WEEK 1 // 2024
QUOTE OF THE WEEK QUOTE THE WEEK
“Unfortunately for Nevada, they played man against RJ, and they just can’t do that.”
- SMU quarterback Preston Stone on his game-winning 35-yard touchdown pass to RJ Maryland to complete a 29-24 comeback win over Nevada
TEAM TO WATCH
TEAM of the week oregon Georgia Tech
Coming off a Vrbo Fiesta Bowl victory to cap the 2023-24 season, Oregon enters its first season in the Big Ten Conference with national championship aspirations.
Despite losing Bo Nix to the NFL, Oregon expects to once again have a high-powered offense at its disposal with the insertion of Oklahoma transfer Dillon Gabriel at quarterback. A preseason Heisman Trophy favorite, Gabriel begins his final collegiate season ranked in the top 10 in NCAA history in total touchdowns, passing touchdowns, total yards and passing yards. His top target will be Tez Johnson, who exploded in last season’s Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, hauling in 11 receptions for 172 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Defensive MVP Jeffrey Bassa returns for the Ducks.
Head coach Dan Lanning leads Oregon into its season opener against Idaho in Autzen Stadium on Saturday, August 31, at 4:30 pm PHX time on Big Ten Network.
In the official opener to the 2024 season, Georgia Tech notched a 24-21 victory over No. 10 Florida State on a 44-yard Aidan Birr field goal as time expired in Dublin. The win was Georgia Tech’s first over a top 10 opponent since 2015.
After Florida State, the preseason favorite to repeat as ACC champions, tied the game at 21-21 with 6:33 left, Georgia Tech possessed the ball until Birr’s game-winner.
Haynes King threw for 146 yards, but it was his legs that helped the Yellow Jackets control the line of scrimmage. King ran for 54 yards and teamed with Jamal Haynes, who ran for 75 yards and two touchdowns, to power Georgia Tech’s ground attack that accumulated 190 rushing yards.
Georgia Tech returns to the States for its home opener versus Georgia State on Saturday, August 31, at 5:00 pm PHX time on ACC Network.
GAMES WEEK of the
For a full schedule of Week 1 games, click here. (All times in PHX)
2024 BOWL PREDICTIONS
CFP QUARTERFINAL Vrbo FIESTA BOWL
ESPN Bonagura – No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 3 Utah
ESPN Schlabach – No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Utah
CBS – No. 5 Texas/No. 12 Boise State vs. No. 4 Utah
247 Sports – No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Kansas State
Action Network – No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 4 Utah
Sporting News – No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 3 Utah
GAME OF THE WEEK
#14 CLEMSON VS. #1 GEORGIA
Georgia opens 2024 as the preseason No. 1 team and the Bulldogs look to reclaim the national championship that they won back-to-back in 2022-23. They will immediately have a chance to validate that ranking when the Bulldogs face No. 14 Clemson at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday.
Clemson eyes the opportunity to make a big statement coming off an uncharacteristic 9-4 season.
Although the Tigers closed 2023 on a five-game winning streak, Clemson finished without doubledigit victories for the first time since 2010.
The showdown kicks off at 9:00 am PHX time on Saturday, August 31, on ABC.
ESPN Bonagura – Wisconsin vs. Texas Tech
ESPN Schlabach – Minnesota vs. UCF
CBS – Northwestern vs. Texas Tech
Action Network – Maryland vs. Iowa State
Athlon Sports – Minnesota vs. Texas Tech
Sporting News – Rutgers vs. West Virginia
highlight alumni bo nix
Bo Nix, the reigning Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Offensive Most Valuable Player, earned the Denver Broncos’ starting quarterback job following an impressive preseason. Nix, who concluded his career in last season’s Vrbo Fiesta Bowl by setting the NCAA singleseason completion percentage record (77.45%), was undoubtedly accurate in his first NFL action, completing 76.7% of his passes in two games. Nix completed 23-of-30 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover in the preseason.
By beating out Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham for the Broncos’ starting job, Nix will become the first Denver rookie quarterback to start in Week 1 since Hall of Famer John Elway in 1983.
Nix’s first career start will come on the road at Seattle on Sunday, September 8. The regular season opener will kick off at 1:05 pm PHX on CBS.
big news
The Guaranteed Rate Bowl will once again feature Bowl Season’s only Big 12 vs. Big Ten matchup. As we eagerly await the Dec. 26 kickoff, we’re bringing you weekly game highlights, player reports and other updates from the two conferences. Here’s the BIG news for Week 1:
BIG TEN
• The Big Ten Conference sits at a nation-high 18 members following the additions of Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington from the Pac-12 this summer.
• The new-look Big Ten boasts six teams in the preseason AP Poll, second only to the SEC’s nine ranked teams. Of the six ranked Big Ten teams, four occupy spots in the top 10, led by No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Oregon, No. 8 Penn State and No. 9 Michigan. No. 23 USC and No. 25 Iowa round out the top 25.
• Third-ranked Oregon enters its first season in the Big Ten as the reigning Vrbo Fiesta Bowl champion.
• Michigan, the defending national champion following a perfect 15-0 season, begins a new era with Sherrone Moore taking over the program after Jim Harbaugh’s departure to the NFL. Moore, the first Fiesta Bowl Path to the Summit attendee to ascend to a head coach position, leads the Wolverines into their season opener against Fresno State this Saturday.
• Washington, last season’s national runner-up, is the Big Ten team with the most votes outside of the top 25. The Huskies start their inaugural season in the league with at home against Weber State.
• Week 1 is full of non-conference matchups with Power Four opponents, including No. 8 Penn State at West Virginia, No. 23 USC at No. 13 LSU and Minnesota hosting North Carolina.
BIG 12
• Like the Big Ten, the Big 12 Conference opens a new era in its league history with the additions of Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah and the loss of Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC.
• Conference newcomer Utah is the preseason favorite to win the Big 12 and is ranked No. 12 in the preseason AP Poll. The Utes are one of five preseason ranked Big 12 teams.
• Behind Utah, No. 17 Oklahoma State, No. 18 Kansas State, No. 21 Arizona and No. 22 Kansas reside in the top 25.
• Kansas garnered its first preseason national ranking since 2009. The Jayhawks, coached by Lance Leipold, are the defending Guaranteed Rate Bowl champion following a 49-36 victory over UNLV – their first bowl victory since 2008. Following their first nine-win season since 2007, Kansas kicks off 2024 with a Week 1 matchup against Lindenwood on Thursday.
• Utah enters its 20th anniversary of the Utes’ undefeated 2004-05 Fiesta Bowl championship season on Thursday at home versus Southern Utah, where Alex Smith becomes the Utes’ first-ever Ring of Honor member.
• No. 17 Oklahoma State – the Big 12’s representative in the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bowl – hosts two-time defending FCS national champion South Dakota State in Stillwater on Saturday behind the leadership of Mike Gundy, who enters his 20th season as Oklahoma State head coach.
news in the foundation news in the foundation
Tickets to First-Ever
CFP Quarterfinal at
the
Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, 2024 Guaranteed Rate Bowl on Sale Now
With the most anticipated season of college football in recent memory about to kick off, tickets for the 2024 College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl are now on sale.
The Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, known as the “Bowl of Firsts,” makes history once again on December 31, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. MST, when it hosts the first-ever CFP Quarterfinal. The 35th annual Guaranteed Rate Bowl has a new, exciting 3:30 p.m. MST kickoff time in downtown Phoenix on December 26, 2024.
Game tickets and premium experiences for both the CFP Quarterfinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl are available by visiting fiestabowl.org/tickets, calling 480.350.0911 or emailing tickets@fiestabowl.org. Those interested in premium experiences may contact 480.843.4202 or premium@fiestabowl.org
CHARITy spotlight
FIESTA BOWL CHARITIES
AED ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
PRESENTED BY BHHS LEGACY FOUNDATION
Helping fill a critical need on school campuses across Arizona, Fiesta Bowl Charities unveiled its latest community initiative by creating an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Assistance Program presented by BHHS Legacy Foundation, which included certified training sessions and donated AED units for schools in Mesa, Avondale and the Tri-State area.
As part of the Fiesta Bowl Charities AED Assistance Program presented by BHHS Legacy Foundation, more than 9,200 students and 700 teachers across 16 schools benefitted from the first year of the program.
For more information on the program, please click here
CFP QUARTERFINAL AT THE Vrbo FIESTA BOWL DECEMBER 31, 2024 | 5:30PM
GUARANTEED RATE BOWL DECEMBER 26, 2024 | 3:30PM