Category Archives: Bowl previews/recaps

2022 Music City Bowl, Iowa vs. Kentucky, 12-31-22: Photo Gallery

Iowa Hawkeyes football has been all about defense in 2022, allowing 10 points or less on nine different occasions. The team allowed just 13.3 points per game for the season. On Saturday in Nashville they continued another consistent trend…scoring on defense. The team’s 21-0 TransPerfect Music City Bowl shutout victory over the Kentucky Wildcats featured two defensive touchdowns.

Scoring on defense has been a theme for a long time during head coach Kirk Ferentz’s tenure at the school, spanning from the late Norm Parker to current defensive coordinator Phil Parker (no relation).

“Forever it seems like that our guys have done a good job…we do a good job with turnovers making them offensive opportunities if you will,” Ferentz said after the game. “Those guys know where to go, know where to get and our guys hustle when there is a turnover. They’re trying to make it more than just getting a possession.”

Freshman five-star recruit Xavier Nwankpa started off the scoring on defense and delivered in his first career start. Replacing All-Big Ten safety Kaevon Merriweather -who declared for the 2023 NFL Draft- Nwankpa posted eight tackles, a 52-yard interception touchdown return and one pass breakup.

Nwankpa’s felt as if the performance only increased expectations for the future at Iowa.

“Definitely set the bar for me on where I gotta go, where I gotta improve from,” Nwanka said of the bowl game performance. “So just keep making plays, having fun during the spring and get ready for next fall.”

One of the players who will continue to join him in the secondary is 2022 TransPerfect Music City Bowl MVP Cooper DeJean. DeJean –a 10.7 100-meter sprinter and 24-foot long jumper at OA-BCIG High School Iowa)-also contributed to the defensive scoring with his third interception touchdown return of the season.

But he was quick to give credit to those around him.

“Winning MVP…I think is more of a team award, because without these guys on defense I couldn’t do what I was able to do,” DeJean offered modestly. “Those guys were pressuring the quarterback all game. A lot of credit to the guys up front and everybody else on the defense.”

Iowa led the nation with seven defensive touchdowns in 2022.

2022 SDCCU Holiday Bowl, UNC vs. Oregon, 12-28-22: Photo Gallery

The Oregon Ducks (10-3) were searching for something in head coach Dan Lanning’s first season to provide an exclamation point. Taking on a nine-win ACC Coastal champion -led by star quarterback Drake Maye- in the North Carolina Tar Heels (9-5) provided just the recipe. But after the Tar Heels went up 27-21 with just 2:29 remaining in the game, the outcome was still very much in doubt.

Enter Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix.

Up until that point, the Auburn transfer had been just okay. But he completed five-of-six passes on the drive for 56 yards, including the game-winning six-yard touchdown to senior wideout Chase Cota.

Nix talked about the connection in detail.

“That’s one of our go-to plays, we feel really good about that play (game-winning touchdown pass)…we’ve run it multiple times,” Nix recalled. “And sure enough they brought a house blitz and Chase knows over and over that’s the throw if we get house. He’s gonna get a natural pick going across the middle, and we did a great job of picking up the protection. We threw it over the middle and got a completion for a touchdown.”

On the other side of the field, ACC Offensive Player of the Year Drake Maye got off to a fast start (206 yards passing, 51%, 3 TDs) for the Tar Heels, but the Oregon defense began to combat some of his efforts in the second half.

A big reason?

They stayed in the present.

“I thought our team did a great job of being in the present,” Lanning said after the game. “Our players made great adjustments. Even some of those drives we stalled out…didn’t get a first down, I think our guys believed hey we’re gonna get a stop and get an opportunity to do it again. And that’s what it came down to. You’re talking about phenomenal players making great plays and down the stretch, that’s what you saw.”

2022 First Responder Bowl, Utah State vs. Memphis, 12-27-22: Photo Gallery

The 2022 Servpro First Responder Bowl featured two teams in the Memphis Tigers (6-6) and Utah State Aggies (6-6) trying to get over the .500 mark. Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan completed 20-of-29 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns to earn game MVP honors.

Despite the outstanding performance, Henigan was quick to credit teammates after the game.

“We had a bunch of players make plays,” Henigan offered. “Jey (Jeyvon Ducker) had a long touchdown run, and a couple here and there. Preiskorn (Caden) had a touchdown, Eddie (Lewis) had a good over the shoulder catch, Joe (Joseph Scates) had one up the sideline. They were just getting open for me and, with enough time, we were having success.”

His deference should not take away from the sophomore’s two-year run as a starter for the Tigers. The former Denton Ryan High School (Tex.) standout earned the starting job as a true freshman and has not looked back. Through two seasons as a starter, he has completed 62-percent of his passes for 6,893 yards with 47 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

The Servpro First Responder Bowl was played at the same site (Gerald J. Ford Stadium) as the team’s last game of the regular season. In that contest, Henigan threw a game-ending interception to SMU’s Brandon Crossley with just two seconds remaining in a 34-31 loss.

Henigan’s bounce-back effort from that heartbreak in his hometown did not go unnoticed by Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield.

“I think the bounce back by Seth, who came out and played his tail off…kind of shows you the resilience that we’re all about,” Silverfield explained. “For me, that’s why it’s personal and I’m proud to be able to get a win today because of what it meant to those guys in the locker room.”

2022 Independence Bowl, Louisiana vs. Houston, 12-23-22: Photo Gallery

Houston Cougars quarterback Clayton Tune -effectively a fourth quarter maestro in 2022– once again saved his best for last in the 2022 Independence Bowl. As temperatures ranged in the mid-teens, Tune heated up right on time.

With the game in the balance tied at 16, Tune and star receiver Nathaniel “Tank” Dell made an in-game adjustment on an audible that led to the game-winning 12-yard touchdown pass. Cougars head coach Dana Holgorsen had no problem allowing his star quarterback make the call.

“I told yall a couple of day ago that he (Tune) was going to call a lot of the plays based on his familiarity with what they were going to do defensively,” Holgorsen offered after the game. “He changed that play (game-winning 12-yard touchdown pass to Dell) right. That’s what make this relationship (pointing to Tune and Dell) so special.”

2022 Las Vegas Bowl, Oregon State vs. Florida, 12-17-22: Photo Gallery

The 2022 Las Vegas Bowl was largely dominated by an Oregon State Beavers (10-3) squad seeking its first 10-win campaign since the 2006 season under then-head coach and 2022 USFL Coach of the Year Mike Riley. Prior to that, the team’s current head coach, Jonathan Smith, quarterbacked the Beavers to an 11-1 record and 2001 Fiesta Bowl victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

The Beavers had 24 first downs to the Gators 13, scored on five of its six Red Zone scoring attempts and converted seven-of-12 third down opportunities in a resounding 30-6 victory in Allegiant Stadium.

But when asked to compare the current team to the one in which he passed for a career-high 2,773 yards and 20 touchdowns at the beginning of the century, the 2022 Pac-12 Co-Coach of the Year was having none of it.

“Ahhh…yeah,” Smith said in an aw-shucks manner while laughing . “I’m not going to be a smart aleck now. I think that both those teams had really good players on it and, again, special years on both instances. Really happy with this team. I’ll leave it there.”

Florida (6-7) -led by first-year head coach Billy Napier– was without starting quarterback Anthony Richardson (opted-out) or senior wideout Justin Shorter.

2022 SWAC Championship, 12-3-22: Photo Gallery

The 2022 SWAC Championship game was filled with electricity from the start, as the Tigers got out to a 26-point lead at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Jackson State quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year, put on a show for the fans. However, the performance of Southern quarterback Glendon McDaniel helped lead a furious comeback for the Jaguars (7-4) in the third quarter. Eventually, the Tigers (11-0) cruised to a 43-24 victory to earn their second consecutive SWAC championship.

UPDATE: The game was bittersweet for many Tigers fans, as both head coach Deion Sanders and Shedeur are now headed to lead the Colorado Buffaloes in 2023 after they took on UNC-Central in the 2022 Cricket Celebration Bowl.

2021 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, In-game report: Army vs. Missouri, 12-22-21

Army head coach Jeff Monken led the Black Knights to its third Armed Forces Bowl victory in last-minute fashion. The Black Knights were led by a rambunctious running game that featured running back Jakobi Buchanan. After an injury to starting quarterback Christian Anderson, the team turned to two different quarterbacks, Tyhier Tyler and Jabari Laws, to lead the team down the stretch.

DraftNasty’s Corey Chavous dives into the strategies of Army veteran offensive and defensive coordinators Brent Davis and Nate Woody. He also breaks down the team’s use of analytics while discussing top prospect and All-American outside linebacker Andre Carter II.

Army team captain Arik Smith (No. 53 pictured) had 88 tackles, four quarterback sacks and 11 tackles for losses in 2021. Over the last two seasons, he has 20 tackles for losses.

Senior linebacker and team captain Arik Smith garnered Armed Forces Bowl Game MVP honors after posting 12 tackles, two quarerback sacks and two-and-a half tackles for losses in the team’s victory. Junior placekicker Cole Talley banged home the game-winning field goal with no time remaining on the clock to secure the team’s 24-22 victory.

2021 Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl, In-game report, 12-21-21: SDSU vs. 24) UTSA

The 2021 Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl was the first of two bowl games in three days to take place at Toyota Stadium, the home of the FC Dallas Burn. The game pitted two teams that entered the game with a combined total of 23 victories. In a contest that largely lived up to the billing, the Brady Hoke-led Aztecs (12-2) took over the contest in the second half to win 38-24. It was just the second loss for the 24th-ranked Roadrunners (12-2), who have turned into one of the nation’s up-and-coming programs under Texas high school coaching legend and 2021 C-USA Coach of the Year Jeff Traylor.

DraftNasty’s Corey Chavous’ in-game report goes into quarterback Lucas Johnson, who recently entered the transfer portal, along with RB Greg Bell, OG William Dunkle, OT Zachary Thomas, TE Daniel Bellinger, PK/P Matt Araiza and DE Keshawn Banks, among others.

CJ Baskerville celebrating his interception in the 2021 Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl
Baskerville (No. 34 pictured jumping) had nine tackles and one interception to earn Defensive MVP honors in the 2021 Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl.

Chavous discusses who won the highly-anticipated battle between UTSA offensive tackle Spencer Burford and SDSU defensive end Cameron Thomas. In addition, he goes inside the bowl game MVP performances from wide receiver Jesse Matthews and safety CJ Baskerville.

2021 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, In-game Report, 12-18-21

The 2021 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl featured a battle between the 12th-ranked BYU Cougars (10-3) and the UAB Blazers (9-4) in Shreveport, Louisiana on December 18th. DraftNasty’s Corey Chavous breaks down the game’s turning points, the state of both programs and the top pro prospects on each of the teams. In a back-and-forth battle, the Blazers outlasted the Cougars.

The Blazers were led by running back DeWayne McBride (5’11, 215, SOPH), who rushed for 183 yards on 28 carries behind an offensive line featuring LT Kadeem Telfort (6’8, 335, R-JR) and RT Colby Ragland (6’5, 315, R-SR). Chavous breaks down both in the video, along with their star deep threats in tight end Gerrit Prince (6’5, 240, R-SR) and junior wide receiver Trea Shropshire (6’3 195, JR).

UAB redshirt senior tight end Gerrit Prince caught four passes for 43 yards and two touchdowns in the 2021 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl.

On the other side, BYU had a stalwart of its own in star running back Tyler Allgeier (5’11, 220, R-SOPH). Allgeier finished with 192 tough yards and averaged 7.1 yards per carry. Playing without injured quarterback Jaren Hall (6’1, 205, SOPH), the team turned to the Romneys, Baylor (6’2, 195, SOPH) and Gunner (6’2, 195, JR) to get it done in support. But it was one of BYU’s freshman defenders who stood out. Find out who it was in Corey Chavous’ video in-game report.

2021 CSJ Bahamas Bowl Preview: Shafer’s Three-fers

The 2021 CSJ Bahamas Bowl features a number of healthy individual storylines, but perhaps none more so than a three-fers approach for one of the nation’s top defenses. Injuries and improved play have been a theme for both teams heading into the contest. Toledo (7-5), led by first-year starting quarterback DeQuan Finn, reeled off victories in four of its last five games. Middle Tennessee (6-6) rebounded from a 2-4 start by winning four of its final six contests to achieve bowl eligibility. The Blue Raiders eventually settled on freshman quarterback Nicholas Vattiato, a Plantation, Florida native, in its last four games. Today, however, we spotlight one of the game’s top defensive minds and a philosophy that has led to eye-popping results.

MTSU Defensive coordinator Scott Shafer’s three-fers

Shafer, the former Syracuse head coach, is one of the more creative defensive minds in all of college football. Shafer-led defenses are known for producing turnovers and touchdowns, and they do so on a regular basis. In 2021, his unit has forced a whopping 18 fumbles (T-2nd nationally), recovered 15 fumbles (T-1st nationally) and picked off 16 passes (314 yards, 3 TDs). For good measure, the team has also returned three fumbles for scores. Their six defensive touchdowns are tied for first in all of FBS football with Nevada and Ohio State. One of the reasons? Shafer’s recruiting philosophy. He talks about recruiting three-fers. Three-fers are high school athletes who play three different positions (in football) and three different sports.

So which players on MTSU’s explosive defense have contributed to his unique philosophy?

12 Reed Blankenship 6’1 200 FS-Senior MTSU

The first-team All-C-USA safety was a star quarterback at West Limestone High School (Ala.), where he rushed for over 3,000 yards, passed for over 1,000 yards and tallied 1,004 receiving yards. The former state championship basketball player is the unquestioned leader of the defense, combining a coach’s intelligence with positive movement skills. After back-to-back injury-plagued seasons, Blankenship has largely returned to his 2018 form, when he picked off four passes and returned one of the interceptions 100 yards for a score. His angles have been hit-or-miss at times as a tackler, but he typically posts at least one highlight film play per game. Blankenship was forced to miss over 40 days of summer workouts in 2020 due to quarantine for COVID-19, but never tested positive. That absence gave him an even stronger appetite to be around both teammates and coaches, whom he steadily gives credit to both on and off the field.

“It starts off just listening to the coaches,” Blankenship said when asked about his long run of big plays at the school. “It’s all about your teammates on the plays you make.”

Reed Blankenship S-MTSU 2022 NFL Draft
Blankenship was named an all-conference performer in 2021 after notching a career-high 10 tackles for loss.

He finished third on the team in 2021 with 10 tackles for loss, returned a fumble 90 yards for a score and forced two fumbles. The respect he has for those around him is definitely reciprocal.

“He has a high football IQ. Good vision. Patience. Very good football player,” Shafer said of Blankenship. “There’s a comfort factor there.”

Blankenship recently received an invite to the 2022 East-West Shrine All-Star Game in Las Vegas, Nevada.

3 Quincy Riley 6’0 181 CB-R-Freshman MTSU

The next of Shafer’s three-fers who stood out in 2021 was Riley, a former A.C. Flora High School (S.C.) product with blazing recovery speed.

Want proof?

Riley won the South Carolina Class 4A state track and field championship with a blazing 10.48 100-meter time back in 2019. His confidence on the field allows for him to jump routes early in the down, as UTSA quarterback Frank Harris discovered early in 2021 when trying to throw an out pattern to Riley’s side that he picked and nearly took back the distance.

Injuries have been a bit of a hiccup for Riley, who missed four games in 2021. Technically, he is eligible for the 2022 NFL Draft after having played in three games back in 2019, his first year on campus. During that season, a season-ending injury also thwarted his charge. In fact, the first-team All-C-USA freshman corner posted five interceptions for 153 yards (TD) in just eight games this season. In 2020, prior to injury, he picked off two passes (77 yards) in an All-C-USA freshman campaign.

First-team All-C-USA CB Quincy Riley (pictured in press) finished tied for second in the nation with five interceptions (153 yds, TD).

So what other sport made him one of the three-fers?

“He was a great basketball player in high school,” Shafer said.

Yes. Another player who fits the bill. And in football, he stood out playing wide receiver at the prep level, notching over 300 yards receiving as a senior with six special teams scores.

91 Jordan Ferguson 6’2 262 DL-Junior MTSU

The permanent team captain rounds out our list on Shafer’s philosophy, although the defense is littered with players who fit the bill. Ferguson is actually tied with another of the three-fers, safety Gregory Grate (5’11, 197, JR), for the team lead in forced fumbles (three). The Cartersville High School (Ga.) product plays a variety of roles for the team, as he aligns at defensive tackle, defensive end and rush outside linebacker. In fact, he has seen time as a personal protector on the punt team.

In high school he was a star tight end, racking up 15 touchdowns as a junior alone. Shafer found him somewhere else.

“He played high school basketball as a kid,” Shafer said. “Great leader. He is capable of playing inside or outside (on the defensive line). Ran practices for the team when we weren’t there.”

The second-team All-C-USA performer certainly was there for the team in 2021, when he notched career-highs in sacks (eight), tackles for loss (16.5), forced fumbles (three) and quarterback hurries (14). In the team’s bowl-clinching win versus Florida Atlantic, he took a fumble return back 71 yards for a score.

The three-fers don’t stop with those three, no pun intended, as second-team All-C-USA linebacker DQ Thomas (80 tackles, 5 QB sacks, 14.5 TFLs, FF, 2 INTs (43 yds, TD), 2 PBUs) was a powerlifter at the prep level. Versus Virginia Tech, he ran down quarterback Braxton Burmeister for a sack and was in on several pressures. The Oxford, Mississippi native is the school’s all-time leader in tackles for loss (51.5) heading into his final career game.

But it all goes back to the former collegiate quarterback drawing up the defenses and his own unique recruiting philosophy. Shafer’s mix of pre-snap defensive movement (involving safeties and linebackers), zone blitzes, six-man pressures, five-man fire zones and multiple looks leads to confusion for opposing offenses.

MTSU defensive coordinator Scott Shafer gives Marshall a unique defensive pre-snap look back in 2019.

He credits MTSU head coach Rick Stockstill for being open to his various suggestions during games.

“He’s open to thoughts before, during and after games,” the longtime defensive coordinator said.

And with three head coaches on one coaching staff (Stockstill, Shafer and former Clemson HC Tommy West), perhaps they meet the three-fers philosophy on their own.

After all, as Shafer put it, “there’s nothing we’re afraid to communicate.”