SERVPRO First Responder Bowl : NEWS FIRST
2022 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl to feature Memphis and Utah State
DALLAS, Texas (Dec. 4, 2022) – Memphis and Utah State have officially accepted invitations to play in the 2022 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. Both programs will be making their first appearances in the annual bowl game.
The 13th edition of the bowl game will be played Tuesday, Dec. 27, at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas. Kickoff is set for 2:15 p.m. (CT) on ESPN. It will be the eighth meeting between the two schools and the first since 1977. Memphis leads the all-time series 4-3.
“We’re excited to host Memphis and Utah State in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl,” Executive Director Brant Ringler said. “We are eager to see them compete in Dallas as we honor our first responders. The teams and their fans will truly enjoy the entire experience.”
Memphis finished the regular season with a 6-6 overall record, including a 3-5 mark in the American Athletic Conference. The Tigers averaged 35.1 points per game under third-year head coach Ryan Silverfield. This is the Tigers’ ninth consecutive year qualifying for a bowl game, which is tied for the ninth-best active streak in the nation and the best among all non-Power 5 programs.
Utah State completed a 6-6 regular season slate and owned a 5-3 record in Mountain West Conference play. The Aggies won five of their last seven games of the season in coach Blake Anderson’s second season. Of Utah State’s six wins, five were comeback victories. This is the 10th bowl appearance for Utah State in the past 12 years and second recent trip to the DFW metroplex (2019 Frisco Bowl).
First played following the 2010 season, the annual bowl game in Dallas began honoring first responders for the 2014 game. First responders 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. In 2018, the game was officially renamed the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl to reflect the efforts to show appreciation to first responders. Tickets for first responders are underwritten by corporate partners.
Schools that have competed in the First Responder Bowl, which was previously known as the TicketCity Bowl and the Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl, include: Air Force, Army West Point, Boise State, Boston College, Houston, Illinois, Louisiana, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, North Texas, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Purdue, Southern Miss, Texas Tech, UNLV, Utah, UTSA, Washington, West Virginia, Western Michigan and Western Kentucky. Three straight games, and four of the last five, have been decided by a touchdown or less, including two determined on the final play.
The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl is one of 17 bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events. For additional information about the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl, please visit FirstResponderBowl.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter.
2022 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl to be played December 27
DALLAS, Texas – The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl will be played Tuesday, Dec. 27, at SMU’s Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas. Kickoff time is to be determined.
“We are excited to have another terrific opportunity to express our appreciation for first responders,” said Brant Ringler, executive director of the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. “These heroes truly deserve our thanks, and for our community to be able to honor them in front of a national television audience on ESPN is truly special.”
In December 2014, the bowl began honoring first responders, including 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. In 2018, the game was renamed to reflect the efforts to show appreciation to first responders.
Ford Stadium has served as the site of the last three contests, each of which has been decided by a touchdown or less following Air Force’s 31-28 victory over Louisville in 2021. The game, previously known as the Heart of Dallas Bowl and TicketCity Bowl, was originally contested at Cotton Bowl Stadium.
Previous teams selected for the bowl include: Air Force, Army West Point, Boise State, Boston College, Houston, Illinois, Louisiana, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, North Texas, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Purdue, Southern Miss, Texas Tech, UNLV, Utah, UTSA, Washington, West Virginia, Western Michigan and Western Kentucky.
Seventy-four bowl alumni have been drafted into the National Football League, led by two-time first-team All-Pro wide receiver Michael Thomas (Southern Miss). Of the draftees, five were first-round picks and nine were selected in the second round.
The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl is one of 17 college football bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events. For additional information, please visit FirstResponderBowl.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter.
ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In 2022, the 32-event schedule includes three early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events, and a college softball event, which account for approximately 400 hours of live programming, while reaching nearly 64 million viewers and attracting over 800,000 annual attendees. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.
For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.
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2021 First Responder Bowl - Louisville Player Quotes
Louisville Linebacker C.J. Avery
On the Air Force offense:
“We expected the run and pass. We obviously knew they were a great run team. But we also knew that they were going to take shots and did. We just didn’t win.”
On your career at Louisville:
“It’s a blessing. It’s a blessing that I got the chance to come here, play, and have an impact on the city. Fans all across the city, I hope I left a great mark on a lot of people.”
On the physicality of the game:
“It was extremely physical. A lot of their O-line are coming straight off the ball and firing off. You got to get your hands dirty and the running backs, quarterbacks, and slot guys are running hard. It’s a really physical game but I thought we did pretty good against the run. We just didn’t do well against the pass.”
On the advice to the younger guys:
“I think it’s just laser focus. Just having that laser focus throughout the process, whole season, and every play. That’s the key.”
On the future of this program:
“It’s bright. Everyone is looking at the record and the losses. But those losses, like everyone is saying it’s one play away. If that one plays is made it’s an entirely different season and totally different conversation. The future is totally bright. The guys that are coming back just need to buy in and make the plays.”
Louisville Running Back Trevion Cooley
On the run game:
“It starts with the front five. They did a great job of working up to the second level. We’ve been working on that all year. It’s our job to make second and third level cuts. And they did a great job of giving us an opportunity to make plays.”
On trying to get over the hump:
“I think a lot of guys this year got a great opportunity to play. For the future it’s very bright for the young guys. I would say just dial in more. For me, I would say the things that I need to work on are, getting bigger obviously. I came off an injury or two. I haven’t played football in two years. This team will be great. There’s a lot of very young kids in there. Getting adjusted to college was a tole too on a lot of us. Moving forward they’ll be ready for next year.”
On the 4th down stop:
“We ran that play probably three or four times. Which it worked every single time up until that point. But it was my job to really punch it in and I can’t really blame anyone else.”
2021 First Responder Bowl - Air Force Player Quotes
Air Force Quarterback Haaziq Daniels
On whether he expected to put up big passing numbers:
“No, it was good to have that opportunity to be able to come in here and to make it happen. I think I throw a lot better when I'm in a rhythm and am able to sit in the pocket. First, because there was no pressure at all so I was able to just watch the coverage and know he was getting open, wide open, so it's pretty much easy passes.”
On being named the game’s MVP:
“It's a good feeling, I won it but I think I won it for the team. So it represents the diesels, represents the receivers that catch the ball and make the plays happen. It was a good feeling that I got it, but it's all about the team.”
On learning from the seniors:
“I learned a lot, probably the biggest thing that I learned is just don't take anything for granted. You know? Each game has a different opportunity and it can be taken away. So just play the best you can in that moment, play as hard as you can play along with your brothers and whatever happens happens.”
On this team’s legacy:
“I mean, I think we're making history. You know there's not a lot of times where a team can win ten games in a season. It's a good feeling, just have to enjoy all of this. Some guys coming back you know we got to do, keep going.”
On being more than a running quarterback:
“You know it's good deal to be able to show different abilities. And also just put yourself in the best possibility for the team to win.”
On playing like this on ESPN
“Very cool. Personally I'm going to go back and rewatch the whole game, I want to see everything that happened.
On Brandon Lewis’ play:
“Yeah, I mean, we all know B-Lew can do it, you know? So it's just a matter of time, it's a matter of getting opportunities. To see him do what he did today is amazing to watch.”
Air Force Wide Receiver Brandon Lewis
On his nifty moves on the touchdown catch:
“I don't know. It just kind of happened. I wasn't really trying to try to think too much while I'm playing football I just try and react. I was pretty tired, because the drive before I'd already had a long touchdown. I was happy to score Haaziq threw a great ball.”
On getting opportunities today:
“The o-line blocked great when we were out there. Haaziq was throwing amazing balls. And I was just trying to make plays for my team. This was a big game, super important for me now. This game, my final game, I just tried to do the best I could for my teammates.
On the bowl experience:
“It was a great experience. I had a lot of fun. The First Responders people that put this together did a great job and I'm just blessed and happy to be here. I'm just happy to be here, be around the guys.”
On the defense getting early stops:
“It gives us confidence going into our drives, when you can rely on our defense you know don't get to start overthinking things. We can kind of stick to our game plan and don't have to overdo something or try and rush something or press something that's not there. So yeah, it keeps the confidence within our offense.”
2021 First Responder Bowl Postgame Notes
Postgame Bowl Notes – 12th Annual 2021 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl – Dec. 28, 2021
Final Score: Air Force 31, Louisville 28
General Game Notes:
The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl traditionally has been one of the highest-scoring postseason contests nationally since its founding as the TicketCity Bowl on Jan. 1, 2011, with a 45-38 victory by freewheeling Texas Tech over Northwestern. In the first seven First Responder Bowls there were at least 44 points scored between the competing squads, and the 2019 encounter just missed that mark with 43 composite markers by WKU and Western Michigan. The ’20 renewal was more true to form as Louisiana outpointed UTSA 31-24 in a scoring fest with 55 tallies. Today’s game followed that pattern with 59 total points.
This is the 12th annual renewal of the City of Dallas bowl, though the 2018 contest was halted seven minutes into the first quarter by recurrent severe weather and declared a no-contest.
There now has been a bowl game played (or started) in Dallas for 85 consecutive seasons. The skein opened Jan. 1, 1937, when TCU edged Marquette 16-6 in the inaugural Cotton Bowl Classic at Fair Park Stadium (later renamed Cotton Bowl Stadium). There actually were three other bowl games played on that same site Jan. 2, 1922, with Texas A&M downing 1920s Southern power Centre (Ky.) 22-14, Jan. 1, 1925, as West Virginia Wesleyan edged SMU 9-7 and Jan. 1, 1934, as Arkansas and Centenary (La.) tied 7-7.
This was the first football meeting between Air Force and Louisville – one of 18 initial matchups between teams competing in post-2021 bowls.
Both teams were exactly .500 in bowl winning percentage entering the game, and Air Force emerged 14-13-1 while Louisville dropped to 11-12-1 in postseason play. AFA now has won three consecutive bowl berths and four of its last five bowl tussles going back to 2014.
Air Force joins Army West Point as the only two military academies to participate in the SPFRB, and this is the first time since 2016 that an academy has competed in this bowl. Both the Falcons and Black Knights won bowl bashes in the DFW Metroplex after Army West Point edged Missouri 24-22 on a last-second field goal in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl.
Louisville is the second Atlantic Coast Conference school to play here. Boston College faced off against Boise State of the Mountain West Conference in 2018, a game that was canceled in the first quarter due to constant severe weather. To date, the ’18 bowl is the first and only bowl in college history to be declared a no-contest because of severe climate.
Air Force is the third MWC team to participate along with Boise State and UNLV, which fell to North Texas in 2013. The Falcons also have played two games this season in the DFW Metroplex with a 21-14 overtime loss to Army West Point Nov. 6 in the Lockheed Martin Commander-in-Chief’s Challenge at Arlington’s Globe Life Field – the first college football game played at the home of the MLB Texas Rangers and the 2020 MLB World Series.
Today’s game will be the first SPFRB victory for either the ACC or MWC who have sent five teams to the bowl with a previous composite mark of 0-1 and two non-contests. Conference USA has played in the most SERVPRO First Responder Bowl with seven appearances and a 4-3 mark. The Big Ten has sent four teams to this bowl and is 0-4. Both the Big 12 and Pac-12 Conferences have 1-0 records in the previous 10 SPFRB.
Records By Conference Appearances by season
Games W-L Pct.
C-USA 7 4-3 .571 2011-13-14-15-16-19-20
Big Ten 4 0-4 .000 2010-11-12-14
Big 12 3 2-1 .667 2010-12-17
Mountain West 3 1-1 .500 2013-18-21
Pac-12 2 2-0 1.000 2015-17
ACC 2 0-1 .000 2018-21
Independent 1 1-0 1.000 2016
Sun Belt 1 1-0 1.000 2020
MAC 1 0-1 .000 2019
Bowl Team Records
Most points scored (one team) 58, Oklahoma State vs. Purdue 2013
Most points scored (losing team) 38, Northwestern vs. Texas Tech, 2011
Most points scored (both teams) 83, Texas Tech vs. Northwestern, 2011
Fewest Points Allowed (3 times) 14, most recent: Utah vs. West Virginia, 2017
Largest margin of victory 44, Oklahoma State vs. Purdue, 2013
Total yards 600, Houston vs. Penn State (532 pass, 68 rush), 2012
Rushing yards 480, Army vs. North Texas, 2016
Passing yards 532, Houston vs. Penn State, 2012
First downs 34, Texas Tech vs. Northwestern, 2011
Fewest total yards allowed 153, Utah vs. West Virginia, 2017
Fewest rushing yards allowed 22, Washington vs. Southern Miss, 2015
Fewest passing yards allowed 53, North Texas vs. Army, 2016
Individual Records
Total offense 542, Case Keenum (Houston) (532 pass, 10 rush), 2012
All-purpose yards 228 Patrick Edwards (Houston), 2012
Total Touchdowns 4, Myles Gaskin (Washington), 2015
Rushing yards 181, Myles Gaskin (Washington), 2015
Rushing touchdowns 4, Myles Gaskin (Washington), 2015
Passing yards 532, Case Keenum (Houston), 2012
Passing touchdowns 4, Taylor Potts (Texas Tech), 2011
Receiving yards 228, Patrick Edwards (Houston) , 2012
Receiving touchdowns 2 times, most recent: Mike Thomas (Southern Miss), 2015
Total Tackles 15, shared by: Quentin Davie (Northwestern), 2011; Jeremy Timpf (Army), 2016
Sacks 4.5, Houston Bates (Louisiana Tech), Dec. 2014
Interceptions Nick Saenz (Houston), 2012; Julian Blackmon (Utah), 2017
Longest Plays
Touchdown run 86 yds., shared by: Eric Stephens (Texas Tech), 2011; Myles Gaskin (Washington), 2015
Touchdown pass 80 yds., Cody Sokol to Kenneth Dixon (Louisiana Tech), Dec. 2014
Kickoff return 49 yds., Marcus Sullivan (UNLV), 2014
Punt return 64 yds., Josh Stewart (Oklahoma State), 2013
Interception return 88 yds., Kareem Ali (Western Michigan), 2019
Fumble return 37 yds., Daytawion Lowe (Oklahoma State), 2013
Punt 65 yds., Quinn Sharp (Oklahoma State), 2013
Field goal 52 yds., Cory Munson (WKU), 2019
Air Force Notes:
Falcons wideout Brandon Lewis had a team season-high two TD receptions for a season-best 172 receiving yards and set a school record (minimum two catches) with a 34.4 yards average.
AFA quarterback Haaziq Daniels started the game with a 782 passer rating on an initial 3-for-3 passing performance with two touchdowns in the first half. His previous game passing yards’ high this year was 226 against Army West Point, and he had 199 in the first half en route to 252 yards today, 9-of-10 passing, two TDs and a final 367.7 passer rating. He also had a rushing TD in the opening half.
RB Brad Roberts needed 16 rushing attempts to claim the Air Force record for carries in a season with 294 by Brian Breen in 1970. Roberts ended with 299 rushing attempts and 23-plus carries per contest in 13 games. Roberts also moved into third place in AFA season rushing yards with 1,356 after rushing for 77 yards on 20 attempts.
Air Force entered the clash with 781 rushing attempts and needing 48 carries to break the school record of 828.
Air Force is now 414-335-13 (.552 winning percentage, 59th among NCAA FBS programs) over 65 seasons. The Falcons are 14-13-1 in 28 bowl games (No. 27 nationally on most bowl games contested) and 14-10-0 against current members of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
AFA has played in 11 bowl contests since the 2007 season – all under head coach Troy Calhoun – and is 6-5 in those encounters with a 4-1 mark in the last five postseason tests. The Falcons have won three conference championships in the Western Athletic Conference during the 1985-98 era.
Coach Calhoun now is 111-75-0 after concluding his 15th season as a head coach – all at Air Force. He is 6-5-0 in bowl bouts and has taken the Falcons to 11 of their all-time 28 bowls. He also is the second-winningest head coach in AFA history behind NFF College Hall of Fame coach Fisher DeBerry with a 169-101-1 mark over 23 seasons (1984-2006, 6-6 in bowls).
Coach Calhoun and Air Force also have a long line of alumni coaching connections such as:
Chris Gizzi, 1998, Strength, Green Bay
Joe Lombardi, 94, OC, LA Chargers
Chad Hall, 08, WRs, Buffalo
Steve Russ, 95, LBs, Washington FB Team
Jemal Singleton, RBs, Philadelphia
Chris Beake, 94, Def staff, Denver
Tim DeRuyter, 85, DC, Oregon
Charlton Warren, 99, DC, Indiana
Blane Morgan, 99, HC, Lamar
Scott Wachenheim, 84, HC, VMI
Charlie Jackson, 00, HC, Kentucky State
Current teams from the Mountain West Conference are 37-42-1 in 80 meetings with teams in the 2021 ACC configuration. Air Force also is 3-3-1 in seven bowl games played in Texas beginning with the 1959 Cotton Bowl Classic and a 0-0 tie with TCU.
Louisville Notes:
Cardinals QB Malik Cunningham is now fourth in UofL career history with 10,718 yards of total offense and ended with 3,975 yards of total offense in 2021 – sixth in Cardinals annals and 277 total offense yard. He also had seven 300-yard total offense games in 2021 for fifth place in UofL individual season annals. The Cards QB also needed 43 net rushing yards entering the contest to move into sixth place in Louisville annals with 2,566 rushing yards and ended the evening with 66 yards on 12 carries for a current 2,632 career rushing yards tally.
Cunningham had rushed for 37 career TDs entering the game and had one TD for his 38th – one off third place with the 39 all-time TD rushes.
UofL is now 532-488-17 overall (.520 winning percentage, 76th in NCAA FBS winning percentage) and has won or shared nine conference crowns as a member of the Missouri Valley, Conference USA and Atlantic Coast Conferences. The Cardinals are 11-12-1 in 24 bowl visits and have played in 10 bowls over the last 12 campaigns.
The Cardinals first bowl berth was a 1957 victory over Drake 34-20 in the Sun Bowl at El Paso – Louisville’s only other postseason skirmish in Texas. The ACC contender has played previous regular-season series in the Lone Star State against Texas, Texas A&M, SMU, Houston, and Baylor, among others.
Coach Scott Satterfield of the Cardinals is 69-43-0 in nine seasons with Appalachian State (2013-18, 51-24 overall record, 3-0 in bowls) and at UofL (2019-present, 18-19-0, 1-1 in postseason activity). He captured three Sun Belt Conference crows as coach at ASU.
Louisville is 4-7-1 all-time against now five current members of the MWC, and the ACC is 42-37-1 all-time against Mountain West Conference teams.
Today’s attendance was 15,251.
Quick Quotes From Winning Head Coach Troy Calhoun, Air Force:
"The offense played well. The defense played well. This was just a great bowl win for the U,S. Air Force Academy. I was very proud of our players for keeping the ball on that last drive when they cut the lead to three points. That was a real key to winning."
2021-22 Bowl Schedules, Results, Attendance – 38 Bowls (Attendance Noted, all television airtimes EST) – Results and Schedule Through Early Dec. 28, 2021
Friday, Dec. 17 Bahamas Bowl Middle Tennessee 31, Toledo 24, 13,596
Friday, Dec. 17 Cure Bowl Coastal Carolina 47, Northern Illinois 41, 9,784
Saturday, Dec. 18 RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl WKU 59, Appalachian State 38, 15,429
Saturday, Dec. 18 Cricket Celebration Bowl South Carolina State 31, Jackson State 10, 48,653
Saturday, Dec. 18 New Mexico Bowl Fresno State 31, UTEP 24, 16,422
Saturday, Dec. 18 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl UAB 31, BYU 28, 26,276
Saturday, Dec. 18 Lendingtree Bowl Liberty 56, Eastern Michigan 20, 15,186
Saturday, Dec. 18 Jimmy Kimmel Los Angeles Bowl Utah State 24, Oregon State 13, 29,896
Saturday, Dec. 18 R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Louisiana 36, Marshall 21, 21,642
Monday, Dec. 20 Myrtle Beach Bowl presented by TaxAct Tulsa 30, Old Dominion 17, 6,557
Tuesday, Dec. 21 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Wyoming 52, Kent State 38, 10,217
Tuesday, Dec. 21 Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl San Diego State 38, UTSA 24, 15,801
Wednesday, Dec. 22 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Army West Point 24, Missouri 22, 34,888
Thursday, Dec. 23 Ryan Frisco Football Classic Bowl Miami (Ohio) 27, North Texas 14, 11,721
Thursday, Dec. 23 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl, UCF 29, Florida 17, 63,669
Friday, Dec. 24 EasyPost Hawai'i Bowl Hawai’i vs. Memphis, 8 p.m. ESPN, cancelled
Saturday, Dec. 25 TaxAct Camellia Bowl, Georgia State 51, Ball State 20, 4,200
Monday, Dec. 27 Quick Lane Bowl Western Michigan 52, Nevada 24, 22,321
Monday, Dec. 27 Military Bowl Boston College vs. East Carolina, ESPN, Annapolis, Md., cancelled
Tuesday, Dec. 28 TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl, Houston 17, Auburn 13, Birmingham, Ala., 47,100
Tuesday, Dec. 28 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl Air Force 31, Louisville 28, Dallas, Texas, 15,251
Tuesday, Dec. 28 AutoZone Liberty Bowl Mississippi State vs. Texas Tech, 6:45 p.m. ESPN, Memphis, Tenn.
Tuesday, Dec. 28 Holiday Bowl NC State vs. UCLA, FOX, San Diego, Calif., cancelled
Tuesday, Dec. 28 Guaranteed Rate Bowl Minnesota vs. West Virginia, 10:15 p.m. ESPN, Phoenix, Ariz.
Wednesday, Dec. 29 Wasabi Fenway Bowl SMU vs, Virginia, ESPN, Boston, Mass., cancelled
Wednesday, Dec. 29 Pinstripe Bowl Maryland vs. Virginia Tech, 2:15 p.m. ESPN, Bronx, N.Y.
Wednesday, Dec. 29 Cheez-It Bowl Clemson vs. Iowa State, 5:45 p.m. ESPN, Orlando
Wednesday, Dec. 29 Valero Alamo Bowl Oklahoma vs. Oregon, 9:15 p.m. ESPN, San Antonio, Texas
Thursday, Dec. 30 Duke's Mayo Bowl North Carolina vs. South Carolina, 11:30 a.m. ESPN, Charlotte, N.C.
Thursday, Dec. 30 Transperfect Music City Bowl Purdue vs. Tennessee, 3 p.m. ESPN, Nashville, Tenn.
Thursday, Dec. 30 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Michigan State vs. Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. ESPN, Atlanta, Ga.
Thursday, Dec. 30 SRS Las Vegas Bowl Arizona State vs. Wisconsin, 10:30 p.m. ESPN, Las Vegas, Nev.
Friday, Dec. 31 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Rutgers vs. Wake Forest, 11 a.m. ESPN, Jacksonville, Fla.
Friday, Dec. 31 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl Washington State vs. Opponent TBD, 2 p.m. CBS, El Paso, Texas
Friday, Dec. 31, Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl, Central Michigan vs. Opponent TBD, 2 p.m. BarstoolSports.com webcast, Tucson, Ariz.
Friday, Dec. 31 Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (CFP semifinal) Alabama vs. Cincinnati, 3:30 p.m. ESPN, Arlington, Texas
Friday, Dec. 31 Capital One Orange Bowl (CFP semifinal) Georgia vs. Michigan, 7:30 p.m. ESPN, Miami Lakes, Fla.
Saturday, Jan. 1 Outback Bowl Arkansas vs. Penn State, noon ESPN2, Tampa, Fla.
Saturday, Jan. 1 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl Notre Dame vs. Oklahoma State, 1 p.m. ESPN, Glendale, Ariz.
Saturday, Jan. 1 Vrbo Citrus Bowl Iowa vs. Kentucky, 1 p.m. ABC, Orlando, Fla.
Saturday, Jan. 1 Rose Bowl Game presented by Capital One Ohio State vs. Utah, 5 p.m. ESPN, Pasadena, Calif.
Saturday, Jan. 1 Allstate Sugar Bowl Baylor vs. Ole Miss, 8:45 p.m. ESPN, New Orleans, La.
Tuesday, Jan. 4 TaxAct Texas Bowl Kansas State vs. LSU, 9 p.m. ESPN, Houston, Texas
Monday, Jan. 10 College Football Playoff championship 8 p.m. ESPN, Indianapolis, Ind.
Conference Records in 2021-22 Bowls (Through Early Dec. 28 - 18 Bowls)
AAC 3-0
ACC 0-1
Big Ten 0-0
Big 12 0-0
C-USA 3-5
Independents 2-1
MAC 2-5
MWC 5-1 (leads ESPN Bowl Challenge Cup at this point)
Pac-12 0-1
SEC 0-3
Sun Belt 3-1
Note: The 2019-20 postseason was the 27th consecutive bowl season (since 1993-94) where attendance topped one million. The record for total attendance is 1,822,387 with an average of 52,068 in 2010-11, and the attendance average mark is 65,178 for eight bowls in 1966-67 with total attendance of 521,427.
Total 2021-22 Attendance 18 Bowls: 379,956, average: 21,108
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2021 First Responder Bowl Postgame Coaches Quotes
2021 First Responder Bowl Quotes
Air Force 31, Louisville 28
December 28, 2021
Head Coach Postgame Quotes
Air Force coach Troy Calhoun
Opening statement…
“Incredible bowl. The work that everyone put into this. The hospitality and practice environment. They flat know what they are doing. The way they treated AF is beyond exceptional.”
On what you saw on film in throwing…
“I figured we would do it more than we did in the last game. Sometimes you get into game and make adjustments. We did a solid job in protection. Brandon made some gigantic plays in creating separation and making plays.”
On the long drive at the end of the game…
“I don’t know if you can every truly forecast the way a game will unfold. So much in what we do is how we can adjust. Sometimes you have to change up formations, sometimes change your blocking and throwing game. We protected well and the delivery was really good. Sometimes you can complete a ball that is pretty good but sometimes when you complete a ball and do something with it that is really good.”
“Credit to them. They are a really good football team. They had a lot of really close games with some really good teams. They are a darn good team. Their quarterback is quite a player.
“You had a feeling. I am glad that it is a 60-minute game. He is so electric, and he has great instincts. He made some really key throws too
On another bowl win and 10-win season…
“You want to have a year where you have a winning season quite frankly. These guys just kept doing more and more. It was impressive to see these guys work this week. We went so hard the first two days where we took the pads off these guys. We ended up going to walkthroughs because they went so hard in their focus and intensity.
On the play of his quarterback…
“You think of the amount of carries that he has. You think of the carries he has over the last few seasons. He plays three different positions for us. You tell him so many times to just go through this. His play making ability, he is difficult to tackle. The way he came off the ball so fast. Those are plays you try to emphasize but he just has a great feel for playing football.”
“It is indicative of how much they value the collegiate experience and how much they love playing football. What was neat is that these guys will leave some influences that will carry over to our other guys. You think of the guys that have already graduated and everything they leave.
On the fourth down stop…
“They tried to go quick. We made a call where we tried to bring the edges and we had two plays in mind we wanted to stop. We have practiced that immensely.
On the early stop on the missed field goal…
“When we moved the ball offensively we tend to extend the drives. The missed field goal was key and obviously the fourth-down stop was key.”
On playing in a bowl game and the opt outs…
“You were going to have a hard time not letting these guys play this game. Their maturity to get vaccinated, everyone that was on our trip. Our guys wanted to play football all season long. The discipline to mask up and how important that was. These guys did it.”
On looking forward to next year…
“We are a grinder team. It is a hard place to be competitive and it is ok to recognize that. We had 29 seniors this year, and that is a lot. We will have to start over.”
On player opt outs in bowl season…
““I think the kid has to have the opportunity to make that choice. I don’t think we want to put additional rules in place. I look at it kind of like the military. If you care about people you provide structure and you give them a pathway that they can grow. We are on a good path, and that doesn’t mean that there aren’t adjustments that need to be made. These guys sacrifice a lot being in the sport”
Louisville coach Scott Satterfield
Opening statement…
“Congratulations to Air Force and coach Calhoun and his staff, they do an outstanding job. They have a bunch of great kids on that sideline. Just give them their props for coming out and playing a really good game. We knew the challenges that we were going to face when we came into this game. Their offense and occupying the football was one for sure. Trying to stop the run, and in doing that, when you do that, you are going to be one on one on the outside and they took advantage of that.
“We did not play good on the perimeter on the outside on those throws, but I want to give them credit. We were playing man-to-man, and our guys have got to win, and their guy won. I think that was a huge part of the game, the two big touchdown throws that they threw, and then the drive in the fourth quarter, the nine-and-a-half-minute drive they hit two big third downs to convert and keep that drive going. We held them to a field goal, but nine and half minutes were off the clock and that is how they win, they keep you off the field. I think offensively we played solid. The most disappointing thing to me was early in the game we got down there. We got a first down and were called for a holding and then we missed a field goal and it proved to be the difference in the game. Three points, they made theirs and we missed ours.”
On the fourth-down play that was stopped…
“That was an up-tempo, we ran it three times in the game and picked it up each time before. Matter of fact, we got a touchdown earlier on the same play. It was just getting up there and snapping the ball and trying to score. They pinched the edges and we didn’t give ourselves an opportunity. It was a good play by them. We got the play right back and threw the ball and got a touchdown. It wasn’t as bad as the play earlier where we didn’t come up with points. We we’re able to have an answer right back.”
On playing a team like Air Force…
“It is tough for us. The secondary were guys that haven’t played much at all. There was a true freshman out there. We were shorthanded in the back end out there and they were on an island. Again, credit to them and their quarterback. He made the throw and the receiver made the catch and they connected for touchdowns. We talk about not giving up the big plays but those plays are critical. The guys in the box were doing a good job stopping the run and doing their thing.”
On the passing game from Air Force in the first half…
“Any time you play a team like this they are going to take a shot. They connected, and they came back to it again. If you go back and look, it was long-yarded situations where they felt one-on-one they were going to take a shot and see what happens.
On Louisville’s passing game…
“Early on we had a couple of guys open and a couple balls tipped. We had a good read on plays early and the ball just sailed. It wasn’t in sync and we weren’t clicking early in the game. When we came back in the game and started settling in we were able to make some plays throwing the football and then we settled in in the throwing game. We had limited positions. Early in the game we probably tried to throw it too much early. Our offensive line was doing a great job creating holes for our backs.”
On the mistakes from the team…
“It comes down to one or two plays and you never know when those plays are going to happen. We are just good enough to be right there in those games and we have to get over the top. We have to make more plays. It is making a kick, knocking a ball down. When you have an opportunity to make a play you have to make a play. We are so close. I feel like this team can grow and develop and get over the hump.
On heading into the offseason…
“We just continue on everything that we do. Guys that were young this year that had to play, we had young secondary, young wide receivers, all of those guys get a little bit older and get more experience. That is how you do it. There is no secret to how you do it. You have to work. I told the guys in the locker room that we will lose some guys in the locker room. They aren’t going to be there anymore. The next wave is going to have to step up and grow up and become leaders and not just be freshmen or sophomores anymore. Come back in here and be a man, work your tail off, and let’s get this program back to where it is supposed to be and compete for ACC championships. That is the message for this offseason.”
On playing with shorthanded rosters…
“We have to do something. Saying it is the virus is not the whole story. We all know that is not the whole story, we have the early signing period, guys opting out for the NFL and just not wanting to play. We have guys transferring that our going to the portal before the game. There is a lot of factors. We have the four-game redshirt rule where they can’t play in the bowl game. We would love for those guys to play. Maybe we say those games don’t count to the redshirt rule. We have to look at everything when we look at the postseason when we think about the postseason. We are two years into this thing and we are getting games cancelled left and right. It is disappointing as a fan, for the schools, we have to do something about it.”
Air Force flies by Louisville in SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
By Troy Phillips
DALLAS — Between an ongoing pandemic, opt-outs, the transfer portal and coach departures, this Bowl Season has taken its lumps.
The Group of Five and one independent (Army), though, have landed more than a few lumps.
Air Force (10-3) dropped the Power Five to 0-5 against that group in 2021 bowls with a season-high 252 yards passing and a huge goal-line stand in the third quarter to take down ACC member Louisville 31-28 in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl at Ford Stadium on Tuesday.
Louisville (6-7) never led and trailed 21-7 and 28-14 before cutting Air Force’s lead to 31-28 with 2:57 to play. Cardinals quarterback Malik Cunningham finished off a late 70-yard drive with a 22-yard fake-and-roll score that put the onus on Air Force to finish.
The Falcons did, first with receiver Dane Kinamon snaring Louisville’s onside kick. Brad Roberts milked more clock by running for a combined 22 yards on the next three plays out of the Air Force triple option.
Air Force quarterback Haaziq Daniels finished Louisville off with a 2-yard run on 2nd and 1. Daniels (9 for 10 for 252 yards, and two touchdowns) and receiver Brandon Lewis (five catches for 172 yards and two TDs) uncorked a pitch-and-catch session for which Louisville had no answers.
“The offense played well,” Air Force coach Troy Calhoun said. “The defense played well. This was just a great bowl win for the U.S. Air Force Academy. I was very proud of our players for keeping the ball on that last drive when they cut the lead to three points. That was the real key to winning.”
Air Force’s defense likely had the tide-turning moment with 4:04 to play in the third quarter. Trailing 28-14, Louisville drove 78 yards to the Air Force 2, but no further. Cunningham was sacked by Air Force’s TD Blackmon on first-and-goal from the 10.
Louisville tailback Trevion Cooley (92 yards rushing) gained six yards to the 6 for third down, was stopped short for four yards, and then for no gain to give possession back to Air Force on downs.
Alec Mock, Vince Sanford, Camby Goff and Trey Taylor were credited with shutting down Louisville’s path to the end zone.
That stand helped Air Force shave more time while surrendering no points, but Louisville answered by driving 51 yards on its next drive in less than two minutes. Cunningham found Tyler Harrell over one shoulder for a 34-yard score, cutting the Falcons’ lead to 28-21.
From there, Air Force reverted to classic service academy football, holding the ball for 17 plays (15 rushes) and 9:36. Matthew Dapore finished that drive with a 26-yard field goal for a 31-21 lead before Louisville cut it to three.
As of Tuesday, two Group of Five-versus-Power Five matchups in bowls remained; Central Michigan vs. Washington State in the Sun Bowl, and Cincinnati vs. Alabama in the CFP Semifinal to be staged at the Cotton Bowl.
Fort Worth-based freelance writer Troy Phillips has covered seven SERVPRO First Responder Bowls.
Legacies: Air Force, Louisville Have Dozens of Football Alumni Recognized Nationally on Multiple Fronts
Hennings, Strom, Dowis, Scott Thomas, Cole, the Morgan brothers, Bonham, Russ, George – all from Air Force…
Unitas, Lamar Jackson, Akers, Branch, Bridgewater, Buffone, Clayton, Dumervil, Tom Jackson, Jacoby, Madison, Oben, Gay – all from Louisville…
These past stars from the two programs competing in the 2021 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl have livened up television sets (and now personal communications’ devices) for two centuries and laid the groundwork for the two teams Tuesday.
Yes, NFF College Hall of Fame defensive lineman Chad Hennings, defensive back Scott and tackle Brock Strom are just three Air Force football heroes who left indelible marks on their undergraduate programs, served in the U.S. military and went onto successful careers in aviation, community service and dozens of other areas.
Add in superior triple-option quarterbacks Dee Dowis, Beau Morgan and Blane Morgan (current head coach at Lamar University), NFL veterans Larry Cole, Shane Bonham, Steve Russ and Ron George, among others, and the Falcons have the makings of 17 professional football standouts in spite of the mandatory, three-year military service agreement for all AFA grads.
Louisville football, operating without a required military service agreement for its gridiron alumni, has been a literal “bell cow” for NFL teams for decades.
Besides 2017 Heisman Trophy winner QB Jackson and 18-year Pro Football Hall of Fame QB Johnny Unitas (also namesake for the Johnny Unitas Memorial Golden Arm Trophy) is a sterling list of 147 other NFL alumni from the revered Cardinals program. Despite the success, it often has been overshadowed by Louisville’s annual success on the national basketball scene as a blueblood program.
Jackson and 2011 NFL first round QB selection Teddy Bridgewater are watching from their NFL practice facilities as they try to keep their teams in the playoff race and professional postseason activity in 2022.
David Akers kicked 377 field goals and was good on 81 percent of his NFL attempts over 16 seasons. Wideout Deion Branch made 518 receptions with 39 TDs in a 12-year career, and Doug Buffone starred for 14 years as a linebacker with the Chicago Bears.
Mark Clayton was an integral part of the Miami Dolphins’ powerful offense for 11 seasons with 582 catches and 84 TDs, All-America LB Elvis Dumervil, 14-year Denver Broncos stalwart LB Tom Jackson, and Joe Jacoby, a famed member of the Washington Football Team’s famed “Hogs” offensive interior line corps for 13 seasons all played at U of L.
The NFL legacies for the Falcons and Cardinals remain in force as well as hundreds of Air Force Academy grads who have made their marks in battle heroism and aviation history – among whom are Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the orchestrator, pilot on the famed commercial flight landing on the Hudson River, No. 1 pilot in his graduating class, and a scholar in Latin; and his 1973 Air Force classmate/community service leader Dennis Clark who finished near the top of his graduating class at Sheffield (Ala.) High School before his academy appointment and had a distinguished flying career with FedEx.
This history of competitive flair, service to the nation and community engagement make Tuesday’s SERVPRO First Responder Bowl one of the most beloved of the postseason, and competing players from both schools this December have been involved in several service projects in Dallas to honor first responders and their schools.
For additional information and ticketing, please access Firstresponderbowl.com.
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2021 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl Features Two of the Nation’s Top Teams Since the Mid-1980s
Fans don’t have to look very far to see two of the nation’s top college football programs over the last four-plus decades.
SERVPRO First Responder foes Air Force and Louisville have developed into year-in, year-out powers thanks to reputation, facilities, educational values, and recruiting to winning teams.
Air Force, for example, has competed in 25 bowl games over the last 40 seasons behind stellar head coaches Ken Hatfield, Fisher DeBerry and Troy Calhoun (11 in his 15 seasons with a possible 12th bid nullified by a COVID-19-affected season in 2020 when the Falcons played just six games).
By the same token, the Cardinals in 1985 hired former Miami (Fla.) Hurricanes national championship head coach Howard Schnellenberger who guided the team to a first-ever traditional New Year’s Day bowl appearance after the 1989 campaign and a 34-7 romp over Alabama.
For both schools the 1990s-2020s have been both eventful and successful with Heisman Trophy recipients (Louisville’s Lamar Jackson in 2015), several Top 25 national finishes (AFA was a school-record fifth in the 1985 United Press International postseason survey; UL has been close to becoming a College Football Playoff Power Five “breaker” prior to joining the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2014).
The Falcons and Cardinals, one of which will exceed the .500 mark in postseason activity by the winning squad – Air Force is 13-13-1 and Louisville in 11-11-1 – also have been in the thick of their respective conference races for several years.
Louisville dominated Conference USA from 2000-04 with three conference crowns while the Falcons topped the Western Athletic Conference three times from 1985-98 under DeBerry.
AFA also has been a steady contender for the prestigious Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy among the three service academies – Army West Point and Navy competing in the same rivalry – with 20 outright and one shared CIC kudos since the tradition was established in 1972.
The fact that both schools have competed in the vast majority of their bowl tussles (25 of the school’s 28 postseason clashes since 1982 for the Falcons and 21 of the 24 bowls for the Cardinals since 1990) gives further credence that these two programs have been rising and continuing to rise with major commitments from their administrations and fan bases.
The principal student-athletes in these ascensions are a veritable Who’s Who of college football standouts as well.
National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame defender Chad Hennings (1984-87) of Air Force was the ’87 Outland Trophy winner. QB Dee Dowis was a finalist for the 1989 Heisman Trophy. Dallas-Fort Worth locals and AFA quarterbacks Beau and Blane Morgan of Carrollton, Texas, and Addison’s Trinity Christian Academy were two of the top option signal callers in NCAA FBS history. LB Anthony Schlegel (2001-04) was mentioned as Freshman All-America and regarded as one of the Falcons all-time defensemen.
Louisville’s Jackson, QB Chris Redman (1999 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award), LB Elvis Dumervil (2005 Ted Hendricks and FWAA Bronko Nagurski Awards), kicker Art Carmody (2006 Lou Groza National Place-Kicker Award), and safety Gerod Holliman (2014 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award) are just a few the Cardinals whose names are etched throughout UL trophy cases.
It remains for the stars of the 2021 squads to follow in these standouts’ footsteps and to carry on the traditions of the last 40-plus seasons for both schools in the annual SERVPRO First Responder Bowl.
For tickets and related game activities, please access Firstresponderbowl.com.
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Air Force, Louisville Have Dozens of Texas Ties
By Bo Carter
Air Force football is based in Colorado Springs, Colo., and the Louisville Cardinals hail from Kentucky distilling country on the Commonwealth-Indiana border. Both programs have roots that run deeply in Texas football yore as they prepare for the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl at SMU’s Ford Stadium on Dec. 28.
Two of the obvious Air Force memorable quarterbacks are Beau and Blane Morgan of nearby Carrollton, Texas, and Trinity Christian Academy in Addison. They even played their high school careers in Tom Landry Stadium on the TCA campus.
Beau Morgan now serves as a managing director at Roscoe Martin LLC after playing in the NFL from 1997-99 with the neighboring Dallas Cowboys, competing one additional year in with Memphis Maniax in the XFL and working as an analyst for four seasons with the Mountain West Television Network.
Blane Morgan just completed his second season as head coach at Lamar in Beaumont, Texas, after working as offensive coordinator at both Air Force and San Diego State.
But Louisville shares numerous Texas connections with the Falcons in such areas as current freshman lineman Travis Taylor of Houston and several other Texans who have competed for the Cardinals.
Though U of L primarily is noted for its decades-long basketball prowess, football coaches Vince Gibson (a Birmingham, Ala., native and former Florida State standout) took several Kansas State and Cardinals teams to the Southwest area and Texas while he served as head coach of the Wildcats and Cards from 1967-79.
Popular ESPN analyst Lee Corso guided the 1969-72 Cardinals and helped his squads remain competitive in the Missouri Valley Conference, which was based for a time in Dallas under legendary Texas Tech head coach and MVC commissioner the late DeWitt Weaver Sr. in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Louisville was a regular foe of then-MVC opponents North Texas and West Texas A&M (then West Texas State). Corso even took Louisville to the 1970 MVC championship, an 8-3-1 overall record and a berth in the Pasadena Bowl.
Cardinals fans also have fond memories of Dallas from 1986 when Louisville’s vaunted men’s basketball team captured the NCAA Championship at the late, great Reunion Arena.
Air Force and Louisville also have a solid history of playing in bowls based in Texas as the Falcons have played in the co-most (five along with Houston) Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowls when the game was held in Fort Worth in the 2007-15 era. AFA had berths in its first postseason game in Dallas in 1959 – a 0-0 tie with TCU – before downing Texas 24-16 in the 1985 Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston.
The Falcons then played in three consecutive Liberty Bowls from 1989-91 before returning to Texas in 2007 to tangle with California for the first time in the 2007 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl and for a return engagement in Fort Worth with the Golden Bears in 2015.
Louisville also is no stranger to bowl berths in the Lone Star State with its first-ever bowl trip to El Paso in a 34-20 triumph over Drake in the 1957 Sun Bowl before a couple of near-miss invitations to Texas postseason specials in the 1990s and 2000s. The Cardinals virtually competed on the Louisiana-Texas border in a 24-14 Independence Bowl loss to Louisiana Tech in 1977.
And interestingly, though not related to Texas ties, the Cardinals will be facing a team besides Mississippi State in a bowl tussle for the first time since 2016. The Bulldogs and Cards hooked up in a 2017 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl bout in 2017 and again in the 2019 Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tenn.
Both schools have expressed appreciation for Texas hospitality in recent days and are looking forward to their first visits to SMU’s Ford Stadium Tuesday.
For ticketing and additional information, please access Firstresponderbowl.com.