Celebration Bowl
Alcorn State (9-3) vs. North Carolina A&T (9-2)
SITE Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
TIME (TV) 11 a.m. (ABC)
LINE North Carolina A&T by 7 ½
SERIES Tied 1-1
WHAT'S AT STAKE
North Carolina A&T is playing for its seventh Historically Black Colleges and Universities national title and third in four years. Alcorn State is looking for its sixth national title and first since 2014.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
ALCORN STATE DB Javen Morrison leads Alcorn in interceptions for the third consecutive year. He has 10 on his career with four this season, including one in the SWAC championship game.
NORTH CAROLINA A&T RB Marquell Cartwright is a 1,000-yard rusher who has provided consistency to an offense run by injury-plagued QB Lamar Raynard.
Cure Bowl
Tulane (6-6) vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (7-6)
SITE Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Fla.
TIME (TV) 12:30 p.m. (CBSSN)
LINE Tulane by 3 ½.
SERIES Tulane leads 22-6
WHAT'S AT STAKE
Tulane won four of five down the stretch to become bowl eligible and is looking for its first postseason win since 2002. Louisiana-Lafayette is completing its first year under Coach Billy Napier. A win would give the Sun Belt Conference runners-up their first winning season since going 7-4 in 2014.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
TULANE Graduate transfer QB Justin McMillan is 4-1 since becoming starter, throwing for 1,159 yards and accounting for 13 TDs -- nine passing, four rushing -- vs. three interceptions. WR Darnell Mooney has 8 TD receptions and needs 13 yards receiving to reach 1,000.
LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE Ragin' Cajuns have a nice one-two rushing punch in RBs Trey Ragas and Elijah Mitchell. Ragas has 7 100-yard games and averaged nearly 6 yards per carry while gaining 1,141 yards and scoring 8 TDs rushing this season.
New Mexico Bowl
North Texas (9-3) vs. Utah State (10-2)
SITE Dreamstyle Stadium, Albuquerque, N.M.
TIME (TV) 1 p.m. (ESPN)
LINE Utah State by 7 1/2
SERIES Utah State leads 4-3
WHAT'S AT STAKE
Utah State is making its seventh postseason appearance in eight years but hasn't won a bowl game since its 21-6 victory over UTEP in the 2014 New Mexico Bowl. The Aggies' 10-1 start this season was the best in school history. However, Utah State enters the New Mexico Bowl with an interim coach and an ad hoc of graduate assistant coordinators after Matt Wells left to take a job with Texas Tech. Meanwhile, North Texas Coach Seth Littrell announced last week he was staying with the Mean Green and put down rumors he would take a coaching job at Kansas State.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
UTAH STATESophomore quarterback Jordan Love has passed for 3,208 yards with 28 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Sophomore wide receiver Savon Scarver leads the nation in kickoff returns with 34.2 yards per return and is tied for second nationally with two kickoff returns for touchdowns.
NORTH TEXAS Junior quarterback Mason Fine is eighth in the FBS averaging 311.2 passing yards per game and ranks eighth nationally in total passing yards with 3,734. Fine's favorite weapon is junior wide receiver Rico Bussey Jr., who leads the Mean Green with 68 catches. Bussey has 1,017 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season.
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Las Vegas Bowl
Arizona State (7-5) vs. No. 21 Fresno State (11-2)
SITE Sam Boyd Stadium, Whitney, Nev.
TIME (TV) 2:30 p.m. (ABC)
LINE Fresno State by 6
SERIES Arizona State leads 3-0
WHAT'S AT STAKE
The Mountain West Conference champion Bulldogs look to set a school record for victories in a season by knocking off their second Pac-12 opponent in 2018. The Sun Devils will try to cap off Coach Herm Edwards' first season with a bowl victory, which would mark the first time Arizona State has defeated Southern California, UCLA and rival Arizona and won its bowl game all in the same season.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
ARIZONA STATE QB Manny Wilkins has accomplished plenty for the Sun Devils, but a bowl victory has eluded him. Wilkins rushed for 14 yards in a Cactus Bowl loss to West Virginia as a redshirt freshman and threw for 352 yards, 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions with a rushing touchdown in the Sun Bowl defeat to North Carolina State last season.
FRESNO STATE DE Mykal Walker was the most disruptive force for the Bulldogs, leading the team with 13 1/2 tackles for loss and 4 1/2 sacks .Walker was at his best in the Mountain West championship game against Boise State with a career-high 12 tackles, including 2 1/2 tackles for loss, to help Fresno State to its first conference title since 2013.
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Camellia Bowl
Georgia Southern (9-3) vs. Eastern Michigan (7-5)
SITE Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Ala.
TIME (TV) 4:30 p.m. (ESPN)
LINE Georgia Southern by 3
SERIES First meeting
WHAT'S AT STAKE
Georgia Southern is seeking its first 10-win season at the FBS level, though the program managed it 14 times as an FCS power. Eastern Michigan is trying to pick up the second bowl win in program history.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
GEORGIA SOUTHERN QB Shai Werts has passed for 954 yards and 10 touchdowns without an interception. He's also second on the team with 829 yards, including 13 scores.
EASTERN MICHIGAN DL Maxx Crosby is an All-Mid-American Conference performer with 62 tackles. He has 18 1/2 tackles for loss, 7 1/2 sacks and four forced fumbles.
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New Orleans Bowl
Middle Tennessee (8-5) vs. Appalachian St. (10-2)
SITE Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans
TIME (TV) 8 p.m. (ESPN)
LINE Appalachian State by 6 1/2
SERIES Middle Tennessee leads 2-1
WHAT'S AT STAKE
Appalachian State is representing the Sun Belt Conference as league champion and interim coach Mark Ivey, a former Mountaineer player, is getting perhaps his only shot to coach his alma mater after taking over when Scott Satterfield left for Louisville. Appalachian State has announced its next permanent coach will be North Carolina State offensive coordinator Eli Drinikwitz (Alma, Arkansas Tech). Middle Tennessee quarterback Brent Stockstill is playing his final game under his father, head coach Rick Stockstill.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
MIDDLE TENNESSEE DB Wesley Bush has intercepted a six passes this season and returned two for touchdowns, and his 147 return yards are the third most in Blue Raider history.
APPALACHIAN STATE QB Zac Thomas was the Sun Belt's offensive player of the year. He passed for 1,862 yards and 18 TDs while throwing just four interceptions. He also rushed for 476 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Sports on 12/15/2018