It's not often that a holiday season visit with in-laws in St. Louis trumps (apologies to my Democratic friends) a football bowl game featuring TCU, but this time it did. Especially with the bowl game being named after a snack chip other than a Tostito.
Oh, any visit to Arizona in the winter would be a fine visit, but with the Cheez-It Bowl being the day after Christmas and featuring an unpredictable, mediocre TCU team playing an unpredictable, mediocre University of California team in a baseball stadium, it seemed to be the perfect time to suck it up and earn some brownie points from the family. So, the caravan headed north of Fort Worth, instead of west.
And, wouldn't you know it. The Cheez-It Bowl turned out to be a wacky, fun, memorable game.
The Horned Frogs earned a hard-fought 10-7 win in overtime (Midnite had predicted a 23-19 TCU win) when Jonathan Song kicked a 27-yard field goal 10 plays after an interception and long return by TCU linebacker Jawuan Johnson on Cal's third play of its first possession in overtime.
Song's winning kick, which made him 9-of-12 on the season and 17-of-20 in his career, took the monkey off the back of TCU kicker Cole Bunce. He missed a potential game-winning 44-yard field goal as time expired in regulation, sending the contest into overtime.
The victory raised TCU's 2018 season record to 7-6 and gave the Frogs a winning record for the 15th time in Gary Patterson's 18 years as head coach at TCU. Patterson is now 7-0 against Pac-12 teams. The win was the Frogs' 10th in their last 13 bowl games. The Horned Frogs are 11-6 in bowl games with Patterson as head coach and 13-6 with him on the coaching staff.
After a trying season and tough bowl win, Patterson was planning to take it easy for a few days after the Cheez-It Bowl, so after the Frogs' victory he penned a song. Listen: here
This was the first bowl game for Justin Wilcox as head coach of the Cal Bears. The trip to Arizona didn't turn out as he had hoped, so he, too, penned a song after the game. Listen: here
The game featured a ton of defense, and a little bit of everything else, including a perfectly timed career rushing night by TCU running back Sewo Olonilua and a nationally televised tumble on the sideline and onto the playing field by TCU Sports Information Director Mark Cohen, who was celebrating Johnson's long interception return during the overtime period. The Frogs were penalized 15 yards for Cohen's somersault (which would have earned a perfect 10, if not for a 9.5 awarded by the Russian judge), but TCU overcame the penalty and won the game on Song's field goal.
Just about the only thing missing in the game was a reception by TCU wide receiver Jalen Reagor, who came into the game with a touchdown catch in a TCU record seven consecutive games and leading TCU with 72 receptions for 1,061 yards and nine touchdowns. Reagor did have, however, a career-long 58-yard punt return in the game.
TCU entered the game No. 1 in the Big 12 and 26th nationally in total defense, despite facing five of the nation’s top-16 teams in total offense.
Cal entered the game ranked No. 16 nationally in total defense.
With two of the top defensive teams in the country going against one another, the game was predicted to be a defensive battle. So, it was somewhat surprising, and disheartening, that the two teams, and the 10-7 game, were criticized for a lack of offense and scoring.
TCU and Cal proved what TCU had been proving all season and what the Frogs have proved in many previous seasons with Patterson at the helm. When executed properly, defensive football is exciting, and good defense can win football games.
If offense is what you want from every football game, pin up a poster of Lincoln Riley or Mike Leach in your locker room.
But when it comes to Patterson, his heroes are defensive players, like Dick Butkus, Mean Joe Greene, Michael Singletary and a host of previous Horned Frog linebackers, defensive ends and nose tackles.
The defenses of the two Cheez-It Bowl teams combined to intercept nine passes: five by the TCU defense and four by the Cal defense.
The nine interceptions broke the previous Cheez-It Bowl high of six, between Arizona and New Mexico in 1997. The nine interceptions tied with the 1982 Liberty Bowl for the third-most ever in a bowl game and behind the 1942 Orange Bowl (10 interceptions), in which Georgia beat TCU 40-26, and the 1968 Sun Bowl (11 interceptions), which Auburn won, 34-10, over Arizona.
Cal redshirt junior safety Jaylinn Hawkins broke the Cheez-It bowl record for interceptions with three.
TCU's five interceptions were a Cheez-It Bowl team record and tied for the most in a game in the 18 seasons with Patterson as head coach. The Horned Frogs also had five picks in a 2012 win (24-16) at SMU. This is the first time TCU has had five different players with an interception in a game under Patterson.
In addition to Johnson's interception, which led to TCU's winning field goal, Niko Small, Vernon Scott, Jeff Gladney and Julius Lewis had interceptions for the Frogs.
Johnson's interception was his first as a Horned Frog. The senior linebacker led TCU with seven tackles, including one for a loss. His 72-yard interception return was the longest by a Horned Frog since Gladney's 94-yard pick-6 at Texas Tech last season.
Small's interception was his first of the season and third of his career.
Scott's interception was the first of his career.
Gladney's interception was his second of the season and fourth of his career, the most among active Horned Frogs. Gladney is the first TCU player with an interception in consecutive games since Innis Gaines in the Valero Alamo Bowl last season and this year's opener against Southern.
Lewis' interception was his second of the season, tying Gladney and Ridwan Issahaku for the team lead. It was the second career interception for Lewis.
With the game dominated by interceptions, it quickly was dubbed the "Cheez-I(N)T Bowl."
Even the Kellogg Company, maker of Cheez-It, joined the fun by proclaiming it was okay for ESPN and others to refer to the bowl as the Cheez-I(N)T Bowl. Anything for additional publicity!
TCU fifth-year senior quarterback Grayson Muehlstein, who made his second career start and who had led the Frogs to bowl eligibility in wins over Baylor and Oklahoma State in TCU's two final regular-season games, was seven for 20 for 27 yards passing, with four interceptions and no touchdowns. Muehlstein tied TCU's Casey Printers for most interceptions in a bowl game. Printers threw four against Texas A&M in the 2001 Galleryfurniture.com Bowl, which was played at the Astrodome in Houston and won by the Aggies, 28-9.
TCU freshman quarterback Justin Rogers, who has been recovering from an injury suffered during his senior year of high school, saw his first game action of the season. In the fourth quarter, Rogers briefly replaced an injured Muehlstein. He was sacked for a four-yard loss and completed his one pass attempt, for one yard, to Olonilua.
The Frogs' 28 total passing yards in the game were their fewest yards passing since November 2006, when TCU finished with 25 passing yards in a 27-21 win at New Mexico. TCU entered the bowl game 8-0 in games when it has under 100 yards passing in the Patterson era. The last time the Frogs pulled it off was during the 2017 season, when TCU had 85 yards passing in a 27-3 victory over Texas Tech.
TCU's defense recorded five sacks. The Frogs' offensive line limited Cal's defense to two sacks.
For the Frogs, L.J. Collier, Ben Banogu, Ty Summers, Corey Bethley and Arico Evans had sacks. TCU's five sacks tied a season-best from the Baylor game. The Horned Frogs have at least one sack in 67 of their last 70 games.
Banogu's sack gave him a team-best 8.5 on the season. He totaled five stops in the game.
Collier's sack was his sixth of the season, second on the team to Banogu's 8.5.
Summers had three tackles, including his 10th career sack, to give him 318 in his career and sole possession of second place for most stops in Patterson's 18-season head coaching tenure.
Evan's sack gave him 2.5 on the season.
Bethley's sack was his fifth of the season.
Cal had 164 yards passing and 100 yards rushing, for 264 total yards. Cal scored its lone touchdown on a four-yard run in the first quarter by quarterback Chase Garbers.
Along with its 28 passing yards, the Frogs had 262 rushing yards, to finish with 290 total yards.
Olonilua accounted for the majority of TCU's rushing yards. He carried the football 32 times for 194 yards, including a season-long 33-yard run and the Frog's lone touchdown, earning him Cheez-It Bowl Most Valuable Player honors. Running back Emari Demercardo had 51 yards on 13 carries.
Olonilua's 194 yards rushing are a TCU bowl record and the most by a Horned Frog since Ed Wesley ran for 209 yards in a 38-7 win over Air Force in 2010. Olonilua's 32 carries are the second-most in TCU bowl history, trailing only LaDainian Tomlinson's 36 carries (124 yards rushing) in a 28-14 win over East Carolina in the 1999 Mobile Alabama Bowl. Olonilua's 32 carries are the most since Joseph Turner had 33 carries in a 45-33 win over San Diego State in 2007
This was Olonilua's first career 100-yard game. His one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter was his second rushing touchdown of the season and 10th of his career.
In this era of Air-Raid offenses and high-scoring games, many pundits are saying that the Cheez-It Bowl will be remembered as one of the least exciting games of the 2018 bowl season.
It should not be remembered as the least exciting bowl game.
That distinction must go to the Servpro First Responder Bowl, which on Christmas Day was to have featured Boise State against Boston College in Dallas' Cotton Bowl Stadium. After a delay of about 1 1/2 hours, the game was canceled because of the threat of severe weather.
It is believed to be the first bowl game called off by weather.
And not a Cheez-It was in sight.
Good-bye 2018, hello 2019!
Oh, any visit to Arizona in the winter would be a fine visit, but with the Cheez-It Bowl being the day after Christmas and featuring an unpredictable, mediocre TCU team playing an unpredictable, mediocre University of California team in a baseball stadium, it seemed to be the perfect time to suck it up and earn some brownie points from the family. So, the caravan headed north of Fort Worth, instead of west.
And, wouldn't you know it. The Cheez-It Bowl turned out to be a wacky, fun, memorable game.
The Horned Frogs earned a hard-fought 10-7 win in overtime (Midnite had predicted a 23-19 TCU win) when Jonathan Song kicked a 27-yard field goal 10 plays after an interception and long return by TCU linebacker Jawuan Johnson on Cal's third play of its first possession in overtime.
Song's winning kick, which made him 9-of-12 on the season and 17-of-20 in his career, took the monkey off the back of TCU kicker Cole Bunce. He missed a potential game-winning 44-yard field goal as time expired in regulation, sending the contest into overtime.
The victory raised TCU's 2018 season record to 7-6 and gave the Frogs a winning record for the 15th time in Gary Patterson's 18 years as head coach at TCU. Patterson is now 7-0 against Pac-12 teams. The win was the Frogs' 10th in their last 13 bowl games. The Horned Frogs are 11-6 in bowl games with Patterson as head coach and 13-6 with him on the coaching staff.
After a trying season and tough bowl win, Patterson was planning to take it easy for a few days after the Cheez-It Bowl, so after the Frogs' victory he penned a song. Listen: here
This was the first bowl game for Justin Wilcox as head coach of the Cal Bears. The trip to Arizona didn't turn out as he had hoped, so he, too, penned a song after the game. Listen: here
The game featured a ton of defense, and a little bit of everything else, including a perfectly timed career rushing night by TCU running back Sewo Olonilua and a nationally televised tumble on the sideline and onto the playing field by TCU Sports Information Director Mark Cohen, who was celebrating Johnson's long interception return during the overtime period. The Frogs were penalized 15 yards for Cohen's somersault (which would have earned a perfect 10, if not for a 9.5 awarded by the Russian judge), but TCU overcame the penalty and won the game on Song's field goal.
Just about the only thing missing in the game was a reception by TCU wide receiver Jalen Reagor, who came into the game with a touchdown catch in a TCU record seven consecutive games and leading TCU with 72 receptions for 1,061 yards and nine touchdowns. Reagor did have, however, a career-long 58-yard punt return in the game.
TCU entered the game No. 1 in the Big 12 and 26th nationally in total defense, despite facing five of the nation’s top-16 teams in total offense.
Cal entered the game ranked No. 16 nationally in total defense.
With two of the top defensive teams in the country going against one another, the game was predicted to be a defensive battle. So, it was somewhat surprising, and disheartening, that the two teams, and the 10-7 game, were criticized for a lack of offense and scoring.
TCU and Cal proved what TCU had been proving all season and what the Frogs have proved in many previous seasons with Patterson at the helm. When executed properly, defensive football is exciting, and good defense can win football games.
If offense is what you want from every football game, pin up a poster of Lincoln Riley or Mike Leach in your locker room.
But when it comes to Patterson, his heroes are defensive players, like Dick Butkus, Mean Joe Greene, Michael Singletary and a host of previous Horned Frog linebackers, defensive ends and nose tackles.
The defenses of the two Cheez-It Bowl teams combined to intercept nine passes: five by the TCU defense and four by the Cal defense.
The nine interceptions broke the previous Cheez-It Bowl high of six, between Arizona and New Mexico in 1997. The nine interceptions tied with the 1982 Liberty Bowl for the third-most ever in a bowl game and behind the 1942 Orange Bowl (10 interceptions), in which Georgia beat TCU 40-26, and the 1968 Sun Bowl (11 interceptions), which Auburn won, 34-10, over Arizona.
Cal redshirt junior safety Jaylinn Hawkins broke the Cheez-It bowl record for interceptions with three.
TCU's five interceptions were a Cheez-It Bowl team record and tied for the most in a game in the 18 seasons with Patterson as head coach. The Horned Frogs also had five picks in a 2012 win (24-16) at SMU. This is the first time TCU has had five different players with an interception in a game under Patterson.
In addition to Johnson's interception, which led to TCU's winning field goal, Niko Small, Vernon Scott, Jeff Gladney and Julius Lewis had interceptions for the Frogs.
Johnson's interception was his first as a Horned Frog. The senior linebacker led TCU with seven tackles, including one for a loss. His 72-yard interception return was the longest by a Horned Frog since Gladney's 94-yard pick-6 at Texas Tech last season.
Small's interception was his first of the season and third of his career.
Scott's interception was the first of his career.
Gladney's interception was his second of the season and fourth of his career, the most among active Horned Frogs. Gladney is the first TCU player with an interception in consecutive games since Innis Gaines in the Valero Alamo Bowl last season and this year's opener against Southern.
Lewis' interception was his second of the season, tying Gladney and Ridwan Issahaku for the team lead. It was the second career interception for Lewis.
With the game dominated by interceptions, it quickly was dubbed the "Cheez-I(N)T Bowl."
Even the Kellogg Company, maker of Cheez-It, joined the fun by proclaiming it was okay for ESPN and others to refer to the bowl as the Cheez-I(N)T Bowl. Anything for additional publicity!
TCU fifth-year senior quarterback Grayson Muehlstein, who made his second career start and who had led the Frogs to bowl eligibility in wins over Baylor and Oklahoma State in TCU's two final regular-season games, was seven for 20 for 27 yards passing, with four interceptions and no touchdowns. Muehlstein tied TCU's Casey Printers for most interceptions in a bowl game. Printers threw four against Texas A&M in the 2001 Galleryfurniture.com Bowl, which was played at the Astrodome in Houston and won by the Aggies, 28-9.
TCU freshman quarterback Justin Rogers, who has been recovering from an injury suffered during his senior year of high school, saw his first game action of the season. In the fourth quarter, Rogers briefly replaced an injured Muehlstein. He was sacked for a four-yard loss and completed his one pass attempt, for one yard, to Olonilua.
The Frogs' 28 total passing yards in the game were their fewest yards passing since November 2006, when TCU finished with 25 passing yards in a 27-21 win at New Mexico. TCU entered the bowl game 8-0 in games when it has under 100 yards passing in the Patterson era. The last time the Frogs pulled it off was during the 2017 season, when TCU had 85 yards passing in a 27-3 victory over Texas Tech.
TCU's defense recorded five sacks. The Frogs' offensive line limited Cal's defense to two sacks.
For the Frogs, L.J. Collier, Ben Banogu, Ty Summers, Corey Bethley and Arico Evans had sacks. TCU's five sacks tied a season-best from the Baylor game. The Horned Frogs have at least one sack in 67 of their last 70 games.
Banogu's sack gave him a team-best 8.5 on the season. He totaled five stops in the game.
Collier's sack was his sixth of the season, second on the team to Banogu's 8.5.
Summers had three tackles, including his 10th career sack, to give him 318 in his career and sole possession of second place for most stops in Patterson's 18-season head coaching tenure.
Evan's sack gave him 2.5 on the season.
Bethley's sack was his fifth of the season.
Cal had 164 yards passing and 100 yards rushing, for 264 total yards. Cal scored its lone touchdown on a four-yard run in the first quarter by quarterback Chase Garbers.
Along with its 28 passing yards, the Frogs had 262 rushing yards, to finish with 290 total yards.
Olonilua accounted for the majority of TCU's rushing yards. He carried the football 32 times for 194 yards, including a season-long 33-yard run and the Frog's lone touchdown, earning him Cheez-It Bowl Most Valuable Player honors. Running back Emari Demercardo had 51 yards on 13 carries.
Olonilua's 194 yards rushing are a TCU bowl record and the most by a Horned Frog since Ed Wesley ran for 209 yards in a 38-7 win over Air Force in 2010. Olonilua's 32 carries are the second-most in TCU bowl history, trailing only LaDainian Tomlinson's 36 carries (124 yards rushing) in a 28-14 win over East Carolina in the 1999 Mobile Alabama Bowl. Olonilua's 32 carries are the most since Joseph Turner had 33 carries in a 45-33 win over San Diego State in 2007
This was Olonilua's first career 100-yard game. His one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter was his second rushing touchdown of the season and 10th of his career.
In this era of Air-Raid offenses and high-scoring games, many pundits are saying that the Cheez-It Bowl will be remembered as one of the least exciting games of the 2018 bowl season.
It should not be remembered as the least exciting bowl game.
That distinction must go to the Servpro First Responder Bowl, which on Christmas Day was to have featured Boise State against Boston College in Dallas' Cotton Bowl Stadium. After a delay of about 1 1/2 hours, the game was canceled because of the threat of severe weather.
It is believed to be the first bowl game called off by weather.
And not a Cheez-It was in sight.
Good-bye 2018, hello 2019!
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