2018 Bahamas Bowl
The 2018 Bahamas Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 21, 2018.[3] It was the fifth edition of the Bahamas Bowl, and one of the 2018–19 bowl games concluding the 2018 FBS football season. Sponsored by Elk Grove Village, Illinois, the game was officially called the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl.[4][5]
| 2018 Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th Bahamas Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | December 21, 2018 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 2018 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Thomas Robinson Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Nassau, Bahamas | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Christian Alexander (QB, FIU) & Edwin Freeman (LB, FIU) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Toledo by 5.5[1] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Michael VanderVelde (MW) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 13,510 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Payout | US$225,000 [2] | ||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ESPN and Gameday Radio | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Steve Levy, Desmond Howard and Laura Rutledge (ESPN) Kyle Wiggs and Rob Best (Gameday Radio) | ||||||||||||||||||
The game featured the FIU Panthers of Conference USA against the Toledo Rockets of the Mid-American Conference. The matchup was announced on November 25, 2018, making this the first bowl matchup of the season to have both teams confirmed.[6]
Teams
This was the fourth matchup between these two teams, with FIU holding a 2–1 lead in the series.[7] They met in the 2010 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, which FIU won, 34–32.
FIU Panthers
FIU accepted a bid to the Bahamas Bowl on November 25.[8] The Panthers entered the bowl with an 8–4 record (6–2 in conference). FIU's usual starting quarterback, James Morgan, was unavailable for the game due to a sore shoulder, resulting in backup Christian Alexander getting the start.[9]
Toledo Rockets
Toledo accepted a bid to the Bahamas Bowl on November 25.[8] The Rockets entered the bowl with a 7–5 record (5–3 in conference).
Game summary
Scoring summary
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Statistics
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 0 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
| Rockets | 10 | 0 | 7 | 15 | 32 |
| Statistics | FIU | TOL |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 26 | 22 |
| Plays–yards | 64–459 | 70–388 |
| Rushes–yards | 43–236 | 27–124 |
| Passing yards | 223 | 264 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 18–27–0 | 22–37–0 |
| Time of possession | 33:00 | 27:00 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| FIU | Passing | Christian Alexander | 17/26, 209 yds, 1 TD |
| Rushing | Anthony Jones | 15 car, 92 yds, 3 TD | |
| Receiving | Sterling Palmer | 3 rec, 64 yds, 1 TD | |
| Toledo | Passing | Eli Peters | 22/37, 264 yds, 3 TD |
| Rushing | Eli Peters | 5 car, 43 yds | |
| Receiving | Diontae Johnson | 6 rec, 98 yds, 1 TD |
References
- Fawkes, Ben (December 10, 2018). "Odds for every 2018-19 CFB bowl game". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
- "2018 Bowl Schedule". CFP.com. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
- "2018-19 College Football Playoff and bowl schedule". ESPN. May 2, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
- Kirshner, Alex (July 31, 2018). "I don't know how else to say this, but: Elk Grove Village, Illinois, is now the sponsor of the Bahamas Bowl". sbnation.com.
- Keilman, John (December 18, 2018). "Elk Grove Village says $300K sponsorship of Bahamas Bowl has already paid off, though some residents are skeptical". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
- "Bahamas Bowl 2018, Toledo vs. FIU: Where, when, and team info". SB Nation. November 25, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
- "FIU Golden Panthers vs. Toledo Rockets football series history games list". winsipedia.com. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
- "FIU and Toledo Accept 2018 Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl Invitations". bahamasbowl.com (Press release). November 25, 2018.
- Villa, Walter (December 20, 2018). "With James Morgan out, this quarterback will start Friday for the FIU Panthers". Miami Herald. Retrieved December 21, 2018.