College Football Insider: Postseason Edition by Fiesta Bowl

POSTSEASON edition

cfi: postseason edition 30TH ANNUAL CHEEZ-IT® BOWL Defense ruled during the 2018 Cheez-It® Bowl with TCU overcoming a tough Cal defense to pick up a 10-7 overtime win. Both defenses played lights out in this game, forcing a bowl record nine total interceptions and each giving up less than 300 total yards of offense. Cal took an early 7-0 lead after

TCU’s first interception and it would take a 58-yard punt return by TCU sophomore Jalen Reagor to set the Horned Frogs up with their only touchdown of the game. After a missed field goal at the regulation buzzer by TCU forced the game into overtime, Cal threw an interception on the first drive of overtime and the Horned Frogs capitalized with a 27-yard game-winning field goal. The offensive player of the game was TCU junior running back Sewo Olonilua as he rushed for 194 yards on 32 carries and scored TCU’s only touchdown. The defensive player of the game went to Cal junior safety Jaylinn Hawkins, who recorded three interceptions, a Cheez-It® Bowl record.

48TH ANNUAL PLAYSTATION® FIESTA BOWL The 48th Annual PlayStation® Fiesta Bowl was an offensive shootout between the LSU Tigers and the UCF Knights, who came into this game with a 25-game winning streak. Thanks to the Tigers offense producing over 550 yards of total offense, LSU overcame an early 14-3 deficit to hand UCF a 40-32 loss, the team’s first defeat since 2016. The Tigers turned it around late in the first quarter and never gave UCF a chance to take the lead again, putting up 21 unanswered points. Junior quarterback Joe Burrow was the major catalyst for the comeback. After throwing the pick-six, Burrow was flawless, throwing for 394 yards and four touchdowns to help the Tigers win their first New Year Six bowl game in the College Football Playoff era and the program’s first Fiesta Bowl.

Burrow was named the Offensive Player of the Game and junior defensive lineman Rashard Lawrence won Defensive Player of the Game, racking up four tackles for loss and two sacks.

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cfi: postseason edition TEAM OUTREACH TCU: The Horned Frogs were in the giving mood before the big game as more than 100 players and coaches and 120 kids from the Muscular Dystrophy Association enjoyed a day of bowling, arcade games and laser tag at Main Event. Before the day ended, the children left with smiles, a Cheez-It® Bowl poster, TCU gear and memories that will last a lifetime. Click here for the video recap.

CAL: On Christmas, more than 100 Cal players and coaches helped serve the families who came for the Salvation Army Christmas Dinner at the Phoenix Convention Center. This event provided a holiday meal to over 5,000 guests and a toy to over 2,500 children. This allowed the team to bring some holiday cheer to those who need it. Click here for the video recap.

LSU: Teaming up with Fiesta Bowl Charities, Future for Kids and HopeKids Arizona, over 100 LSU players and coaches had a “Day of Play” with 120 children from the nonprofit organizations. This day was filled with music, sports and friendly competition between the players and children and PlayStation® brought along its special gaming truck. After the event was over, each child was given a PlayStation gift bag and a commemorative card with signatures from the team. Click here for the video recap. UCF: Working with Fiesta Bowl Charities, VetTix and Positive Coaching Alliance, over 100 UCF players and representatives hosted a football “boot camp” for the servicemen/women and their families. The day featured a variety of football stations including punt, pass, kick and a special gaming truck presented by PlayStation. Each participant of the Boot Camp was given a PlayStation gift bag and a commemorative card with signatures from the team. Click here for the video recap.

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cfi: postseason edition

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I want to congratulate our football team, our coaching staff. It has been a tremendous year. We came out west for a business trip, also to enjoy it…. We’re glad to be Fiesta Bowl champs. I want to thank the Fiesta Bowl people for their tremendous hospitality, tremendous facilities. One of the best bowls I’ve ever been to. And if you all invite us back, we plan to come on back. LSU Head Coach Ed Orgeron after the 40-32 LSU win over UCF in the PlayStation® Fiesta Bowl

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The legacy of the senior class…what I would like the legacy of the senior class to be is just resilience, a bunch of guys that are never going to quit. I think you’ve seen that this year. The couple of times that we’ve gotten down, no matter how far down we are. No matter what’s going on, we’re not going to lay down.

I’m proud of these guys, obviously proud of the team. You know, where we sat five or six weeks ago, seven weeks ago, at 4-6, and have an opportunity to really win four out of our last five ball games and claw back and do the things they’ve done, it’s a testament to the kind of kids that we have plus what the program’s been able to do.

UCF Senior Offensive Lineman Wyatt Miller

TCU Head Coach Gary Patterson after the 10-7 win over Cal in the Cheez-It® Bowl

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cfi: postseason edition GAME WEEK RECAPS

Be sure to check out the game recap videos!

MEDIA COVERAGE

The 2018 Cheez-It® Bowl was the No. 1 trending topic in the US on Twitter while the 2019 PlayStation® Fiesta Bowl was the No. 2 trending topic in the World on Twitter! • AZCentral Jeff Metcalfe: LSU shakes off rust, ends Central Florida’s 25-game win streak in PlayStation Fiesta Bowl

30TH ANNUAL CHEEZ-IT® BOWL click here to view

• AP: LSU knocks off UCF in PlayStation Fiesta Bowl • Sports Day Dean Straka: National reaction to TCU’s Cheez-It Bowl victory • AZCentral Kent Somers: Fiesta Bowl, with eye toward future, positioned well after productive 2018

48TH ANNUAL PLAYSTATION® FIESTA BOWL click here to view

• Mike Nealy on the Bloomberg Business of Sports Podcast • Star Telegram Drew Davidson: The Cheez-It Bowl name has been a hit

SHORT AND TWEET Congratulations to @LSUFootball for winning the 2018 @PlayStation #FiestaBowl! #GeauxTigers | #GreatnessAwaits

What a game and what a night for the 30th Annual Cheez-It Bowl! Congrats to @TCUFootball for the big win! #GoFrogs

Next up is the @Honeywell_Aero Fiesta Bowl Aerospace Challenge, presented by @Kadima_Ventures, as 5-8 grade students colonize a moon of Mars! Join the fun: http:// fiestabowl.org/events/aerospace-challenge/

The Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Parade, presented by Cheez-It, has come and gone and what an event it was! Thank you to the thousands who attended and stay tuned to FiestaBowl.org to see the recap video!

Please contact the Fiesta Bowl Communications staff for photos and videos to add to your social media posts.

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cfi: postseason edition

GAME RECORDS 2 BOWL GAMES

15BROKEN RECORDS

CHEEZ-IT® BOWL: • Most combined turnovers: 9 • Most combined interceptions: 9 • Least points combined: 17 • Most passes intercepted: Cal Jaylinn Hawkins (3) • Most turnovers: Cal (5) • Most interceptions thrown: Cal (5) • Most interceptions: TCU (5)

PLAYSTATION® FIESTA BOWL: • Most field goals made: LSU Cole Tracy (4) • Most points by a kicker: LSU Cole Tracy (16) • Longest interception return: UCF Brandon Moore (93 yards) • Largest difference of possession time: 29:02 • Most field goals made: LSU (4) • Most time of possession: LSU (44:31) • Most combined first downs by penalty: 9 • Most combined penalty yards: 249

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