SERVPRO First Responder Bowl Weekly Notes (10/25)
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl Notes
BIG TEN: With just five weekends remaining in the regular season, 11 teams will take the field this week. The action opens on Friday as Minnesota hosts Indiana. Saturday’s schedule features four conference games. Big Ten Standings here.
C-USA: The final week of October will begin with a Friday night showdown in south Florida before a five-game league ledger on Saturday. C-USA Standings here.
BIG TEN BLOWOUTS: The Big Ten features six programs that rank among the top 20 nationally in scoring margin, including three of the top eight. Michigan leads the conference and ranks fifth nationally, outscoring its opponents by an average of 21.6 points per contest. Penn State follows in seventh nationally at +20.6 points per game, while Ohio State is eighth at +20.1 points per contest. Iowa is 13th at +15.2, followed by Purdue and Wisconsin in a tie for 19th at +13.0.
BOWLING FOR BULLDOGS: Louisiana Tech will look to get bowl-eligible for the fifth straight season when it goes to Boca Raton to take on Florida Atlantic, winners of 10 consecutive home games. Bulldogs senior DE Jaylon Ferguson, the nation’s active leader in sacks, needs just one more to become C-USA’s all-time leader, but will face an Owls offensive line that has allowed the second-fewest sacks (7) in the league and the 13th-fewest in the FBS.
HARD TO STOP KNOX: Purdue’s D.J. Knox rushed for 138 yards and three touchdowns against Ohio State on Saturday, earning Walter Camp National FBS Offensive Player of the Week. Knox scored on runs of 1, 42 and 40 yards.
UAB MAKING HISTORY: With their school record fifth straight win, the Blazers are off to their best start in program history and have recorded 14 wins since the program returned last September, the most over a two-year span in school history. UAB’s victory also clinched bowl eligibility for the Blazers, marking the sixth time in program history and the third straight season with Bill Clark at the helm.
IN THE NEWS
How good has Purdue freshman receiver Rondale Moore been so far? According to senior quarterback David Blough, “Even when he’s covered he’s open.” Mike Carmin (@Carmin_JC) of the Lafayette Journal & Courier has more here.
Luis Torres (@LFTorresIII) of The Daily News Journal writes that after lofty preseason goals, MTSU is trying to improve one of the worst running games in Conference USA. More here.
Josh Stirn (@Josh_Stirn) of Inside MD Sports writes that Tre Watson transferred from Illinois to Maryland for his final year hoping to reach the postseason for the first time. He’s facing his former team in basically what’s become a must-win game. Get the story here.
Patrick Magee (@Patrick_Magee) of the Biloxi Sun Herald breaks down bowl projections for C-USA, with a new team joining the mix and UAB building up a head of steam. Find out more here.
TICKETS ON SALE: Tickets for the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl are now on sale at www.firstresponderbowl.com. Tickets range from $25 for a general admission seat, to $75 for a reserved lower bowl seat and $150 for a mid-field chair back seat.
Fans will again be able to help thank first responders by “Sponsoring a Responder.” Fans can choose to purchase “additional” tickets for $15 that will be distributed to first responder members and their families. These generous ticket sponsors will be recognized during the game on Dec. 26.
HIGHER CAUSE: The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl is the first bowl game in the country to honor First Responders. First responders to be honored include police officers, firefighters, EMS workers, correctional officers, search and rescue, dispatchers, security guards, federal agents, border patrol agents and military personnel who have specialized training and are the first to arrive and provide assistance at the scene of an emergency.