New on Sports Illustrated: Wisconsin, Wake Forest meet for first time in Duke's Mayo Bowl

<a href="https://www.si.com/college/college-football/game/2289185"> <p>There could be plenty of energy and fresh bodies when Wake Forest and Wisconsin meet in the Duke's Mayo Bowl on Dec. 30 in Charlotte, N.C.</p> <p>Both schools figure to have unfinished business to tend to in what probably feels like an incomplete season for each squad. This is the first-ever meeting between the programs.</p> <p>Wisconsin (3-3), which looked to be a contender in the Big Ten Conference when the season began, is in a bowl for the 19th consecutive season -- the third-longest active streak in the country.</p> <p>"We have said throughout this season that all we want is a chance to play," Badgers coach Paul Chryst said. "With all that has gone on and especially after (defeating Minnesota), our guys are excited for one more opportunity."</p> <p>Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said his team is enthused about the chance to finish the season with a victory after back-to-back losses -- albeit almost a month apart -- to close the regular season.</p> <p>"We didn't do all this work to play eight games. We don't want our last game to be Louisville," he said, referring to a 45-21 loss to the Cardinals on Dec. 12.</p> <p>Wake Forest (4-4) is playing in a school-record fifth consecutive bowl. The Demon Deacons won the first three of those -- including in 2017 against Texas A&M in Charlotte (then called the Belk Bowl) -- before losing last season to Michigan State in the Pinstripe Bowl.</p> <p>"When we played Texas A&M, that was a big deal," Clawson said. "To get a team like Wisconsin that we have great respect for and we know is a traditional power, that's a big deal to our players."</p> <p>The Badgers were much busier than Wake Forest recently, playing five games in the last six weeks. They lost three in a row before pulling out a 20-17 overtime win against Minnesota on Dec. 19.</p> <p>Senior Garrett Groshek rushed for 161 yards and his first touchdown of the season against the Golden Gophers.</p> <p>"It shows you that he cares about this team," Chryst said, hoping that type of spirit carries over to the bowl game.</p> <p>Quarterback Graham Mertz took a hit and didn't finish the Minnesota game. Chryst speculated that he would be OK, though Chase Wolf took snaps during the crucial final minutes. Mertz has thrown for eight touchdowns.</p> <p>Wake Forest has played only once since Nov. 14 and played the fewest games of any Atlantic Coast Conference team this season. This will be the Demon Deacons' seventh game in their home state this year.</p> <p>Among games canceled for Wake Forest were matchups with Notre Dame, Miami, Duke and Florida State. The Seminoles weren't on the original schedule, but added for Dec. 19 amid the ACC's late-season scheduling revisions, and then called off because FSU's coronavirus protocols.</p> <p>Wisconsin leads the nation in time of possession, playing at a more deliberate pace than Wake Forest prefers.</p> <p>"They have a style of football in a way that works for them," Clawson said. "We have a style of football that has worked for us."</p> <p>Wake Forest defensive end Carlos Basham has opted not to play in the bowl game. He had 23 consecutive games with a tackle for loss until the Louisville game, a mark that had been the longest active string in the country.</p> <p>Team scoring leader Kenneth Walker III, a sophomore running back with 13 touchdowns in seven games, also has chosen not to compete any more this year. He sat out the Louisville game as well.</p> <p>This is the first year of this bowl's tie-in with the Big Ten Conference. The Badgers are 4-1 in bowls against current ACC members.</p> <p>Initially, a crowd limited to fewer than 6,000 fans was anticipated per state guidelines amid the pandemic. On Dec. 22, bowl officials announced that only family and friends of team members and bowl sponsors will be permitted to attend.</p> <p>--Field Level Media</p> </a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Wisconsin, Wake Forest meet for first time in Duke's Mayo Bowl

There could be plenty of energy and fresh bodies when Wake Forest and Wisconsin meet in the Duke's Mayo Bowl on Dec. 30 in Charlotte, N...

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New on Sports Illustrated: Passers in spotlight as OU, UF collide in Cotton Bowl

<a href="https://www.si.com/college/college-football/game/2289188"> <p>The only other time Florida and Oklahoma have played, in the BCS Championship following the 2008 season, the focus was largely on the quarterbacks.</p> <p>This time around, with the Gators' Kyle Trask and Sooners' Spencer Rattler, the position is once again front and center when the teams meet in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 30 in Arlington, Texas.</p> <p>That first meeting featured a pair of Heisman winners in Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford.</p> <p>While Rattler isn't a Heisman contender, yet at least, and Trask's chances to win the award probably disappeared with Florida's recent two-game winning streak, both have been critical in their team's success.</p> <p>They've also taken wildly different routes to stardom.</p> <p>Rattler was a five-star phenom in the Phoenix area who had his pick of schools before choosing to sign with Oklahoma.</p> <p>He was among the Heisman favorites by oddsmakers entering this season even though he had never started in college.</p> <p>The redshirt freshman put together a strong season, throwing for nearly 280 yards per game, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 68.0 percent of his passes.</p> <p>"(Rattler) can run around, extend plays, scramble, and make things happen with his feet as well as having a really live arm," Florida coach Dan Mullen said.</p> <p>Trask had none of the hype.</p> <p>He wasn't even the starting quarterback at his high school, instead serving as the backup to D'Eriq King, now Miami's quarterback.</p> <p>But Trask stuck with the team and eventually drew the attention of Florida coaches, who offered him a scholarship.</p> <p>Trask, now a senior, didn't get a serious opportunity to start for the Gators until last year when Feleipe Franks suffered a season-ending injury.</p> <p>Trask's numbers last season during his eight games as a starter are nearly identical to Rattler's – 277.5 passing yards per game, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Their team's 8-2 records in those games are even identical.</p> <p>But Trask has emerged as a star this season, throwing for 4,125 yards and 43 touchdowns – 11 more than any other FBS quarterback – with just five interceptions.</p> <p>"He's done a really good job of using the weapons," Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley said. "They've got a tremendous scheme that really features what he does well. But you can see, having watched him a little bit more last year, you can see obviously the improvement he's made."</p> <p>Trask will be without one of his top targets for the game. Tight end Kyle Pitts, the favorite for the Mackey Award as the top tight end in college football, announced he was opting out of the bowl game to prepare for the NFL Draft.</p> <p>While Oklahoma's offense has garnered plenty of attention since Riley arrived, the Sooners (8-2) have their best defense in recent years. The defense is keyed by their front, which is averaging 3.8 sacks per game, sixth-best in FBS, while allowing just 90.6 yards per game on the ground, No. 3 nationally.</p> <p>Florida (8-3) has struggled defensively in spots this season, including recently, allowing an average of 511.5 yards and 44.5 points per game in losses to LSU and Alabama.</p> <p>–Field Level Media</p> </a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Passers in spotlight as OU, UF collide in Cotton Bowl

The only other time Florida and Oklahoma have played, in the BCS Championship following the 2008 season, the focus was largely on the quart...

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New on Sports Illustrated: No. 15 Iowa faces Missouri, seeks fourth straight bowl win

<a href="https://www.si.com/college/college-football/game/2289186"> <p>The No. 15 Iowa Hawkeyes will seek their fourth consecutive bowl victory when they face the Missouri Tigers in the Music City Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 30 in Nashville.</p> <p>The Hawkeyes (6-2) should carry momentum into this game after winning the last six games of their Big Ten season.</p> <p>"The camaraderie's been great," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. "The support of each other has been great. I think all of us feel extremely fortunate we've been able to get eight games. We're not taking one day for granted moving forward."</p> <p>The depleted Tigers (5-5) closed their Southeastern Conference season with lopsided losses to Georgia (49-14) at home and Mississippi State (51-32) on the road.</p> <p>"We want to continue to fight and earn respect. We want to continue to put a good product on the field," Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz said. "We're going to have some adversity in this game, but it's an opportunity for us to compete."</p> <p>Offensive tackle Larry Borom and middle linebacker Nick Bolton have opted out of the game for the Tigers to prepare for the NFL Draft. Those are just the latest setbacks for Missouri in a season marked by injuries, COVID-19 casualties, and opt-outs.</p> <p>Missouri has been especially hard hit by losses in the trenches, which makes them vulnerable against the Hawkeyes.</p> <p>"One of the Big Ten coaches that I know that I've tried to get a hold of said it was the best defensive front they played all year," Drinkwitz said. "I know that they're very fundamentally sound. Coach Ferentz is going to be committed to running the football, stopping the run and playing good defense, solid special teams."</p> <p>Missouri allowed 148 points in their past three games while the Hawkeyes have allowed just 128 points all year.</p> <p>Iowa held Wisconsin to 56 yards rushing and 225 total yards during their 28-7 victory over Wisconsin. Conversely, the Tigers defense allowed 1,061 yards in their last two losses.</p> <p>The Tigers are led offensively by running back Larry Rountree III (972 yards, 14 touchdowns rushing) and quarterback Connor Bazelak (2,366 yards, seven touchdowns passing).</p> <p>Tyler Goodson has rushed for 762 yards and seven touchdowns for Iowa, including an 80-yard run against the Badgers. Quarterback Spencer Petras has passed for 1,569 yards and nine touchdowns - including five in his last two games.</p> <p>Iowa's season finale against Michigan was canceled, so the Hawkeyes haven't played since Dec. 12. Ferentz contracted the coronavirus during the interim, but he expects to coach in the game and he is hoping the Hawkeyes do not have any pandemic casualties or opt-outs for the game.</p> <p>"We'll look forward to getting back at it and have a chance to play one more time," Ferentz said. "The biggest thing is for us to be together enjoying each other's company. We've enjoyed each and every chance to go out and compete."</p> <p>While the Hawkeyes were hoping to get a better bowl assignment, they welcome the chance to get some fans to Nashville. Nissan Stadium will allow limited attendance, something Iowa did not see in conference play.</p> <p>"It's going to be great for our players, because they'll actually play in front of fans," Ferentz said. "We haven't done that in almost a year."</p> <p>The Hawkeyes have played in empty stadiums since their victory over USC in last year's Holiday Bowl. They won the Outback Bowl over Mississippi State in 2018 and the Pinstripe Bowl against Boston College in 2017.</p> <p>The Tigers lost in the Liberty Bowl (against Oklahoma State) in 2018 and the Texas Bowl (against Texas) in 2017. Their last bowl victory came in the 2014 Citrus Bowl against Minnesota.</p> <p>--Field Level Media</p> </a>

New on Sports Illustrated: No. 15 Iowa faces Missouri, seeks fourth straight bowl win

The No. 15 Iowa Hawkeyes will seek their fourth consecutive bowl victory when they face the Missouri Tigers in the Music City Bowl on Wedne...

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New on Sports Illustrated: Report: Miami QB D’Eriq King Exits First Half of Cheez-It Bowl With Apparent Right Knee Injury

<a href="https://www.si.com/college/2020/12/30/miami-qb-deriq-king-injured-cheez-it-bowl"> <p class="subtitle">Miami's D’Eriq King suffered a right knee injury just days after announcing that he was returning for one more season.</p> <p>Miami quarterback D’Eriq King exited the game due to an apparent right knee injury after being tackled late in the second quarter of the Cheez-it Bowl. </p> <p>The Hurricanes have not provided an update on his status, but</p> </a><a href="https://twitter.com/CanesFootball/status/1344067162885992450?s=20">tweeted condolences for the QB.</a>  <div> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1344068263777611776"></a></blockquote> <script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div> <p>The 23-year-old scrambled to his right before running five yards, ending with King grabbing his right knee. The sideline took a knee as trainers tended to the redshirt senior. King refused a medical cart to ride back to the locker room, <a href="https://twitter.com/Manny_Navarro/status/1344068185717432320?s=20"><em>The Athletic</em>'s Manny Navarro reported</a>, and instead, limped back while appearing not to put weight on that leg.</p> <p>In 2018 while playing at Houston, King suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee.</p> <p>King transferred from Houston to Miami in January. He went on to complete 63.5% of his passes for 2,570 yards, 22 touchdowns and five interceptions, and ran for 520 yards and four touchdowns on 122 carries in the Hurricanes' regular season.</p> <p>He announced on Saturday that he is returning to Miami for one more season, using an NCAA rule that allows all players an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>

New on Sports Illustrated: Report: Miami QB D’Eriq King Exits First Half of Cheez-It Bowl With Apparent Right Knee Injury

Miami's D’Eriq King suffered a right knee injury just days after announcing that he was returning for one more season. Miami quarterba...

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New on Sports Illustrated: Lakers, Blazers ready for playoff rematch

<a href="https://www.si.com/nba/game/2292228"> <p>In a first-round rematch of last season's Western Conference playoffs, the Portland Trail Blazers visit the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night.</p> <p>It's the first meeting between the clubs since Los Angeles claimed a 4-1 series win in the opening round in August.</p> <p>The Blazers' start this season began with a thud. They lost 120-100 at home Wednesday to the Utah Jazz. They also were forced to overcome a slow start to beat the short-handed Houston Rockets 128-126 in overtime Saturday.</p> <p>CJ McCollum scored 44 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer, and had eight assists for Portland in the win over Houston. McCollum converted 17 of 30 shots from the field and hit a career-best nine 3-pointers on 16 attempts. Damian Lillard contributed 32 points and nine assists and Jusuf Nurkic added 12 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.</p> <p>The Blazers trailed by as many as 16 in the first half before rallying. McCollum sparked a third-quarter surge by scoring 14 points, 12 via four 3-pointers.</p> <p>"CJ obviously had an outstanding second half offensively," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "He made some big shots for us, he got us back into it, especially in the third quarter."</p> <p>Lillard said he was encouraged to see the Blazers respond after the lackluster beginning.</p> <p>"I thought we got some life in us and we started to defend and play with more energy in that second quarter and got ourselves back in the game," Lillard said. "And then coming out of the locker room (at halftime) we just basically told ourselves, and our coaches said it as well, it (doesn't) matter if we did it for five minutes if we come out in the third quarter and we can't sustain it, we can't continue it. I thought that third quarter was the difference in the game for us."</p> <p>Portland will be without forward Carmelo Anthony, who didn't travel to Los Angeles because of "health and safety" protocols, the club announced Sunday.</p> <p>The Lakers were without Anthony Davis (right-calf strain) on Sunday, but they still pounded the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-91 in Los Angeles. Karl-Anthony Towns, who suffered a dislocated left wrist in Saturday's win at the Utah Jazz, did not play.</p> <p>Davis was injured in the opening-night loss to the Los Angeles Clippers and apparently aggravated it in the Christmas Day blowout of the Dallas Mavericks. Lakers coach Frank Vogel seemed optimistic Davis might play Monday.</p> <p>"We hope he'll be available tomorrow, but we have to see how he feels tomorrow," Vogel said, according to the Los Angeles Times. "It's kind of a day-to-day. See how he responds tomorrow with treatment. But we're hopeful that he'll play tomorrow."</p> <p>Against the Timberwolves, Kyle Kuzma, who started in Davis' place, scored all 20 of his points in the first half. He hit 8 of 12 shots, including 4 of 6 3-pointers.</p> <p>"Kuz has really become a helluva player," Vogel said.</p> <p>LeBron James, who continued to play after tweaking an ankle, contributed 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Vogel said James was questionable for the Portland game.</p> <p>Marc Gasol delivered a solid performance, finishing with 12 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and four of the Lakers' 14 blocks.</p> <p>--Field Level Media</p> </a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Lakers, Blazers ready for playoff rematch

In a first-round rematch of last season's Western Conference playoffs, the Portland Trail Blazers visit the defending champion Los Ange...

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