2023 SEASON
WEEK 12
UNDER REVIEW HEADLINES & RECOMMENDED READING
WEEK 11 SCOREBOARD
Big 12 Football Power Rankings: UCF makes big leap after thrashing Oklahoma State – Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald
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Pac-12 championship game race winds down to 4 remaining contenders – John Marshall, AP News Breaking Down the Big 12's Wide-Open Conference Championship Race – Pat Forde, Sports Illustrated Pac-12 Football Notes: Is Oregon State a Title Contender? – Jake Curtis, FanNation
CONFERENCE STANDINGS Pac-12 Conference Team Overall Washington 10-0 Oregon 9-1 Arizona 7-3 Oregon State 8-2 USC 7-4 Utah 7-3 UCLA 6-4 California 4-6 Arizona State 3-7 Stanford 3-7 Colorado 4-6 Washington State 4-6
CFP TOP 25
Big 12 Conference Conference 7-0 6-1 5-2 5-2 5-3 4-3 4-3 2-5 2-5 2-6 1-6 1-6
Team Texas Oklahoma State Oklahoma Iowa State Kansas State West Virgina Texas Tech Kansas TCU Houston Baylor BYU UCF Cincinnati
Washington 35, 18 Utah 28 Oregon 36, USC 27 12 Oregon State 62, Stanford 17 21 Arizona 34, Colorado 31 California 42, Washington State 39 Arizona State 17, UCLA 7 7 Texas 29, TCU 26 UCF 45, 15 Oklahoma State 3 Texas Tech 16, 16 Kansas 13 17 Oklahoma 59, West Virginia 20 25 Kansas State 59, Baylor 25 Cincinnati 24, Houston 14 Iowa State 45, BYU 13 5
Overall 9-1 7-3 8-2 6-4 7-3 6-4 5-5 7-3 4-6 4-6 3-7 5-5 5-5 3-7
Conference 6-1 5-2 5-2 5-2 5-2 4-3 4-3 4-3 2-5 2-5 2-5 2-5 2-5 1-6
1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Michigan 4. Florida State 5. Washington* 6. Oregon* 7. Texas^ 8. Alabama 9. Missouri 10. Louisville 11. Oregon State* 12. Penn State 13. Ole Miss
14. Oklahoma^ 15. LSU 16. Iowa 17. Arizona* 18. Tennessee 19. Notre Dame 20. North Carolina 21. Kansas State^ 22. Utah* 23. Oklahoma State^ 24. Tulane 25. Kansas^ *Pac-12 team ^ Big 12 team
INDEPENDENCE BOWL MEDIA PROJECTIONS ACTION NETWORK (BRETT McMURPHY)*
COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS^ VS.
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CBS SPORTS (JERRY PALM)^
ESPN (KYLE BONAGURA)*
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THE ATHLETIC (SCOTT DOCHTERMAN)*
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VS. *Prediction includes team from back-up conference
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ATHLON SPORTS (STEVEN LASSAN)^
^Prediction includes team from replacement conference
InsidE ThE I-BOwL NEWsLETTEr – 2023 Week 12
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WHAT TO WATCH FOR FRIDAY // 9:30 PM CT // FS1
COLORADO (4-6)
SATURDAY // 4 PM CT // FS2
UCF (5-5)
• Two teams that need to win their final two contests to get to (4-6) Bowl Season. • After a three-point loss to Arizona, Colorado has lost four straight by a combined 25 points. • This game will feature two of the leading passers in CFB — Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Washington State’s Cam Ward. Sanders is 5th in passing yardage (3,144), while Ward is 7th (3,127). • Both teams spread out their receiving to multiple receivers. Wazzu has three different receivers over 650 yards, while the Buffs have three receivers with over 500 yards.
• The winner will be heading to Bowl Season and could be (5-5) Shreveport-bound. • Both have won two games in a row to put themselves in good position to go bowling. • UCF ranks 2nd in the Big 12 in yards per game (494.5) and atop the league in rushing yards (223.3). • TTU ranks in the top half of the Big 12 defensively but have been even better down the stretch. After allowing 73 points in the first two games, they have allowed just 21.4 points per game their last eight. • UCF ranks 2nd in the Big 12 in passing yards allowed (204.8 per game).
SATURDAY // 5:30 PM CT // PAC-12 NET
SATURDAY // 6:30 PM CT // ABC
WASHINGTON STATE
CALIFORNIA (4-6)
TEXAS TECH
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WASHINGTON (10-0)
• With a win, Cal would find themselves within one win of a bowl (3-7) game with UCLA left on the schedule. After four straight losses, Cal bounced back to beat Wazzu 42-39 last week. • Cal ranks 4th in the Pac-12 in rushing — averaging 188.8 yards per game. RB Jaydn Ott is 13th in the FBS in rushing with 1,014 yards and 10 TDs. • Cal is scoring the 5th-most points per game in the Pac-12 (31.9) but have been even better lately. They have scored 40+ in three of their last five games, with the other two games coming against Oregon and Utah — two of the Pac-12's best defenses.
• Washington is 11 trying to keep their undefeated run going (8-2) and get to the CFP. • OSU has lost two games by a FG and look like one of the toughest teams in CFB. One-point favorites. • UW sports the top passing offense in the country. QB Michael Penix is thick in the Heisman convo with a nation-leading 3,533 yards to go along with 28 TDs. WR Rome Odunze is 3rd in the nation in receiving (1,100 yards), while WR Ja’Lynn Polk is 11th (943). • OSU is a very well-balanced team. They rank in the top 4 in the Pac-12 in yards per game, points per game, defensive yards allowed and points allowed.
SATURDAY // 6 PM CT // FS1
SATURDAY // 7 PM CT // FOX
STANFORD
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KANSAS STATE (7-3)
• A pair of 7-3 teams 25 in the Big 12 looking for a big win in the (7-3) Sunflower Showdown. • Game features two RBs who are looking to top 1,000 yards. Kansas’s Devin Neal enters the contest with 965 yards. K-State’s DJ Giddens has 859 yards. • Both teams features two veteran QBs. K-State SR QB Will Howard has 2,190 yards, 300 rushing yards, 28 total TDs and 8 INTs. Kansas SR QB Jason Bean has 1,431 passing yards, 11 total TDs and 4 INTs in six games of significant playing time. • Two of the top 5 scoring teams in the Big 12. KSU ranks 2nd (38.8 PPG), while Kansas ranks 5th (32.9).
KANSAS
OREGON ST.
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TEXAS (9-1)
• Iowa State got bowl eligible with a win over BYU last week. (6-4) They find themselves in position to get to the Big 12 Championship Game with Texas and Kansas State left. The Cyclones have four of their last five. • ISU has been one of the best defensive teams in the Big 12 — allowing 19.9 points and 329 yards per game. That ranks 4th and 1st in those categories. • Their defense has been even better over the past five games — since allowing 50 to Oklahoma. They are holding opponents to just 16.6 PPG and 304.6 YPG their last five.
Saturday, December 16 at 8:15 pm
IOWA STATE
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I-BOWL WEEKLY EVERY WEDNESDAY! I-Bowl Weekly presented by Origin Bank is back! Tune into 1130 The Tiger every Wednesday during football season from 6-7 p.m. for the official radio show of the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl! Director of Communications Erik Evenson and Lou Groza Award-winning kicker and former I-Bowl Chairman Art Carmody IV get you set for each weekend of college football. They'll update you on all the best games of the weekend, the Big 12 and Pac12 leading into the big game, and everything you need to know about the 47th Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl!
LISTEN TO I-BOWL WEEKLY
GAME OF THE WEEK POWERED BY SATURDAY // 6:30 PM CT RESER STADIUM ABC
STATS & LEADERS 10-0 7-0 (Pac-12) 41.0 23.5 503.9 (378.0/125.9) 409.9 (269.6/140.3) Penix: 3533 YDS, 28 TD, 7 INT Johnson: 790 YDS, 11 TD Odunze: 1100 YDS, 9 TD
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OVERALL RECORD CONFERENCE RECORD POINTS PER GAME PTS ALLOWED/GAME TOTAL YDS (PASS/RUSH) YDS ALLOWED (P/R) PASSING LEADER RUSHING LEADER RECEIVING LEADER
InsidE ThE I-BOwL NEWsLETTEr – 2023 Week 12
8-2 5-2 (Pac-12) 37.9 20.5 453.3 (256.4/196.9) 333.1 (230.5/102.6) Uiagalelei: 2254 YDS, 20 TD, 4 INT Martinez: 1024 YDS, 7 TD Gould: 599 YDS, 2 TD
IN THE COMMUNITY INDEPENDENCE BOWL DONATES ADDITIONAL $5,100 TO LOCAL TEACHERS After donating nearly $1,800 to local teachers in September, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl and Extra Yard for Teachers donated an additional $5,096 to teachers in Caddo and Bossier Parishes in November. The Independence Bowl has donated $6,780 to local teachers in 2023. The nearly $5,100 in donations supported 13 teachers' projects on DonorsChoose.org, bringing the total number of teachers supported this year by the Independence Bowl to 18. The November donations will impact nearly 1,500 students, increasing the total number of students impacted by Independence Bowl Extra Yard for Teachers donations in 2023 to almost 2,500. Following the 2023 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl on Saturday, December 16, the Independence Bowl will donate $5,000 to local teachers through Touchdown for Teachers, and Extra Yard for Teachers will contribute $1,000 to local teachers in the ShreveportBossier community for each touchdown scored in the 2023 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl. The funds generated through Touchdown for Teachers will benefit teachers in the Shreveport-Bossier area, enabling them to access additional resources. These resources may include books, educational technology, art supplies, science equipment, and other materials that enhance learning experiences for students across various subjects and grade levels. In partnering with Extra Yard for Teachers, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl has donated over $74,000 to local teachers and schools since 2021. Following Touchdown for Teachers, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl and Extra Yard for Teachers will have donated nearly $12,000 this year and over $79,000 to local teachers and schools in the Shreveport-Bossier area since 2021. The contribution could grow to well over $12,000 this year, depending on how many touchdowns are scored in the 2023 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl.
READ FULL STORY
WINNERS OF 2023 "SHOW YOUR INDEPENDENCE" ART CONTEST ANNOUNCED An annual tradition for the past decade, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl will be awarding Caddo and Bossier Parish students from Kindergarten through 12th grade with tickets to the 2023 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl through the “Show Your Independence” Art Contest. The winners – first, second and third place from each grade – were announced last week and will receive two tickets each to the bowl game on Saturday, December 16. The Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl started the “Show Your Independence” Art Contest 10 years ago. The contest asks students to draw what the word “independence” means to them, and three students from each grade are named the winners of the contest. The winners selected are awarded with two tickets to the Independence Bowl annually, and their artwork is displayed at the game and online at RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com.
READ FULL STORY Saturday, December 16 at 8:15 pm
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KNOW BEFORE YOU GO! OFFICIAL FAN GUIDE OF THE 2023 RADIANCE TECHNOLOGIES INDEPENDENCE BOWL Embarking on its 47th edition, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl is steeped in college football tradition as the 11th longest-running bowl game. We are proud to be north Louisiana's premier nationally televised sporting event. We have prided ourselves on providing a fun, hospitable experience for fans across the country since the first game in 1976. In this Fan Guide, you will find information on Bowl Week Events, Independence Stadium, Clear Bag Policy, ticketing, parking, the Shreveport-Bossier City area and much more. We are excited to welcome you all to Northwest Louisiana for bowl week. We hope you enjoy our full slate of free bowl week events, as well as some of Northwest Louisiana's finest restaurants and destinations. We greatly appreciate your support for the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl and hope you enjoy the game!
CLICK HERE FOR FAN GUIDE
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InsidE ThE I-BOwL NEWsLETTEr – 2023 Week 12
8:15 PM CT
318.221.0712 | 888.414.BOWL RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com/Tickets vs Saturday, December 16 at 8:15 pm
Saturday, December 16 // 8:15 p.m. CT // ESPN vs RadianceTechnologiesIndependencebOwl.com @InDyBOwL MEDIA CONTACT:
Erik Evenson – Director of Communications M: 404.368.7481 O: 318.221.0712 E: erik@independencebowl.org