The lessons we took away from each game…

Now that bowl season has started, our reporters are dissecting every aspect of it.

We’ll announce the bowl season MVP of the moment at the end of each day. Rickey Hunt, a rookie running back from Ohio who scored five touchdowns in the Myrtle Beach Bowl, is the leader after Day 1.

With a dominant first-half defensive effort against Georgia Southern, Ohio extended its bowl game winning streak to five games and achieved consecutive 10-win seasons for the first time in program history. The Bobcats (10-3) had three interceptions of quarterback Davis Brin (two in the first half) by sophomore Adonis Williams Jr., sixth-year senior Walter Reynolds, and sixth-year senior Jeremiah Wood from the safety position. The Bobcats jumped out to a 20-0 lead in the first half as the Eagles (6-7) were limited to 35 total yards and turned the ball over three times. In his first game back, Ohio, rookie running back Rickey Hunt scored four touchdowns on the ground and amassed 133 total yards, of which 115 came from rushes. Hunt’s touchdowns from scrimmage tied the NCAA bowl record as the 12th player in history to reach five, setting a new record for the Bobcats in bowl games. Despite the fact that the team was outgained 383–352 in total yards, Ohio fifth-year senior quarterback Parker Navarro effectively led the offense after Kurtis Rourke entered the transfer portal. Navarro found the end zone with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Hunt, finishing 11 of 16 passes for 120 yards. — Baumgartner Blake

Florida A&M senior quarterback Jeremy Moussa didn’t hang his head long after throwing a fourth-quarter pick-six that allowed Howard to reclaim the lead. Moussa recovered quickly, utilizing a flea-flicker to connect with sixth-year senior wide receiver Jah’Marae Sheread for a 38-yard game-winning score. In guiding the Rattlers (12-1) to their first HBCU/FCS national championship since 1998, Moussa completed 19 of 32 passes to nine different receivers for 289 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. Howard (6-6) scored touchdowns on its first two possessions, and it didn’t trail until Moussa found senior running back Kelvin Dean (three receptions for 87 yards and two scores) for a 21-yard score early in the fourth quarter. Senior defensive back Carson Hinton had a fumble recovery and a 27-yard interception return for a Bison touchdown, which took Howard’s upset bid of the heavily favored Rattlers down to the wire. The Rattlers’ defense made life difficult for Howard quarterback Quinton Williams, intercepting him three times — resulting in 14 points — and holding the Bison to 187 total yards (106 passing). Howard was up at halftime despite being outgained 107-98 and passing for only 41 yards. — Baumgartner

Jacksonville State was only looking for a chance. When the FCS became the FBS because not enough teams were able to qualify for bowl games, coach Rich Rodriguez and his Gamecocks seized the opportunity to play in a bowl game. With his second career attempt, rookie Garrison Rippa’s 27-yard field goal sealed the victory over Louisiana in overtime. Since major classification began in 1937, Jacksonville State (9-4) has run the second-highest number of plays in a bowl game with 109. Despite having a 526-247 advantage in total yardage, the Gamecocks were on the verge of defeat due to their poor ball handling. With 5:32 remaining in regulation, redshirt sophomore safety Tyree Skipper’s 43-yard pick-six gave Louisiana its final lead of the game. Tyree Skipper’s turnovers accounted for three of the team’s four touchdowns.

Little went Appalachian State’s way during the first half of 2023. The Mountaineers lost in overtime at North Carolina, blew a 19-7 lead at Wyoming and lost to Coastal Carolina on a field goal as time expired and to Old Dominion on a touchdown with 48 seconds to play. The Mountaineers were 3-4 through seven games, and the season looked lost. Then something clicked. App State won its final five of the regular season, got a shot at the Sun Belt title game thanks to James Madison being ineligible and ended things on a high note in the bowl game. Anderson Castle carried 20 times for 119 yards, and Kaedin Robinson caught eight balls for 118 yards despite difficult rainy conditions. The Mountaineers have now hit the nine-win mark in eight of 10 seasons since moving up from the FCS level, and they’re 7-1 in bowl games as an FBS member. For Miami, it was a brutal way to cap an otherwise remarkable season. The Redhawks finish 11-3, the most wins by the program since 2003, when Ben Roethlisberger was the team’s quarterback. Their lone regular-season losses came to Miami (Florida) and Toledo, a defeat the Redhawks avenged on Dec. 2 to claim the MAC championship. — David Hale

Fresno State was without coach Jeff Tedford, but the Bulldogs didn’t miss a beat in a win over New Mexico State. Tedford stepped aside from bowl prep and coaching due to health concerns, though he is expected to return for the 2024 season. In his absence, the Bulldogs snapped a three-game skid and showcased their share of vintage Tedford offensive fireworks. Quarterback Mikey Keene completed 31 of 39 passes for 380 yards and three touchdowns, adding a fourth score on the ground, while seven different Fresno State receivers caught at least three passes each. In all, the Bulldogs racked up an impressive 491 yards of offense. For New Mexico State, it was a disappointing end to a magical season. The Aggies opened the 2023 campaign with an embarrassing home loss to UMass then turned things around and finished with 10 wins — including a road victory against Auburn — and a berth in the Conference USA title game. The 10-win season was just the second in program history, and through two years at the helm, coach Jerry Kill has just one fewer victory (17) than the Aggies had in the six seasons preceding his arrival. — Hale

Following a depressing 33-7 loss to Cal in the regular season finale that led many Bruins supporters to believe Chip Kelly would be fired, UCLA defeated Boise State in the LA Bowl, not too far from the Bruins’ home stadium. Following UCLA’s announcement that it would keep Kelly in charge, the Bruins amassed 510 yards of total offense, with quarterback Collin Schlee accounting for 128 yards on the ground. Schlee saw little action behind Dante Moore, who is currently in the transfer portal, and Ethan Garbers after leaving Kent State during the previous offseason. Schlee, however, did exactly what he does best against the Broncos, leading the Bruins’ rushing attack and tossing two touchdown passes. Numerous queries remain for Kelly’s squad as it prepares for the Big Ten, but the bowl victory on Saturday night was a promising conclusion to a season marked by ups and downs. — Paolo Uggetti

Following his declaration to rejoin Cal for the upcoming season, Jaydn Ott, the star running back for the Golden Bears, found it difficult to overcome Texas Tech’s defense. In the bowl game, Ott, who finished the season with 1,260 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, gained 45 yards on 16 carries and scored one touchdown. On the other hand, Behren Morton’s three touchdown passes helped the Red Raiders offense score four touchdowns. Three of the seven receivers to whom the sophomore quarterback distributed the ball had an average of more than 12 yards per catch. The Tech defense came through in its own unique way, forcing Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza into two fumbles that were ultimately too costly to recover from after picking him off three times. — Uggetti