Brett Gabbert's last college game highlights Saturday's bowl games

The biggest storyline of local interest revolves around Brett Gabbert, who is playing his last college game after six years at Miami (Ohio). He has a chance to catch Ben Roethlisberger in the school's record books.

Several players projected to be among the top few picked in April's NFL Draft will also be in action.

On the busiest day of bowl season, here's a look at Saturday's bowl games.

Fenway Bowl

Matchup: UConn (8-4) vs. North Carolina (6-6)

Site: Boston

Time: 10 a.m. CST Saturday

TV: ESPN

Line: North Carolina by 3

Notable

• UConn's defense has been among the best on third down, ranking 10th nationally at 31.2 percent.
• The UConn running game has put up 2,380 yards, ranking 26th in the nation, the fifth highest total in program history.
• UConn QB Joe Fagnano who has started the last two games and four on the season, is 22nd in NCAA in passing efficiency (152.0) and eighth in passing yards per completion (14.23).
• Legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick will take over at North Carolina, but he's not coaching in the bowl game, nor is he even planning to attend. Mack Brown was dismissed at the end of the regular season. Freddie Kitchens will coach the Tar Heels on Saturday in Fenway.
• North Carolina's Omarion Hampton, the second-leading rusher in the FBS, opted out to prepare for the NFL Draft.
• North Carolina is bowl eligible for the sixth consecutive season, which is the second longest streak in program history.

St. Louis-area ties

• North Carolina assistant Tommy Thigpen coached at Illinois from 2003-04.
• North Carolina assistant Ted Monachino, a native of Bethany, Missouri, played at Mizzou and got his coaching start at Pacific High (1991-93). He also coached at Hannibal High (1994-95) and Missouri State (1999).

Why you should watch

It's a football game between basketball powers at one of baseball's most storied ballparks, and it's being played in Bill Belichick's stomping grounds as he prepares to take over the Tar Heels program.

Pinstripe Bowl

Matchup: Boston College (7-5) vs. Nebraska (6-6)

Site: Bronx, New York

Time: 11 a.m. CST Saturday

TV: KDNL (Channel 30) in St. Louis, ABC nationally

Line: Nebraska by 3.5

Notable

• Boston College will be without defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku, who led the FBS with 16.5 sacks in the regular season. His 30 career sacks are second most in BC history. He has opted out of the game.
• In the last four games, Boston College's Kye Robichaux has rushed for 442 yards and six touchdowns, while averaging 4.8 yards per carry.
• The Huskers rank 18th nationally in scoring defense at 19.8 points per game. Nebraska has held five opponents to 10 or fewer points.
• Nebraska senior defensive lineman Ty Robinson posted career highs in total tackles (33), TFLs (11) and sacks (six), as he led the team in tackles for loss, sacks and quarterback hurries (six).
• The Huskers' first bowl victory was a 36-34 win over Miami in the 1962 Gotham Bowl played at the old Yankee Stadium. The Huskers played their first game east of Michigan at the Polo Grounds in 1920, beating Rutgers 14-0. Nebraska, which traveled by train, had a roster of 25 players.

St. Louis-area ties

• Boston College defensive lineman Sedarius McConnell is an Illinois transfer.
• Boston College assistant Tim Lewis was an assistant with the Battlehawks in 2020.
• Nebraska sophomore tight end Mac Markway (De Smet), a transfer from LSU, suffered a season-ending injury in September and is redshirting.
• Nebraska director of player personnel Keith Williams (McCluer North) is a St. Louis native. He played offensive line for the Huskers from 2006-10. Williams also coached at Missouri Baptist from 2017-19.

Why you should watch

While it's not quite the Gotham Bowl, bowl games in the cold in baseball stadiums always make for great viewing.

New Mexico Bowl

Matchup: Louisiana (10-3) vs. TCU (8-4)

Site: Albuquerque, New Mexico

Time: 1:15 p.m. CST Saturday

TV: ESPN

Line: TCU by 10

Notable

• TCU sophomore quarterback Josh Hoover ranks seventh nationally in passing yards (3,697). He is tied for fourth in the FBS with 56 completions of 20-plus yards.
• Hoover is one of just four FBS quarterbacks this season to average 300 passing yards per game and have a passer rating of at least 150.0. The others are Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss), Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) and Cam Ward (Miami, Fla.).
• Louisiana kicker Kenneth Almendares is the first Ragin' Cajun to be a consensus All-American. He is the FBS leader in field goals made (27) and field goals made per game (2.08), Almendares is ninth in the country in field goal percentage converting of 27 of 29 attempts (.931).
• Louisiana's Bill Davis has rushed for 775 yards and nine touchdowns.

St. Louis-area ties

• Louisiana linebacker Carmycah Glass spent two seasons at Mizzou, using a traditional redshirt then a medical redshirt. He entered the transfer portal this month.
• Louisiana punter Nathan Torney is a Southern Illinois transfer.
• Louisiana assistant Jorge Munoz spent time at Southeast Missouri (1999-00) and Eastern Illinois (2005-07).
• TCU assistant A.J. Ricker was an All-Big 12 center at Missouri from 2000-03. He started a program record 47 consecutive games and was part of Mizzou’s first bowl-eligible team since 1998. He also coached at Illinois (2013) and Missouri (2014-15).
• TCU assistant Doug Meacham was offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Battlehawks in 2019.

Why you should watch

Between TCU quarterback Josh Hoover and Louisiana kicker Kenneth Almendares, there are some under-the-radar stars.

Pop-Tarts Bowl

Matchup: Iowa State (10-3) vs. Miami (Florida) (10-2)

Site: Orlando, Florida

Time: 2:30 p.m. CST Saturday

TV: KDNL (Channel 30) in St. Louis, ABC nationally

Line: Miami by 3.5

Notable

• Iowa State sophomore quarterback Rocco Becht is just the fifth QB in school history to pass for 6,000 career yards.
• The Cyclones boast one of college football’s best wide receiving duos at his disposal in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, the only pair nationally with 1,000 yards each this season.
• Miami senior receiver Xavier Restrepo is ninth in the nation with 1,127 receiving yards and tied for sixth with 11 receiving scores.
• Miami senior quarterback Cam Ward is second nationally with 4,123 passing yards and tied for first with 36 passing touchdowns. He's a potential No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick next spring.

St. Louis-area ties

• Iowa State redshirt freshman offensive lineman Trevor Buhr (Washington, Mo.) is the backup left guard and has played in 12 games.
• Iowa State linebacker Zachary Lovett, a Mizzou transfer, saw action in 13 games in two seasons, primarily on special teams.
• Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht is the son of Battlehawks coach Anthony Becht.
• Missouri scored six touchdowns vs. Miami on Oct. 1, 1988, tied for the most by a Hurricanes opponent.

Why you should watch

The bowl trophy features a working toaster in the trophy. Last year, players ate the Pop Tarts mascot after he was lowered into a giant toaster and emerged as an edible Pop Tart. Also, two teams named for weather phenomena are squaring off.

Arizona Bowl

Matchup: Miami (Ohio) (8-5) vs. Colorado State (8-4)

Site: Tuscon, Arizona

Time: 3:30 p.m. CST Saturday

TV: KPLR (Channel 11) in St. Louis, CW nationally

Line: Miami (Ohio) by 2.5

Notable

• St. Louis native and Miami super senior Brett Gabbert, with 51 starts in his career, ranks third in program history with 10,630 passing yards, sixth in completion percentage (.590) and second in passing touchdowns (80).
• Two Miami starting wide receivers have transferred since the end of the season.
• After starting 1-4, Miami won seven straight before falling in the MAC title game.
• Colorado State has one of the most improved rushing attacks from last season to this one, from 92.2 yards a year ago to 170.6 this season.
• Colorado State has 32 explosive runs (15 or more yards) in 2024 from nine different players.

St. Louis-area ties

• Miami senior quarterback Brett Gabbert (CBC) has 10,630 passing yards and 80 touchdowns in six seasons at Miami, two of which he played four or fewer games. He can pass Ben Roethlisberger and move into second with 200 yards. With four touchdown passes, he would tie Roethlisberger for No. 1 in school history.
• Miami defensive back TJ Rush (Trinity Catholic) has played sparingly.
• Colorado State assistant Chuka Ndulue played three seasons at Southern Illinois.
• Colorado State assistant Marcus Patton (Jennings) began his coaching career as an assistant at Clayton High in 2004 after he completed his playing career at Kansas State.

Why you should watch

The full bowl name is The Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl, presented by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop. Brett Gabbert can move a little farther up the Miami record books. How many more reasons do you need?

Military Bowl

Matchup: East Carolina (7-5) vs. North Carolina State (6-6)

Site: Annapolis, Maryland

Time: 4:45 p.m. CST Saturday

TV: ESPN

Line: North Carolina State by 6

Notable

• East Carolina coach Mike Houston was fired in October. Blake Harrell took over on an interim basis and earned the job going forward at the end of the regular season. He's 4-1 since taking over.
• East Carolina ranks 27th nationally in total offense (433.3 yards per game) and has struck quickly, such as when the Pirates tallied 29 points in a quarter earlier this season.
• The last four games, the Wolfpack is averaging 115 more rushing yards, 62 more yards of total offense and 9.5 more points per game than in the first eight games of 2024.
• Wolfpack freshman quarterback CJ Bailey, despite starting just eight games, has 2,183 passing yards, trailing only Philip Rivers (2000) for the best output by as Wolfpack freshman.

St. Louis-area ties

• East Carolina junior quarterback Jake Garcia spent 2023 at Mizzou but did not play after transferring from Miami (Fla.). He started the season's first six games but lost the job after he led the nation in interceptions (12) halfway through the season.
• East Carolina junior linebacker Dameon Wilson spent three seasons at Mizzou (2021-23), playing in seven last year.
• East Carolina assistant Rodney Freeman II spent two years at Missouri Southern (2013-14).
• North Carolina State junior offensive lineman Val Erickson spent two years at Mizzou (2022-23). He did not see game action.
• North Carolina State graduate assistant Elisha Shaw worked in the same role at Missouri Valley College.
• Wolfpack All-American receiver Torry Holt played 10 of his 11 NFL seasons with the St. Louis Rams. He was one of two players from NC State on the 2000 Rams Super Bowl team (Ray Agnew).

Why you should watch

The teams are located just 83 miles from one another, which should make for an interesting rivalry game of a bowl. ECU prevailed 37-34 when the two faced off in the 1992 Peach Bowl.

Alamo Bowl

Matchup: BYU (10-2) vs. Colorado (9-3)

Site: San Antonio, Texas

Time: 6:30 p.m. CST Saturday

TV: KDNL (Channel 30) in St. Louis, ABC nationally

Line: Colorado by 4

Notable

• Colorado Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, a two-way star recorded four interceptions at cornerback and caught 92 passes for 1,152 yards as a receiver.
• Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting and threw for 3,926 yards this season completing 74.2% of his passes.
• BYU went from a 2-7 league mark last year, its first in the Big 12, to a 7-2 record this year. Colorado engineered a similar turnaround, from 1-8 in the Pac-12 last year to 7-2 this season.
• BYU QB Jake Retzlaff is responsible for 13.3 points per game, which is 39th nationally. In 16 career starts, Retzlaff has 32 total touchdowns (23 passing, 9 rushing).

St. Louis-area ties

• BYU freshman safety Payton VanSteenkiste served a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in St. Louis.
• BYU's last-minute 1983 Holiday Bowl win over Mizzou is one of the program's bowl highlights. Quarterback Steve Young caught the winning pass on a flea flicker from running back Eddie Stinnett with under a minute to play.
• Colorado junior defensive end Arden Walker played in 16 games across his two years at Mizzou (2021-22) with 11 tackles and one and a half tackles for a loss.
• Colorado redshirt freshman receiver Gavin Marsh (Marquette High) has not played this year.
• Colorado offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur served in the same role with the St. Louis Rams from 2009-10.
• Colorado defensive line coach Damione Lewis was drafted 12th overall by the St. Louis Rams in 2001 and played for the Rams until 2005.

Why you should watch

Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and teammate Shedeur Sanders make for an electric duo. Both are projected to go early in next spring's NFL Draft.

Independence Bowl

Matchup: Louisiana Tech (5-7) vs. Army (11-2)

Site: Shreveport, Louisiana

Time: 8:15 p.m. CST Saturday

TV: ESPN

Line: Army by 16.5

Notable

• Louisiana Tech replaced Marshall after a coaching change resulted in much of Marshall's roster hitting the transfer portal.
• Louisiana Tech receiver Tru Edwards finished the regular season as the only player in Conference USA with 70 or more receptions. He caught 77 passes for 897 yards and six touchdowns. He entered the transfer portal, but is still listed on the team's bowl depth chart.
• Army QB Bryson Daily’s 29 rushing touchdowns are tied for the FBS lead with Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty. Daily has played in one fewer game than Jeanty.
• Army RB Kanye Udoh (1,117 rushing yards, 10 TDs) will not be playing. He is transferring to Arizona State.
• The Black Knights have been ranked in the AP poll for nine straight weeks, its longest streak since 1958. Army won its conference matchups by an average score of 35.5 to 13.2 en route to its first-ever conference title.

St. Louis-area ties

• Louisiana Tech athletics director Ryan Ivey's first post-college job came with the Memphis Redbirds, the Cardinals' Triple-A farm team, as a stadium operations assistant.
• Louisiana Tech assistant Scott Parr was offensive coordinator at Eastern Illinois in 2018.
• The biggest home crowd in Army's Michie Stadium history (42,765) came on Oct. 2, 1971, vs. Mizzou, a 22-6 Army win.
• This is Army's first bowl game since a 2021 Armed Forces Bowl win over Mizzou.
• Army assistants Daryl Dixon and Cheston Blackshear began their coaching careers at Illinois.

Why you should watch

It's always worth watching when an uncommonly good service academy team is playing.