2008 Humanitarian Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 2008 Humanitarian Bowl was a postseason college football
bowl game
between the Maryland Terrapins
and the Nevada Wolf Pack
on December 30, 2008. It was the two teams' first meeting. The game featured two conference tie-ins: the University of Maryland
represented the Atlantic Coast Conference
(ACC) and the University of Nevada
represented the Western Athletic Conference
(WAC). The game was played at Bronco Stadium
in Boise, Idaho
and was the 12th edition of the Humanitarian Bowl. It was sponsored by the New Plymouth, Idaho
-based company Roady's Truck Stops
, which claims to be the largest chain of truck stop
s in the United States.
The featured match-up was between what was called a "wildly inconsistent" Maryland team and the third-best rushing defense and fifth-best total offense
of Nevada. The result was an offensive shoot-out. The final score of 42–35 in favor of Maryland exceeded total-points predictions by as much as 17 and tied the all-time Humanitarian Bowl record.
Before the kickoff, seven Maryland players, including six starters
, received partial-game suspensions for violating the team's curfew. Maryland took a quick lead within the first two minutes of play, but repeated errors allowed Nevada to remain competitive and the lead changed hands five times. In the second quarter, Nevada's dual-threat quarterback, Colin Kaepernick
, was hobbled by an ankle injury that altered the complexion of the game. Nevertheless, Kaepernick remained in the game for almost its entirety and was able to scramble
for a touchdown
. Halfway through the third quarter, Maryland's leading running back
, Da'Rel Scott
, made his first appearance of the game. He had been one of the suspended players, but scored twice in the final quarter to help secure a victory for the Terrapins.
teams. An ACC team participated in the game every year from 2003 to 2008. Before the selections, the ACC announced that 2008 would be the final year of its tie-in with the game due to travel and cost considerations.
The other conference tie-in was with the WAC, which has generally fielded its champion in the game. The WAC has provided a team for the Humanitarian Bowl every year since 2001. Initially, it was speculated that the WAC championship team, Boise State
, would make its fifth appearance in the bowl played in its home stadium.
(BCS) conferences, and National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) rules required only one to be given a berth in a BCS game. These three non-BCS teams were Ball State
, Boise State, and Utah
. The Utes were considered heavy favorites for that berth. In a preemptive move, Humanitarian Bowl officials conducted negotiations with Ball State of the Mid-American Conference
(MAC) in an effort to arrange a "Battle of the Unbeatens" with Boise State. If Ball State accepted, presumably with the consent of the ACC, it would have forced a team from the ACC to find an at-large bid
. However, Ball State officials were unhappy with the home-field advantage that would have been given to Boise State and the expenses associated with traveling to Idaho. Ball State, which lost the MAC Championship Game
and ended its perfect record, declined the overtures and instead met Tulsa
in the 2009 GMAC Bowl
.
For the 2008 season, the ACC possessed nine tie-in games. The Orange Bowl
was the conference's BCS game and granted an automatic bid to the winner of the ACC Championship Game
. The Chick-fil-A Bowl
in Atlanta, Georgia
had the first-pick of eligible ACC teams after the BCS game, followed by the Gator Bowl
in Jacksonville, Florida
and the Champs Sports Bowl
in Orlando, Florida
. The Music City Bowl
in Nashville, Tennessee
; the Meineke Car Care Bowl
in Charlotte, North Carolina
; and the Emerald Bowl
in San Francisco, California
submitted their preferences together, and selected in that order if an agreement between them could not be reached. A special clause also guaranteed that, with a minimum of eight wins, the loser of the championship game would be selected no lower than by the Music City Bowl. The Humanitarian Bowl had the eighth-overall choice followed by the inaugural EagleBank Bowl
in Washington, D.C.
That season, an economic recession
factored into the selections. In general, bowl officials attempted to select teams in close geographic proximity to compensate for an anticipated drop in ticket sales. Maryland, however, stated that they would not accept a berth to face in-state rival Navy
in the nearby EagleBank Bowl due to a conflict with the school's final exams. The Emerald Bowl was not seen as a viable choice due to Maryland's participation in it the year prior.
Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen
made his case to bowl officials by saying that the Terrapins had beaten four of the other five 4–4 teams and not played a game against the fifth, Miami
. Three of those teams were selected ahead of Maryland: the Meineke Car Care Bowl selected the nearby North Carolina
team; the Gator Bowl chose Clemson
, a school with a traditionally well-traveling fanbase; and the Emerald Bowl selected Miami. After the higher-priority bowl games made their selections, the Humanitarian Bowl had the choice of either Maryland or Wake Forest
, the school with the smallest enrollment in any BCS football conference. Humanitarian Bowl officials chose Maryland in light of its larger alumni base, well-traveled fans, and greater television marketing potential.
In week 12 of the 2008 season, Maryland possessed a 7–3 record and stood atop the ACC Atlantic Division. However, the Terps lost their final two regular season games and slid to a four-way tie for third place in the division. Earlier in the season, Maryland defeated four ranked opponents, a feat surpassed only by the two teams that played in the BCS National Championship Game
, Florida
and Oklahoma
—and those each played an extra game with their conference championships. Maryland spent three weeks ranked in the top-25 of the Associated Press Poll.
in Albuquerque, New Mexico
; the Hawaii Bowl in Honolulu, Hawaii
; and the Humanitarian Bowl. Additionally, the WAC had provisions for conditional participation in the Poinsettia Bowl
in San Diego, California
; the Independence Bowl
in Shreveport, Louisiana
; and the GMAC Bowl
in Mobile, Alabama
.
In the past, the Humanitarian Bowl usually selected the WAC championship team. However, Boise State was not content to play a middle-grade ACC team after negotiations with Ball State failed. The WAC commissioner said that the Broncos would look for another match-up that had "the same type of sizzle" as a match-up against Ball State. The Idaho Statesman
added that "The Terrapins don't 'sizzle.'" Boise State traveled to the Poinsettia Bowl, where they faced 11th-ranked TCU, which had lost only to the BCS-bound Oklahoma and Utah teams.
In Nevada's final regular season game, Kaepernick led the Wolf Pack in a second-half comeback to defeat Louisiana Tech
. The seventh win guaranteed Nevada a berth in one of the three WAC tie-in bowls. The Wolf Pack finished the season in a three-way tie for second place in the WAC alongside Hawaii
and Louisiana Tech. Hawaii had a standing contract with the home-town Hawaii Bowl where it played Notre Dame
. Louisiana Tech, having lost to both Nevada and Hawaii, appeared unlikely to be selected for a bowl at all. However, the Bulldogs were able to take advantage of a provisional WAC berth in the Independence Bowl since neither the Big 12
nor the Southeastern Conference
could provide eligible teams. Two other WAC teams achieved bowl eligibility with 6–6 records. Fresno State
secured a slot in the New Mexico Bowl, but San Jose State
was unable to find an at-large berth.
With Boise State's decision to decline the Humanitarian Bowl invitation, the organizing committee looked to Nevada. Like Maryland, Nevada ended the regular season with a 7–5 record. The Wolf Pack's schedule included losses against then sixth-ranked Missouri
, ninth-ranked Boise State, and 12th-ranked Texas Tech
. Nevada finished the regular season ranked second nationally in rushing offense and fifth in total offense. The Wolf Pack possessed two 1,000-yard rushers
: dual-threat quarterback Colin Kaepernick
and running back Vai Taua
. Kaepernick also threw for more than 2,000 yards.
On December 7, 2008, the Humanitarian Bowl officially extended invitations to Maryland and Nevada, both of which were accepted.
The site of the game was Bronco Stadium
in Boise, Idaho, the home field of Boise State University
. The field's blue artificial turf has the distinction of being the only non-green playing field in use by a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision team. Due to the color of its field, the stadium is nicknamed "The Blue" and the field itself is sometimes colloquially referred to as "smurf
turf".
Pundits and opponents have asserted that Boise State benefits from an added advantage by wearing their blue home uniforms to match the playing field. Boise State possessed a 64–2 record at Bronco Stadium from 1998 to 2008. Nevada, designated as the home team, likewise wore blue uniforms during the Humanitarian Bowl.
ACC teams viewed a berth in the Humanitarian Bowl as undesirable due to its location. Aside from being one of the lower priority tie-ins, the destination is far outside the conference's geographic footprint. Travel costs from the East Coast
are prohibitively expensive and historically caused low turnout among ACC fans. In addition, the game is hosted at a cold-weather venue, which is a disadvantage in comparison with ACC bowl games in places such as Florida
, California
, and Georgia
.
The game historically relied on local ticket sales, and the participating schools struggled to sell their alloted tickets. On December 8, a Boise-area television news station reported that Maryland and Nevada had sold just sixteen and eight tickets, respectively. The story was widely circulated by sports-related blog
s, but the figures were discredited by a Maryland official. On December 18, the Reno Gazette-Journal
reported that 100 tickets had been sold by Nevada. Maryland officials admitted that ticket sales among its fans were expected to be low, with one stating they were in the "mid-hundreds" a week and a half from the game date. According to a Baltimore Sun reporter, Maryland's final ticket figure was about 800. By comparison, Clemson
sold about 3,500 tickets for the 2001 Humanitarian Bowl
, and Georgia Tech
sold about 250 tickets for the 2007 Humanitarian Bowl
.
|- align="center"
| 355.0 (60th) || Total defense || 395.6 (92nd)
|- align="center"
| 205.6 (57th) || Passing defense || 321.1 (120th)
|- align="center"
| 149.4 (74th) || Rushing defense || 74.5 (3rd)
|- align="center"
| 21.4 (37th) || Scoring defense || 31.5 (99th)
|-
| colspan=3|Sources:
|-
|}
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
between the Maryland Terrapins
2008 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 2008 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season...
and the Nevada Wolf Pack
2008 Nevada Wolf Pack football team
The 2008 Nevada Wolf Pack football team represented the University of Nevada, Reno in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the 2008 season. Nevada competed as a member of the Western Athletic Conference .The team was led by...
on December 30, 2008. It was the two teams' first meeting. The game featured two conference tie-ins: the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
represented the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
(ACC) and the University of Nevada
University of Nevada, Reno
The University of Nevada, Reno , is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA...
represented the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
(WAC). The game was played at Bronco Stadium
Bronco Stadium
Bronco Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Boise, Idaho, the home field of the Boise State Broncos of the Mountain West Conference. Since 1997, it has hosted the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Bronco Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Boise, Idaho, the home field of the Boise State Broncos...
in Boise, Idaho
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
and was the 12th edition of the Humanitarian Bowl. It was sponsored by the New Plymouth, Idaho
New Plymouth, Idaho
New Plymouth is a city in Payette County, Idaho, United States. The population was 1,400 at the 2000 census. It was incorporated on February 15, 1896. It is the host of the annual Payette County Fair....
-based company Roady's Truck Stops
Roady's Truck Stops
Roady's Truck Stops is a chain of independently-owned truck stops in the United States. It is headquartered in New Plymouth, Idaho. With nearly 350 locations in forty-five states, Roady's is the largest truck stop chain in which all of its stores are independently-owned, and second overall in the...
, which claims to be the largest chain of truck stop
Truck stop
A truck stop is a commercial facility predicated on providing fuel, parking, and often food and other services to motorists and truck drivers...
s in the United States.
The featured match-up was between what was called a "wildly inconsistent" Maryland team and the third-best rushing defense and fifth-best total offense
Total offense
Total offense is an American football and Canadian football statistic representing the total number of yards rushing and yards passing by a team or player...
of Nevada. The result was an offensive shoot-out. The final score of 42–35 in favor of Maryland exceeded total-points predictions by as much as 17 and tied the all-time Humanitarian Bowl record.
Before the kickoff, seven Maryland players, including six starters
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
, received partial-game suspensions for violating the team's curfew. Maryland took a quick lead within the first two minutes of play, but repeated errors allowed Nevada to remain competitive and the lead changed hands five times. In the second quarter, Nevada's dual-threat quarterback, Colin Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick
Colin Rand Kaepernick is an American football quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He played college football at Nevada.-Personal:...
, was hobbled by an ankle injury that altered the complexion of the game. Nevertheless, Kaepernick remained in the game for almost its entirety and was able to scramble
Quarterback scramble
A quarterback scramble or scramble is an impromptu maneuver or run in American football and Canadian football by a quarterback. If a quarterback is under pressure by an opposing team's defense, he may run forward, backward, or laterally in an attempt to avoid being tackled behind the line of...
for a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
. Halfway through the third quarter, Maryland's leading running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
, Da'Rel Scott
Da'Rel Scott
Da'Rel Scott is an American football running back for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was the starting running back for the Maryland Terrapins at the University of Maryland...
, made his first appearance of the game. He had been one of the suspended players, but scored twice in the final quarter to help secure a victory for the Terrapins.
Team selection
The ACC had a contractual tie-in with the Humanitarian Bowl that afforded the bowl organizing committee the eighth pick of the conference's bowl-eligibleBowl eligible
Bowl eligibility in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision College Football is the standard through which teams become available for selection to participate in postseason bowl games. When a team achieves this state, it is described as "bowl-eligible"...
teams. An ACC team participated in the game every year from 2003 to 2008. Before the selections, the ACC announced that 2008 would be the final year of its tie-in with the game due to travel and cost considerations.
The other conference tie-in was with the WAC, which has generally fielded its champion in the game. The WAC has provided a team for the Humanitarian Bowl every year since 2001. Initially, it was speculated that the WAC championship team, Boise State
2008 Boise State Broncos football team
The 2008 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University in the 2008 college football season. The Broncos played their home games at Bronco Stadium, most famous for its blue artificial turf surface, often referred to as the "smurf-turf". The blue turf was new for the 2008...
, would make its fifth appearance in the bowl played in its home stadium.
Potential "Battle of the Unbeatens"
At the end of the regular season, there were three undefeated teams from non-Bowl Championship SeriesBowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
(BCS) conferences, and National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) rules required only one to be given a berth in a BCS game. These three non-BCS teams were Ball State
2008 Ball State Cardinals football team
The 2008 Ball State Cardinals football team represented Ball State University in the Mid-American Conference during the 2008–2009 college football season. Brady Hoke, in his sixth season at Ball State, was the head coach until December 15, when he resigned to become the head coach at San Diego State...
, Boise State, and Utah
2008 Utah Utes football team
The 2008 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah in the college football season of 2008–2009. The team, coached by 4th year head football coach Kyle Whittingham, plays its home games in Rice–Eccles Stadium...
. The Utes were considered heavy favorites for that berth. In a preemptive move, Humanitarian Bowl officials conducted negotiations with Ball State of the Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
(MAC) in an effort to arrange a "Battle of the Unbeatens" with Boise State. If Ball State accepted, presumably with the consent of the ACC, it would have forced a team from the ACC to find an at-large bid
At-large bid
An at-large bid is a bid or berth in a sporting tournament granted by invitation, not right. This term is most commonly used in the United States to refer to berths that the NCAA grants in its annual Division I men's and women's basketball tournaments, although at-large berths are granted in almost...
. However, Ball State officials were unhappy with the home-field advantage that would have been given to Boise State and the expenses associated with traveling to Idaho. Ball State, which lost the MAC Championship Game
MAC Championship Game
The Marathon MAC Football Championship is a football game between the winners of the East and West divisions of the Mid-American Conference to determine the conference champion. The game has been played since 1997, when the conference was first divided into divisions and since 2003 has been...
and ended its perfect record, declined the overtures and instead met Tulsa
2008 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team
The 2008 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team represented the University of Tulsa in the college football season of 2008–2009. The team's head coach was Todd Graham, in his second year at Tulsa. They played home games at Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma and competed in the...
in the 2009 GMAC Bowl
2009 GMAC Bowl
The 2009 GMAC Bowl was the tenth anniversary edition of the American college football bowl game, and part of the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season the contest was played on January 6, 2009 at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama and featured the Tulsa Golden Hurricane playing the Ball...
.
ACC team selection
In 2008, the ACC experienced a season of unusual parity and fielded an NCAA-record number of ten bowl-eligible teams. Six of those possessed identical 4–4 conference records, and the remaining four had 5–3 conference records. Among the eligible teams, N.C. State (6–6) possessed the only non-winning overall record and was therefore forced by NCAA rules to find an at-large berth outside of the ACC tie-in games.For the 2008 season, the ACC possessed nine tie-in games. The Orange Bowl
2009 Orange Bowl
The 2009 FedEx Orange Bowl game was the 75th edition of the annual college football bowl game known as the Orange Bowl. It pitted the 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference champion Virginia Tech Hokies against the Big East Conference champion Cincinnati Bearcats on January 1, 2009 at Dolphin Stadium in...
was the conference's BCS game and granted an automatic bid to the winner of the ACC Championship Game
2008 ACC Championship Game
The 2008 ACC Championship Game was a college football game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Boston College Eagles. The game, sponsored by Dr. Pepper, was the final regular-season contest of the 2008 college football season for the Atlantic Coast Conference...
. The Chick-fil-A Bowl
2008 Chick-fil-A Bowl
The 2008 Chick-fil-A Bowl was the 41st annual edition of the Chick-fil-A Bowl, formerly known as the Peach Bowl and the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. It pitted the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets against the Louisiana State Tigers in a postseason American college football game in Atlanta, Georgia...
in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
had the first-pick of eligible ACC teams after the BCS game, followed by the Gator Bowl
2009 Gator Bowl
The 2009 Gator Bowl was played on January 1, 2009 as part of the 2008 College Football season. It featured the Nebraska Cornhuskers, who finished tied for first in the Big 12 Conference's North Division with Missouri, and the Clemson Tigers, who finished fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference's...
in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
and the Champs Sports Bowl
2008 Champs Sports Bowl
The 2008 Champs Sports Bowl was the 19th edition of the college football bowl game that was played on Saturday, December 27, 2008 at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The game, which had a 4:30 PM US EST kickoff and was broadcast on ESPN, pitted the Wisconsin Badgers against the Florida State...
in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
. The Music City Bowl
2008 Music City Bowl
The 2008 Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl was the eleventh edition of the college football bowl game played at LP Field in Nashville, Tennessee. The game started at 2:30 pm US CST on Wednesday, December 31, 2008. The game, telecast on ESPN, pitted the Vanderbilt Commodores against the Boston...
in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
; the Meineke Car Care Bowl
2008 Meineke Car Care Bowl
The 2008 Meineke Car Care Bowl was the seventh edition of the college football bowl game, and was played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The game started at 1:00 PM US EST on Saturday, December 27, 2008. The game, telecast on ESPN, pitted the North Carolina Tar Heels...
in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
; and the Emerald Bowl
2008 Emerald Bowl
The 2008 Emerald Bowl, part of the 2008-09 NCAA football bowl games season, was played on December 27, 2008 at AT&T Park, the home field of the Giants in San Francisco, California...
in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
submitted their preferences together, and selected in that order if an agreement between them could not be reached. A special clause also guaranteed that, with a minimum of eight wins, the loser of the championship game would be selected no lower than by the Music City Bowl. The Humanitarian Bowl had the eighth-overall choice followed by the inaugural EagleBank Bowl
2008 EagleBank Bowl
The 2008 EagleBank Bowl was the inaugural edition of the new college football bowl game, and was played at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, DC. The game, formerly known as the Congressional Bowl before naming rights were purchased by EagleBank, started at 11 AM US EST on...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
That season, an economic recession
Subprime mortgage crisis
The U.S. subprime mortgage crisis was one of the first indicators of the late-2000s financial crisis, characterized by a rise in subprime mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures, and the resulting decline of securities backed by said mortgages....
factored into the selections. In general, bowl officials attempted to select teams in close geographic proximity to compensate for an anticipated drop in ticket sales. Maryland, however, stated that they would not accept a berth to face in-state rival Navy
2008 Navy Midshipmen football team
The 2008 Navy Midshipmen football team represented the United States Naval Academy in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the 2008 season. Navy competed as an independent with no conference affiliation.The team was led by...
in the nearby EagleBank Bowl due to a conflict with the school's final exams. The Emerald Bowl was not seen as a viable choice due to Maryland's participation in it the year prior.
Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen
Ralph Friedgen
Ralph Harry Friedgen is an American football coach. He was the head coach at the University of Maryland from 2001 to 2010. Friedgen was previously an offensive coordinator at Maryland, Georgia Tech, and in the National Football League with the San Diego Chargers...
made his case to bowl officials by saying that the Terrapins had beaten four of the other five 4–4 teams and not played a game against the fifth, Miami
2008 Miami Hurricanes football team
-Roster changes:University of Miami safety Kenny Phillips and defensive end Calais Campbell made the decision to forgo their senior years and declare for the NFL Draft. Phillips was drafted in the first round, No. 31 overall by the New York Giants. Campbell was drafted in the second round, No. 50...
. Three of those teams were selected ahead of Maryland: the Meineke Car Care Bowl selected the nearby North Carolina
2008 North Carolina Tar Heels football team
The 2008 North Carolina Tar Heels football team began their season on August 30 against McNeese State at Kenan Memorial Stadium. The team originally went 4–4 in conference play and 8–5 overall, but in 2011, North Carolina vacated all its wins from the 2008 and 2009 seasons.-Recruiting:The Tar...
team; the Gator Bowl chose Clemson
2008 Clemson Tigers football team
The 2008 Clemson football team represented Clemson University in the 2008 college football season. The Tigers were led by oft-maligned head coach Tommy Bowden, who resigned six games into his tenth season. The interim head coach was assistant coach Dabo Swinney...
, a school with a traditionally well-traveling fanbase; and the Emerald Bowl selected Miami. After the higher-priority bowl games made their selections, the Humanitarian Bowl had the choice of either Maryland or Wake Forest
2008 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team
The 2008 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team represented Wake Forest University during the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season. It was Wake Forest's 56th season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference .The Demon Deacons...
, the school with the smallest enrollment in any BCS football conference. Humanitarian Bowl officials chose Maryland in light of its larger alumni base, well-traveled fans, and greater television marketing potential.
In week 12 of the 2008 season, Maryland possessed a 7–3 record and stood atop the ACC Atlantic Division. However, the Terps lost their final two regular season games and slid to a four-way tie for third place in the division. Earlier in the season, Maryland defeated four ranked opponents, a feat surpassed only by the two teams that played in the BCS National Championship Game
2009 BCS National Championship Game
The 2009 BCS National Championship Game, sponsored by FedEx, was an American football game played at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on January 8, 2009. It was the national championship game for the 2008 college football season, and featured the second-ranked Florida Gators against the...
, Florida
2008 Florida Gators football team
The 2008 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2008 college football season...
and Oklahoma
2008 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 2008 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football season of 2008-2009. It was the 114th year of season play for the Sooners. The team was led by head coach Bob Stoops, a two-time Walter Camp Coach of the Year award winner, who has a contract...
—and those each played an extra game with their conference championships. Maryland spent three weeks ranked in the top-25 of the Associated Press Poll.
WAC team selection
At the end of the 2008 season, the WAC had six bowl-eligible teams, five of which participated in bowl games. The WAC had three conference tie-ins: the New Mexico Bowl2008 New Mexico Bowl
*1st Quarter**FRES – Lonyae Miller 1 yard run , 11:46. Fresno State 7-0. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:14.**CSU – Grant Stucker 18 yard run , 09:37. Colorado State 7-7. Drive: 4 plays, 84 yards, 2:09....
in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
; the Hawaii Bowl in Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
; and the Humanitarian Bowl. Additionally, the WAC had provisions for conditional participation in the Poinsettia Bowl
2008 Poinsettia Bowl
The 2008 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl was the fourth edition of the college football bowl game, and was played at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. The game started at 5 PM US PST on Tuesday, December 23, 2008...
in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
; the Independence Bowl
2008 Independence Bowl
The 2008 Independence Bowl marked the thirty-third edition of the college football bowl game, and was played at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. The game was contested starting on Sunday, December 28, 2008, with a 7:15 PM US CST kickoff, telecast on ESPN. the contest pitted the...
in Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
; and the GMAC Bowl
2009 GMAC Bowl
The 2009 GMAC Bowl was the tenth anniversary edition of the American college football bowl game, and part of the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season the contest was played on January 6, 2009 at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama and featured the Tulsa Golden Hurricane playing the Ball...
in Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
.
In the past, the Humanitarian Bowl usually selected the WAC championship team. However, Boise State was not content to play a middle-grade ACC team after negotiations with Ball State failed. The WAC commissioner said that the Broncos would look for another match-up that had "the same type of sizzle" as a match-up against Ball State. The Idaho Statesman
Idaho Statesman
The Idaho Statesman is a U.S. daily newspaper serving the Boise, Idaho metropolitan area. The paper has a circulation of 61,000 daily, 83,038 Sunday, and employs about 300 people. It is owned by The McClatchy Company....
added that "The Terrapins don't 'sizzle.'" Boise State traveled to the Poinsettia Bowl, where they faced 11th-ranked TCU, which had lost only to the BCS-bound Oklahoma and Utah teams.
In Nevada's final regular season game, Kaepernick led the Wolf Pack in a second-half comeback to defeat Louisiana Tech
2008 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football team
The 2008 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football team represents Louisiana Tech University in the college football season of 2008. LA Tech competes in the Western Athletic Conference and plays their home games at Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston, LA. The team is coached by Derek Dooley, who is in his second...
. The seventh win guaranteed Nevada a berth in one of the three WAC tie-in bowls. The Wolf Pack finished the season in a three-way tie for second place in the WAC alongside Hawaii
2008 Hawaii Warriors football team
The 2008 Hawaii Warriors football team represented the University of Hawaii at Mānoa in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS college football season....
and Louisiana Tech. Hawaii had a standing contract with the home-town Hawaii Bowl where it played Notre Dame
2008 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 2008 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2008 college football season. The team's head football coach is Charlie Weis. The Irish play their home games at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana...
. Louisiana Tech, having lost to both Nevada and Hawaii, appeared unlikely to be selected for a bowl at all. However, the Bulldogs were able to take advantage of a provisional WAC berth in the Independence Bowl since neither the Big 12
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
nor the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
could provide eligible teams. Two other WAC teams achieved bowl eligibility with 6–6 records. Fresno State
2008 Fresno State Bulldogs football team
The 2008 Fresno State football team represent California State University, Fresno and the Central Valley in the 2008 college football season. The team is coached by 12th-year head coach Pat Hill, who has a contract lasting though the 2010 season...
secured a slot in the New Mexico Bowl, but San Jose State
2008 San Jose State Spartans football team
The 2008 San José State Football Team represented San José State University in the 2008 college football season. This season was the Spartans' fourth season with Dick Tomey as head coach. Many changes have been made in the starting line-ups, and had impacted the games the Spartans' have played...
was unable to find an at-large berth.
With Boise State's decision to decline the Humanitarian Bowl invitation, the organizing committee looked to Nevada. Like Maryland, Nevada ended the regular season with a 7–5 record. The Wolf Pack's schedule included losses against then sixth-ranked Missouri
2008 Missouri Tigers football team
The 2008 Missouri Tigers football team represented the University of Missouri in college football's 2008 season. The team was coached by Gary Pinkel, who returned in his eighth season with Mizzou, and played their home games at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium.Quarterback Chase Daniel returned for...
, ninth-ranked Boise State, and 12th-ranked Texas Tech
2008 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team
The 2008 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team represented Texas Tech University in the college football season of 2008/09. The team was coached by Mike Leach. The Red Raiders played their home games at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. The football team competed in the Division I Football Bowl...
. Nevada finished the regular season ranked second nationally in rushing offense and fifth in total offense. The Wolf Pack possessed two 1,000-yard rushers
Rush (American football)
Rushing has two different meanings in gridiron football .-Offense:The first is an action taken by the offensive team that means to advance the ball by running, as opposed to passing. A run is technically any play that does not involve a forward pass...
: dual-threat quarterback Colin Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick
Colin Rand Kaepernick is an American football quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He played college football at Nevada.-Personal:...
and running back Vai Taua
Vai Taua
Vailala "Vai" Lima Taua is an American football running back, for the practice squad of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at Nevada.-Early years:Taua was born in Fountain Valley,...
. Kaepernick also threw for more than 2,000 yards.
On December 7, 2008, the Humanitarian Bowl officially extended invitations to Maryland and Nevada, both of which were accepted.
Location
Bronco Stadium
Bronco Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Boise, Idaho, the home field of the Boise State Broncos of the Mountain West Conference. Since 1997, it has hosted the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Bronco Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Boise, Idaho, the home field of the Boise State Broncos...
in Boise, Idaho, the home field of Boise State University
Boise State University
Boise State University is a public university located in Boise, Idaho. Originally founded in 1932 as a junior college by the Episcopal Church, the university became an independent institution in 1934, and has been awarding baccalaureate and master degrees since 1965...
. The field's blue artificial turf has the distinction of being the only non-green playing field in use by a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision team. Due to the color of its field, the stadium is nicknamed "The Blue" and the field itself is sometimes colloquially referred to as "smurf
The Smurfs
The Smurfs is a comic and television franchise centred on a group of small blue fictional creatures called Smurfs, created and first introduced as a series of comic strips by the Belgian cartoonist Peyo on October 23, 1958...
turf".
Pundits and opponents have asserted that Boise State benefits from an added advantage by wearing their blue home uniforms to match the playing field. Boise State possessed a 64–2 record at Bronco Stadium from 1998 to 2008. Nevada, designated as the home team, likewise wore blue uniforms during the Humanitarian Bowl.
ACC teams viewed a berth in the Humanitarian Bowl as undesirable due to its location. Aside from being one of the lower priority tie-ins, the destination is far outside the conference's geographic footprint. Travel costs from the East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
are prohibitively expensive and historically caused low turnout among ACC fans. In addition, the game is hosted at a cold-weather venue, which is a disadvantage in comparison with ACC bowl games in places such as Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
The game historically relied on local ticket sales, and the participating schools struggled to sell their alloted tickets. On December 8, a Boise-area television news station reported that Maryland and Nevada had sold just sixteen and eight tickets, respectively. The story was widely circulated by sports-related blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
s, but the figures were discredited by a Maryland official. On December 18, the Reno Gazette-Journal
Reno Gazette-Journal
The Reno Gazette-Journal is the main daily newspaper for Reno, Nevada. It came into being when the Nevada State Journal and the Reno Evening Gazette were combined in 1983...
reported that 100 tickets had been sold by Nevada. Maryland officials admitted that ticket sales among its fans were expected to be low, with one stating they were in the "mid-hundreds" a week and a half from the game date. According to a Baltimore Sun reporter, Maryland's final ticket figure was about 800. By comparison, Clemson
2001 Clemson Tigers football team
The 2001 Clemson Tigers football team represented Clemson University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A college football during the 2001 season. Clemson competed as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference ....
sold about 3,500 tickets for the 2001 Humanitarian Bowl
2001 Humanitarian Bowl
The 2001 edition to the Humanitarian Bowl was the 5th edition of the bowl game. It featured the Clemson Tigers, and the .-Game summary:Louisiana Tech scored first on a 29 yard field goal from placekicker Josh Scobee, giving the Bulldogs a 3–0 lead...
, and Georgia Tech
2007 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team
The 2007 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the college football season of 2007–2008. The team's coach was former Dallas Cowboys, Samford Bulldogs, and Troy Trojans coach Chan Gailey...
sold about 250 tickets for the 2007 Humanitarian Bowl
2007 Humanitarian Bowl
The 2007 Roady's Humanitarian Bowl, part of the 2007-08 NCAA football bowl games season, was played on December 31, 2007 at Bronco Stadium on the campus of Boise State University in Boise, Idaho....
.
Team comparison
|-|- align="center"
| 355.0 (60th) || Total defense || 395.6 (92nd)
|- align="center"
| 205.6 (57th) || Passing defense || 321.1 (120th)
|- align="center"
| 149.4 (74th) || Rushing defense || 74.5 (3rd)
|- align="center"
| 21.4 (37th) || Scoring defense || 31.5 (99th)
|-
| colspan=3|Sources:
|-
|}
Predictions for the game varied, but generally favored Nevada with Maryland as the underdog
Underdog (competition)
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, frequently in electoral politics, sports and creative works, who is popularly expected to lose. The party, team or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the rare case where an underdog wins, the outcome is an upset. These...
. Several publications, including Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
, named Nevada as three-point favorites in spread betting
Spread betting
Spread betting is any of various types of wagering on the outcome of an event, where the pay-off is based on the accuracy of the wager, rather than a simple "win or lose" outcome, such as fixed-odds betting or parimutuel betting. A spread is a range of outcomes and the bet is whether the outcome...
. ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's ACC correspondent predicted Nevada to win by 21 points. Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
betting firms assigned Nevada as 0.5- to 3.0-point favorites. The over-under
Over-under
An over-under or over/under bet is a wager in which a sportsbook will predict a number for a statistic in a given game , and bettors wager that the actual number in the game will be either higher or lower than that number...
was predicted to be between 60.0 and 62.0 points.
Under head coach Ralph Friedgen
Ralph Friedgen
Ralph Harry Friedgen is an American football coach. He was the head coach at the University of Maryland from 2001 to 2010. Friedgen was previously an offensive coordinator at Maryland, Georgia Tech, and in the National Football League with the San Diego Chargers...
, Maryland had earned a reputation for inconsistency, sometimes even being referred to as "schizophrenic". During the regular season, the Terrapins managed to beat four of the five top-25 teams they faced: 23rd-ranked California
2008 California Golden Bears football team
The 2008 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in the college football 2008-2009 season. They played their home games at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California and are coached by Jeff Tedford...
, 20th-ranked Clemson, 21st-ranked Wake Forest, and 16th-ranked North Carolina. All of those teams subsequently participated in bowl games. However, Maryland also lost to teams they were expected to defeat. They lost by ten points to 12.5-point underdogs Middle Tennessee State
2008 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team
The 2008 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team represented Middle Tennessee State University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the 2008 season. Middle Tennessee competed as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The team...
. Maryland suffered a 31-point shut-out against Virginia
2008 Virginia Cavaliers Football Team
The 2008 Virginia Cavaliers football team represented the University of Virginia during the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season. It was Virginia's 55th season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference . The Cavaliers were led by...
, a team (then 1–3) that had lost to Duke
2008 Duke Blue Devils football team
The 2008 Duke Blue Devils football team represented the Duke University in the college football season of 2008-2009. The team was led by head coach David Cutcliffe...
, 31–3, the week prior.
Nevada suffered three of its five losses against then top-twelve ranked teams. They lost to Big 12 Championship runner-up Missouri and Texas Tech, which, in midseason, was in contention for the national championship and was led by Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
prospect Graham Harrell
Graham Harrell
Graham Harrell is an American football quarterback. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers and is currently on their scout team. He played college football at Texas Tech.-Early years:...
. Nevada managed a close game against Boise State. The Wolf Pack lost by seven points to a team that recorded an average 21.4-point margin of victory in a perfect 12–0 regular season. Boise State preserved victory when a Hail Mary pass
Hail Mary pass
A Hail Mary pass or Hail Mary route in American football refers to any very long forward pass made in desperation with only a small chance of success, especially at or near the end of a half....
from Kaepernick was broken up in the final seconds. Nevada, however, was also accused of inconsistent play. The Wolf Pack suffered a home loss to "perennial WAC bottom-feeder" , 48–45.
Maryland offense vs. Nevada defense
Maryland's offense was run by first-year offensive coordinatorOffensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
and former wide receivers coach
Wide receivers coach
A wide receivers coach is a coach in charge of the wide receivers in gridiron football. The wide receivers coach typically operates under a team's offensive coordinator. This coach also typically resides in the coach's box on gameday, often accompanied by or in place of the offensive coordinator....
James Franklin, who utilized a West Coast
West Coast offense
In American football, "West Coast Offense" refers to two similar but distinct offensive-strategic-systems of play: the "Air Coryell" system; or more commonly the pass play system popularized by Bill Walsh...
system. During the 2008 regular season, starting quarterback Chris Turner
Chris Turner (American football)
Chris Turner is an American football quarterback. He played quarterback for the Maryland Terrapins at the University of Maryland from 2007 to 2009...
threw for 2,318 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. NFL Draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
prospect Darrius Heyward-Bey
Darrius Heyward-Bey
-Oakland Raiders:During Organized Team Activities following the draft, Heyward-Bey practiced early but was plagued by multiple hamstring injuries. On July 30, 2009, the Oakland Raiders agreed to terms on a five-year deal with Heyward-Bey.-External links:***...
accumulated 561 receiving yards in ten games. Heyward-Bey also recorded 208 rushing yards and was often utilized in reverses
Reverse (American football)
A reverse is a relatively common trick play in American football that involves one or more abrupt changes in the lateral flow of a rushing play.-Variations:...
and other trick play
Trick play
A trick play, also known as a gadget play or a gimmick play, is a play in American football that uses deception and unorthodox strategies to fool the opposing team. A trick play is often risky, offering the potential for a large gain or a touchdown if it is successful, but with the chance of a...
s due to his breakaway speed. Maryland had another offensive weapon in running back Da'Rel Scott
Da'Rel Scott
Da'Rel Scott is an American football running back for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was the starting running back for the Maryland Terrapins at the University of Maryland...
, who ran for 959 yards during the regular season. Overall, the rushing offense gained 134.5 yards per game and was ranked 72nd in the nation. Against Virginia Tech
2008 Virginia Tech Hokies football team
The 2008 Virginia Tech Hokies football team represents Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach is Frank Beamer. Prior to the season, the Hokies were expected to be in a rebuilding mode, recovering after the...
and Boston College
2008 Boston College Eagles football team
The 2008 Boston College Eagles football team represented Boston College during the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season. It was Boston College's fourth season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference . The Eagles were led by...
, Maryland rushed for −12 and −6 yards, respectively. The previous year, in the 2007 Emerald Bowl
2007 Emerald Bowl
The 2007 Emerald Bowl, part of the 2007-08 NCAA football bowl games season, was played on December 27, 2007, at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California, with the Atlantic Coast Conference represented by the Maryland Terrapins against the Oregon State Beavers, representing the Pacific-10...
against Oregon State
2007 Oregon State Beavers football team
The 2007 Oregon State Beavers football team represented Oregon State University in the college football season of 2007-2008. The team's head coach is Mike Riley. Home games are played at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Oregon.-Season notes:...
, Maryland recorded 19 yards on the ground against the then second-ranked rushing defense.
About Maryland, Nevada head coach Chris Ault
Chris Ault
Chris Ault is the current college football head coach of the University of Nevada Wolf Pack. Ault, along with John Gagliardi, is one of two active coaches who have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame....
said, "Their offense to me is very balanced. They can run the ball and do a good job. With [quarterback Chris] Turner, they split out and they have some nice receivers. Whereas Missouri was going to throw it as much as Texas Tech did, I think Maryland is probably one of the more balanced teams we've played this year."
The Maryland offense faced first-year defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
Nigel Burton
Nigel Burton
Nigel Burton is the current head coach for the Portland State Vikings college football team.-Playing career:Burton grew up in Sacramento where he attended Jesuit High School...
's Nevada defense. It ranked third in the nation against the run, allowing 74.5 rushing yards per game, but was last (120th) in the nation in passing defense, allowing an average of 321.1 passing yards per game. Nevada was ranked eighth in the number of quarterback sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
s with 35. Kevin Basped
Kevin Basped
Kevin Basped Kevin Basped Kevin Basped (born May 19, 1988 in Sacramento, California is an American football defensive end for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Nevada....
, ranked tenth in the nation in sacks, and Dontay Moch
Dontay Moch
Dontay Moch is an American Football Linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He played collegiate football for the University of Nevada.-Early years:...
, ranked fifteenth, accumulated more than nine each. Maryland quarterback Turner was sacked 11 times in the Terrapins' last two games against Florida State
2008 Florida State Seminoles football team
The 2008 Florida State Seminoles football team represented Florida State University during the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season. It was Florida State's 17th season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference .The previous...
and Boston College. Nevada was also ranked sixth nationally in tackles for loss, with an average of 8.0 per game.
Nevada offense vs. Maryland defense
In 2008, Nevada typically ran an offensive scheme referred to as the "pistol offensePistol Offense
The pistol offense is an American football formation and strategy developed in 2004 by Chris Ault, the University of Nevada head coach. It is a hybrid of the traditional shotgun and single back offenses. In the pistol offense, also commonly referred to as the "pistol formation", the quarterback...
", a system that was pioneered by head coach Chris Ault
Chris Ault
Chris Ault is the current college football head coach of the University of Nevada Wolf Pack. Ault, along with John Gagliardi, is one of two active coaches who have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame....
. In the pistol offense, the quarterback lines up four yards directly behind the center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
and with a running back directly behind the quarterback. Under the system, the offense attempts to keep the opposing defense off balance by diversifying the types of plays that can be run, with a focus on running up the middle, "quarterback keepers" in which the passer runs the ball, and play action pass
Play action pass
A play-action pass is a type of American football play. The play action, or "PA" for short, appears to be a running play, but is actually a pass play; in this way, it can be considered the opposite of a draw play. Play-action passes are often used against defenses that are presently focused on...
es where the quarterback fakes a hand-off before throwing to a receiver. It aims to create man-to-man match-ups with the receivers and compensate for an undersized offensive line. With the running back obscured from view by the quarterback, it can also create confusion for the opposing linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
s and allow more effective deception, which is critical to play-action
Play action pass
A play-action pass is a type of American football play. The play action, or "PA" for short, appears to be a running play, but is actually a pass play; in this way, it can be considered the opposite of a draw play. Play-action passes are often used against defenses that are presently focused on...
fakes.
The system worked well during the regular season. Nevada starting quarterback and 2008 WAC Offensive Player of the Year Colin Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick
Colin Rand Kaepernick is an American football quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He played college football at Nevada.-Personal:...
ran for more than 1,100 yards and 16 touchdowns in addition to passing for 2,479 yards and 19 touchdowns. Alongside Kaepernick, Nevada's rushing offense was led by running back Vai Taua
Vai Taua
Vailala "Vai" Lima Taua is an American football running back, for the practice squad of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at Nevada.-Early years:Taua was born in Fountain Valley,...
, who ran for 1,420 yards and 14 touchdowns. With two 1,000-yard rushers for the first time in school history, Nevada ran for an average of 291.4 yards per game. Nevada was ranked fifth nationally in terms of total offense, averaging 510.6 yards per game.
With regards to facing the pistol offense, Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen
Ralph Friedgen
Ralph Harry Friedgen is an American football coach. He was the head coach at the University of Maryland from 2001 to 2010. Friedgen was previously an offensive coordinator at Maryland, Georgia Tech, and in the National Football League with the San Diego Chargers...
said, "If we can keep our assignments and tackle, we'll be OK. One missed tackle could be a big play ... With the throwing game, there could be a lot of one-on-one situations. To me, it's pick your poison. What they do best is run it. What we'd like to do is get them off schedule. If they mix it, then we're in trouble."
Nevada coach Ault said, "I think the Maryland defense is as physical as Missouri's was." Kaepernick said, "You notice how disciplined and how hard they play. They're never out of alignment. If they're supposed to be somewhere, they're going to be there and they're going to be ready to make a play. When plays come their way, they make them. That's something we have to be ready for. We have to find a weakness and exploit it."
Maryland coaching changes
After Maryland's last regular-season game, defensive coordinator Chris CoshChris Cosh
Chris Cosh , is an American football coach and currently holds the position of defensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Kansas State University...
and tight ends coach
Tight ends coach
A tight ends coach is a coach in charge of the tight ends in American football. The tight ends coach typically operates under the team's offensive coordinator....
and special teams assistant Danny Pearman announced their resignations. Cosh returned to Kansas State
Kansas State Wildcats football
The Kansas State Wildcats football program is the intercollegiate football program of the Kansas State University Wildcats. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference...
, where he had coached before Maryland, to assume defensive play-calling duties under recently re-hired head coach Bill Snyder
Bill Snyder
Bill Snyder is the head football coach at Kansas State University. He was rehired to the position on November 24, 2008, making Snyder one of the rare college football head coaches to have non-consecutive tenure at the same school. Snyder previously served as head coach at the school from 1989 to...
. Danny Pearman returned to his alma mater, Clemson
Clemson Tigers football
The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, to work for Dabo Swinney
Dabo Swinney
William Christopher "Dabo" Swinney is the head coach of the Clemson University Tigers football team; he was previously assistant head coach and wide receivers coach.-Playing career:...
, who had been promoted from offensive coordinator to interim head coach and, finally, head coach for the Tigers. For the bowl game, Maryland's defensive line coach
Defensive Line Coach
A defensive line coach is a coach that is in charge of the defensive line in gridiron football. This position is very common in the CFL, NFL, and college football programs. The defensive line coach serves the defense, which is led by the defensive coordinator. A defensive line coach works primarily...
, Al Seamonson, was named as the interim defensive coordinator. Third-year intern Brian White filled in for Pearman as the interim tight ends coach and would assist head coach Friedgen in running the special teams.
Maryland player suspensions
Shortly before the game, Maryland head coach Ralph FriedgenRalph Friedgen
Ralph Harry Friedgen is an American football coach. He was the head coach at the University of Maryland from 2001 to 2010. Friedgen was previously an offensive coordinator at Maryland, Georgia Tech, and in the National Football League with the San Diego Chargers...
placed partial-game suspensions on seven players who violated the team's pre-bowl curfew. The suspended players were linebackers Moise Fokou
Moise Fokou
Moise Fokou is an American football linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was selected by the Eagles in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Maryland and Frostburg State.-Early years:Fokou was born in Cameroon to parents...
, Trey Covington, Antwine Perez
Antwine Perez
Antwine Perez was an American college football player. He played as a free safety for the University of Maryland Terrapins. He played one season for the University of Southern California Trojans, before transferring...
, and Derek Drummond, cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Jamari McCollough, the quarterback's preferred third-down wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Danny Oquendo
Danny Oquendo
Daniel "Danny" Oquendo, Jr. is an American football player. He is a former wide receiver for the Maryland Terrapins of the University of Maryland.-Early years:...
, and leading running back Da'Rel Scott. All except Drummond were regular starters. Consequently, a much younger line-up started for Maryland, including, according to Friedgen, some who probably would not have seen playing time otherwise.
Friedgen stated that the curfew violations occurred over several nights, and that different players violated the rule to separate degrees. He informed Maryland athletic director Deborah Yow
Deborah Yow
Deborah A. Yow is an American college sports administrator and former college basketball coach. She is currently the director of athletics at North Carolina State University, and formerly held the same position at the University of Maryland and Saint Louis University...
of the infractions and initially suggested sending all of the curfew violators back to Maryland by bus. Yow dissented, and they agreed to suspend the players for part of the game. Describing the incident, Friedgen said that "Five percent of [the] guys thought they didn't need to listen to me, that they could get bed checked and sneak out." He added, "But I checked again at 1 o'clock. "This is not my first rodeo
This Ain't My First Rodeo
"This Ain't My First Rodeo" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Vern Gosdin. It was released in July 1990 as the lead single from his album, 10 Years of Greatest Hits.-Background:...
."
Game summary
The 2008 Humanitarian Bowl kicked off at 2:30 p.m. Mountain TimeMountain Time Zone
The Mountain Time Zone of North America keeps time by subtracting seven hours from Coordinated Universal Time, also known as Greenwich Mean Time, during the shortest days of autumn and winter , and by subtracting six hours during daylight saving time in the spring, summer, and early autumn...
on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 in front of a crowd of 26,781 spectators at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho. The weather conditions were cloudy with a temperature of 38 °F (3 °C) and wind at eight mph (12.9 km/h) from the southeast. The officiating staff
Official (American football)
In American football, an official is a person who has responsibility in enforcing the rules and maintaining the order of the game.During professional and college football games, seven officials operate on the field...
consisted of referee Clair Gausman, umpire Rico Orsot, linesman Cal McNeill, line judge Gary McNanna, back judge Tom Bessant, field judge Shane Standley, side judge Kim Nelson, and scorer Mike Cannon. The game was televised on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and drew a television rating
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of 2.1 for an estimated 3,039,000 viewers. It was a 218% increase in television viewers from the previous season's game.
First quarter
The game started with Maryland receiving the kickoffKickoff (American football)
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in American football and Canadian football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team"...
, which Kenny Tate
Kenny Tate
Kenny Tate is an American football player. He plays college football as a safety for the Maryland Terrapins at the University of Maryland. He was recruited as a wide receiver, but as a true freshman in 2008, was converted to the safety position...
returned 17 yards to the Terrapins' 35-yard line. Quarterback Chris Turner
Chris Turner (American football)
Chris Turner is an American football quarterback. He played quarterback for the Maryland Terrapins at the University of Maryland from 2007 to 2009...
threw a short pass
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
to Torrey Smith
Torrey Smith
James Torrey Smith is an American wide receiver and kickoff returner in the National Football League. He was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2011 NFL Draft. Smith attended Stafford Senior High School in Stafford, Virginia, where he played basketball and football. He accepted a scholarship...
, bringing the ball to the Maryland 41-yard line, and then threw an incomplete pass
Incomplete pass
An incomplete pass is a term in American football which means that a legal forward pass hits the ground before a player on either team gains possession. For example, if the quarterback throws the ball to one of his wide receivers, and the receiver either does not touch it or tries to catch it...
. On third down with three yards to go, Turner connected with freshman Adrian Cannon for a 59-yard touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
pass. However, placekicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
Obi Egekeze
Obi Egekeze
Chukweume Obi Egekeze is an American football placekicker. He played college football for the University of Maryland from 2006 to 2008. He was the team's starting placekicker in 2007 and 2008, scoring 164 points, kicking 32 field goals, and converting 68 consecutive extra points without a miss...
missed the extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
.
In subsequent possessions, Nevada and Maryland both failed to gain first downs and exchanged punts
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
. Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick
Colin Rand Kaepernick is an American football quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He played college football at Nevada.-Personal:...
then led a drive that included a 68-yard pass to the Maryland three-yard line. The Terrapins' defense stopped two rushing attempts by Vai Taua
Vai Taua
Vailala "Vai" Lima Taua is an American football running back, for the practice squad of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at Nevada.-Early years:Taua was born in Fountain Valley,...
, but a short pass to wide receiver Chris Wellington was completed for Nevada's first touchdown. With the extra point, Nevada took the lead, 7–6. Wolf Pack placekicker Brett Jaekle executed a 69-yard kickoff to Torrey Smith, and he returned it 99 yards for a second Maryland touchdown. Egekeze made the extra point and Maryland regained the lead, 13–7, with 7:53 remaining in the quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff, Egekeze attempted to kick the ball as it fell off the tee
Tee
A tee is a stand used to support a stationary ball so that the player can strike it, particularly in golf, tee ball, American football, and rugby.- Etymology :...
. This resulted in an unintentional squib
Squib kick
A squib kick is a term used in American football meaning a short, low, line drive kickoff that usually bounces around on the ground before it can be picked up by a member of the receiving team. The ball is kicked so short that it forces the receiving team's slower players to recover the ball first...
that was returned 36 yards to the Terps' nine-yard line. Nevada's Kaepernick attempted to rush but was stopped for no gain. On the next play, he threw the ball into the end zone
End zone
In gridiron-based codes of football, the end zone refers to the scoring area on the field. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field...
, but it was intercepted
Interception (football)
An interception, intercept or pick is a move in many forms of football, including Canadian and American football, as well as rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, which involves a pass, either by foot or hand, being caught by an opposition player, who usually...
by Maryland safety Kenny Tate, resulting in a touchback
Touchback
In American football, a touchback is a ruling which is made and signaled by an official when the ball becomes dead behind or above a goal line and the team who is attacking that goal line is responsible for the ball being there. Responsibility is determined by which team gave the ball the impetus...
. The Terps started on their own 20-yard line, and running back Davin Meggett
Davin Meggett
Davin Meggett is an American college football running back for the Maryland Terrapins. He currently is the starting running back for the Terrapins. He is the son of former NFL player Dave Meggett.-Early life:...
rushed for 13 yards and a first down. Turner then linked up with freshman receiver Ronnie Tyler
Ronnie Tyler
Ronnie Tyler is an American college football player. He is a wide receiver for the Maryland Terrapins of the University of Maryland.-Early years:...
for another first down at the Maryland 49-yard line. After a false start penalty, the Terps were unable to gain a first down and punted the ball away. The ball rolled into the end zone for a touchback, and Nevada started the final drive of the quarter at its 20-yard line. Kaepernick then passed for two first downs, picked up another due to a pass interference
Pass interference
In American and Canadian gridiron football, pass interference is a penalty that occurs when a player interferes with an eligible receiver's ability to make a fair attempt to catch a forward pass. Pass interference may include tripping, pushing, pulling, or cutting in front of the receiver or...
call against Maryland, and scrambled
Quarterback scramble
A quarterback scramble or scramble is an impromptu maneuver or run in American football and Canadian football by a quarterback. If a quarterback is under pressure by an opposing team's defense, he may run forward, backward, or laterally in an attempt to avoid being tackled behind the line of...
for yet another. He then handed off to Taua, who rushed 17 yards for a touchdown. Nevada re-took the lead, 14–13, with 46 seconds remaining in the quarter.
Nevada's Jaekle made a short kick-off, and Maryland tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
Dan Gronkowski
Dan Gronkowski
Dan Gronkowski is an American football tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft...
returned the ball eight yards to the Maryland 44-yard line. On the final play of the quarter, Turner handed the ball off to sophomore running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Morgan Green
Morgan Green
Morgan Green is an American former college and high school football player. He played as a running back for the Maryland Terrapins at the University of Maryland. He played interscholastic football for Henry E...
, who picked up three yards. The quarter ended with Nevada leading, 14–13.
Second quarter
The second quarter began with Maryland in possession of the ball at its 47-yard line. On the first play of the quarter, Turner handed off to Green, who broke free of the Nevada defense for a 53-yard gain and a touchdown. The score and extra point gave Maryland a six-point lead, 20–14, with 14:50 remaining in the first half.Nevada and Maryland then exchanged punts three times, and the Wolf Pack punted it away a fourth time. In the span of two series, Kaepernick was sacked
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
three times, once each by linebackers Dave Philistin
Dave Philistin
Dave Philistin is an American football linebacker. He played for the Maryland Terrapins at the University of Maryland. Philistin is a 2011 UFL Draft choice of the Las Vegas Locomotives.-Early years:...
, Alex Wujciak
Alex Wujciak
Alex Wujciak is an American football linebacker. He was signed by the Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at Maryland.-Early years:Wujciak was born on April 15, 1988 to Alan and Erin Wujciak in West Caldwell, New Jersey...
, and Adrian Moten. As a result, Kaepernick suffered an ankle sprain and played the rest of the game, but he noticeably favored his uninjured side. The Terps took over on their 47-yard line with 0:29 remaining in the half. Turner completed an eight-yard pass to Ronnie Tyler, and a Nevada hit out-of-bounds resulted in a 15-yard penalty against Nevada and a first down for Maryland. After two incomplete passes, Turner then converted on third down again with a toss to Tyler for 16 yards and then once more for 14 yards and a touchdown to bring the score to 26–14 in Maryland's favor. The Terps elected to attempt a two-point conversion
Two-point conversion
In American and Canadian football, a two-point conversion is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point convert immediately after it scores a touchdown...
, and Turner completed a pass to a wide-open Meggett in the right side of the end zone. With six seconds remaining in the first half, Maryland had a 28–14 lead. Nevada received Maryland's kickoff, but elected to run out the clock
Running out the clock
In sports, running out the clock refers to the practice of a winning team allowing the clock to expire through a series of pre-selected plays, either to preserve a lead or hasten the end of a one-sided contest.- American football :...
and head into halftime.
Third quarter
Maryland kicked off to Nevada to start the second half, and the teams again exchanged punts twice. Kaepernick sat out the next series due to his sprained ankle. Backup quarterback Nick Graziano took over but was unable to complete two passes and Nevada punted a third time. In the next series, Turner threw an interception to Nevada safety Jonathan Amaya, who returned it for 33 yards to the Maryland 22-yard line, then fumbleFumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
d. The ball was recovered by Nevada, and Kaepernick capitalized on the turnover with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Taua, narrowing Nevada's deficit to 28–21.
Jaekle kicked off to the Maryland 30-yard line where it was returned by Green for two yards. A fresh Da'Rel Scott
Da'Rel Scott
Da'Rel Scott is an American football running back for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was the starting running back for the Maryland Terrapins at the University of Maryland...
then made his first appearance in the game. He carried the ball four times in succession to advance to the Nevada 46-yard line. On third down with nine yards to go, Turner was sacked by defensive lineman Kevin Basped
Kevin Basped
Kevin Basped Kevin Basped Kevin Basped (born May 19, 1988 in Sacramento, California is an American football defensive end for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Nevada....
and the ball was knocked loose. It was picked up by Wolf Pack linebacker Brandon Marshall who then also fumbled. Maryland offensive lineman Scott Burley
Scott Burley
Scott Burley is an American football offensive lineman for the Washington Redskins. He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins at the University of Maryland.-Early years:...
recovered it on the Nevada 45-yard line. The alternating changes in possession gave Maryland a first down, and Turner then connected with Darrius Heyward-Bey
Darrius Heyward-Bey
-Oakland Raiders:During Organized Team Activities following the draft, Heyward-Bey practiced early but was plagued by multiple hamstring injuries. On July 30, 2009, the Oakland Raiders agreed to terms on a five-year deal with Heyward-Bey.-External links:***...
on an 11-yard pass for another first down. Scott rushed twice to pick up a first down at the Nevada 23-yard line. After a rush by Meggett, Turner was sacked by defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
Dontay Moch
Dontay Moch
Dontay Moch is an American Football Linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He played collegiate football for the University of Nevada.-Early years:...
and again fumbled. This time, Nevada recovered the ball and retained possession. Kaepernick then passed to wide receiver Mike McCoy for 38 yards to the Maryland 27-yard line. Vai Taua picked up seven yards on a rush attempt, and the quarter came to an end with Maryland leading, 28–21.
Fourth quarter
The fourth quarter began with Nevada in possession of the ball at the Maryland 20-yard line. The first play of the quarter was a rush attempt by Taua, but he fumbled and recovered the ball for a loss of one yard. On the second play of the quarter, Kaepernick completed a 21-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Marko MitchellMarko Mitchell
Marko Terrell Mitchell is an American football wide receiver who is currently a Free Agent. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft...
, tying the score at 28–28.
Following the Nevada kickoff, Turner handed off to Scott, who picked up two yards. After an incomplete pass, Turner connected with Torrey Smith on a 26-yard toss for a third-down conversion. Scott then rushed for three yards to the Nevada 49-yard line, and carried
Carry (American football)
In American football, a carry is a statistical term equivalent to a single rushing play. The term is typically used in reference to "yards per carry," meaning yards per attempt rushing the ball. Any offensive player who performs a carry is known as a ballcarrier, regardless of position....
it again down the middle, this time breaking free for a 49-yard touchdown run. On the following Nevada series, Kaepernick mounted a 38-yard drive to the Maryland 34-yard line, but failed to convert on fourth and 12. On the next series, Da'Rel Scott was handed the ball four times in succession to pick up first downs with rushes of 11, 23, 30 yards and a touchdown on a two-yard run. The score and extra point gave Maryland a two-touchdown lead, 42–28. Nevada's offense returned to the field with 7:44 remaining in the game and used almost three minutes in a 37-yard drive that culminated in an interception by Maryland safety Jeff Allen on the Maryland 38-yard line. After no gain on a rush by running back Morgan Green, Maryland attempted an end-around
End-around
The end-around is a play in American football in which a wide receiver crosses the backfield towards the opposite end of the line and receives a handoff directly from the quarterback. The receiver then may proceed to do one of two things: he either runs the ball towards the line of scrimmage in...
. Turner was stepped on, and the handoff was botched. The intended recipient, Heyward-Bey, dropped the ball but managed to recover it for a loss of six yards. After Nevada called a time out, Green rushed for a five-yard gain. Nevada expended its last remaining time out to stop the clock with 4:06 left. Maryland punted it away on fourth down with 11 yards to go.
Kaepernick took over on the Nevada 23-yard line with 4:01 and made four completions to drive to the Terps' 15-yard line. Exploiting a large opening, Kaepernick held onto the ball and ran
Quarterback scramble
A quarterback scramble or scramble is an impromptu maneuver or run in American football and Canadian football by a quarterback. If a quarterback is under pressure by an opposing team's defense, he may run forward, backward, or laterally in an attempt to avoid being tackled behind the line of...
it into the end zone to narrow Maryland's lead to one touchdown, 42–35, with 2:19 remaining. Jaekle attempted an onside kick
Onside kick
In American and Canadian football, an onside kick is a type of kick used at a kickoff or other free kick, or scrimmage kick or other kick during play, in which the ball is kicked favorably for the kicking team to avoid giving away the ball...
in an effort to give Nevada another chance on offense, but the ball was recovered by Maryland receiver Danny Oquendo
Danny Oquendo
Daniel "Danny" Oquendo, Jr. is an American football player. He is a former wide receiver for the Maryland Terrapins of the University of Maryland.-Early years:...
. Scott rushed for two and then 19 yards. With the first down, Maryland had enough time to run out the clock
Quarterback kneel
In American football, a quarterback kneel, also called taking a knee, genuflect offense, or victory formation occurs when the quarterback immediately kneels to the ground after receiving the snap. It is primarily used to run the clock down, either at the end of the first half or the game itself, in...
and clinch the 42–35 victory.
Scoring summary
Statistics
The 2008 Humanitarian Bowl Most Valuable PlayerMost Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
honors were awarded to Maryland running back Da'Rel Scott, who rushed for 174 yards, and Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who threw for 370 yards. Each was the statistical leader at his respective position, and Scott scored Maryland's two final touchdowns to break the 28–28 stalemate. Scott also was able to help Maryland clinch the victory in the final minutes by rushing for a first down that allowed the team to run out the clock.
Records
The 77 points scored in the game tied the Humanitarian Bowl record for total points, which had been set in 1998 by Idaho1998 Idaho Vandals football team
The 1998 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1998 college football season. The Vandals, led by fourth-year head coach Chris Tormey, were members of the Big West Conference and played their home games at the Kibbie Dome, an indoor facility on campus in Moscow,...
and .
Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick set the Humanitarian Bowl passing yardage record with 370 yards through the air
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
, and he scored three touchdowns in the process. Despite the loss, Kaepernick's team outperformed Maryland in terms of passing yardage, total offense, first downs, and time of possession.
Maryland freshman wide receiver Torrey Smith, with his 99-yard kickoff return, broke the all-time Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
single-season kickoff return yards record with 1,089 yards. Smith also broke the Humanitarian Bowl kick return record, which was previously 98 yards.
With 174 yards, Da'Rel Scott set the Maryland record for rushing yards in a bowl game, despite playing just one and a half quarters due to his curfew suspension. The previous record was 165 yards, set by Lu Gambino
Lu Gambino
Lucien Anthony "Lu" Gambino was an American football running back. He played college football for Indiana University, and after military service in the Second World War, the University of Maryland...
in Maryland's first bowl game, the 1948 Gator Bowl
1948 Gator Bowl
The 1948 Gator Bowl was the third edition of the Gator Bowl and featured the Georgia Bulldogs representing the University of Georgia and the Maryland Terrapins representing the University of Maryland. It was the first-ever meeting of the two teams....
. Scott also broke the 1,000 yards-per-season barrier, making him one of just seven players in school history to do so. Scott said earlier in the year that reaching the 1,000-yard benchmark was a personal goal he set for the 2008 season. Between Scott and Davin Meggett, Maryland also came the closest it ever has to having both a 1,000- and 500-yard rusher in the same season. Meggett fell just 43 yards shy of the 500-yard mark.
Nevada set a school record for single-season total offensive yards, recording 6,611 in 2008. This surpassed the previous record of 6,263 yards, set in 1995.
Maryland statistical recap
Four Maryland backups who saw significant playing time due to the suspensions scored touchdowns: second-string slot receiver Ronnie Tyler, second-string X-receiver Torrey Smith, third-string slot receiver Adrian Cannon, and third-string running back Morgan Green.Maryland compiled 456 yards of total offense: 198 in the air and 258 yards on the ground. Quarterback Chris Turner completed passes to five receivers during the game: Ronnie Tyler (five), Darrius Heyward-Bey (four), Torrey Smith (two), Adrian Cannon (one), and Emani Lee-Odai (one). Cannon and Tyler each caught a pass for a touchdown. Running back Davin Meggett caught a pass for a two-point conversion. Turner also threw one interception.
On the ground, rushing attempts were made by running backs Da'Rel Scott (14 for 174 yards), Morgan Green (10 for 72 yards), and Davin Meggett (10 for 35 yards). Wide receiver Heyward-Bey also made a rushing attempt, but dropped the ball and recovered it for a loss of six yards.
Maryland had previously shown an ability to strike quickly on offense and did so again in the game. In the 2008 season, the team scored 18 out of 28 touchdowns in drives consisting of six or fewer plays or less than two minutes of game time. This led to the team often trailing opponents in time of possession. In the Humanitarian Bowl, Maryland continued the pattern by scoring in the first 1:01 with a 59-yard Chris Turner pass to Adrian Cannon. Maryland also possessed the ball for 2:26 less than Nevada.
Maryland, which was third-best in the ACC in third down attempts (40.4%), did comparatively poorly during the game, converting only four of 14 third downs (28.6%).
Defensively, Maryland was able to hold the nation's third-ranked rushing offense to just 114 yards on the ground. Nevada quarterback Kaepernick, who ran for 1,115 yards, was held to just 19 rushing yards, 15 of which were gained during a touchdown run. Two players made their first career interceptions: true freshman safety Kenny Tate and senior defensive back Jeff Allen. Tate's interception in the Maryland end zone prevented a Nevada score, while Allen's interception with 4:54 remaining helped seal the victory for Maryland. Offensive lineman Scott Burley forced a fumble against Nevada linebacker Brandon Marshall, who had recovered a third-down fumble by Turner. Burley subsequently recovered the forced fumble and gave Maryland a first down.
Maryland's special teams recorded one touchdown when Torrey Smith returned a kickoff for 99 yards. After the first touchdown of the game, senior placekicker Obi Egekeze missed an extra point for the first time in his career. Early in the season, Egekeze missed his first five field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
attempts, but, prior to the Humanitarian Bowl, he had made all 64 extra-point attempts of his career. After the first failed kick, Egekeze made the other five extra-point attempts of the game. The placekicker also erred when he attempted to kick the ball as it fell off the tee, resulting in a short 15-yard kick which was returned 36 yards by Nevada to the Maryland nine-yard line.
Nevada statistical recap
Nevada recorded better statistics than Maryland in several areas despite ultimately losing the game. The Wolf Pack compiled seven more first downs, 172 more passing yards, 28 more total offensive yards, 15 fewer penalty yards, 15.8% more third down conversions, and 2:26 more time in possession of the ball.In the passing game, Colin Kaepernick achieved a 51.1% pass completion rate (24 out of 47). He threw for 370 yards, including three touchdowns. He completed passes to Mike McCoy (13), Marko Mitchell (five), Chris Wellington (three), Arthur King, Jr. (two), and Vai Taua (one). Mitchell, Wellington, and Taua each caught a pass for a touchdown. Due to Kaepernick's injury, backup quarterback Nick Graziano played for one series but was unable to make a completion on two attempts.
On the ground, Nevada struggled against the Maryland defense, recording 114 rushing yards, far fewer than its 291.4 per game average. Running plays were attempted by Kaepernick and Taua, who made 23 carries for 101 yards and one touchdown. Despite suffering from a sprained ankle, Kaepernick also was able to scamper 15 yards for a rushing touchdown.
Conversely, the Nevada defense had difficulty stopping the Maryland run. Nevada's rush defense allowed 258 yards, compared with its regular-season average of just 74.5 yards allowed per game. This was especially true after a well-rested Da'Rel Scott entered the game in the middle of the third quarter. Head coach Chris Ault said, "He just ran through us like we weren't there." Defensive back Jonathan Amaya intercepted a Chris Turner pass for his fourth interception of the season.
Brett Jaekle handled all of Nevada's kicking duties. He made all five extra-point attempts. Jaekle punted eight times for 295 yards and kicked off five times for 270 yards. With 1:42 remaining, he attempted an onside kick, but the ball was recovered by Maryland's Danny Oquendo.
Post-game effects
With the bowl game, Maryland finished the season with an 8–5 record. The win was Maryland's 600th in school history. Ralph Friedgen's postseason record improved to 4–2, giving him twice as many bowl wins as any other head coach in school history. For the 2008 season, Maryland stood 5–1 in games decided by seven points or less and 8–0 in games kicked off during daylight hours.Nevada posted a final record of 7–6. The game was the third consecutive postseason loss for Chris Ault and Nevada. Ault's post-season bowl record slid to 1–5 as a result.