CHICK-FIL-A PEACH BOWL
HOUSTON COUGARS vs. FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES
Thursday, Dec. 31
Noon ET
Georgia Dome (74,228/Synthetic)
Atlanta, Ga.
#CFAPeachBowl
Television
ESPN -
WATCH LIVE
Dave Pasch, Brian Griese and Tom Luginbill
National Radio
ESPN Radio
Dave Flemming, Mike Bellotti
and Allison Williams
Sirius 80; XM 80
Houston Radio
KPRC-AM 950 (flagship)
THE GAME
The Peach Bowl matchup between Houston and Florida State will be the 17th meeting between the schools … Houston holds a 12-2-2 series lead, though the teams have not met since 1978.
PEACH BOWL RESULTS (0-0)
12-30-68 LSU 31, Florida State 27
12-30-69 West Virginia 14, South Carolina 3
12-30-70 Arizona State 48, North Carolina 26
12-30-71 Mississippi 41, Georgia Tech 18
12-29-72 North Carolina State 49, West Virginia 13
12-28-73 Georgia 17, Maryland 16
12-28-74 Vanderbilt 6, Texas Tech 6
12-31-75 West Virginia 13, North Carolina State 10
12-31-76 Kentucky 21, North Carolina 0
12-31-77 North Carolina State 24, Iowa State 14
12-25-78 Purdue 41, Georgia Tech 21
12-31-79 Baylor 24, Clemson 18
1-2-81 Miami 20, Virginia Tech 10
12-31-81 West Virginia 26, Florida 6
12-31-82 Iowa 28, Tennessee 22
12-30-83 Florida State 28, North Carolina 3
12-31-84 Virginia 27, Purdue 24
12-31-85 Army 31, Illinois 29
12-31-86 Virginia Tech 25, North Carolina State 24
1-2-88 Tennessee 27, Indiana 22
12-31-88 North Carolina State 28, Iowa 23
12-30-89 Syracuse 19, Georgia 18
12-29-90 Auburn 27, Indiana 23
1-1-92 East Carolina 37, North Carolina State 34
1-2-93 North Carolina 21, Mississippi State 17
12-31-93 Clemson 14, Kentucky 13
1-1-95 North Carolina State 28, Mississippi State 24
12-30-95 Virginia 34, Georgia 27
12-28-96 LSU 10, Clemson 7
1-2-98 Auburn 21, Clemson 7
12-31-98 Georgia 35, Virginia 33
12-30-99 Mississippi State 17, Clemson 7
12-29-00 LSU 28, Georgia Tech 14
12-31-01 North Carolina 16, Auburn 10
12-31-02 Maryland 30, Tennessee 3
1-2-04 Clemson 27, Tennessee 14
12-31-04 Miami 27, Florida 10
12-30-05 LSU 40, Miami 3
12-30-06 Georgia 31, Virginia Tech 24
12-31-07 Auburn 23, Clemson 20 (ot)
12-31-08 LSU 38, Georgia Tech 3
12-31-09 Virginia Tech 37, Tennessee 14
12-31-10 Florida State 26, South Carolina 17
12-31-11 Auburn 43, Virginia 24
12-31-12 Clemson 25, LSU 24
12-31-13 Texas A&M 52, Duke 48
12-31-14 TCU 42, Mississippi 3
14/16 HOUSTON
12-1, 7-1 American
Head Coach
Tom Herman (Minnesota ’96)
12-1, first season
NOTES
Houston makes its 23rd appearance in a bowl game as the Cougars play in a New Year’s Bowl for the first time since the 1985 Cotton Bowl … The Cougars are 10-12-1 all-time in bowl games after last year’s wild 35-34 win against Pittsburgh, when Houston overcame a 31-6 fourth-quarter deficit … Houston began the season with a 10-game winning streak, which came to an end with a 20-17 setback at UConn Nov. 21 … Tom Herman became the first Houston coach to begin his career with 10 consecutive wins … Houston was been ranked in both national polls for the last seven weeks of the season … Houston is 16-14-3 all-time when both teams are nationally ranked … The Cougars have won 11 conference championships since 1952 after taking The American title against Navy Dec. 5 … Houston is second in The American in scoring offense (40.6 points per game) … QB Greg Ward Jr. has completed 68.1 percent of his passes (207 of 304) for 2,590 yards and 16 touchdowns with five interceptions and has rushed for 1,041 yards and 19 touchdowns as well … RB Kenneth Farrow, who missed the regular-season finale against Navy and the conference championship game against Temple, has 949 rushing yards and 12 TDs … WR Demarcus Ayers has a team-leading 89 receptions for 1,140 yards and six touchdowns … LB Steven Taylor leads The American with 9.0 sacks and has 16.0 tackles for loss … LB Elandon Roberts has 132 tackles with 6.0 sacks and 17.0 tackles for loss … S Adrian McDonald has four interceptions this season and has 17 career picks, while CB William Jackson III has three INTs and 21 pass breakups … Ayers was named to the all-conference first team at two positions (wide receiver, return specialist) … S Trevon Stewart joined Ayers and Roberts as first-team choices.
2015 RESULTS
September
5 Tennessee Tech W 52-24
12 at Louisville W 34-31
26 Texas State W 59-14
October
3 at Tulsa * W 38-24
8 SMU * W 49-28
16 at Tulane * W 42-7
24 at UCF * W 59-10
31 Vanderbilt W 34-0
November
7 Cincinnati * W 33-30
14 Memphis * W 35-34
21 at UConn * L 17-20
27 Navy * W 52-31
December
5 Temple ^ W 24-13
31 vs. Florida State Noon
* American Athletic Conference game
^ American Athletic Conference Championship
9/9 FLORIDA STATE
10-2, 6-2 ACC
Head Coach
Jimbo Fisher (Salem (W.Va.) ’89)
68-13, sixth season
NOTES
Florida State is making its fourth straight appearance in a New Year’s Bowl, either as part of the Bowl Championship Series or College Football Playoff structure … The Seminoles won the 2012 Orange Bowl against Northern Illinois, won the BCS National Championship in 2013 against Auburn, and fell to Oregon in the 2014 Rose Bowl in the CFP semifinal round … Florida State has made 34 consecutive bowl appearances and has a 27-15-2 bowl record, though the Seminoles’ 2006 Emerald Bowl win was later vacated by the NCAA … Florida State is 2-1 all-time in the Peach Bowl … .The Seminoles have won nine straight games in NFL stadiums … Florida State won its first six games of the season before falling at Georgia Tech on a blocked field goal attempt that was returned for a touchdown as time expired… The only other setback was a 23-13 loss to top-ranked Clemson … The Seminoles have outscored their opponents by a 103-24 margin in the third quarter … Florida State has allowed one touchdown in its last 10 quarters … QB Sean Maguire has taken over as the starting signal-caller and is 5-1 all-time as a starter … Maguire has thrown for 1,128 yards and nine touchdowns with two interceptions … QB Everett Golson has thrown for 11 touchdowns with three interceptions … RB Dalvin Cook is the key man on offense as he has rushed for a school-record 1,658 yards with 18 touchdowns … WR Travis Rudolph and WR Kermit Whitfield both have 51 receptions and six touchdowns … DE Demarcus Walker leads the defense with 10.5 sacks, 15.5 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles … S Lamarcus Brutus has three interceptions, while CB Jalen Ramsey leads the team with 10 pass breakups … LB Reggie Northrup has a team-leading 87 tackles … K Roberto Aguayo is a three-time All-America selection who has converted 18 of 22 field goal attempts.
2015 RESULTS
September
5 Texas State W 59-16
12 USF W 34-14
18 at Boston College * W 14-0
October
3 at Wake Forest * W 24-16
10 Miami (Fla.) * W 29-24
17 Louisville * W 41-21
24 at Georgia Tech * L 16-22
31 Syracuse * W 45-21
November
7 at Clemson * L 13-23
14 North Carolina State * W 34-17
21 Chattanooga W 52-13
28 at Florida W 27-2
December
31 vs. Houston ^ Noon
* Atlantic Coast Conference game