SATURDAY’S BOWL GAMES
BOCA RATON
Teams: Appalachian State (10-3) vs. Western Kentucky (8-5).
Time/TV: 10 a.m., ESPN. Notable: Western Kentucky QB Bailey Zappe, a transfer from Houston Baptist, has thrown for 5,545 yards and 56 touchdowns this season, putting him within reach of the FBS records in both categories. Texas Tech’s B.J. Symons threw for 5,833 yards in 2003; LSU’s Joe Burrow passed for 60 touchdowns in 2019. Appalachian State is seeking to finish a seventh consecutive season with a bowl win.
CELEBRATION
Teams: South Carolina State (6-5) vs. Jackson State (11-1).
Time/TV: 11 a.m., ABC. Notable: Jackson State is looking to cap a brilliant second season for coach Deion Sanders. Coach Prime brought huge attention to the Mississippi HBCU, and he backed up the hype by guiding the Tigers to their first Southwestern Athletic Conference championship in 14 years. South Carolina State posted a 5-0 record in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
NEW MEXICO
Teams: UTEP (7-5) vs. Fresno State (9-3). Time/TV: 1:15 p.m., ESPN. Notable: For the Bulldogs, a victory would give them a 10-win season for the third time in the past five seasons and provide momentum for incoming head coach Jeff Tedford after Kalen DeBoer left for Washington. The Miners are looking for an eight-win season for the first time since 2005 and just the 11th time in school history, while coach Dana Dimel is seeking his first bowl victory.
INDEPENDENCE
Teams: No. 12 BYU (10-2, No. 13 CFP) vs. UAB (8-4). Time/TV: 2:30 p.m., ABC. Notable: BYU is on a fivegame winning streak and wants to justify a seasonending AP Top 25 ranking either in the top 10 or close to it, and can do so by reaching 11 wins in back-toback seasons for the first in more than a decade. UAB is trying to win a bowl game for just the second time in program history, and doing so against a ranked opponent would be a landmark triumph for the program.
LENDING TREE
Teams: Eastern Michigan (7-5) vs. Liberty (7-5). Time/TV: 4:45 p.m., ESPN. Notable: Liberty is seeking to join Appalachian State as the only teams to win bowl games in each of their first three seasons after transitioning from FCS to FBS. Eastern Michigan could reach eight wins for the first time since 1987 and seventh in program history.
JIMMY KIMMEL
Teams: Utah State (10-3) at Oregon State (7-5). Time/TV: 6:30 p.m., ABC. Notable: The Beavers will try to cap their first winning season since 2013 with a bowl victory. The Aggies return to Southern California two weeks after a dominant showing to capture the Mountain West title trying to tie the school record for wins in a season.