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UConn Men to Play Maryland In 2015 Jimmy V Men’s Basketball Classic

From UConn:

NEW YORK, N.Y. – The UConn men’s basketball program will play in the 2015 Jimmy V Men’s Basketball Classic, as announced by the foundation on Monday. The Huskies will play Maryland, while Virginia will face West Virginia in the event’s doubleheader that is set for Dec. 8, 2015 at New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden. All proceeds from the two games, which will be aired on ESPN, will go to benefit The V Foundation for Cancer Research in the annual event’s 21^st year of existence.

Connecticut’s game against Maryland will mark UConn’s second appearance in the Jimmy V Men’s Basketball Classic. The Huskies fell to then No. 25 N.C. State, 69-65, on Dec. 4, 2012 despite double-digit efforts from Shabazz Napier (19 points) and current UConn guard Ryan Boatright (18 points).

“We at UConn are honored and proud to again be asked to participate in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden,” UConn men’s basketball coach Kevin Ollie said. “First and foremost, we are pleased to be able to help the V Foundation, which does such an outstanding job funding research to move us closer to someday wiping out this terrible disease.”

All four teams have been ranked in the early part of the 2014 season. The current AP poll includes No. 7 Virginia, No. 16 West Virginia, No. 21 Maryland and defending national champion UConn receiving votes after being as high as No. 17 in the first two weeks of the season.

The early-season event will conclude the ninth annual Jimmy V Week for Cancer Research that begins on December 2 in 2015. The weeklong initiative across multiple ESPN platforms and programs features special content to help raise funds for cancer research. In 2013, Jimmy V Week raised a record $1.8 million, bringing the seven-year total of contributions to more than $8.2 million.

The 2014 Jimmy V Week will culminate with the Jimmy V Men’s Basketball Classic Presented by Corona – from Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, Dec. 9, on ESPN: No. 10 Villanova vs. No. 24 Illinois at 7 p.m., followed by Indiana vs. No. 5 Louisville at 9 p.m.

West Virginia vs. Virginia: The all-time series stands at 8-8 with the last meeting dating back to the 1985 National Invitation Tournament, a 56-55 UVA victory. Virginia played in the 2000 Jimmy V Classic, a 107-89 win over Tennessee. West Virginia participated in 2008, a 68-65 loss to Davidson.

Maryland vs. UConn: UConn holds a 4-2 advantage in the series with the last four meetings on a neutral court. Maryland will be playing in its first Jimmy V Classic.

Coaches Quotes

“We are delighted to be an invited once again to participate in the Jimmy V Classic. The Jimmy V Classic is one of the premier events during the college basketball season. We are honored to play in such a special event for a great cause, and I know our fans will be excited to see us play on ESPN and in Madison Square Garden, a place where we have had great memories over the years. Most importantly, the Jimmy V Classic and Jimmy V Week brings awareness to such a terrible disease because every one of us has been affected by cancer in one way or another. When we lost our mother in 2003, my family and I started the Norma Mae Huggins Cancer Research Endowment Fund, and we have raised almost a million dollars in cancer research. We all need to join the fight to end this deadly disease.” – Bob Huggins, West Virginia head coach

“We are certainly honored to play West Virginia in the 2015 Jimmy V Men’s Basketball Classic.” Virginia head coach Tony Bennett said. “To have an opportunity to be part of this classic and what it stands for, and to play a quality opponent at The Garden is great for our program.” – Tony Bennett, Virginia head coach

“We are excited that our program will have the opportunity to play on the national stage in one of the premier early-season tournaments in the country. It’s a tremendous field comprised of some of the nation’s top programs. It is also an honor to compete in this event, which for more than two decades has raised money and awareness in the fight against cancer.” – Mark Turgeon, Maryland head coach

“We at UConn are honored and proud to again be asked to participate in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden. First and foremost, we are pleased to be able to help the V Foundation, which does such an outstanding job funding research to move us closer to someday wiping out this terrible disease.

Secondly, we are looking forward to playing against another great program in Maryland, and in such an exciting basketball atmosphere as Madison Square Garden, where our fans always give us such tremendous support.” – Kevin Ollie, UConn head coach

Tickets for the Jimmy V Classic will go on sale in the fall of 2015. Ticket prices range from $15-$275 and will be available for purchase at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, Ticketmaster charge by phone at (866) 858-0008 and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.thegarden.com.

American Athletic Conference Weekly Football Honors – Dec. 8

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The American Athletic Conference has announced the winners of the league’s weekly football honors for the final week of the college football regular season.

AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Breshad Perriman • Jr. • WR • UCF • Lithonia, Ga.
Perriman highlighted a big night by catching a 51-yard Hail Mary for a touchdown at the final gun to give UCF a 32-30 win against East Carolina, clinching a share of the American Athletic Conference title for the Knights. Perriman finished the day with four receptions for 139 yards against the Pirates, giving him 41 receptions for 906 yards and nine touchdowns in the regular season. He is averaging a league-leading 22.1 yards per reception.

AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tyler Matakevich • Jr. • LB • Temple • Stratford, Conn.
Matakevich had 16 tackles with three tackles for loss to help the Owls win a 10-3 defensive battle against Tulane. Matakevich led an Owl defense that held the Green Wave to 266 yards of offense and just 2-of-17 efficiency on third down. He finished the 2014 season with 117 tackles, including a league-leading 88 solo tackles, to register his third consecutive season with at least 100 tackles.

AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Shawn Moffitt • Sr. • K • UCF • Orlando, Fla.
Moffitt scored 14 points and tied a school record with four field goals in UCF’s 32-30 win against East Carolina, securing a share of the American Athletic Conference title for the Knights. Moffitt, who hit field goals of 42, 38, 30 and 31 yards, became UCF’s career scoring leader with 305 points. Moffitt has averaged 6.5 points per game, which ranks fifth among American Athletic Conference kickers this season.

WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
Mike Boone • Fr. • RB • Cincinnati • Macclenny, Fla.
Rushed for 85 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-31 win against Houston, giving Cincinnati a share of the American Athletic Conference title.

Nick Temple • Sr. • LB • Cincinnati • Indianapolis, Ind.
Had 12 tackles with a sack and two tackles for loss in a 38-31 win against Houston, giving the Bearcats a share of the American Athletic Conference championship.

Shane Carden • Sr. • QB • East Carolina • Houston, Texas
Completed 36 of 48 passes for 397 yards and three touchdowns in a 32-30 loss to UCF. Threw three fourth-quarter touchdown passes to rally from a 26-9 deficit before the Pirates fell on a Hail Mary at the final gun.

Greg Ward Jr. • So. • QB • Houston • Tyler, Texas
Had 444 yards of total offense and was responsible for three touchdowns in a 38-31 loss at Cincinnati. Completed 27 of 45 passes for 360 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 84 yards and a TD on 11 carries.

Matt Davis • So. • QB • SMU • Houston, Texas
Rushed for 191 yards and a touchdown and threw for 145 yards in a 27-20 win at UConn. Accounted for 334 yards of total offense.

American Athletic Conference Weekly Men’s Basketball Honors – Dec. 8

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The American Athletic Conference has announced the winners of the league’s weekly men’s basketball honors for the week ending Dec. 7.

AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
James Woodard • Jr. • G • Tulsa
Woodard averaged 21.5 points and 9.0 rebounds while shooting .583 from the field (14-of-24) and .500 from 3-point range (9-of-18) in a 2-0 week for Tulsa. He had 23 points and eight rebounds in a 77-64 win against Creighton and added 20 points with 10 rebounds in a 78-73 win at Arkansas-Little Rock. Woodard, who became the 36th player in school history to reach 1,000 career points in the win against Creighton, ranks fifth in the American Athletic Conference in scoring at 15.5 points per game.

AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Gary Clark • Fr. • F • Cincinnati
Clark scored 13 points and had a team-high eight rebounds to go with two assists, two blocks and a steal in 26 minutes in Cincinnati’s only game last week, a 78-52 win against Stony Brook. Clark is averaging 8.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game in his freshman season, ranking third in The American in rebounding.

WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
Shaquille Thomas • Jr. • F • Cincinnati
Scored 14 points with six rebounds and two steals in a 78-52 win against Stony Brook.

Devonta Pollard • Jr. • F • Houston
Averaged 16.0 points and 10.0 rebounds, shooting .600 from the field in a 2-0 week.

Nic Moore • Jr. • G • SMU
Scored 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting with four assists in a 66-53 win against Wyoming.

Quenton DeCosey • Jr. • G • Temple
Averaged 20.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in a 1-1 week. Shot .579 from the field.

Jay Hook • Sr. • G • Tulane
Averaged 16.0 points and 5.5 rebounds, shooting .688 from the field in a 2-0 week.

Morgan Tuck Honored as American Athletic Conference Player of the Week

From UConn and the American Athletic Conference:

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Days after helping the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team to a convincing 76-58 victory over No. 2 Notre Dame, redshirt-sophomore forward Morgan Tuck (Bolingbrook, Ill.) has been named as the American Athletic Conference Player of the week, as announced by the league on Monday.

The forward put together a career-best afternoon on Saturday at Purcell Pavilion, knocking down 12 shots en route to 25 points in 35 minutes. She also dished out three assists and pulled down nine boards in the win. The accolade marks the second time a Husky player has been named Player of the Week this season after junior forward Breanna Stewart earned the honor on Nov. 24.

Tuck, who missed all but eight games in 2013-14, has put together a solid bounce-back season, averaging 14.3 points and 4.9 rebounds in seven games. She’s reached double-figure scoring in all but one game this season and is shooting an impressive 39-of-79 (.494) from the field. Tuck has earned the starting nod in each of the Huskies’ last five games.

As a team, UConn (6-1) has rattled off five-straight victories after suffering a setback to then-ranked No. 6 Stanford in early November. The squad holds an impressive +35.3 average margin of victory and is shooting 52.3 from the field.

The Huskies are in the midst of a 13-day before for final exams before returning to the court on Friday, Dec. 19 when they host DePaul at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Conn. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

American Athletic Conference Weekly Women’s Basketball Honors – Dec. 8

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The American Athletic Conference has announced winners of the league’s weekly women’s basketball honors for games ending Dec. 7.

AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Morgan Tuck * F * 6-2 * R-So. * UConn

Tuck scored a career-high 25 points and pulled down a career-best nine rebounds in No. 3/3 UConn’s 76-58 win at No. 2/1 Notre Dame Saturday afternoon in the Jimmy V Classic. Tuck’s 25 points came on 12-for-19 (.632) shooting. The redshirt sophomore also dished out three assists, blocked two shots and recorded two steals.

AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK

Kolby Morgan * G * 5-8 * Tulane

Morgan led the Green Wave in scoring versus Nicholls State, putting up 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting. The freshman finished the week with a 10-point outing in a road win at NR/RV Arkansas-Little Rock. Morgan shot 64-percent (9-for-14) in a pair of games for Tulane and averaged 12.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.

WEEKLY HONOR ROLL

Leslie Vorpahl * G * 5-6 * So. * Tulane

Scored a career-high tying 22 points on 6-for-9 shooting in a road win at NR/RV Arkansas-Little Rock

Courtney Williams * G * 5-8 * Jr. * USF

Scored 1,000^th career point vs. RV/RV St. John’s; averaged 16.0 points and 9.0 rebounds last week

Jada Payne * G/F * 6-2 * R-Jr. * East Carolina

Recorded back-to-back 20-point outings in two road games for East Carolina; shot 58-percent from 3-pt. range

Laura Ferreira * F * 5-11 * Fr. * USF

Had a career-high 14 points on 6-for-12 shooting versus RV/RV St. John’s

Ana Owens * G * 5-6 * Fr. * Cincinnati

Recorded first career double-double (18 points, 11 rebounds) at UCLA; shot 7-for-14 from the field vs. the Bruins

Paw Prints: The Daily UConn Huskies Roundup – 12/8/14

Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball teams as well as the other sports the student-athletes engage in. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a DAILY basis.

Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

UConn Football links

Photos-FB: UConn Huskies vs SMU Mustangs – 12/6/14 [sox & dawgs]

UConn Hits A Low, But Diaco Sees Bright Spots [hartford courant]

Sio Moore calls Kaepernick ‘freakin’ chump’ in Instagram post [csn bay area]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

UConn Women’s Basketball Team Gets A Little Swagger Back [hartford courant]

Collier, Cox make trip for UConn-Notre Dame [sny uconn]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Photos-MBB: UConn Huskies vs Yale Bulldogs – 12/5/14 [sox & dawgs]

Other UConn related links

Big 12 Is Out In The Cold, So UConn Officials Should Strike While Iron Is Hot [hartford courant]

Wolf Pack Take Down the Senators, 4-2

By Zack Grenier

Hartford, CT, December 7, 2014 – The Hartford Wolf Pack defeated the Binghamton Senators 4-2 Sunday afternoon at the XL Center, to complete a three-game weekend.

Hartford’s Danny Kristo led the way with two goals, and Chris Bourque had a goal and two assists. Mackenzie Skapski stopped 45 of the 47 shots that he faced.

Binghamton was led by Cole Schneider, a former UConn Husky, who had a goal and an assist. Senator goaltender Scott Greenham had 31 saves in the loss.

The Pack struck quickly, after they went on the power play just 1:15 in to the game. Michael Kostka slid the puck over to Chris Bourque, who patiently waited to strike. His one-timer rang off of the far post and in to give the Pack a 1-0 lead at 1:20.

“That was fortunate, but I think we were playing good hockey,” said Wolf Pack coach Ken Gernander. “We were playing better at the start. Then they started to turn the pressure up on us, and I think we could’ve done a few things to alleviate the offense pressure that they were able to generate, with just a little bit better decision making.”

Binghamton bounced back when Alex Grant fired a slap shot from just inside the blue line, and Schneider was in the right place at the right time. Schneider picked up the rebound and shot the rebound past Skapski for his eighth goal of the season at 7:45.

The Wolf Pack took the lead for good when Chris Bourque slowed the offensive rush down from the side of the faceoff circle and found Kristo trailing. Kristo walked in to the slot and beat Greenham blocker side at 11:48.

“We’re starting to create a little chemistry out there,” said Chris Bourque. “I think me and Danny are two pretty highly skilled guys who can make plays, so we want to get the puck in each other’s hands, and get in to areas where you can help the other guy out. Having [Marek] Hrivik up the middle there, it creates room for us, so it’s turning into a good line.”

Dallas Jackson extended the Pack lead to two at 8:57 of the second period, when he was able to finish a backdoor pass from Chad Nehring for Jackson’s first Wolf Pack goal.

Kristo put another tally on the board just 56 seconds later, at 9:53, to make it 4-1 Hartford. Chris Bourque fired a slap shot on net, and Hrivik kicked the rebound over to Kristo at the side of the crease for his eighth goal of the season.

Thirteen seconds into the third period, Binghamton cut the lead to two when Jean-Gabriel Pageau deflected a Fredrik Claesson slap shot, which then hit Wolf Pack defender Michael Kostka and got by Skapski.

The Wolf Pack (12-9-2-1, 27 pts.) picked up a much needed two points to put them into a tie for eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

“You always want to stay on pace with the rest of the conference, and just get points in as many games as you can,” said Chris Bourque. “Hopefully they add up at the end up the year and you make it in the top eight. It doesn’t really matter what place you come in, in playoffs anything can happen and our goal is just to be in that top eight.”

Next up for the Wolf Pack is a home game this this Thursday night, December 11, a 7:00 PM contest against the Albany Devils. That is “Throwback Thursday”, as the Wolf Pack throws back prices on a number of popular concession items. Hot dogs, popcorn, nachos and soda are all on sale Thursday for only $2 each. Also, Thursday is the next opportunity for fans to take advantage of the Wolf Pack’s “Click It or Ticket Family Value Packs”, which include two tickets, two sodas and two hot dogs, all for only $35.

Tickets for all 2014-15 Wolf Pack home games are now on sale at the XL Center ticket office, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499. Wolf Pack tickets start as low as $12 for youth 12 years old or younger.

To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (855) 762-6451, or click here to request more info.

Binghamton Senators 2 at Hartford Wolf Pack 4
Sunday, December 7, 2014 – XL Center

Binghamton 1 0 1 – 2
Hartford 2 2 0 – 4

1st Period-1, Hartford, C. Bourque 9 (Kostka, Mueller), 1:20 (PP). 2, Binghamton, Schneider 8 (A. Grant, Claesson), 7:45. 3, Hartford, Kristo 7 (C. Bourque, Allen), 11:48. Penalties-Robinson Bng (tripping), 1:15; Kramer Bng (fighting), 13:22; Nehring Hfd (fighting), 13:22; Kristo Hfd (boarding), 18:27.

2nd Period-4, Hartford, Jackson 1 (Nehring, O’Donnell), 8:57. 5, Hartford, Kristo 8 (Hrivik, C. Bourque), 9:53. Penalties-Robinson Bng (roughing), 2:58; Allen Hfd (roughing), 2:58; McCormick Bng (fighting), 5:40; Kostka Hfd (fighting), 5:40; McIlrath Hfd (high-sticking), 10:19; Crabb Hfd (tripping), 11:02.

3rd Period-6, Binghamton, Claesson 2 (Dziurzynski, Schneider), 0:13. Penalties-C. Bourque Hfd (slashing), 8:20.

Shots on Goal-Binghamton 11-21-15-47. Hartford 14-15-6-35.
Power Play Opportunities-Binghamton 0 / 4; Hartford 1 / 1.
Goalies-Binghamton, Greenham 4-1-1 (35 shots-31 saves). Hartford, Skapski 6-4-0 (47 shots-45 saves).
A-2,908
Referees-T.J. Luxmore (49).
Linesmen-Brent Colby (7), Paul Simeon (66).

2014-15 College Football Bowl And Playoff Schedule

Here is the 2014-15 college football bowl and playoff schedule.

Here are the announcer pairings for all but one game (CBS Sports).

Bowl	Location	Date/Time
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Nevada vs. Louisiana-Lafayette	New Orleans Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Dec. 20 11 a.m.
Gildan New Mexico Bowl Utah State vs. UTEP	Albuquerque, N.M. University Stadium	Dec. 20 2:20 p.m.
Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl Utah vs. Colorado State	Las Vegas Sam Boyd Stadium	Dec. 20 3:30 p.m.
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Western Michigan vs. Air Force	Boise, Idaho Albertsons Stadium	Dec. 20 5:45 p.m.
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl South Alabama vs. Bowling Green	Montgomery, Ala. Cramton Bowl	Dec. 20 9:15 p.m.
Miami Beach Bowl BYU vs. Memphis	Miami Marlins Park	Dec. 22 2 p.m.
Boca Raton Bowl Marshall vs. Northern Illinois	Boca Raton, Fla. FAU Stadium	Dec. 23 6 p.m.
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Navy vs. San Diego State	San Diego Qualcomm Stadium	Dec. 23 9:30 p.m.
Popeyes Bahamas Bowl Central Michigan vs. Western Kentucky	Nassau, Bahamas Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium	Dec. 24 Noon
Hawai’i Bowl Fresno State vs. Rice	Honolulu Aloha Stadium	Dec. 24 8 p.m.
Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl Illinois vs. Louisiana Tech	Dallas Cotton Bowl	Dec. 26 1 p.m.
Quick Lane Bowl Rutgers vs. North Carolina	Detroit Ford Field	Dec. 26 4:30 p.m.
Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl NC State vs. UCF	St. Petersburg, Fla. Tropicana Field	Dec. 26 8 p.m.
Military Bowl presented By Northrop Grumman Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech	Annapolis, Md. Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium	Dec. 27 1 p.m.
Hyundai Sun Bowl Arizona State vs. Duke	El Paso, Texas Sun Bowl	Dec. 27 2 p.m.
Duck Commander Independence Bowl Miami vs. South Carolina	Shreveport, La. Independence Stadium	Dec. 27 3:30 p.m.
New Era Pinstripe Bowl Boston College vs. Penn State	Bronx, N.Y. Yankee Stadium	Dec. 27 4:30 p.m.
National University Holiday Bowl Nebraska vs. USC	San Diego Qualcomm Stadium	Dec. 27 8 p.m.
AutoZone Liberty Bowl Texas A&M vs. West Virginia	Memphis, Tenn. Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium	Dec. 29 2 p.m.
Russell Athletic Bowl Oklahoma vs. Clemson	Orlando, Fla. Florida Citrus Bowl	Dec. 29 5:30 p.m.
AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl Arkansas vs. Texas	Houston NRG Stadium	Dec. 29 9 p.m.
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl Notre Dame vs. LSU	Nashville, Tenn. LP Field	Dec. 30 3 p.m.
Belk Bowl Georgia vs. Louisville	Charlotte, N.C. Bank of America Stadium	Dec. 30 6:30 p.m.
Foster Farms Bowl Maryland vs. Stanford	Santa Clara, Calif. Levi’s Stadium	Dec. 30 10 p.m.
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl No. 9 Ole Miss vs. No. 6 TCU	Atlanta Georgia Dome	Dec. 31 12:30 p.m.
VIZIO Fiesta Bowl No. 20 Boise State vs. No. 10 Arizona	Glendale, Ariz. University of Phoenix Stadium	Dec. 31 4 p.m.
Capital One Orange Bowl No. 7 Mississippi State vs. No. 12 Georgia Tech	Miami Gardens, Fla. Sun Life Stadium	Dec. 31 8 p.m.
Outback Bowl Auburn vs. Wisconsin	Tampa, Fla. Raymond James Stadium	Jan. 1 Noon
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic No. 8 Michigan State vs. No. 5 Baylor	Arlington, Texas AT&T Stadium	Jan. 1 12:30 p.m.
Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl Missouri vs. Minnesota	Orlando, Fla. Florida Citrus Bowl	Jan. 1 1 p.m.
Rose Bowl Game Presented By Northwestern Mutual College Football Playoff Semifinal No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 3 Florida State	Pasadena, Calif. Rose Bowl	Jan. 1 5 p.m.
Allstate Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff Semifinal No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Ohio State	New Orleans Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Jan. 1 8:30 p.m.
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl Houston vs. Pittsburgh	Fort Worth, Texas Amon G. Carter Stadium	Jan. 2 Noon
TaxSlayer Bowl Iowa vs. Tennessee	Jacksonville, Fla. EverBank Field	Jan. 2 3:20 p.m.
Valero Alamo Bowl Kansas State vs. UCLA	San Antonio Alamodome	Jan. 2 6:45 p.m.
TicketCity Cactus Bowl Washington vs. Oklahoma State	Tempe, Ariz. Sun Devil Stadium	Jan. 2 10:15 p.m.
Birmingham Bowl East Carolina vs. Florida	Birmingham, Ala. Legion Field	Jan. 3 1 p.m.
GoDaddy Bowl Toledo vs. Arkansas State	Mobile, Ala. Ladd-Peebles Stadium	Jan. 4 9 p.m.
College Football Playoff National Championship Presented By AT&T TBD vs. TBD	Arlington, Texas AT&T Stadium	Jan. 12 TBD

American Athletic Conference Announces 2014 Bowl Selections

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Five American Athletic Conference teams will continue their respective 2014 football seasons in the postseason as the conference announced its bowl selections Sunday.

Three American Athletic Conference teams – UCF, Cincinnati and Memphis – tied for the conference title with 7-1 records in league play to go with 9-3 overall marks. They will be joined by East Carolina and Houston to comprise a bowl contingent that will play three games against the Atlantic Coast Conference, one against the Southeastern Conference and one against Brigham Young in the postseason.

Memphis (9-3), which won a share of the American Athletic Conference title in its final game of the regular season, will play Brigham Young in the first Miami Beach Bowl at Marlins Park in Miami. The Tigers, who bring a six-game winning streak into postseason play, have won a conference title for the first time since 1971 and will play in a bowl game for the first time since 2008. The Tigers will face BYU (8-4), which will take a four-game winning streak into the Miami Beach Bowl. The Miami Beach Bowl will be played Dec. 22 at 2 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN.

Cincinnati (9-3) will play in the Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman as the Bearcats bring a seven-game winning streak into the postseason. The Bearcats earned a share of the American Athletic Conference title – their fifth conference crown in seven years – with a win against Houston in the regular-season finale. The Bearcats, who will make their 16th bowl appearance, will face Virginia Tech (6-6) Dec. 27 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland. The Bearcats and Hokies last met in 2009, when Cincinnati was a 27-24 winner, and have met twice in postseason play, most recently in the 2009 Orange Bowl, when Virginia Tech took a 20-7 win.

UCF (9-3) was selected for the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl, which will be played Dec. 26 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Knights, who gained a share of their second straight American Athletic Conference title on a Hail Mary pass at the final gun against East Carolina last Thursday, will make their third straight postseason appearance. UCF will face North Carolina State (7-5), which won three of its last four games in the regular season. The schools have split a pair of previous meetings, most recently a 28-21 Wolfpack win in the 2010 season.

East Carolina (8-4) was chosen for postseason play in its first year as an American Athletic Conference member as the Pirates were selected for the Birmingham Bowl. The Pirates will make their 17th appearance in a bowl game and will play in the postseason for the third straight year. East Carolina, which last played in the Birmingham Bowl in 2006, when the Pirates fell to USF, will face Florida (6-5). The only previous meeting between the schools was in 1983, when the Gators took a 24-17 victory. The Birmingham Bowl will be played Jan. 3 at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama.

Houston (7-5) was chosen for the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl as the Cougars make their 23rd postseason appearance – the most among American Athletic Conference members. Houston will play in a bowl game for the second straight year and the third time in four years. The Cougars’ opponent will be Pittsburgh (6-6), which closed the regular season with back-to-back wins to secure bowl eligibility. It will be the first meeting between Houston and Pittsburgh since the teams split a two-game series in 1996 and 1997. The Armed Forces Bowl will take place Jan. 2 at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas.

2014 American Athletic Conference Bowl Schedule

Miami Beach Bowl

Marlins Park • Miami, Fla.
Dec. 22 • 2 p.m. • ESPN
Memphis vs. Brigham Young

Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl

Tropicana Field • St. Petersburg, Fla.
Dec. 26 • 8 p.m. • ESPN
UCF vs. North Carolina State

Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman

Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, Md.
Dec. 27 • 1 p.m. • ESPN
Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl

Amon G. Carter Stadium • Fort Worth, Texas
Jan. 2 • Noon • ESPN
Houston vs. Pittsburgh

Birmingham Bowl

Legion Field • Birmingham, Ala.
Jan. 3 • Noon • ESPN
East Carolina vs. Florida

All times Eastern

Inaugural College Football Playoff Set

The College Football Playoff selection committee has spoken and determined who will play in the inaugural College Football Playoff semifinals taking place on New Year’s Day at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA and the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, LA.

The Rose Bowl game will kickoff at 5 p.m. on January 1, 2015 followed by the Sugar Bowl game at 8:30 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN.

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A New England Sports Blog