Shough threw for 1,480 yards and 13 TDs on 99-of-158 passing in six games and is one of just six quarterbacks in the country to throw for

Iowa State visits Arizona to play a game for the first time since the 2009 Insight Bowl victory over Minnesota. The Cyclones are looking to continue on their most successful season in school history.

Leading the way is the offensive duo of Purdy and Heisman Trophy candidate Breece Hall. Iowa State’s winningest quarterback ever with 22 total victories, Purdy threw for 2,272 yards on 196-of-296 passing with 17 TDs and six interceptions and has completed over 70 percent of his passes in 14 career games.

more than 200 yards and rush for over 80 yards in

Sophomore running back Hall totaled and FBS-best

at least two games.

1,357 rushing yards and 17 TDs on 222 carries

On defense, Pac-12 Championship MVP defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux leads the way and recorded

this season and leads the nation with eight 100-yard rushing games.

five tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss and a pass

On defense, senior defensive end JaQuan Bailey

breakup while helping hold the Trojans to only

teams up with sophomore defensive end Will

38 rushing yards. Thibodeaux shines in big games,

McDonald IV to pressure the quarterback. Bailey is

recording 3.5 sacks, 4.5 TFLs and 10 tackles in two

Iowa State’s all-time sack leader (25.5) and McDonald

Pac-12 Championship game victories.

set a single-season record this year with 9.5 sacks.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER | 2020 | WEEK 17

Bowl Season?

The Football Bowl Association is getting a new name and brand: Bowl Season.

The new Bowl Season tagline, “A Celebration of College Football,” embraces the grand tradition of the bowl system and its enduring value to student-athletes. Highlighting the broader university community, including spirit squads, marching bands, student athletic staff and fans, Bowl Season will work with all existing bowls to promote the benefits of the entire bowl system.

Final CFP Rankings 1. ALABAMA

6. OKLAHOMA

2. CLEMSON

7. FLORIDA

3. OHIO STATE

8. CINCINNATI

4. NOTRE DAME

9. GEORGIA

5. TEXAS A&M

10. IOWA STATE

For the full Rankings, click here.

New Year’s Six Games #7 FLORIDA VS #6 OKLAHOMA

#3 OHIO STATE VS #2 CLEMSON

12.30 | 6 PM

1.1 | 6 PM

#9 GEORGIA VS #8 CINCINNATI

#25 OREGON VS #10 IOWA STATE

1.1 | 10 AM

1.2 | 2 PM

#4 NOTRE DAME VS #1 ALABAMA 1.1 | 2 PM

#5 TEXAS A&M VS #13 NORTH CAROLINA 1.2 | 6 PM

For a full Bowl Season schedule, click here: (All times in MST)

COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER | 2020 | WEEK 17

ALUMNI HIGHLIGHT:

Arizona High School Quarterbacks Both starting quarterbacks hail from the southeastern suburbs of Phoenix, just down the road from State Farm Stadium. Iowa State junior Brock Purdy attended Perry High in Gilbert and Oregon sophomore Tyler Shough went to Hamilton High in nearby Chandler.

Purdy and Shough were premier recruits from a state that has become a breeding ground for college quarterbacks. If history is a guide, the 50 th PlayStation® Fiesta Bowl could be an offensive show. Perry beat Hamilton 65-63 in 2017, when the two were seniors on opposing sides. Purdy was the Gatorade Arizona Player of the Year that year and Shough was an Elite 11 participant.

Fiesta Bowl App The Fiesta Bowl Organization has launched a new mobile app! It is available for download in the App Store and on Google Play. The Fiesta Bowl app is a one-stop-shop for Fiesta Bowl fans. It features news, social media, organization information, shopping and more. PlayStation® Fiesta and Guaranteed Rate Bowl fans will be able to buy and manage tickets, parking and receive gameday information. Download now!

GOLDEN HISTORY:

2019 – COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL AT THE PLAYSTATION ® FIESTA BOWL Two of College Football’s heavyweights went head-to-head in the most-watched College Football Playoff Semifinal when No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Clemson faced off in the PlayStation ® Fiesta Bowl.

Making their second trip to the PlayStation ® Fiesta Bowl, the Tigers rallied back from a 16-14 deficit in the first half to top the Buckeyes, 29-23.

Off to a fast start, Ohio State shut out Clemson in the first quarter 10-0 including a 68-yard rushing touchdown from junior running back J.K. Dobbins.

With 2:45 left in the second quarter, junior running back Travis Etienne got Clemson on the board with an 8-yard rushing touchdown. Sophomore quarterback Trevor Lawrence showed his dualthreat ability, running for a 67-yard touchdown to close in on Ohio State at halftime, 16-14.

Lawrence continued to lead the offensive charge for Clemson to open the second half, hitting Etienne on a 53-yard touchdown pass to take its first lead of the game, 21-16.

However, the Buckeyes wouldn’t back down, taking back the lead 23-21, with a 23-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Justin Fields to wide receiver Chris Olave.

With 1:49 remaining, Lawrence found Etienne for a 34-yard touchdown (third of the day) to reclaim the lead, 29-23. With Ohio State driving down the field in pursuit of a game-winning score, junior safety Nolan Turner became the unsung hero with a game sealing interception to send the Tigers to their fifth College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER | 2020 | WEEK 17

MORE THAN JUST A GAME®

CHARITY SPOTLIGHT:

“FIESTA BOWL PLAY” OPENS AT HANCE PARK

FIESTA BOWL ANNOUNCES:

TOP 50 PLAYERS/COACHES IN BOWL HISTORY

Completion of the $8.6 million phase 1A of the

The rich 50-year history of

Margaret T. Hance Park Revitalization Project

the Fiesta Bowl includes many

was celebrated by the Hance Park Partner

of college football’s greatest

Coalition on Tuesday, December 15, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the “Fiesta Bowl PLAY at Hance Park.”

moments, with players and coaches whose performances have become etched in the minds of fans and media.

The 20,000-square-foot PLAY is the centerpiece

As part of its 50th Anniversary celebration, the

of this opening phase of the park’s renovation

Fiesta Bowl has unveiled the Top 50 Players

and was made possible thanks to a $2 million

and Coaches in the Bowl’s legendary history.

legacy gift from the Fiesta Bowl and supporting

The group spans the Bowl’s inaugural game in

partners. The grand opening of PLAY comes

1971 up through and including the most recent

in conjunction with the Fiesta Bowl’s 50 th

game between Clemson and Ohio State. There

Anniversary, and its community efforts will live on through this one-of-a-kind play area for millions to enjoy for years to come.

are 14 College Football Hall of Fame inductees and nine others not yet eligible but who will be strong candidates. On top of the 50 on-field people recognized, the original nine Fiesta Bowl Founders hold an honorary place on the list.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER | 2020 | WEEK 17

J A N . 2, 2021 | 2:00 P M MST S TAT E FARM STAD IUM

F I E S TA B O W L . O R G /FIESTABOWL

@FIESTA_BOWL

GUARANTEEDRATEBOWL

COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER | 2020 | WEEK 17

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