WEEK 12 // 2024
QUOTE OF THE WEEK QUOTE THE WEEK
“I was just going to try and replicate what another number 12 did back in the day, pandemonium!”
- BYU’s Jake Retzlaff on a text exchange he had with John Beck –the last BYU quarterback to win at Utah 18 years ago – before No. 6 BYU’s 22-21 win over its rival
TEAM TO WATCH
COLORADO
Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter’s high-powered offense overcame an early deficit against Texas Tech to win 41-27. Sanders threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score, including 30-of-43 passing for 291 yards. Two-way star Hunter had nine catches for 99 yards and a touchdown.
The Colorado defense came up with seven sacks, an interception and two fumble recoveries. After falling behind 13-0 in the first quarter, the Buffaloes shut down the Red Raiders. Colorado’s lead remained only 34-27 with a minute remaining in the game, but Shilo Sanders returned a fumble for a touchdown to provide the final margin.
Colorado won its third consecutive game and is in control of its future to play in the Big 12 Championship Game and qualify for the 12-team College Football Playoff. The No. 17 Buffaloes face off with Utah on Saturday, November 16, at 10:00 a.m. PHX on FOX.
TEAM of the week
GEORGIA TECH
Georgia Tech defeated then No. 4 Miami, 28-23, for the Yellow Jackets’ first victory over a top-five team in 15 years. Georgia Tech’s win gave Miami its first loss of the season and dropped the Hurricanes out of first place in the ACC standings.
The Yellow Jackets overcame 347 passing yards and three touchdown passes by Miami’s Cam Ward to became bowl-eligible and end a two-game losing streak. Georgia Tech ran the ball 48 times for 271 yards and two touchdowns and held the ball for 35 minutes to keep Miami’s high-octane offense off the field. On defense, the Yellow Jackets held the Hurricanes to a season low in points — less than half of their top-ranked average of 47.4 per game.
Georgia Tech rests this week on a bye. Next week, the Yellow Jackets will host NC State on Thursday, November 21, at 5:30 p.m. PHX on ESPN.
GAMES Watch
For a full schedule of Week 12 games, click here. (All times in PHX)
2024 BOWL PREDICTIONS
GAME OF THE WEEK
#7 TENNESSEE AT #12 GEORGIA
Another matchup with major CFP implications is set this weekend when No. 7 Tennessee travels to No. 12 Georgia. A Tennessee win could put the Volunteers on a track to the SEC Championship Game while putting Georgia in an uphill battle to qualify for the 12-team playoff with a third loss.
The Volunteers are coming off a 33-14 win over Mississippi State. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava left the game with an injury, but Head Coach Josh Huepel is hopeful for his return against Georgia. Tennessee’s dominant defense is fourth in the nation in scoring defense (12.6 ppg) and total defense (271.6 yards).
One of Georgia’s two losses came last week, 28-10, to Ole Miss. The Bulldogs are hoping for a turnaround by quarterback Carson Beck, who has thrown nine interceptions in the last four games. However, the Georgia defense sits amongst the best in the country, holding opponents to 306 yards per game.
Kickoff is 5:30 p.m. PHX this Saturday, November 16, on ABC.
RATE BOWL
ESPN (Schlabach) – No. 11 Georgia vs. No. 3 BYU
Action Network – No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 4 Colorado
247 Sports – No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 3 BYU
College Football News – No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Boise State
Athlon Sports – No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 4 BYU
Sporting News – No. 11 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 BYU
ESPN (Schlabach) – Nebraska vs. Texas Tech
Action Network – Rutgers vs. Baylor
247 Sports – Nebraska vs. Baylor
CBS – Nebraska vs. West Virginia
Athlon Sports – Wisconsin vs. Baylor
Sporting News – Michigan State vs. West Virginia
highlight alumni
Ja’MARR CHASE
Ja’Marr Chase had a big game on Thursday Night Football, catching 11 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns in the Bengals’ loss to the Ravens, 35-34. It was the second-highest yardage total of his career, falling just short of the 266 he posted against Kansas City as a rookie.
Following his 193 yards in Week 5 vs. Baltimore, Chase totaled 457 receiving yards in two games against the Ravens this season. Chase rewrote the record books for total receiving yards by one player against a single opponent, breaking Art Powell’s 428 yards for the Oakland Raiders in two games against the Houston Oilers in 1963.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and Chase have paired together since their days at LSU, including a 40-32 win over UCF in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl. Chase recorded six catches for 93 yards and a touchdown.
The Bengals travel to face the Chargers on Sunday, November 17, at 6:20 p.m. PHX on NBC.
notable performances
PRINCELY UMANMIELEN – Ole Miss
Defensive lineman Princely Umanmielen helped lead Ole Miss to upset then No. 3 Georgia, 28-10, recording six total pressures and two sacks.
The Rebels defense accounted for five sacks, nine tacklesfor-loss, two forced fumbles and an interception of Georgia’s Carson Beck. Umanimielen forced the final turnover that led the Rebels to an important SEC victory.
Umanmielen and teammate Jared Ivey were named SEC CoDefensive Lineman of the week after both Rebels recorded two sacks apiece.
JALEN MILROE – ALABAMA
Quarterback Jalen Milroe ran 12 times for career highs of 185 yards and four touchdowns in No. 10 Alabama’s 42-13 win at then No. 15 LSU. Milroe’s 16 rushing touchdowns are a single season school record, moving ahead of Jalen Hurts’ 13 in 2016. Milore accounted for 185 of Alabama’s 312 total rushing yards. Milroe’s 72-yard rushing touchdown against LSU was the longest touchdown run of his career. In two career starts against LSU, Milroe has 340 yards rushing and 328 yards passing with eight rushing touchdowns.
big news
The Rate Bowl will once again feature Bowl Season’s only Big Ten vs. Big 12 matchup at a new afternoon time of 3:30 pm on Thursday, December 26. As we eagerly await kickoff in downtown Phoenix, we’re bringing you weekly game highlights, player reports and other updates from the two conferences. Here’s the BIG news for Week 12:
BIG TEN BIG 12
• For the first time, the Big Ten placed four teams in the top five in the Week 12 CFP rankings with No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4 Penn State and Indiana advancing three spots to No. 5
• The Big Ten had three teams among the top five on 16 occasions in the 88-year history of the AP poll, including four times this season
• A pair of Big Ten teams remain undefeated through 11 weeks of the 2024 season. Indiana and Oregon rank among the four FBS teams sporting perfect records
• Indiana continues to make headlines, advancing to 10-0 for the first time in program history
• Chandler, Arizona native and Michigan kicker Dominic Zvada earned Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week after converting a trio of field goals at Indiana and scoring nine of team’s 15 total points. His 56-yarder was the third-longest in Memorial Stadium history and second-longest by an opponent
• Carson Schwesinger had two interceptions, the first two picks of his career, and seven tackles as UCLA notched a 20-17 win over Iowa on Friday, earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors
• Advancing three spots, BYU leads the Big 12 in the CFP Week 12 rankings at No. 6, followed by No. 16 Kansas State and No. 17 Colorado
• BYU is one of four remaining unbeaten teams in FBS after defeating in-state rival Utah, 22-21
• The Big 12 has seven teams that are bowl-eligible, with the winner of West Virginia/Baylor securing a postseason berth
• Entering Week 12, Arizona State and BYU are two of only four FBS teams this season with a perfect 4-0 record in games decided by seven or fewer points
• Iowa State is one of five FBS schools with 30 interceptions in the last two seasons
• Shedeur Sanders continues to rank among the national leaders as one of three FBS quarterbacks in the top 10 nationally in completion percentage (72.9%), passing yards (2,882) and passing touchdowns (24)
• The Big 12 Conference will host FOX Big Noon Kickoff for a Conference record fifth time this season when the pregame show heads to Boulder to broadcast Utah at No. 17 Colorado
news in the foundation news in the foundation
FRIDAY NIGHT SHOWDOWN
Mountain View ultimately missed out on qualifying for the Arizona Open Division State Championship, but it surely was not because of its performance in the regular season finale. Closing out the second season of Fiesta Bowl Friday Night Showdown, Mountain View exploded in the third quarter and then held on for an emotional 43-38 victory over rival Red Mountain.
Separated by only six miles, the two Mesa rivals competed until the end for the Battle of Brown Road trophy. Quarterback Brady Goodman claimed the season’s final Player of the Game belt, throwing for 182 yards and four touchdowns and rushing for 50 yards and another score.
To read the full recap, click here
NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
ASU’S XAVIER GUILLORY INSPIRES NATIVE YOUTH AT FIESTA BOWL LEGACY CLINIC
The Fiesta Bowl Organization hosted 100 youth for its Legacy Football Clinic specific for Native American youth from the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community.
Special guest Xavier Guillory was raised in Lapwai, Idaho, and a proud member of the Nez Perce Tribal Nation. Guillory comes from a family full of Native American athletes, which made the Arizona State wide receiver the ideal person to speak to the participants.
The camp opened with Guillory speaking to the children and their families about his journey and roots before he fielded their questions. After the Q&A session, he joined the children in drills, aiming to inspire the next generation of Native athletes with experience and advice.
Read the full story here
CFP QUARTERFINAL AT THE Vrbo FIESTA BOWL
DECEMBER 31, 2024 | 5:30 PM
RATE BOWL
DECEMBER 26, 2024 | 3:30 PM