SATURDAY’S GAMES

CELEBRATION BOWL RECORDS:

Alcorn State (9-3) vs. North Carolina A&T (8-3) Noon, ESPN

North Carolina A&T by 3. A&T, 2-1

TV:

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North Carolina A&T, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion for the third straight season, will be seeking its fourth Celebration Bowl victory in five years, and third against Alcorn State. The Southwest Athletic champion Braves have reached the championship game for Historically Black Colleges and Universities twice previously, in 2015and last year, and each time came up short against the Aggies.

Alcorn State QB Felix Harper against the Aggies’ defense. Harper has thrown for

2,613yards and 30touchdowns with just eight interceptions this season, but will face a defense that registered 11interceptions and

35sacks this season.

KEY MATCHUP:

programs. Liberty is looking to join Georgia Southern and Appalachian State as the only teams to move from FCS to FBS and win a bowl game in its first season of eligibility. Georgia Southern is bidding to go 3-0in bowl games.

Liberty QB Stephen Calvert against the Georgia Southern defense that allows an average of 240.6yards per game. The senior has thrown for a school record 3,393yards this season.

KEY MATCHUP: BOCA RATON BOWL RECORDS:

SMU (10-2) vs. Florida Atlantic (10-3)

3:30 p.m., ABC

SMU by 3.5.

First meeting.

SMU could reach 11wins for the first time since 1982, and FAU could match a school record with its 11th win — first reached in 2017, Lane Kiffin’s first season with the Owls. Kiffin is gone, having departed for Ole Miss after FAU won the Conference USA title earlier this month. But the Owls still have a chance to improve to 4-0all-time in bowl games and get to play this one on their home field.

TV:

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No. 18Boise State (121Mountain West) vs. Washington

(7-5 Pac-12)

TV: 7:30p.m., ABC Washington by 3 1⁄2. Tied 2-2.

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Washington’s Chris Petersen will end his six-year coaching tenure with the Huskies by facing the Broncos, the program he was in charge of from 2006-13. A win over Boise State would not only send Petersen out on a positive note but give defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake a lift as he takes over as the next head coach.

Boise State RB George Holani vs. Washington’s run defense. It didn’t take long for Holani to announce himself as the next great Broncos runner, collecting

979 yards and seven rushing TDs as a freshman. Given the uncertainty at quarterback, it was Holani who gave Boise State’s offense a reliable platform to build on, averaging 16.6 carries for 87.6yards over the final seven games. The Huskies were

5-1when allowing under four yards per carry.

KEY MATCHUP: NEW ORLEANS BOWL RECORDS:

No 20Appalachian State (12-1, Sun Belt) vs. UAB (94, Conference USA)

TV: 9p.m., ESPN

Appalachian State by 17. Series record: First meeting.

Appalachian State wants to finish ranked — preferably in the top 20— and that won’t happen if they cannot defeat a UAB team coming off a lopsided loss in the Conference USA title game. The Mountaineers also are trying to go 5-0in bowls in their first five bowl eligible season since their transition from FCS-level play to the top tier of Division I. UAB is seeking its second bowl victory and third victory over a ranked team in program history.

Appalachian State’s balanced and multiple offense run by dual-threat QB Zac Thomas against an attacking UAB defense that ranks ninth nationally in yards allowed per game and eighth in sacks per game. The Mountaineers this season have averaged 229.2yards rushing and

206.3yards passing, while scoring 34TDs on the ground and 28 through the air. The Blazers have allowed less than 300yards per game while totaling 99tackles for loss and 43sacks.

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