2015 BBowl_FullPgAd_PRESS.pdf 1 12/7/15 9:16 AM C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Contents Welcome Message from the Prime Minister ........2 Welcome Messages from the Bahamas Government ...........................................3 Welcome Message from Popeyes .........................4 Bowl Staff .............................................................5 Game Preview .................................................... 6-7 2014 Review ..........................................................8 About Conference USA ........................................10 About Middle Tennessee .....................................11 Middle Tennessee Administration ......................12 Middle Tennessee Coach Rick Stockstill .............13 Middle Tennessee 2015 Roster .................... 14-17 Middle Tennessee 2015 Depth Chart ..................18 Credits Program Editor: Chris Pika Program Design: Bill Bridgeforth Cover Design: Mike Mason, CatalystCreativ.com Western Michigan 2015 Depth Chart ..................19 Printing: The Print Shop/Symonette Marketing Group; Nassau, Bahamas Western Michigan 2015 Roster ..................... 20-23 Photos: Player, staff and campus photos provided by the participating institutions. Cham- pionship trophy photo on page 28 by Robert Weems. Bahamas photos on pages 30-31 Western Michigan Coach P.J. Fleck ......................24 provided by the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium pho- About Western Michigan.....................................26 tos on pages 32-33 by Robert Weems and Chris Pika. Bahamas All-Stars and Valley Boys photos on page 35 by Robert Weems. Deidrie Henry photo on page 35 provided by GDS&M. About the Mid-American Conference ..................27 Special Thanks: Sports information staffs at Middle Tennessee and Western Michigan; Staffs at Conference USA, and the Mid-American Conference; Staffs of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Bahamas Ministry of Youth, Sports & Cul- ture, ESPN Events and National Sports Authority-Bahamas; Marketing staffs of Popeyes Championship Trophy .........................................28 Louisiana Kitchen, Atlantis Bahamas, Coca-Cola, Burns House and the Nassau Tribune. Popeyes Bahamas Bowl Advisory Committee .....29 The Bahamas ................................................. 30-31 WEBSITE Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium ........ 32-33 PopeyesBahamasBowl.com Giving Back to the Bahamas ................................34 SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook: Popeyes Bahamas Bowl Game Entertainment ...........................................35 Twitter: @TheBahamasBowl Hashtag: #BahamasBowl CONTACT INFORMATION Popeyes Bahamas Bowl, 11001 Rushmore Drive, Charlotte, NC 28277 (704) 973-5077 12.24.2015 Popeyes Bahamas Bowl 1 2 Popeyes Bahamas Bowl 12.24.2015 “The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, in partnership with ESPN “The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Events and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, is delighted to host Culture joins the Ministry of Tourism in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision postseason event, the welcoming back the outstanding NCAA 2nd Annual Popeyes Bahamas Bowl. As a country, we take American football special pride in our status as the home base of an international teams and players to sporting competition of such caliber. We salute the Middle The Bahamas. Over Tennessee Blue Raiders and the Western Michigan Broncos, the years, we have had who will represent Conference USA and the Mid-American several Bahamians Conferernce in the bowl, respectively. play football at the We welcome the teams, their coaches, families and fans to NCAA level, including The Islands Of The Bahamas. Devard Darling, Ed Thanks to the extensive media coverage of the inaugural Smith, Karl McCartney, Geno Smith, bowl in 2014 and the appealing merchandising and marketing D’Brickshaw Ferguson and Rhodes campaign this year by Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, millions of fans Scholar Myron Rolle. The Annual Popeyes are excitedly anticipating the 2015 Popeyes Bahamas Bowl. This Bahamas Bowl is back ... right in time for year’s game will be carried by ESPN-TV, the Popeyes Bahamas Junkanoo.” Bowl Radio Network, among many other media outlets. Hon. Dr. Daniel Johnson Fans attending the game will be treated to an entertaining Minister of Youth, Sports & Culture selection of pre-game activities, from a welcome bash, to fun contests and performances by the country’s show-stopping lead marching band. During the game at halftime, two of the leading Junkanoo groups, the “The Bahamas is excited to be the stage Valley Boys and the Saxons, will face off in an of the 2nd Annual Popeyes Bahamas unforgettable cultural spectacular. Bowl Game here This Christmas Eve, TV and radio dials in Nassau at the in millions of households across the United National Sports States, Canada and around the world will Stadium. We continue tune into The Islands Of The Bahamas to strengthen the to witness an unforgettable, action-packed game of college diversity of our football between two titans: the Middle Tennessee Blue destination, as we are Raiders and the Western Michigan Broncos. more than just sun, Without a shadow of a doubt, the energy of the game sand and sea, but also entertainment and beamed from The Islands Of The Bahamas will amp up the sports. ‘Sports is Better in Paradise.’” merriment of Christmas 2015 across the world.” Mr. Leroy Archer Hon. Obediah H. Wilchcombe, MP Chairman, National Sports Authority Minister of Tourism 12.24.2015 Popeyes Bahamas Bowl 3 December 24, 2015 Happy Gameday college football fans! We are so excited to welcome you to the 2015 Popeyes Bahamas Bowl! What an exciting year for you to participate! Not only are we thrilled to sponsor one of college football’s great bowl games, but we’re also celebrating the opening of our first Bahamas location! The flagship unit, featuring the new international design, opens just in time to add some Popeyes flavor and style to gameday tailgating! We welcome franchisees Chris and Terry Tsavoussis to the Popeyes family. And what better backdrop to cheer on your favorite football team than Nassau, Bahamas – one of the most beautiful places on earth! I encourage you to enjoy the rich Bahamian culture, and of course, some great Popeyes food! We congratulate our teams from Conference USA, the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, and the Mid-American Conference’s Western Michigan Broncos for their hard work, sportsmanship and New International Design well-earned place in today’s matchup. We hope that you enjoy today’s game! On behalf of the entire Popeyes family, we wish you and your loved ones a wonderful holiday and a safe and Happy New Year. Sincerely, Cheryl Bachelder Chief Executive Officer Popeyes® Louisiana Kitchen 4 Popeyes Bahamas Bowl 12.24.2015 STAFF RICHARD GIANNINI Executive Director Richard Giannini, a veteran of five decades of athletic administration who has been involved with the startup of three current bowl games, is the Executive Director of the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl. In his role with the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl, Giannini oversees the bowl’s operations and staff, is the bowl’s liaison with ESPN Events and serves in a key role with the bowl’s governmental relations with the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. As principal of Giannini Sports Consultants, LLC, he advises Conference USA, ESPN and the Marmot Boca Raton Bowl in addition to his work with the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl. As a bowl executive, Giannini developed the Blockbuster Bowl in 1990, now the Russell Athletic Bowl, the most-successful first- year bowl in history, and he was senior advisor to both the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl and Boca Raton Bowl for their inaugural 2014 games. Giannini served as athletic director at Southern Miss from 1999-2012. During his tenure, Southern Miss captured 13 Conference USA championships, including three football titles, two regular season and two tournament crowns in both baseball and softball and one in volleyball and men’s basketball. Under his direction, the football team enjoyed 13 consecutive winning seasons and 12 bowl appearances. Giannini and his wife, Gayle, are parents of four daughters – Ansley Stone, Brittney Borbash, Carlyn Linker and DeLancey – and they are grandparents of Tori, Parker, Sara, Kelsey, Ryleigh, Kyle, Avery, Mackenzie and Landon. LEA MILLER CHRIS PIKA TOM SNYDER AMANDA QUINTANA Director of Sales and Marketing Director of Communications Director of Game Operations Event Coordinator A sports marketing executive A longtime sports media UCF’s associate athletics Amanda Quintana serves as who has helped bring several high- relations and digital media staff director for facilities and event Event Coordinator for ESPN Events. profile events to the Bahamas, Lea member on both the collegiate and operations, Tom Snyder serves as the In her role, she assists the Popeyes Miller serves as the Director of professional levels, Chris Pika serves Director of Game Operations for the Bahamas Bowl and other ESPN Sales and Marketing of the Popeyes as the Director of Communications Popeyes Bahamas Bowl. Events properties from the ESPN Bahamas Bowl. for the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl. In his role, Snyder is in charge offices in Charlotte, N.C. Miller’s duties include working In his capacity with the bowl, Pika of all game operations at Thomas A. She joined ESPN Events in closely with the bowl’s sponsor lineup, oversees all areas of communications/ Robinson National Stadium, including May 2015 after working at the ESPN including title sponsor Popeyes, media relations, including promoting overseeing the event’s logistics and Wide World