Pinstripe/Independence/Foster Farms

Time to be practical and work through the other three games from Saturday.  No need to clutter up Facebook feeds anymore than I already have.

Present and accounted for at 3:30 for the game from Yankee Stadium - this has been one of the better games in bowl season since it started.

Indiana vs. Duke

The Blue Devils were cruising along this season until they lost on the eight-lateral end of game play against Miami that should never have counted.  Only a win against Wake Forest saved their in the final week.  Indiana also started strong against weak competition and needed to rally to finish 6-6 and get to NYC.

I watched most of this game with the Sun and Heart of Dallas bowls behind me.  It turned into one of the best so far of BowlQuest.  Duke owned the first quarter, going up 10-0 before the Hoosiers found their footing with 17 points in the second quarter.  Halftime, 17-17.

Indiana's offense was moving the ball without much problem against Duke and the Hoosier's kept giving up big plays to the Blue Devils for a great second half.  It really all came down to special teams - Indiana missed a couple field goals, allowed a kick off return for touchdown and fumbled a punt return.  Still 41-41 after four quarters so the first trip to overtime in bowl season.

Duke was held to a field goal on their possession and Indiana was forced to kick and the controversy began.  Hoosiers kicker Griffin Oakes kicked it high and evidently wide by an inch, no good.  From the ground camera angle it looked good but there is no review on field goals.  Game.

Duke 44  Indiana 41  (My pick, Indiana)

Game notes:

-Lots of combined offense, more than 1,200 yards and 57 first downs.

-Congrats to Duke on their first bowl win since the 1961 Cotton Bowl.  That's a long time between bowl wins.  Indiana has been winless in bowls since the 1991 Copper Bowl (remember that one? Me either.)

-Player swag - Variety of New Era products.  New Era is the game sponsor, so they're not really even trying.

On to the fifth game of the day, from beautiful Shreveport.

I'll go with the classic Independence Bowl logo - this game has been through several sponsors recently, this year it's Camping World.  Last year it was Duck Commander and Advocare the year before.

Virginia Tech vs. Tulsa

The talk of this game was all about VT coach Frank Beamer.  This was his last game coaching the Hokies as he heads to retirement.  Beamer's first bowl as Hokies coach was also at this game.

I caught up with this game into the first half and yama mama - no defense at all.  It turns out the teams scored three times in the first couple minutes and they would go onto to set an all time bowl game record of 76 points in the first half.  45-31 Tech and I'm thinking more fireworks in the second half.

Nah - both teams settled down or were just tired and the scoring was pretty low except for a too little too late flurry by Tulsa to get close at the end.  The Hokies hung on and got the final win for Beamer.

Virginia Tech 55  Tulsa 52

My pick - Virginia Tech with my highest confidence points.

Game notes

-Just like the Pinstripe Bowl, this game featured more offensive fireworks, especially in the first half.  The teams combined for almost 1,200 yards and 57 first downs. There was 463 yards of total offense in the first quarter alone.  Defense optional.

 This was the same Virginia Tech team that managed to score 0 in regulation against Wake Forest.

Football is goofy some times.

-Player swag:  Not bad; Gift suite; Timely Watch Co. watch; New Era knit skull cap; commemorative football

On to the sixth and last game of the day.

This game has one of the two Big Ten teams with 5-7 records - so between that fact and being the sixth game of the day, I was there in body but not in spirit.

UCLA vs. Nebraska

I only stayed on board for the first half, which was pretty entertaining on a day that featured tons of offense.  Both teams scored three times and it was 21-21 at half.  I went to bed, hoping UCLA would pull it out.

Nope.  Nebraska held on for the win to improved to 6-7.  Second time in bowl season the 5-7 team has won.

Nebraska 37  UCLA 29

My pick:  UCLA  (Bowl record drops to 10-8)

Game notes:

-I've got nothing.  After Michigan State lost to Nebraska because of terrible officiating (and a lousy day by the MSU defense), I was not interested in watching this game.  For some reason I stuck around for the first half when one quarter would have sufficed.

-It rained the entire day so being indoors watching football for more than 12 hours didn't make me feel too guilty.

-Player swag:   Not really trying here; Gift suite; Fossil watch

That's it, I'm almost half way home after 18 games.  No games on Sunday but the quest is back with two games on Monday when I return to work.