There are many unanswered questions in our lives. Did the chicken or the egg come first? Are aliens real? Why did the Seahawks run on the 1-yard line? Who gets to drink the mayo after being the best performer in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl? In this article, I will attempt to answer some of those questions by giving out MVPs for each bowl game in the 2022-2023 season. Also, aliens are absolutely real, debate your neighbor. I will be using MVP in a more liberal sense, by choosing who was the best player, rather than the best player on the team who won. I am also going to list Liam’s and my players to watch from each bowl game and let you know how they did, and maybe a few of them will even win MVP. For fun, I’ll also give some numbers at the end for which one of us had the most MVPs, good performances, fine games, duds and opt-outs. Now let’s get into it.

Bahamas Bowl – Miami (OH) vs. UAB

• • Liam: UAB RB DeWayne McBride — DNP (opted out)

• • Matt: Miami (OH) QB Aveon Smith — 15/27, 162 passing yards, 2 passing TDs; 50 rushing yards

MVP: UAB WR Trea Shropshire — 6 receptions, 183 yards, 1 TD

DeWayne McBride unfortunately opted out late, and Aveon Smith had a solid but unspectacular performance. The decision for MVP came down to Trea Shropshire and McBride’s replacement, Jermaine Brown Jr. Both combined to score all three of UAB’s touchdowns, but in my opinion Shropshire made bigger plays at bigger times. Perhaps no play was bigger than his 49-yard catch on the go-ahead drive, where he simply ran by two RedHawks DBs and made a contested catch to set UAB up just outside of the red zone.

Cure Bowl – UTSA vs. Troy

• • Liam: UTSA WR Zakhari Franklin — 7 receptions, 37 yards, 1 TD

• • Matt: Troy EDGE T.J. Jackson — 3 tackles (2 solo)

MVP: Troy LB KJ Robertson — 9 tackles (5 solo), 1 interception 

Both Zakhari Franklin and T.J. Jackson had solid contributions, but neither had true standout games. This game was a bit difficult to pick an MVP in, as no one truly had a blow-you-away statistical performance. In the end, I decided to go with KJ Robertson, who made perhaps the biggest play in the game. After three straight possessions with turnovers, UTSA finally looked to be driving and ready to get back to its regularly scheduled programming of being an explosive offense. However, with the ball on the Troy 9-yard line, the senior linebacker jumped the pass and returned it 61 yards, with an additional 15-yard penalty tacked on at the end. This set up the following Trojans touchdown and broke the UTSA spirits, as the Roadrunners didn’t score again for the rest of the game.

Fenway Bowl – Cincinnati vs. Louisville

• • Liam: Cincinnati LB Ivan Pace Jr. — 16 tackles (7 solo), 1 sack, 1 TFL

• • Matt: Louisville LB Yasir Abdullah — 6 tackles (3 solo), 1.5 sacks, 1.5 TFL

MVP: Louisville RB Jawhar Jordan — 9 carries, 115 yards, 2 TDs; 2 receptions, 11 yards

Both defenders we picked had big games and sacks, but I think this MVP had to go to Jawhar Jordan. In a game where scoring was predictably low, the question was where the spark would come from. Whichever team got the offensive spark would likely win. Jordan provided more than a spark, and the change of pace back was a complete lightning storm. Lightning struck twice as the sophomore had two long TD runs of 41 and 49 yards. The first TD gave Louisville the lead, and the second put the game out of reach, as on two plays he outscored the entire Cincinnati offense.

Celebration Bowl – Jackson State vs. NC Central

• • Liam: NC Central QB Davius Richard — 15/20,  175 yards, 1 TD; 22 carries, 97 yards, 2 TDs

• • Matt: Jackson State RB Sy’Veon Wilkerson — 15 carries, 52 yards; 2 receptions, 8 yards

MVP: NC Central QB Davius Richard

This really could have gone to either quarterback, but with both having huge games, I lean toward the one who led the game-winning drive. Sy’Veon Wilkerson had a fine game, but with the passing attack working so well, he never got a chance to truly establish himself. Meanwhile, Davius Richard got the job done both in the air and on the ground. He was the focal point of the NC Central offense and made virtually no mistakes all game, leading his team to a dramatic overtime victory.

Las Vegas Bowl – Florida vs. Oregon State

• • Liam: Florida RB Trevor Etienne — 8 carries, 14 yards; 1 reception, 9 yards

• • Matt: Oregon State CB Alex Austin — 4 tackles (3 solo), 1 pass defended

MVP: Oregon State LB Kyrei Fisher-Morris — 11 tackles (7 solo), 1 sack, 3 TFL

Florida’s offense as a whole predictably struggled to get anything going, and Trevor Etienne struggled as a result. Alex Austin had a solid game, but the true star on defense was Kyrei Fisher-Morris. He was a thorn in Florida’s side for the whole game. He seemed to pop into the backfield on nearly every play and was extremely disruptive. He nearly had an interception as well, but he came down out of bounds.

Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl – Washington State vs. Fresno State

• • Liam: Washington State QB Cameron Ward — 22/32, 137 yards, 1 interception

• • Matt: Fresno State QB Jake Haener — 24/36, 280 yards, 2 TDs

MVP: Fresno State RB Jordan Mims — 18 carries, 209 yards, 2 TDs; 2 receptions, 27 yards

Cameron Ward really struggled in this one, while Jake Haener had a great game in his final send-off I was tempted to give the MVP to Haener, but I think Jordan Mims’ performance was more impactful. Mims was gliding this entire game, and he didn’t go down to the first tackler at all. His change of direction is crazy, and he put it on full display here. He did well in terms of raising his stock for the draft.

LendingTree Bowl – Rice vs. Southern Miss

• • Liam: Southern Miss WR Jason Brownlee — 3 receptions, 72 yards, 1 TD

• • Matt: Rice RB Juma Otoviano — 6 carries, 12 yards; 1 reception, 3 yards

MVP: Southern Miss RB Frank Gore Jr. — 21 carries, 329 (!) yards, 2 TDs

Jason Brownlee had a solid game here, but the Golden Eagles didn’t pass that often. They simply didn’t need to with the way Frank Gore Jr. was running. He did his namesake proud with an absolutely dominant performance and may be the MVP of the entire bowl season. Those are the kind of accolades you get when you set the record for rushing yards in a bowl game. He was unstoppable all night and put his name in the record books.

New Mexico Bowl – SMU vs. BYU

• • Liam: SMU WR Dylan Goffney — DNP (injury)

• • Matt: BYU LB Max Tooley — DNP (opt out)

MVP: BYU LB Ben Bywater — 11 tackles (4 solo), 1 interception returned 76 yards for TD

Phenomenal performance by Liam and I here, but this is the difficulty of picking these kinds of things this far in advance. I will never criticize a player for opting out though. Get your bread young men. Ben Bywater was out there as Max Tooley’s replacement, and the sophomore showed that BYU will be in a good spot at the linebacker position next year even with Tooley’s departure. He even copied one of Tooley’s signature moves and returned an interception for a TD, something Max did twice this year.

Frisco Bowl – North Texas vs. Boise State

• • Liam: Boise State QB Taylen Green — 13/22, 137 yards, 1 TD; 12 carries, 119 yards, 2 TDs

• • Matt: North Texas LB KD Davis — 5 tackles (3 solo), 0.5 TFL

MVP: Boise State QB Taylen Green

Liam gets another MVP as Taylen Green carried the Broncos on his back in this one. It didn’t seem like anyone could get open in the second half, but Taylen continued to drag them down the field, either by breaking the pocket long enough for someone to uncover, or simply taking off himself. He was the best player on the field that night, and he was the sole reason the Broncos won the Frisco Bowl.

Myrtle Beach Bowl – Marshall vs. UConn

• • Liam: Marshall DB Daytione Smith — 3 tackles (2 solo)

• • Matt: UConn CB Tre Wortham — 1 solo tackle, 1 pass defended

MVP: Marshall RB Rasheen Ali — 15 carries, 92 yards, 1 TD

Neither of our selected players stood out, and it’s a bit disappointing neither got a pick in a game where there were four interceptions. This MVP race came down to two Marshall players for me — Rasheen Ali and Damion Barber. Barber took a pick back for six, but I think Ali’s contribution was more impactful throughout the game. The sophomore running back missed the majority of the year with injury, but he was very good for the three games he played at the end of the season. I am looking for him to be a big breakout player next year.

Potato Bowl – Eastern Michigan vs. San Jose State

• • Liam: San José State WR Elijah Cooks — 6 receptions, 93 yards

• • Matt: Eastern Michigan RB Samson Evans — 25 carries, 82 yards, 2 TDs; 1 reception, 10 yards

MVP: Eastern Michigan WR Darius Lassiter — 6 receptions, 108 yards, 2 TDs

Two big games out of our selected players here, and had Samson Evans been more explosive on the ground, I would have given him the MVP. Darius Lassiter’s performance was more surprising and gave the Eagles the larger edge in my opinion. After being extremely run heavy throughout the year, Eastern Michigan having such an explosive pass offense certainly caught San José State off guard and helped the Eagles get a huge bowl win for the MAC.

Boca Raton Bowl – Liberty vs. Toledo

• • Liam: Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell — 2 solo tackles

• • Matt: Liberty EDGE Durrell Johnson — 9 tackles (7 solo), 1 sack, 5 TFL

MVP: Liberty EDGE Durrell Johnson

The nation’s leader in tackles for loss did not let me down here as I claimed my first MVP. Durrell Johnson was the sole reason Liberty was staying in this game. Its offense could do nothing all game, but Toledo constantly getting put behind the sticks gave the Flames a chance. In the end, these stats could have been even bigger, but he was forced out of the game after making his fifth tackle for loss. Johnson did himself a massive favor in terms of his draft stock, showing out on the big stage.

New Orleans Bowl – Western Kentucky vs. South Alabama

• • Liam: Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley — 11 receptions, 114 yards, 2 TDs

• • Matt: South Alabama SAF Yam Banks — 5 tackles (4 solo), 1 pass defended, 1 interception

MVP: Western Kentucky QB Austin Reed — 36/55, 497 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT; 4 carries, 25 yards

Two solid games out of our picks here. Any time you can get a pick or a sack out of a defensive player, it’s crucial. Malachi Corley obviously had a huge game, but that’s more a factor of Austin Reed and the offense as a whole in my opinion. Reed had a dominant showing, putting up over 500 total yards and hitting big plays all game. The swagger he played with was palpable and made it feel like South Alabama had no shot in this game.

Armed Forces Bowl – Baylor vs. Air Force

• • Liam: Baylor WR Armani Winfield — DNP

• • Matt: Air Force RB Brad Roberts — 37 carries, 116 yards, 2 TDs

MVP: Air Force RB Brad Roberts

It may not have necessarily been an explosive performance, but it was dominance. With a longest run of only 11 yards, Brad Roberts absolutely battered the Baylor defense. With the way Air Force plays, being able to sustain drives is a win. So Roberts being able to constantly get three or four yards on every single run is a boon for its offense. The best running back in service academy history had complete control of this game.

Independence Bowl – Louisiana vs. Houston

• • Liam: Houston WR Tank Dell — 6 receptions, 44 yards, 2 TDs

• • Matt: Louisiana SAF Bralen Trahan — 6 tackles (4 solo)

MVP: Houston QB Clayton Tune — 18/27, 229 yards, 3 TDs; 11 carries, 55 yards

Tank Dell made the biggest catches of the game, but Clayton Tune made the biggest plays. The Cougars looked out of it at halftime, but Tune was able to manufacture a drive coming out of the half to get them back into the game. They faced three third downs on that drive and converted all three, sparking life into a once stagnant offense. Then on the game-winning drive, two penalties left the Coogs facing a first-and-30, until Tune hit KeSean Carter for 41 yards to keep the drive alive and eventually win the game.

Gasparilla Bowl – Wake Forest vs. Missouri

• • Liam: Missouri WR Luther Burden III — 7 receptions, 46 yards, lost fumble

• • Matt: Wake Forest WR A.T. Perry — 11 receptions, 116 yards

MVP: Wake Forest QB Sam Hartman — 23/36, 280 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT; 8 carries, 15 yards

In his final game as a Demon Deacon, Sam Hartman played all the hits. He played buddy ball with A.T. Perry, constantly hitting him all over the field. He hit deep balls, like his TD to Jahmal Banks, and overall just handled his business. Hartman was the engine that kept the Demon Deacons machine running and made sure that he had a bowl win as a starter.

Hawaii Bowl – Middle Tennessee vs. San Diego State

• • Liam: Middle Tennessee WR DJ England-Chisolm — 1 reception, 7 yards

• • Matt: San Diego State DT Jonah Tavai — 3 tackles (2 solo), 1.5 sacks, 1.5 TFL

MVP: Middle Tennessee WR Jaylin Lane — 10 receptions, 111 yards, 1 TD; 3 punt returns, 48 yards

Jonah Tavai had a good game, and DJ England-Chisolm never really had a shot to contribute because Chase Cunningham was looking for Jaylin Lane every play. Lane broke several tackles on his way over the century mark, and he ended up accounting for almost half of MTSU’s passing attack. This was the icing on the cake of a solid sophomore season for Lane, and if he can impress again next year, he could be a sleeper in the draft.