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WEEK 12 @INDYBOWL

INSIDE THE I-BOWL

/////////////////////////// OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE FOUNDATION THE OFFICIAL INSIDE THE I-BOWL NEWSLETTER OF: TICKETS & OFFERS WHAT TO WATCH FOR ////////////////////////////// ////////////////////////////////// EXPLORE TICKET PACKAGES TO 2019 I-BOWL MUST-WIN TERRITORY FOR TEAMS IN WEEK 12 Tickets for the 2019 Walk-On’s Independence Bowl are on sale now! To purchase tickets and for more information on all ticket packages, visit WalkOnsIndependenceBowl.com/tickets/. NORTH CAROLINA (4-5) @ PITTSBURGH (6-3) | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14 @ 7 PM CT | ESPN NORTH CAROLINA North Carolina is trying to inch their way to - needing two wins in their last three contests against Pitt, INDIVIDUAL TICKETS: End Zone Bench - $30, Sideline Bench - $45, Sideline Chairback - $50* Mercer and NC State. The Tar Heels have one of the best freshmen in the country in QB Sam Howell, who is passing for (*For qualifying Foundation Members and sponsors) 275 yards per game and has thrown 26 TDs against just six interceptions. Howell will have a big test on Thursday night against a stout Pitt defense that allows just 280 yards of offense per game. The Panthers sit at 6-3 with games against GROUP TICKETS: $15 per ticket (50% off) when you purchase 20-or-more tickets. Purchase UNC, Virginia Tech and Boston College left. They are a very talented team that could be looking at 9-3, but their lack of group tickets for your business, and your business will be recognized on the video board during PITTSBURGH offense at times this season has left them susceptible to losses at any time. This should be a good one on Thursday. the game!

VET TIX: The Veteran Tickets Foundation (Vet Tix) is a national 501c3 nonprofit founded by veter- TECH (8-1) @ MARSHALL (6-3) | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15 @ 6 PM CT | CBSSN ans dedicated to support and honor the U.S. military community, veterans and their families. Vet LOUISIANA TECH Riding an eight-game winning streak following a week-one loss to Texas, Louisiana Tech stares one of their toughest Tix mission is to provide tickets to sporting events, concerts, performing arts and family activities tests of the season in the face on Friday night in Huntington, WV. The Bulldogs offense is one an incredible streak right aimed at improving mental welfare and enriching the lives of military service members and now, as they are averaging 52 points per game over their last four games. QB J’Mar Smith has been very efficient during veterans. that streak - completing 66% of his passes for 291 yards per game and nine total TDs. The key for La Tech will be on the defensive side of the ball and stopping the rushing attack of the Thundering Herd. Marshall averages 201 rushing yards Help a veteran come to the 2019 Walk-On’s Independence Bowl by donating a ticket to Vet Tix! MARSHALL and 224 passing yards, so if they can stop the run, then Marshall could have trouble moving the ball offensively. For information on how to donate a ticket, visit VetTix.org!

TULANE (6-3) @ TEMPLE (6-3) | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16 @ 11 AM CT | ESPNU TULANE A pair of 6-3 teams look to take their seasons to the next level on Saturday in a cross-division American Athletic match- Wednesday’s up. Both defenses are similar, allowing 25 points per game. The Owls defense is a little bit more leaky through the air, I-BOWL WEEKLY RADIO SHOW 6-7 p.m. CT allowing 234 yards of passing to Tulane’s 197 allowed. The difference between these two teams could be the explosion the Green Wave have on offense. Tulane scored exactly 10 more points per game than Temple, and much of their success 1130 The Tiger TEMPLE comes on the ground. They average 261 rushing yards and 474 total yards per game. QB Justin McMillan is very exciting, /////////////////////////////////////////////// as he leads the Green Wave in both passing and rushing yards this season. #23 #16 I-BOWL WEEKLY GAME OF THE WEEK No. 4 GEORGIA (8-1) @ No. 12 AUBURN (7-2) | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16 @ 2:30 PM CT | CBS Being ranked in the Playoff rankings and still having GEORGIA What more can you ask for than a traditional college football rivalry with implications? The Bull- a chance to win the American Athletic West Division, the No. 23 SAT, NOV. 16 @ 1:30 PM CT dogs jumped to number four in the latest rankings, and they hold their destinies in their hands if they can win out. This Navy Midshipmen have a great chance to propel themselves into SOUTH BEND, Ind. weekend is their final ranked matchup of the season before a potential SEC Championship game. This game could be a New Year’s Six Bowl territory with a win over the No. 16 Notre Dame NBC traditional SEC matchup with great defense and low point totals. Both teams want to establish the run and rush for over Fighting Irish this weekend. 215 yards per game, but both defenses are stellar against the run. UGA only allows 75 yards per game, while Auburn AUBURN allows 113 yards. This one should be a tremendous war in the trenches. For Navy, everything obviously revolves around the rushing game and around quarterback Malcolm Perry. Perry doesn’t have to do a VIRGINIA TECH (6-3) @ GEORGIA TECH (2-7) | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16 @ 2:30 PM CT | ACCNX whole in the passing game, but he has been effective when he needs 2019 STATS & LEADERS to be. He also leads the Midshipmen in rushing with 1,042 yards and VIRGINIA TECH Because Virginia Tech has two FCS wins on their schedule, the Hokies are in search of one more win to gain bowl eligibil- 16 touchdowns on the season. That has helped Navy to averaging 7-1 Overall Record 7-2 ity, and this weekend against Georgia Tech should present a prime opportunity. VT has been playing great football since 357.9 yards on the ground per game and 40.1 points per game. Navy 5-1 (AAC) Conference Record --- a loss to Duke in week five and making a quarterback change to Hendon Hooker. They have won four of their last five games, including a win over ranked Wake Forest this past weekend. Their lone loss during that stretch was a 21-20 loss has had two weeks to prepare for this game, while Notre Dame has 40.1 Points Per Game 34.2 only a week to prep for the triple option attack. The Irish defense has GEORGIA TECH to Notre Dame in which they led in the fourth quarter. Georgia Tech is not a pushover right now, however, as they have been leaky against the run at times this year. 18.1 Pts. Allowed Per Game 19.2 played close games with Pitt and Virginia the past two weeks after defeating Miami before that. 456.8 (98.9/357.9) Total Yards (Pass/Rush) 421.6 (246.9/174.7) Notre Dame has the upper-hand in talent in this game, as they do LOUISVILLE (5-4) @ NC STATE (4-5) | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16 @ 6:30 PM CT | ACCN in this matchup each year, and it all starts with quarterback Ian 310.6 (201.3/109.4) Yards Allowed (Pass/Rush) 327.3 (171.8/155.6) This game is a battle of two teams trying to get bowl eligible with just three games left. Louisville has enjoyed a Book. Book has passed for just over 2,000 yards this year and 21 TDs M. Perry: 722 yds, 5 TD, 3 int Starting Quarterback I. Book: 2009 yds, 21 TD, 6 int LOUISVILLE tremendous first year under HC Scott Satterfield, and they have three winnable games remaining in NC State, Syracuse against six interceptions. He has also run for almost 400 yards and M. Perry: 157 car, 1042 yds, 16 TD Active Rushing Leader T. Jones Jr.: 95 car, 585 yds, 4 TD and Kentucky. The Cardinals rush for over 200 yards per game and average 450 total yards, but their defense has been four TDs. Book will need to be efficient in getting his skill guys the a problem the last three games. NC State is going in the wrong direction, as they have won just one of their last five ball when they have a chance, because they won’t have very many M. Cooper: 9 rec, 241 yds, 1 TD Receiving Leader C. Claypool: 42 rec, 651 yds, 5 TD games and have been outscored 185-73 during that stretch. If this one gets into the 30’s, the Wolfpack offense that opportunities if Navy is able be effective on offense and keep the N.C. STATE scores just 23 points per game could have trouble keeping up. NC State needs two more wins to become bowl eligible, ball away from Notre Dame. with Georgia Tech and North Carolina remaining after Louisville.

1 Inside the I-Bowl WalkOnsIndependenceBowl.com @IndyBowl WalkOnsIndependenceBowl.com @IndyBowl Inside the I-Bowl 2 THE OFFICIAL INSIDE THE I-BOWL NEWSLETTER OF: NEWS & NOTES IN I-BOWL HISTORY //////////////////////// /////////////////////////////// WEEK 11 SCOREBOARD BOWL PROJECTIONS AFTER WEEK 11 HALL OF FAMER FRANK BEAMER FINISHES ACC: AMERICAN: HIS CAREER WHERE IT STARTED #5 Clemson 55, NC State 10 Temple 17, South Florida 7 Legendary Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer became the 19th #15 Notre Dame 38, Duke 7 Tulsa 34, UCF 31 player or head coach who appeared in the Independence Bowl to be Virginia Tech 36, #19 Wake Forest 17 COLLEGEFOOTBALLNEWS.COM BRETT McMURPHY BRAD CRAWFORD inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame when he was inducted in #20 Cincinnati 48, UConn 3 Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech Florida St. 38, Boston College 31 2018. For Beamer, Shreveport holds a special place and big part in his #25 SMU 59, East Carolina 51 NORTH CAROLINA career. (1993) Virginia 33, Georgia Tech 28 FLORIDA STATE LOUISVILLE Miami 52, Louisville 27 Beamer began as head coach for the Hokies in 1987, and they did not C-USA: LOUISIANA TECH LOUISIANA TECH UAB make their first under Beamer until 1993, when Virginia Western Kentucky 45, Arkansas 19 SEC: Tech defeated Indiana 45-20 in the Independence Bowl. The Hokies UTSA 24, Old Dominion 23 dominated the game, leading 28-13 at half time and expanding that lead #2 LSU 46, #3 Alabama 41 with a 17-point fourth quarter. The win was the first bowl win for Frank Charlotte 28, UTEP 21 #6 Georgia 27, Missouri 0 Beamer in his head coaching career, and began his long run of success in #10 Florida 56, Vanderbilt 0 Southern Miss 37, UAB 2 KYLE BONAGURA MARK SCHLABACH JASON KIRK Blacksburg, Va. Western Kentucky 45, Arkansas 19 Louisiana Tech 52, North Texas 17 NORTH CAROLINA NORTH CAROLINA VIRGINIA TECH Fast forward to 2015, where Frank Beamer was finishing his Hall of Fame Ole Miss 41, New Mexico St. 3 Florida Atlantic 37, Florida Intl 7 coaching career in the Independence Bowl against Tulsa. The game App State 20, South Carolina 15 would turn out to be one of the most thrilling games in I-Bowl history Tennessee 17, Kentucky 13 LOUISIANA TECH WESTERN KENTUCKY SOUTHERN MISS - a 55-52 Virginia Tech win. The teams obliterated the I-Bowl record In celebration of the 150th season of college football, we take a look back book, combining for the most points (107), touchdowns (14), rushing at some of the greatest games and moments in the 43-year history of the touchdowns (9), yards (1,161), most points scored in a quarter (45), and Independence Bowl. they even combined for the most points in a half (76) across all bowl- games, all time. VT receiver Isaiah ford set the Independence Bowl record CONFERENCE STANDINGS with 227 yards receiving and tied the Bowl record with 12 receptions, being named Offensive Player of the Game.

The place where Frank Beamer earned his first bowl win 23 years earlier, he walked off the same field with the 280th and final victory of his college ATLANTIC Ovrl./Conf. COASTAL Ovrl./Conf. EAST Ovrl./Conf. WEST Ovrl./Conf. football head coaching career. In 29 years at Virginia Tech, Beamer went 238-121-2, and in 35 years between Virginia Tech and Murray State, he went #3 Clemson 10-0 (7-0) Virginia 7-3 (5-2) #4 Georgia 8-1 (5-1) #1 LSU 9-0 (5-0) 280-143-4. Wake Forest 7-2 (3-2) Virginia Tech 6-3 (3-2) #11 Florida 8-2 (5-2) #5 Alabama 8-1 (5-1) Florida State 5-5 (4-4) Pittsburgh 6-3 (3-2) Tennessee 5-5 (3-3) #12 Auburn 7-2 (4-2) Louisville 5-4 (3-3) Miami 6-4 (4-3) South Carolina 4-6 (3-4) Texas A&M 6-3 (3-2) Boston College 5-5 (3-4) North Carolina 4-5 (3-3) Missouri 5-4 (2-3) Mississippi State 4-5 (2-4) NC State 4-5 (1-4) Duke 4-5 (2-3) Kentucky 4-5 (2-5) Ole Miss 4-6 (2-4) Syracuse 3-6 (0-5) Georgia Tech 2-7 (1-5) Vanderbilt 2-7 (1-5) Arkansas 2-8 (0-6)

EAST Ovrl./Conf. WEST Ovrl./Conf. EAST Ovrl./Conf. WEST Ovrl./Conf. #17 Cincinnati 8-1 (5-0) SMU 9-1 (5-1) Florida Atlantic 7-3 (5-1) Louisiana Tech 8-1 (5-0) UCF 7-3 (4-2) #23 Navy 7-1 (5-1) Marshall 6-3 (4-1) Southern Miss 6-3 (4-1) Temple 6-3 (3-2) #18 Memphis 8-1 (4-1) Western Kentucky 6-4 (4-2) UAB 6-3 (3-2) South Florida 4-5 (2-3) Tulane 6-3 (3-2) Charlotte 5-5 (3-3) UTSA 4-5 (3-2) East Carolina 3-7 (0-6) Houston 3-6 (1-4) Florida Intl 5-5 (3-4) North Texas 4-6 (3-3) UConn 2-8 (0-6) Tulsa 3-7 (1-5) Middle Tennessee 3-6 (2-3) Rice 0-9 (0-5) Old Dominion 1-9 (0-6) UTEP 1-8 (0-6)

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