2014 College Football Season: In Review (Part III) Quiz

Answer: Ameer Abdullah broke five tackles and went into the end zone

With 32 seconds left, Ameer Abdullah caught a short pass from QB Tommy Armstrong and broke five tackles on the way to a 58-yard touchdown. I recommend looking the play up online. Nebraska ended up winning 31-24. Nebraska came into the game with a #19 ranking in the AP poll, but dropped out of the top 25 after the narrow win.

They would get a #24 ranking, however, after they beat the Fresno State Bulldogs 55-19 the next week. Abdullah was disappointed that the game was so close.

Answer: Kansas Jayhawks

The final score of the game was 34-30. After TCU scored first, the Jayhawks promptly answered in an unusual drive. After a punt, TCU was flagged for roughing the punter which gave the Jayhawks a new set of downs. Then, on a field goal try, the holder bobbled the snap but found a receiver to convert a first down. Then, on third down, Jayhawks receiver Nick Harwell caught a deflected pass for a first down. Kansas running back Corey Avery eventually scored on a 2-yard touchdown run. The extra point was blocked, however. The whole game can be found online. The Horned Frogs went on to beat the Ole Miss Rebels 42-3 in the Peach Bowl on December 31, 2014.

The Jayhawks were a very senior-led team in 2014, and really wanted to win. They were playing under interim head coach Clint Bowen, the linebackers coach who was named interim head coach after Charlie Weis was fired after a 2-2 start that included a 0-23 loss to the Texas Longhorns. They finished the season 3-9.

Answer: Pat Fitzgerald

The 1995 season was one of the best football seasons in Northwestern history. On September 2, 1995, the Wildcats traveled to South Bend to face the #9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and won 17-15. The Irish were favored by 28 points. After a 28-30 loss two weeks later to Miami (OH), the Wildcats won their next nine games, climbed to #3 in the AP poll, and eventually went to the Rose Bowl on January 1, 1996. They lost to the USC Trojans 32-41.

On November 15, 2014, the Wildcats (who were riding a 4-game losing streak) traveled to South Bend to face the Irish. It was the first meeting between the programs since the 1995 upset. Both teams had multiple miscues. A Notre Dame extra point attempt was blocked and returned by the Wildcats for two points. A fumble in the waning minutes gave the Wildcats a chance to go down and tie the game up (which they did). A questionable hold in overtime contributed to a missed field goal, which meant when Northwestern got the ball, any score would win. When they did get the ball, the Wildcats' kicker drilled a 41-yarder for the win.

An interesting factoid, Pat Fitzgerald says "Go Cats!" in every interview he does.

Answer: Deshaun Watson

In the first quarter, the Tigers were deep in the red zone and Deshaun Watson converted a first down with a 7-yard run. While making a cut, however, he injured his knee and did not return to the game. The backup QB, Cole Stoudt, threw three interceptions in the game before being benched for third-stringer Nick Schuessler. Two of the interceptions were returned for touchdowns. Clemson did not score a touchdown in the game, and their six points came off of two field goals.

Answer: Iowa State Cyclones

Iowa State Cyclones (who finished 2-10 and winless in the Big 12) were never shutout in 2014. The closest they came was on December 6, 2014, when they traveled to Fort Worth and were beaten 3-55 by the TCU Horned Frogs. In every other game, the Cyclones scored at least 14 points.

On the other hand, the Wisconsin Badgers, who won the Big Ten west and finished #13 in the AP poll, were shutout 59-0 by the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship game on December 6, 2014. On October 18, 2014, the score of the Texas A&M Aggies-Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa ended with the same score, with the Aggies on the losing side. On October 11, 2014, the Missouri Tigers, who won the SEC East and finished #14 in the AP poll, were beaten 34-0 by the Georgia Bulldogs.

Answer: Arizona State and Duke

On December 27, 2014 the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Duke Blue Devils played each other in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Devils playing in the Sun Bowl seems strangely appropriate. Arizona State was favored by 7.5 points. With 5:03 left, Duke threw a touchdown pass (the extra point was good) to go up 31-30.

It was their first lead of the game. However, on the ensuing kickoff, Kalen Ballage returned the ball 96 yards, setting his team up on the 4-yard line. After a touchdown pass and a failed 2-point conversion, the Sun Devils were up 36-31, which was the final score of the game. If the Blue Devils had won, they would have won 10 games for consecutive seasons. That would have been a first in the history of the Duke football program.

Answer: Oklahoma

Texas gained 482 yards of offense to Oklahoma's 232. Texas quarterback Tyrone Swoopes threw for 334 yards and almost got his team a comeback win. Down 31-13 in the fourth quarter, Texas marched down the field in two consecutive possessions and scored touchdowns both times. However, Oklahoma was able to run off the clock enough to prevent Texas from taking the lead. It was the tenth win against the Longhorns for Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops. The final score was: Oklahoma 31, Texas 26.

The rivalry is one of the most storied in college football. Both programs are among college football's most prestigious and have won multiple national titles. The rivalry gets its name from the Red River that serves as part of the boundary between the two states.

Answer: No

To start off, (not in terms of when the games started or anything, just me starting the interesting info) the Louisville Cardinals played the Kentucky Wildcats at home in Louisville. After a go-ahead touchdown with 2:47 left, Kentucky had one more chance. However, with 35 seconds left, Louisville safety Gerod Holliman intercepted his 14th pass of the season to seal the win. That pick tied the single-season FBS record set in 1968 by Washington's Al Worley.

Furthermore, the Georgia Bulldogs played the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at home in Athens. The game has been called one of the best of the season (I cover it in my "Best Games" quiz) and the Yellow Jackets got the victory in overtime 30-24, also with an interception. Out of all 4 of the ACC-SEC rivalry games, this game was the only one in which the SEC team (Georgia) was favored. It was also the only one in which both teams were ranked. Additionally, it was the only one the SEC team hosted.

Moving on, the game between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Clemson Tigers was played at Clemson. The Gamecocks had won the last five in the series, but were having a down season. Clemson was a ranked team at the time, and beat the Gamecocks 35-17.

Finally, the Florida Gators-Florida State Seminoles game was played on the Seminoles' home field in Tallahassee. It was Will Muschamp's last game as the coach at Florida. Jameis Winston threw four interceptions in the game. He also threw for 125 yards, the lowest total of his career as a Seminole. Despite all of this, Florida State got a few breaks. When Florida player Tevin Westbrook dropped a pass, Florida State linebacker Terrance Smith intercepted it and returned it 94 yards for six. The Seminoles would win it 24-19.

Answer: Bahamas

The game was played on December 24, 2014 at Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas. The official attendance was 13,667, but it appeared there were far fewer people in the stands. Western Kentucky was favored by 3.5 points. Both teams were 7-5 coming into the game. I recommend looking the final play up online, it was featured on SportsCenter's top plays of 2014 list. It occurred as time expired when the Chippewas were on their own 25-yard line.

The Bahamas Bowl was the first college football bowl game since the 2010 International Bowl to be played outside the USA. The 2010 International Bowl was played in Toronto, Canada.

Answer: Paul Bunyan's Axe

On September 27, 2014, the Gophers went into the Big House and beat the Michigan Wolverines 30-14. It was Michigan's third loss of the season. It was the first time in the history of the Wolverines football program that they had three losses by the end of September. It was the first time the Gophers won the Little Brown Jug since 2005.

On November 8, 2014, the Iowa Hawkeyes traveled to Minneapolis to face the Gophers. The Gophers beat them 51-14. After scoring on their first drive, the Hawkeyes did not score again until the waning minutes. The Gophers got Floyd of Rosedale for the first time since 2011.

On November 22, 2014, the Gophers traveled to Lincoln to face the Nebraska Cornhuskers and prevailed in a 28-24 win. The Gophers were down 7-21 at the half after a blocked field goal was returned by the Cornhuskers for a touchdown. With 1:19 left, Minnesota defender Briean Boddy-Calhoun stripped De'Mornay Pierson-El at the Gophers' 2-yard line to prevent the go-ahead score. The Gophers took a knee and the victory was sealed. It was the first time in the series between the schools that the $5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy was played for. It was the first time the Gophers beat the Huskers in Lincoln since 1960.

The following week, the Gophers played the Wisconsin Badgers in Madison for the Big Ten west title. The Badgers won 34-24, despite being down 17-3 in the first half. It was the 11th victory in a row for the Badgers in their rivalry game with the Gophers. The Gophers had not won Paul Bunyan's Axe since 2003. Wisconsin and Minnesota have played every year since 1890, except for 1906.