Connecticut (9-3) vs. Wake Forest (8-4)
Dec. 29, 1:00 p.m. ET, ESPN
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History
 |
| Meieke Bowl History |
| 2006 |
Boston Coll 25, Navy 24 |
| 2005 |
NC State 14, South Florida 0 |
| 2004 |
Boston College 37, North Carolina 24 |
| 2003 |
Virginia 23, Pittsburgh 16 |
| 2002 |
Virginia 48, West Virginia 22 |
|
By
Richard Cirminiello
Best
Husky Bowl Moment:
Connecticut’s lone bowl invitation was a stepping stone moment for a
young program that hadn’t been competing in I-A very long. Just
three years after elevating from I-AA, the Huskies pounded Toledo in
the 2004 Motor City Bowl, 39-10, behind the passing of star QB Dan
Orlovsky and the play of an opportunistic and unheralded defense.
Best Demon Deacon Moment: Given little chance for victory in
the 2002 Seattle Bowl, the Demon Deacons routed favored Oregon 38-17
behind a balanced offensive attack that featured 256 yards on the
ground and 241 yards through the air. Game MVP James MacPherson ran
for a score, and passed for two touchdowns and 241 yards on just
9-of-16 passing.
Connecticut's best win ...
Connecticut 22 ... South Florida 15
Connecticut took a 16-0 lead with Steve Brouse catching a
three-yard touchdown pass and Scott Lutrus picking off a pass for a
23-yard score, and then in the rain and mud, had to hang on for deal
life. South Florida roared back in the second half with two Delbert
Alvarado field goals and a ten-yard Matt Grothe touchdown run, and
then had a chance to win in the final minute getting down to the
Husky 12. On fourth and goal, Grothe's final pass was incomplete,
and UConn hung on. USF committed ten penalties for 79 yards, while
UConn committed six for 39.
Player of the game:
Connecticut RB Andre Dixon ran 32 times for 167 yards, and caught
three passes for 42 yards
Stat Leaders: South Florida - Passing: Matt
Grothe, 16-30, 189 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Matt Grothe, 25-146, 1 TD. Receiving:
Jessie Hester, 6-50
Connecticut - Passing: Tyler Lorenzen, 13-25,
194 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Andre Dixon, 32-167. Receiving: D.J. Hernandez,
3-60
Connecticut's worst loss ...
Cincinnati 27 ... Connecticut 3
Cincinnati stuffed Connecticut, holding the vaunted ground
game to 22 yards, while Ben Mauk scored on an 11-yard run and threw
two short first quarter touchdown passes on the was to the win. Mauk
closed out the scoring with a 37-yard touchdown pass to Dominick
Goodman early in the fourth quarter, and the UConn offense couldn't
respond. The Huskies could only manage a 22-yard Tony Ciravino field
goal.
Player of the game: Cincinnati QB Ben Mauk completed 21 of 33
passes for 276 yards and three touchdowns, and ran nine times for 12
yards and a score
Stat Leaders: Cincinnati - Passing: Ben Mauk,
21-33, 276 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Jacob Ramsey, 17-66. Receiving: Dominick
Goodman, 8-127, 1 TD
Connecticut - Passing: Tyler Lorenzen, 18-37,
182 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Andre Dixon, 12-35. Receiving: Andre Dixon, 6-51
Wake Forest's best win ...
Wake Forest 24 ... Florida State 21
Kenneth Moore caught a 35-yard touchdown pass to put Wake Forest up
21-14 late in the fourth quarter, and Sam Swank put it away with a
48-yard field goal. Florida State made it interesting with a 17-yard
Xavier Lee touchdown run with 17 seconds to play, but the Demon
Deacons recovered the onside kick. Josh Adams started off the
scoring with an 83-yard run, and tied it for Wake with a six-yard
scoring grab in the third, while Lee threw two touchdown passes,
highlighted by a four-yard jump ball to Greg Carr. The two teams
combined for seven turnovers and 18 penalties.
Player of the game:
Wake Forest QB Riley Skinner completed 19 of 27 passes for
215 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions
Stat Leaders: Wake Forest - Passing: Riley
Skinner, 19-27, 215 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Josh Adam, 18-140, 1 TD. Receiving:
Josh Adams, 6-29, 1 TD
Florida State - Passing: Xavier Lee, 24-45, 283
yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Antone Smith, 14-32. Receiving:
Greg Carr, 8-108, 1
TD
Wake Forest's worst loss ...
Nebraska 20 ... Wake Forest 17
Nebraska overcame three turnovers, including a critical
interception, and had to hang on late to pull off the tight win.
Marlon Lucky's 22-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter
gave the Huskers the lead, but it took a Zackary Bowman interception
in the end zone late in the fourth to preserve it. The two teams
traded scores all day, with Wake Forest getting two short touchdown
runs, and a 25-yard Sam Swank field goal, while the Huskers got two
Alex Henery field goals along with a 25-yard touchdown catch from
Sam Hill.
Player of the
game:
Nebraska CB Zackary Bowman made seven tackles and a
critical interception in the end zone
Stat Leaders: Nebraska
- Passing:
Sam Keller, 24-41, 258 yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Rushing:
Marlon Lucky, 24-90, 1 TD. Receiving: Terrence Nunn, 6-83
Wake Forest
- Passing: Brett Hodges, 12-24, 140 yds, 2 INTs
Rushing:
Kenneth Moore,
8-116, 1 TD. Receiving: Kenneth Moore, 4-35
2006
Meineke Car Care Bowl
Boston College 25 ... Navy 24
With the game seemingly in hand, Navy tried to run out the
clock, but lost a Reggie Campbell fumble on an option pitch to give Boston
College new life. The Eagles went 20 yards to get into field goal range, and
Steve Aponavicius came through hitting a 37-yard shot as time ran out to redeem
himself after missing an extra point on the first score of the game. The Eagles
started off the scoring with a two-yard Matt Ryan touchdown run, but had to
chase the missed conversion missing on a two-point conversion midway through the
fourth quarter that would've tied the score after a 25-yard touchdown pass to
Ryan Purvis. Navy's running game worked well, but threw to get two of its
touchdowns with Tyree Barnes making a 31-yard grab in the first quarter and
Jason Tomlinson making a 24-yard grab in the second. The Midshipmen ran for 322
yards including a five-yard Zerbin Singleton touchdown run in the second
quarter. BC was held to just 73 rushing yards.
Player
of the game ... Boston College QB Matt Ryan completed 20 of 29 passes for
242 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions and ran for a score
Stat Leaders: Navy - Passing: Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada,
4-6, 77 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Shun White, 7-116 Receiving: Jason Tomlinson, 2-36,
1 TD
Boston College - Passing: Matt Ryan, 20-29, 242 yds, 1 TD,
2 INT
Rushing: Andre Callender, 19-66 Receiving: Tony Gonzalez, 4-50
Connecticuot Bowl History (1-0)
|
2004 |
Motor City |
Connecticut 39, Toledo
10 |
|
Wake Forest
Bowl History (4-3)
|
2007 |
Orange |
Louisville 24, Wake
Forest 13 |
|
2002 |
Seattle |
Wake Forest 38, Oregon
17 |
|
1999 |
Aloha Classic |
Wake Forest 23, Arizona
State 3 |
|
1992 |
Independence |
Wake Forest 39, Oregon
35 |
|
1979 |
Tangerine |
LSU 34, Wake Forest 10 |
|
1948 |
Dixie |
Baylor 20, Wake Forest 7 |
|
1945 |
Gator |
Wake Forest 26, South
Carolina 14 |
|
2007 CFN Meineke Car
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