Bowl season gets rolling
Middle Tennessee, Toledo kick things off in Bahamas
Freshman Nick Vattiato threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns, including a 59-yard scoring pass to Jarrin Pierce with 6:24 left, and Middle Tennessee beat Toledo 31-24 on Friday in the Bahamas Bowl.
Two plays after Toledo’s 32-yard punt, Vattiato connected with a wideopen Pierce along the right side for a 28-17 lead. The 59-yard play was the longest completion in Middle Tennessee’s bowl history.
On Toledo’s next possession, quarterback Dequan Finn was pressured by Jordan Ferguson and defensive lineman Zaylin Wood intercepted a tipped pass, leading to a 35-yard field goal for a 31-17 lead.
Toledo got within seven points with 1:08 remaining, but Thomas Cluckey recovered an onside kick to secure it.
“Winning a bowl game, you’re a champion, you’re Bahamas Bowl champion and these seniors, these guys, they can take that with them the rest of their lives ,” Middle Tennessee coach Rick Stockstill said after his 101st victory with the program.
Pierce caught four passes for 114 yards and Ferguson had a sack to reach nine on the season for Middle Tennessee (7-6), which was a doubledigit underdog. Mike DiLiello rushed for 44 yards, including a 17-yard score to put the Blue Raiders ahead for good at 21-17.
Wood’s interception was Middle Tennessee’s 17th of the season, extending their national lead in turnovers gained to 32.
Finn was 18-of-39 passing for 212 yards with two touchdowns and one interception for Toledo (7-6). Finn broke free for a 40-yard touchdown run on fourth and 1 to tie it at 7.
Matt Landers, a Georgia transfer, set a Bahamas Bowl record with a 90-yard touchdown catch to put Toledo ahead 14-7. On first down at the 10, Finn threw it deep over the middle that Landers tipped to himself with an outstretched left arm and coasted into the end zone.
Texas QB Thompson enters transfer portal:
Texas quarterback Casey Thompson, who started 10 games and passed for 24 touchdowns this season, entered the transfer portal Friday.
Thompson is leaving after former Ohio State quarterback Quinn Ewers, one of the top-rated players in the country when he came out of high school after the 2020 season, transferred to Texas.
Utah State coach apologizes for sexual assault comment: Utah State football coach Blake Anderson has apologized for telling his players it “has never been more glamorized to be the victim” of sexual assault.
Anderson issued the apology Friday after making the comments during a conversation with the team during fall camp.
“In the course of that conversation, I used a phrase regarding victims of wrongdoing to magnify that message to our team, but after reading my comments in the transcript that was released, I realize my choice of words was hurtful,” Anderson said in a statement. “I regret the words I used, and I apologize to anyone who has bravely come forward with allegations of wrongdoing.”
A recording of Anderson’s discussion with the team surfaced shortly before Utah State was set to face Oregon State in the inaugural Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl on Saturday. Utah State University has said it was investigating the comments.