COVID-19 forces bowl cancellation

HONOLULU — The Hawaii Bowl was canceled Thursday after Hawaii withdrew from its game against Memphis on the eve of the contest because of COVID-19, season-ending injuries and transfers.

“We are disappointed our season has to end this way,” Hawaii coach Todd Graham said in a statement. “As competitive as we are and as much as we want to play the game, we cannot put the health and safety of our studentathletes at risk.”

The game was scheduled for Friday at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex.

Hawaii athletic department spokesperson Derek Inouchi said about 30 players and staff recently tested positive for COVID-19. Cases have been surging in Honolulu, and Oahu’s seven-day average of new cases was 11 times higher Thursday compared to Dec. 8.

The Hawaii Bowl is one of several postseason games ESPN owns and operates.

Hawaii finished the season 6-7, getting into the bowl because there were no available 6-6 teams. Memphis finished 6-6.

“We are very disappointed to hear that Hawaii will be unable to participate,“Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield said in a statement. “We hope that Hawaii players and staff get healthy soon. I’m upset for our seniors and the rest of the team that battled this season to earn this opportunity. We’ve had terrific time here in Hawaii as a program and we are sad our trip ended this way.”

Central Florida tops in-state rival

Isaiah Bowser ran for 155 yards and two touchdowns, Ryan O’keefe had 85 yards on seven receptions, and Central Florida earned Sunshine State bragging rights by beating Florida 29-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl on Thursday night in Tampa, Fla.

UCF (9-4) took a 26-17 lead late in the third when Daniel Obarski made a 21-yard field goal and Mikey Keene threw a 54-yard scoring strike to O’keefe in the span of about two minutes. Obarski then made it 29-17 on a 33-yarder with 2:41 to play.

Florida (6-7) quarterback Emory Jones, playing in his final game with the Gators before entering the transfer portal, completed 14 of 36 passes for 171 yards. He also ran for 62 yards on 10 carries. Keene went 14 of 22 for 144 yards on Thursday. UCF outgained Florida 436-376.

It was the first time the time the two teams played since Florida won 42-0 during its 2006 national championship season.

The announced crowd at Raymond James Stadium, the home of the NFL’S Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was a Gasparilla Bowl record of 63,669.