Bowl Season's Best
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER
Junior QB, Louisville
He declared for the draft, but not before torching Miami—the school he was once committed to—by going 35 of 45 for 447 yards and three TDs in a 36--9 Russell Athletic Bowl victory.
JOHNNY MANZIEL
Sophomore QB, Texas A&M
For the second time Manziel dazzled in a bowl game. He amassed 455 total yards and five TDs to rally A&M from a 21-point halftime deficit and beat Duke 52--48 in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
JAMES CONNER
Freshman RB, Pittsburgh
The Panthers' freshman ran for 229 yards and a TD—breaking Tony Dorsett's school record—and even played some defensive end as Pitt beat Bowling Green 30--27 in the Little Caesars Bowl.
SAMMY WATKINS
Junior WR, Clemson
He caught 16 passes for 227 yards and two TDs to help Clemson beat Ohio State 40--35, breaking the Orange Bowl record for receiving yards before the end of the third quarter.
BRUCE ELLINGTON
Junior WR, South Carolina
Ellington made six catches for 140 yards and two scores and threw a TD pass to quarterback Connor Shaw in South Carolina's 34--24 victory over Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl.
GENEO GRISSOM
Junior DE, Oklahoma
The Sugar Bowl became a showcase for Grissom and the Sooners' D. The 6'4" 263-pounder had two sacks and two fumble recoveries—one for a TD—in Oklahoma's 45--31 win.
DENICOS ALLEN
Senior LB, Michigan State
Allen's stifling play fueled the Spartans' 24--20 Rose Bowl win. He stuffed Stanford's Tyler Gaffney on a crucial fourth-and-three in the third quarter and finished with seven tackles and 1½ for a loss.
JORDAN ZUMWALT
Senior LB, UCLA
He racked up 10 tackles and a pick in UCLA's 42--12 Sun Bowl rout of Virginia Tech, earning co-MVP honors. Coach Jim Mora said, "I thought he played the best game I have ever seen him play."
JAKE DOUGHTY
Senior LB, Utah State
Doughty stymied Northern Illinois QB Jordan Lynch in the Poinsettia Bowl, where he had eight tackles—bringing his season total to 148—and forced a fumble in the Aggies' 21--14 victory.
AVERY PATTERSON
Senior CB, Oregon
Patterson set the tone for the Alamo Bowl by returning a Case McCoy interception 37 yards for a TD less than two minutes into the game. He added nine tackles in a 30--7 win over Texas.
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MARK LOMOGLIO/ICON SMI (BRIDGEWATER)
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MIKE ZARRILLI/GETTY IMAGES (MANZIEL)
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CARLOS OSORIO/AP (CONNER)
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STREETER LECKA/GETTY IMAGES (WATKINS)
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JAMES WITHERSPOON/CAL SPORT MEDIA/LANDOV (ELLINGTON)
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JOE ROBBINS/GETTY IMAGES (GRISSOM)
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JOHN PYLE/CAL SPORT MEDIA/LANDOV (ALLEN)
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KIRBY LEE/USA TODAY SPORTS (ZUMWALT)
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TOMMY LAPORTE/ICON SMI (DOUGHTY)
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OTTO GREULE JR./GETTY IMAGES (PATTERSON)