TODAY’S GAMES

BAHAMAS BOWL

Buffalo (7-5) vs. Charlotte (7-5), at Nassau, Bahamas, 2p.m., ESPN Buffalo by 6.5.

First meeting.

Someone is getting the first bowl win in school history. This is Charlotte’s first trip to a postseason game, coming in the school’s seventh season of football and fifth at the FBS level. Buffalo has been in three previous bowl games, losing them all by 10points or more including a 42-32 defeat by Troy in last season’s Dollar General Bowl.

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Series: WHAT’S AT STAKE: KEY MATCHUP:

Charlotte’s defensive line vs. Buffalo’s offensive line. This is the classic something-has-to-give matchup. The Bulls have given up eight sacks all season — second fewest in the country behind Air Force’s four — while Charlotte has put an opposing quarterback on the ground 36times this season.

PLAYERS TO WATCH Buffalo:

RB Jaret Patterson has rewritten Buffalo’s record book this year, with school records for rushing yards in a game (298) and a season (1,626), touchdowns in a season (17) and touchdowns in a game (six, tying a mark set in 1942).

RB Benny LeMay has 14career 100-yard games, has piled up 1,037 rushing yards this season and is up to

3,827all-purpose yards for his career.

Charlotte: FRISCO BOWL

Utah State (7-5) vs. Kent State (6-6), Friday, 7:30p.m., ESPN2.

Utah State by 61⁄2.

Tied 1-1.

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Series: WHAT’S AT STAKE:

Utah State plays its eighth bowl game in nine seasons in what will be the final college game for quarterback Jordan Love. Kent State is the only team this season that got bowl eligible by winning its last three games. It is the first bowl game for the Golden Flashes since 2012. They could reach seven wins for only the second time since 1987, after going 2-10last season in the debut of now 33-year-old coach Sean Lewis.

Dual-threat quarterback Dustin Crum and Kent State’s rushing offense against the Utah State defense. The Flashes have run for 519yards and five touchdowns in their last two games. The Aggies have allowed 573yards rushing and five touchdowns in their last two games, and are 1-4when opponents have at least 200yards rushing.

KEY MATCHUP: PLAYERS TO WATCH Utah State:

Love announced last week he will skip his final season of eligibility for early entry in the NFL draft, but said he would play in the bowl game. He has thrown for 8,283yards and 57touchdowns in 37games over three seasons. His 11games with at least 300yards passing are a school record.

Junior linebackers Mandela Lawrence-Burke and Cepeda Phillips have combined for 179tackles and six sacks. Lawrence-Burke has 94tackles, and Phillips 85.

Kent State: