Good morning, and welcome back to CFB Roundup from CFB Home – the first daily newsletter that’s all college football, all the time with no bias, no slant, and no fluff.

YESTERDAY’S RESULTS:

#18 Iowa State Beats #13 Miami 42-41 in Thrilling Pop-Tarts Bowl with Last Minute TD

#18 Iowa State beat #13 Miami in the Pop-Tarts Bowl with a last minute touchdown, as the Cyclones drove down the field 84 yards, using up most of the remaining clock on the 15-play drive.

Despite the outcome, Miami finished with 524 total yards, including 308 rushing yards (7.9 yards per carry), though the Hurricanes did turn the ball over 3 times.

QB Cam Ward played in the first half, finishing 12/19 for 190 yards and 3 touchdowns, setting the record for the most Division 1 passing touchdowns in a career, breaking Case Keenum’s record.

TE Elijah Arroyo (4/64/1) and WR Joshisa Trader (3/61/1) were the main pass catchers for the Hurricanes, with Jacolby George (2/24/1) catching the 3rd Ward touchdown pass.

On the ground, Damien Martinez (14/179/1) and Mark Fletcher Jr. (12/62/1) led the Hurricanes on the ground, too. After Ward did not play in the second half according to Miami’s predetermined game plan to give backup QB Emory Williams some looks, he finished a paltry 5/14 for 26 yards and an interception.

For Iowa State, QB Rocco Becht was the clear MVP of the game, finishing 22/36 for 270 yards and 3 touchdowns while adding 23 yards and the game-winning touchdown on 8 rush attempts. RB Carson Hansen (16/82/2 rushing; 1/13/1 receiving) also had a solid game, as did pass catchers Jaylin Noel (8/117/1), Gabe Burkle (4/54/1), and Isaiah Alston (2/52).

With 11 wins on the season, Iowa State has further broken the program’s record for wins in a season, as this is the Cyclones’ first 10-win season. For Miami, it’s an unceremonious end to a season that saw the Hurricanes creep up fairly high in the rankings, but end the season on a 1-3 skid with 3 one-possession losses in games where they outgained their opponents in each loss.

#17 BYU Blows Out #23 Colorado to Win the Valero Alamo Bowl

#17 BYU blew out #23 Colorado in the Valero Alamo Bowl 36-14 in a game that was more or less decided by halftime.

BYU lost the turnover battle 3-2, but that was about the only category where Colorado excelled, as BYU outgained Colorado by more than 100 yards and outconverted the Buffs 8/14 to 3/10.

Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders finished 16/23 for 208 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, with one of the touchdowns going to WR/CB Travis Hunter, who finished with 4 catches for 106 yards and a touchdown offensively and 4 tackles on defense. RBs Micah Welch (5/25) and Isaiah Augustave (3/11) had most of the handoffs, but Colorado did not run many plays in general, with most of them being dropbacks for Shedeur Sanders.

For BYU, LJ Martin showed out in a big way, finishing with 17 carries for 93 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground, while also leading all Cougars with 33 receiving yards on 2 catches.

QB Jake Retzlaff finished 12/21 with 151 yards, 2 interceptions, and 29 rushing yards in a fairly modest effort. BYU’s Parker Kingston also returned a punt 64 yards for a touchdown, on a play that really broke open the game for the Cougars.

With the win, BYU has reached 11 wins for the 2nd time in 5 years, and won a 5th bowl in 9 seasons under Head Coach Kalani Sitake. For Colorado, it ends the second season of the Deion Sanders era at 9-4 with many key pieces moving on to the NFL Draft, including QB Shedeur Sanders and WR/CB Travis Hunter.

#22 Army Beats Louisiana Tech 27-6 as Bryson Daily Breaks Records in Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl

For the first time in program history, Army has won 12 games in a season, as #22 Army beat Louisiana Tech in Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl.

Louisiana Tech, at 5-7, was a late addition to the game, but filled in as the team with the highest APR. The Bulldogs finish the season at 5-8, making its first bowl appearance since the 2020 New Orleans Bowl.

In the game, Army QB Bryson Daily (27/127/3 rushing; 65 yards passing) set the single-season record for rushing touchdowns by a QB (32), as he ran for 3 touchdowns last night. Hayden Reed (20/114/1), Noah Short (5/27), and Tyrell Robinson (4/25) all also were contributors on the ground.

For Louisiana Tech, QB Evan Bullock finished 14/28 for 169 yards and an interception. WR Tru Edwards (8/92) finished with a majority of Louisiana Tech’s receiving yards. On the ground, RB Omiri Wiggins (8/40) had most of Louisiana Tech’s 49 rushing yards.

Nebraska Beats Boston College 20-15; First Bowl Win Since ‘15, First Winning Season Since ‘16

Nebraska won the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl against Boston College 20-15 yesterday to secure its first winning season in 9 years and its first bowl win in 10 years.

Boston College struggled to get the running game going, a key point of Coach Bill O’Brien’s offense, as the Eagles finished with just 47 yards on 26 carries. QB Grayson James (9/22) and RB Kye Robichaux (10/19) received a majority of the rush attempts, averaging just over 2 yards per rush attempt, though, this does include the yardage from the 3 sacks that James took.

James was 26/41 for 301 yards passing, with Lewis Bond (7/99) leading all receivers in this game. RB Turbo Richard (4/7/1 rushing; 2/62 receiving) and WR Jeremiah Franklin (6/56) also contributed heavily in the passing game.

For the winning Huskers, QB Dylan Raiola finished 23/31 for 228 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, with Jahmal Banks (4/79) and Thomas Fidone II (5/50) getting a majority of the yards. RB Emmett Johnson caught Raiola’s one touchdown (5/28/1 receiving) while also contributing the most rushing yards for the Huskers (14/68 rushing). Rahmir Johnson was the other main ball carrier for the Huskers (10/60/1).

UConn Defends New England in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl, Beating North Carolina 27-14

UConn beat North Carolina 27-14 in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl, as the Huskies jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead, before taking a 24-7 lead into halftime.

North Carolina finished 0-9 on 3rd down, with more than 150 fewer yards than UConn, and with more than twice as many penalties as UConn – not an inspiring performance for soon-to-be Head Coach Bill Belichick to see.

UNC finished 11/14 passing for 110 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, with Michael Merdinger providing most of that production, though the touchdown was thrown by RB Caleb Hood on a 17-yard pass play to John Copenhaver when it was 27-7 late in the 4th quarter.

Hood also ran for 78 yards on 11 carries. Copenhaver led all Tar Heels with 4 catches for 44 yards and the aforementioned touchdown. The other UNC touchdown was a kick return touchdown by Chris Culliver.

UConn QB Joe Fagnano finished 16/23 for 151 yards and 2 touchdowns, which went to Skyler Bell (3/77/1) and Alex Honig (2/10/1). RBs Mel Brown (11/96) and Cam Edwards (17/74/1) led the Huskies in rushing, with Brown leading the entire game with 96 yards.

All in all, this was a fairly sleepy game that featured 3 field goal attempts and 10 punts, but it was UConn’s first bowl win since 2009 and first 9-win season since 2007. For North Carolina, this is 5 consecutive seasons without a bowl win, going 1-8 in their last 9 bowl appearances.

East Carolina Beats NC State 26-21 With Late Touchdown in Roller Coaster Go Bowling Military Bowl

ECU beat NC State 26-21 in the Go Bowling Military Bowl, largely thanks to an 86-yard rush from Rahjai Harris with a little over a minute to go after NC State nearly completed a 13-point comeback in the 4th quarter following ECU’s 20-7 lead.

ECU lost the turnover battle 2-1, but was otherwise solid on offense, finishing with over 300 rushing yards and going 12/16 on 3rd down.

NC State also played well offensively, with QB CJ Bailey finishing 19/26 for 230 yards, 3 touchdowns, and an interception. Noah Rogers (5/59), Hollywood Smothers (2/42/1), and Justin Joly (3/41/1) were Bailey’s main targets. Smothers also ran excellently, finishing with 139 yards on just 15 carries, giving him nearly 200 yards from scrimmage on just 17 touches. Plus, a shoutout to NC State CB Tamarcus Cooley, who intercepted 2 passes for the Wolfpack.

ECU RB Rahjai Harris really stole the show, though, finishing with 220 yards on 17 carries with the game-winning touchdown already mentioned. QB Katin Houser finished 18/29 for 147 yards and 2 interceptions, with Yannick Smith (3/56), Anthony Smith (3/32), and Jhari Patterson (8/30) his favorite targets. Houser was more effective on the ground, finishing with a rushing statline of 13/84/2 to go with a passing performance that would’ve been underwhelming otherwise.

With the win, former interim and now HC Blake Harrell finishes the season 5-1 as the HC, and the Pirates get to an 8-5 record that matches the most wins in the last 11 seasons. For NC State, bowl woes continue, as Dave Doeren and NC State have not won a bowl game since 2017, having lost in their last 5 bowl appearances.

TCU Boat Races Louisiana 34-3 in Isleta New Mexico Bowl

TCU absolutely dominated the Isleta New Mexico Bowl, routing Louisiana 34-3 in a game that was over before halftime. Louisiana’s lone points came in the 4th quarter, down 34-0 on a field goal from the 7-yard line following a TCU interception.

For Louisiana, 3 players threw at least 2 passes, but the combined effort finished 11/26 for 95 yards and 2 interceptions, with Ben Wooldridge getting a majority of the work (7/20; 61/0/1). On the ground, RBs Zylan Perry (11/49), Tylon Citizen (4/43 on the final drive), and Bill Davis (9/21) all uninspiringly ran the ball.

TCU similarly struggled to run the ball effectively, but RBs Trent Battle (9/42), Jeremy Payne (9/33), and Nate Palmer (10/30) got most of TCU’s 33 rush attempts. At QB, Josh Hoover looked great, finishing 20/32 for 252 yards, 4 touchdowns, and an interception, throwing touchdowns to 4 different receivers (Eric McAlister, JP Richardson, Blake Nowell, and DJ Rogers). McAlister led all receivers in this game with 8 catches for 87 yards, with Drake Dabney (3/73) also putting up a solid statline.

For TCU, this win capped off a fairly impressive 9-4 season that included quietly winning 5 of the last 6 games after a blowout loss to SMU and losses to Houston and UCF made it look like the Frogs’ season could go off the rails. Instead, TCU finished with its second most wins in the last 7 seasons and just the second bowl win in the last 6 seasons.

For Louisiana, this unceremoniously ends a season where the Ragin’ Cajuns lost the final two games by a combined 67-6 in a 10-win season that was a couple possessions away from being a 12-0 regular season before conference championship weekend.

Miami (OH) Routs Colorado State 43-17 in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl

At halftime, the only scoring that happened in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl was 4 field goals that saw Miami (OH) have a 9-3 lead over the Colorado State Rams.

However, Miami would go on to score touchdowns on each of their next 3 possessions to take a commanding 29-3 lead. Even though Colorado State would actually outgain Miami, Miami winning the turnover battle 4-2 and finishing with more yards per play (6.8-6.16) are key ingredients to a blowout bowl win.

Miami QB Brett Gabbert only was 13/25 for 184 yards, but did find the endzone once on the ground, as RBs Kevin Davis (9/148/2) and Jordan Brunson (11/34/2) were great, with Davis even taking a rush 97 yards for a touchdown.

For Colorado State, QB Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi finished 23/45 for 321 yards, a touchdown, and 2 interceptions, with Stephon Daily (4/74/1) leading all receivers in this game, while Jordan Ross (4/58) also was a strong contributor for the Rams’ receiving corp.

Miami’s Ty Wise was also a key player in this one, finishing with a team-high 9 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, a fumble recovery, and an interception that he returned 54 yards to set Miami up with excellent field position.

With the win, Miami now has 20 wins combined in the past two seasons, the most since the 2003-04 seasons. For Colorado State, it is a program that has not played in a bowl game since 2017, so an 8-5 season is an improvement, especially after WR Tory Horton suffered a season-ending injury, cutting his season short during the game against San Jose State.

Former 5-Star Texas WR Johntay Cook Commits to Transfer to Washington

Former Texas WR Johntay Cook II has announced his intention to transfer to Washington after having spent two seasons with the Longhorns.

Cook finished with 273 yards and 2 touchdowns in his time with Texas, though that time with the Longhorns ended rather unexpectedly and abruptly (at least publicly), as it was announced Cook and the University of Texas mutually parted ways.

Now, Cook, a player with boatloads of natural talent, gets a fresh start with the University of Washington looking to improve on their 6-6 regular season record in Coach Jedd Fisch’s second season leading the Huskies.

2026 4-Star ATH Madden Williams Commits to Texas A&M

2026 4-Star ATH Madden Williams committed to Texas A&M yesterday over his other finalists, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Texas, Arizona State, among other offers.

Williams is intending to play WR at the next level for the Aggies, sharing that Texas A&M only became a contender for him to commit this season. After communicating with the new staff, Williams very seriously started considering the Aggies, and really felt strongly about the Aggies after visiting College Station a couple times.

Williams is ranked as high as 102nd nationally by Rivals, but the On3 industry composite more modestly ranks Williams 259th nationally.

For Texas A&M, the 2026 class has already started to come together, as Williams is the 8th 4-star commitment and 10th commitment overall for a 2026 class which currently ranks 4th nationally behind only Oregon, USC, and Tennessee.

Other Commitments/Decommitments

3-Star (84) QB Ennio Yapoor commits to Tuskegee