Birmingham Bowl QUICK FACTS
- Date: Saturday, Dec. 23.
- Location: Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama.
- Time: Noon.
- TV: ESPN.
- Matchup: Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-6, Big 12) vs. USF Bulls (9-2, American Athletic Conference).
Let’s face it USF fans, most of you thought you’d have another week before focusing on a Bulls’ bowl game (i.e. the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta on New Year’s Day). But UCF is the darling of the nation right now and will get its shot at Auburn.
So, instead, USF is stuck in Alabama.
This is the second straight season the Bulls will be playing in this game. Last season USF outlasted South Carolina to win an OT-thriller at Legion Field, 46-39.
QUINTON FLOWERS has had two solid bowl game performances between the 2015 Miami Beach Bowl (a 45-35 loss to Western Kentucky) and last year against South Carolina. In his two bowl games for USF Flowers state are: 534 passing yards, 213 rushing yards and eight total touchdowns (three passing, five rushing).
LET HIM COOK is the popular term for Flowers’ ability to take control of a game and lead this USF offense. Flowers has rushed for over 100 yards in three consecutive games (second longest streak of his career: five straight in 2016). Flower has looked like his old self finding receivers, extending plays and just being himself. Flowers is riding high off the greatest single-game performance the USF football program has ever witnessed (503 passing yards – USF single-game record, 605 total yards – USF single-game record).
Flowers definitely shook off play calls by offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert during the UCF game. Evidence came when D’Ernest Johnson recalled Quinton’s conversation in the huddle before the successful game-tying two point conversion in the 4th quarter: “Quinton) told me, 'Look here bro, we're fixing to do our own thing. Just make it happen.'"
So, if USF is to win its second straight bowl game over a Power-Five team, Quinton Flowers needs to cook. Simple.
TEXAS TECH lost all six of its games in conference play this season. Don’t let that fool you because the Red Raiders can score. This is the 17th best offense in the nation with 468.4 yards per game (USF ranks 9th in the country with 508.6 yards per game). But when we talk defense is when you see where the six losses come from: Texas Tech ranks 100 out of 130 FBS teams in total defense this season.
PREDICTION TIME
USF will need to win without a major crowd there to support them (nothing new for this team). The defense does not need to play great to win, but it will play well. Flowers is poised to end his college career on a high note.
USF 46, Texas Tech 21.