2015 Arizona Bowl

Last updated

2015 Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl
Nevada Wolf Pack Colorado State Rams
(6–6)(7–5)
Mountain West Mountain West
2823
Head coach: 
Brian Polian 		Head coach: 
Mike Bobo
1234Total
Nevada3163628
Colorado State0137323
DateDecember 29, 2015
Season 2015
Stadium Arizona Stadium
Location Tucson, Arizona
MVPOffense: James Butler (RB-NEV)
Defense: Ian Seau (DE-NEV)
Favorite Colorado State by 31⁄2 [1]
Referee Tracy Jones (AAC) [2]
Halftime show Los Lobos Band
Attendance20,425 [2]
United States TV coverage
Network ASN/Campus Insiders
Announcers Ron Thulin, Doug Chapman, Monica McNutt (sideline) and Shae Peppler (sideline) [3]
Arizona Bowl
  2016 > 

The 2015 Arizona Bowl (known as the 2015 NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl for sponsorship reasons) was a post-season college football bowl game between the Nevada Wolf Pack and the Colorado State Rams played on December 29, 2015, at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona. It was the inaugural edition of the Arizona Bowl and the final game of the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season for both teams. In an unusual circumstance for a postseason bowl game, both teams were from the Mountain West Conference due to issues fulfilling the bowl's conference tie-ins, resulting in the first bowl game to feature conference opponents since the 1979 Orange Bowl. [4] [5]

Contents

Team selection

The Arizona Bowl, new for 2015, had tie-ins with Conference USA (C-USA) and the Mountain West Conference. If one of those conferences did not have enough bowl-eligible teams, the Sun Belt Conference was an alternative. [6] At the end of the regular season, Mountain West had seven bowl-eligible teams and six guaranteed spots, leaving the placement of individual teams uncertain. [7] When neither C-USA or Sun Belt were able to provide a team to the Arizona Bowl, a matchup between two Mountain West teams was the result, marking the first time since the 1979 Orange Bowl that a non-championship bowl game was played between members of the same conference. [8]

The outcome drew the ire of Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson, who criticized how the NCAA selected teams with losing records to gain bowl eligibility "on an equal footing with 6–6 teams", explaining that "our Conference representatives argued steadfastly for an approach whereby all 6–6 teams would first be placed according to primary and secondary agreements among the conferences and bowl games. Our position was that only then would the safety net of 5–7 teams be activated for those games which had not yet secured participants, rather than allow those teams to fulfill conference agreements and usurp 6–6 teams from conferences with backup agreements." [8]

The two Mountain West teams selected for the Arizona Bowl had not met in the regular season, as they were in opposite divisions, and were not in the rotation to play each other during the season.

Nevada Wolf Pack

The Nevada Wolf Pack finished the regular season 6–6 (4–4 in conference) under third-year head coach Brian Polian, becoming bowl-eligible after defeating San Jose State. [9] This game was Nevada's tenth bowl appearance in eleven seasons. [10]

Colorado State Rams

The Colorado State Rams finished the regular season 7–5 (5–3 in conference) under first-year head coach Mike Bobo, becoming bowl-eligible for the third straight year after defeating New Mexico. [11]

Game summary

Colorado State won the toss and elected to receive. The Rams drove downfield into Nevada territory before quarterback Nick Stevens fumbled and the Wolfpack pounced on it at the Rams 41-yard line. From there, Nevada drove to the Rams 2-yard line where they were forced to settle for a 19-yard Brent Zuzo field goal to take the lead, 3–0. The Wolfpack forced a punt and kicked another field goal—this one a 37-yarder—to go up, 6–0. The Rams got a drive going on their next possession, advancing to the Nevada 4-yard line where they were stopped on fourth down. However, Nevada went three-and-out and CSU got the ball back with very good field position at the 39-yard line. After a long pass down to the 1-yard line, Stevens scored on a QB keeper to give CSU the lead, 7–6. It didn't last long though, as Nevada running back James Butler burst through a hole in the defense for a 77-yard rushing touchdown that put the Pack back up, 13–7. On their next drive, CSU drove down the field and made a short 20-yard field goal to trim the lead to 13–10 for Nevada. On the ensuing kickoff, Elijah Mitchell returned it 96 yards for a touchdown to extend the lead to 19–10. The extra point, however, was no good. CSU kicked a field goal right before halftime to make it 19–13 Nevada at the break. Nevada scored early in the third quarter on a field goal to make it 22–13. CSU was not out of it yet, as they went on a 12-play 75-yard drive that culminated in a 9-yard touchdown by Jamsen Odon. At the end of three quarters, Nevada led, 22–20. Nevada's next drive resulted in a turnover on downs, and both teams traded punts before CSU nailed a 38-yard field goal to take a 23–22 lead. Nevada then put together a very dramatic late-game drive that ended up with Butler scoring on a 4-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion was no good and Nevada was up, 28–23. CSU put together a last-ditch drive that time ran out on, at the Nevada 12-yard line. The final score remained at 28–23, for a Nevada win.

Scoring summary :

Scoring summary
QuarterTime Drive TeamScoring informationScore
Plays Yards TOP NEVCSU
17:2110395:19NEV19-yard field goal by Brent Zuzo30
214:138534:53NEV37-yard field goal by Brent Zuzo60
27:042390:39CSU Nick Stevens 1-yard touchdown run, Wyatt Bryan kick good67
26:382820:20NEVJames Butler 77-yard touchdown run, Brent Zuzo kick good137
21:4611814:44CSU20-yard field goal by Wyatt Bryan1310
21:33–––NEVKickoff returned 96 yards for touchdown by Elijah Mitchell, Brent Zuzo kick no good1910
20:0813581:17CSU29-yard field goal by Wyatt Bryan1913
39:1612535:39NEV40-yard field goal by Brent Zuzo2213
33:5512755:21CSUJamsen Odon 9-yard touchdown run, Wyatt Bryan kick good2220
43:408423:25CSU38-yard field goal by Wyatt Bryan2223
41:068722:28NEVJames Butler 4-yard touchdown run, 2-point run by James Butler failed2823
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.2823

[2]

Statistics

Statistics [2] NEVCSU
First Downs1830
Total offense, plays–yards53–34584–532
Rushes–yards (net)40–27142–222
Passing yards (net)74310
Passes, Comp–Att–Int6–13–022–42–1
Time of Possession27:3032:30

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonny Lubick</span> American football coach

Louis Matthew "Sonny" Lubick is a retired American football coach. He was the 15th head football coach at Colorado State University from 1993 to 2007. Lubick won or shared six Western Athletic Conference or Mountain West Conference titles, guided the program to nine bowl games and was named National Coach of the Year by Sports Illustrated in 1994.

The 2007 Mountain West Conference football season was the ninth since eight former members of the Western Athletic Conference banded together to form the MW. It began on August 30 when UNLV defeated Utah State. The same night, Utah fell to Oregon State in Corvallis, Oregon. Brigham Young University won its fourth conference title.

The Nevada Wolf Pack football program represents the University of Nevada, Reno in college football. The Wolf Pack competes in the Mountain West Conference at the Football Bowl Subdivision level of the NCAA Division I. It was founded on October 24, 1896, as the Sagebrushers in Reno, Nevada.

The 2007 New Mexico Bowl was a post–season American college football bowl game held on December 22, 2007 at University Stadium on the University of New Mexico campus in Albuquerque, New Mexico as part of the 2007–08 NCAA bowl season. The game, telecast on ESPN, featured the Nevada Wolf Pack from the WAC and the hometown New Mexico Lobos from the Mountain West Conference.

The 2008 Mountain West Conference football season was the 10th since eight former members of the Western Athletic Conference banded together to form the MW. The University of Utah won their fourth conference championship, ending the year 13–0 with a victory over Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl.

The 2007 New Mexico Lobos football team represented The University of New Mexico during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Rocky Long. The New Mexico Lobos play their home games at University Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colorado State Rams football</span> American college football team

The Colorado State Rams football program represents Colorado State University and is a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Mountain West Conference. The Rams have long-standing rivalries with Colorado, Wyoming, and Air Force. The team is currently led by head coach Jay Norvell, who was hired in December 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 BYU Cougars football team</span> American college football season

The 2010 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cougars, led by head coach Bronco Mendenhall, played their home games at LaVell Edwards Stadium and were members of the Mountain West Conference. They finished the season 7–6, 5–3 in Mountain West play and were invited to the New Mexico Bowl where they defeated UTEP 52–24.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 California Golden Bears football team</span> American college football season

The 2010 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) competition in the 2010 season. The Golden Bears were led by ninth-year head coach Jeff Tedford.

The 2011 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, the tenth edition of the game, was a post-season American college football bowl game, held on Christmas Eve 2011, at Aloha Stadium in Halawa, Hawaii as part of the 2011–12 NCAA Bowl season. It was telecast at 2:00 p.m. HT on ESPN and was sponsored by Sheraton Hotels and Resorts.

The 2012 Gildan New Mexico Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game that was held on December 15, 2012, at University Stadium on the campus of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico in the United States. The seventh edition of the New Mexico Bowl began at 11:00 a.m. MST and aired on ESPN. It featured the Nevada Wolf Pack, who represented the Mountain West Conference in their first year as a member, against the Arizona Wildcats, who represented the Pac-12 Conference. The Wolf Pack accepted their invitation with a 7–4 record in their first eleven games of the season, while the Wildcats accepted their invitation after finishing the regular season at 7–5. The bowl was the first of 35 played in the 2012–13 bowl game season.

The 2012 Maaco Bowl Las Vegas was an American college football bowl game held on December 22, 2012, at Sam Boyd Stadium in Whitney, Nevada, as part of the 2012–13 NCAA Bowl season. The 21st edition of the Maaco Bowl Las Vegas began at 12:30 p.m. PST and aired on ESPN. It featured the Washington Huskies from the Pac-12 Conference (Pac-12) against the Mountain West Conference co-champion Boise State Broncos and was the final game of the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season for both teams. The Huskies advanced to the game after earning a 7–5 record, while the Broncos accepted their invitation after earning a 10–2 record in the regular season. Boise State kicked a 27-yard field goal with 1:16 left in the game to defeat Washington, 28–26, and win their third consecutive Maaco Bowl Las Vegas game.

The 2013 New Mexico Bowl was an American college football bowl game that was played on Saturday, December 21, 2013 at University Stadium on the campus of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The eighth annual New Mexico Bowl, it featured the Colorado State Rams, representing the Mountain West Conference, against the Washington State Cougars, representing the Pac-12 Conference. The game began at 12:00 noon MST and was televised on ESPN. It was the first of the 35 2013–14 NCAA football bowl games that concluded the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Sponsored by Gildan Activewear, the game was officially known as the Gildan New Mexico Bowl. The Rams won 48–45 after they were down 15 points in the final minutes of the game; they scored a touchdown, Washington State lost two fumbles, after both of which, Colorado State scored, and after the latter of which, as time expired, they kicked a field goal to win the game.

The 2014 New Orleans Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 20, 2014 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The fourteenth annual New Orleans Bowl, it pitted the Nevada Wolf Pack of the Mountain West Conference against the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns of the Sun Belt Conference. The game began at 10:00 a.m. CST and aired on ESPN. It was the first of the 2014–15 bowl games that concluded the 2014 FBS football season. Sponsored by freight shipping company R+L Carriers, the game was officially known as the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. Louisiana–Lafayette beat Nevada by a score of 16–3.

The 1992 Las Vegas Bowl was an American college football bowl game played at Sam Boyd Stadium in Whitney, Nevada, on December 18, 1992. It was inaugural Las Vegas Bowl and the first game of the bowl season that concluded the 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season. The game featured the Bowling Green Falcons, champions of the Mid-American Conference (MAC), and the Nevada Wolf Pack, champions of the Big West Conference. Bowling Green won the game by a score of 35–34.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Colorado State Rams football team</span> American college football season

The 2015 Colorado State Rams football team represented Colorado State University during the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Rams were led by first-year head coach Mike Bobo and played their home games at Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium. They were members of the Mountain Division of the Mountain West Conference. They finished the season 7–6, 5–3 in Mountain West play to finish in a four way tie for second place in the Mountain Division. They were invited to inaugural Arizona Bowl where they lost to fellow Mountain West member Nevada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl</span> College football game

The 2016 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game played on December 22, 2016, at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho. The 20th annual edition of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, the game featured the Idaho Vandals of the Sun Belt Conference and the Colorado State Rams of the Mountain West Conference. It was one of the 2016–17 bowl games that concluded the 2016 FBS football season. The game's title sponsor was the Idaho Potato Commission. The game began at 5:05 p.m. MST and was broadcast on ESPN College Football. Idaho defeated Colorado State by a score of 61–50.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Colorado State Rams football team</span> Colorado State University in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season

The 2021 Colorado State Rams football team represented Colorado State University in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Rams were led by second–year head coach Steve Addazio and played their home games at Sonny Lubick Field at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, Colorado, as members of the Mountain Division of the Mountain West Conference.

Robert Frederick Hainlen is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the Colorado A&M Aggies and was selected in the 19th round of the 1949 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. He later played a season with their farm team, the Wilmington Clippers, in 1949, before ending his professional career prior to the 1950 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trey McBride</span> American football player (born 1999)

Trey McBride is an American football tight end for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Colorado State, where he was named a unanimous All-American and the John Mackey Award winner in 2021. McBride was selected by the Cardinals in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

References

  1. ↑ Silverman, Steve (December 7, 2015). "Bowl Games 2015–16: Latest Odds, Predictions for Entire Schedule". Bleacher Report. Retrieved December 12, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "2015 Arizona Bowl: Nevada vs. Colorado State Stats". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Nova® Home Loans Arizona Bowl Will Reach More Than 88 Million Households On American Sports Network" (Press release). West Palm Beach, FL: American Sports Network. PRNewswire. December 23, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  4. ↑ Lyell, Kelly (December 6, 2015). "Colorado State heads to Arizona Bowl to face MW foe Nevada". Fort Collins Coloradoan . Retrieved December 6, 2015.
  5. ↑ Finley, Ryan (October 1, 2015). "Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl announced". The Arizona Republic . Retrieved December 12, 2015.
  6. ↑ Lyell, Kelly (December 7, 2015). "What you need to know about the Arizona Bowl". Fort Collins Coloradoan . Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  7. ↑ Murray, Chris (November 29, 2015). "Wolf Pack enters bowl game with two big questions". Reno Gazette-Journal . Retrieved December 12, 2015.
  8. 1 2 Bonagura, Kyle (December 7, 2015). "Commissioner calls bowl matchup of two MWC teams 'a travesty'". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  9. ↑ Murray, Chris (November 17, 2015). "Wolf Pack bowl eligible, but is it bowl bound?". Reno Gazette-Journal . Retrieved December 12, 2015.
  10. ↑ Murray, Chris (November 11, 2015). "Pack notes: Nevada one win away from bowl game". Reno Gazette-Journal . Retrieved December 12, 2015.
  11. ↑ Stephens, Matt L. (November 22, 2015). "CSU football beats New Mexico to become bowl eligible". Fort Collins Coloradoan . Retrieved December 12, 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.