Alabama Athletics
If your family is anything like mine, sports factor significantly into your holiday season TV viewing. The importance of the viewing fluctuates, but it seems like, between mid-December and New Year’s Day, there’s always a year-end countdown of some sort playing in the background, with hockey, basketball and of course college football bowl games moving to the forefront throughout the holidays.
Even if the college teams are all American ones, there will be plenty of Canadian ties on the field, if you know where to look for them. That’s where this list comes in. With 28 Canadians playing in 16 different bowl games this year, there are plenty of opportunities for you to grab the remote, turn up the volume and yell to your friends that there’s a Canadian on the field.
Just like last year, a shoutout is due to the good people that run Canadafootballchat.com. We wouldn’t have this list without their knowledge of and passion for the game. Happy viewing, everyone.
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Justin McInnis will be hoping to make an impact in the Arizona Bowl when he and the Arkansas State Red Wolves will go up against the Nevada Wolfpack. (Arkansas State University)
Let’s start with a pair of games that kicked off bowl season. Former BC Lions head coach Jeff Tedford led the Fresno State Bulldogs to a 31-20 win over Arizona State in the Las Vegas Bowl. Senior defensive back and Toronto native Matthew Boateng had two tackles in the win. Victoria’s Dontae Bull is a redshirt freshman offensive lineman on the team.
In the New Orleans Bowl, Toronto’s Kamau Farrell-Burke, a redshirt junior, had no stats in the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders’ 45-13 loss to Appalachian State.
December 19, Miami Beach Bowl 3:30 p.m. ET
Ohio Bobcats vs. San Diego State Aztecs
This isn’t the highest profile bowl game on the schedule, but there are a couple of players that Canadian fans should watch for when the Ohio Bobcats (8-4) face the San Diego State Aztecs (7-5). Senior running back Maleek Irons — the Chilliwack, BC product is the No. 8 prospect on the Scouting Bureau’s December rankings — has Oakville native and junior QB Nathan O’Rourke alongside him. In his second year with the Bobcats, Rourke made 155 of 253 passes for 2,225 yards, 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while rushing 125 times for 816 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Saint-Laurent QC offensive lineman Ladji Bagayoko is a redshirt freshman for the Aztecs.
December 22, Dollar General Bowl 7 p.m. ET
Buffalo Bulls vs. Troy Trojans
A trio of Canadians will try to help the Buffalo Bulls (10-3) to a bowl win in the program’s best season since joining Div 1A football in 1999.
Sophomore QB and Windsor, Ont. native Dominic Johnson is a third-stringer with the Bulls. Redshirt freshman receiver Julien Bourassa played in three games this year and had one catch for nine yards in the team’s season-opening win over Delaware State. The Canadian player to watch for will be junior safety Dev Lamour. The Montrealer has played in 10 games this year and has 11 tackles.
December 26, Quick Lane Bowl 5:15 p.m. ET
Minnesota Gophers vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The Minnesota Gophers go into Boxing Day’s Quick Lane Bowl with some controversy hanging over them. The Minneapolis Pioneer Press reported on Tuesday that several players could be suspended for the game, due to an incident after their win over Wisconsin on Nov. 24. It remains to be seen if that means something for junior running back Jonathan Femi-Cole. The Vaughn, Ont. native was used sparingly this year — five rushes for 29 yards in four games this year.
December 28, Camping World Bowl 5:15 p.m. ET
Syracuse Orange vs. West Virginia Mountaineers
Syracuse (9-3) faces West Virginia (8-3) in Orlando, with a pair of Canadians trying to take the Orange to a win in its first bowl game appearance since 2013.
Sophomore offensive lineman and Gatineau, QC product Patrick Davis has been a backup and special teams contributor this season, while Brampton, Ont.’s Tyrell Richards has enjoyed his redshirt freshman season with 10 tackles, two sacks, an interception and a knockdown.
December 29, Belk Bowl noon ET
Virginia Cavaliers vs. South Carolina Gamecocks
Vancouver’s Terrell Jana seems to have found his groove late in his sophomore season with the Cavaliers (7-5). He had three catches for a season-best 71 yards and a touchdown on Nov 2 vs. Pitt, part of an 11-catch, 151-yard year. Virginia goes into the Belk Bowl looking for its first postseason win since 2005.
December 29, Arizona Bowl 1:15 p.m. ET
Arkansas State Red Wolves vs. Nevada Wolf Pack
Arkansas State receiver Justin McInnis is the third-ranked prospect in the Scouting Bureau’s winter rankings and he’ll be in action with the Red Wolves (8-4) face Nevada (7-5). McInnis, a six-foot-six, 206-pound senior from Pierrefonds, QC, is the Red Wolves’ second-leading receiver with 56 catches for 694 yards and five touchdowns.
Nevada has its own talented Canadian receiver, though, in Toronto’s Brendan O’Leary-Orange. With an obvious edge based on his name alone, O’Leary-Orange is a six-foot-four, 210-pound sophomore. He had 14 catches for 214 yards with four touchdowns this year. CFL fans might remember his father, Doyle Orange, the Argos and Ticats running back from 1974 to 1977.
December 29, Orange Bowl 8 p.m. ET
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Oklahoma Sooners
In the College Football Playoff semifinal, the Heisman winner — Oklahoma’s Kyle Murray goes against the runner-up, in Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa (who happens to be on the Ticats’ neg list). The Can-con in this game is on the Sooners’ defensive line. Redshirt junior Neville Gallimore is a six-foot-two, 330-pound d-lineman from St. Catherine’s, Ont. He has 46 total tackles this year and five sacks. Oklahoma is looking to get to the final after a heartbreaking double-OT loss to Georgia in last year’s semi. They also let a 17-point lead slip away in that game.
December 29, Cotton Bowl 4 p.m. ET
Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Clemson Tigers
In another College Football Playoff semi, Abbotsford BC’s Chase Claypool will look to help Notre Dame maintain its undefeated season against the Clemson Tigers. As a junior the six-foot-four, 227-pounder started 11 of the Fighting Irish’s 12 games and finished second on the team in receiving, with 48 catches for 631 yards, along with four touchdowns. Claypool missed Notre Dame’s Citrus Bowl loss last year with an injured shoulder.
December 31, Liberty Bowl 3:45 p.m. ET
Missouri Tigers vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Shane Richards, among a few other Albertans, will hope to showcase their wrangling ways in New Years Eve’s Liberty Bowl when the Oklahoma State Cowboys take square off against the Missouri Tigers. (Oklahoma State Athletics)
There’s a strong Albertan contingent to the Cowboys’ roster. Senior offensive lineman Shane Richards (second in the Scouting Bureau’s winter rankings), is from Calgary, as is redshirt sophomore linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga. Backup running back Chuba Hubbard is from Sherwood Park, just outside of Edmonton. Hubbard had 106 carries for 595 yards and six touchdowns this year while handling 23 kick returns for 510 yards.
That trio will meet Missouri d-lineman and Toronto native Nathaniel Anderson. The six-foot-four, 255-pound senior had 20 total tackles, a sack and a forced fumble for the Tigers this year. He debuted on the Scouting Bureau’s winter rankings at No. 20.
December 31, Military Bowl, noon ET
Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Virginia Tech Hokies
Tight end Bruno Labelle saw some progress in his sophomore season. The Laval, QC native had six catches for 40 yards, playing in five of the Bearcats games, part of their 10-2 season. They’ll face Virginia Tech in the Military Bowl. At six-foot-four and 250 pounds, he has an intriguing size that CFL scouts are no doubt keeping an eye on.
December 31, Holiday Bowl 7 p.m. ET
Northwestern Wildcats vs. Utah Utes
Jesse Meyler, a six-foot-four, 298-pound redshirt sophomore who played backup tackle this year, will try to help get the Wildcats to their fourth bowl game win in the last five years.
January 1, Citrus Bowl 1 p.m. ET
Kentucky Wildcats vs. Penn State Nittany Lions
Penn State has a pair of Canadians in its defence, in redshirt freshman safety Jonathan Sutherland and redshirt sophomore defensive end Daniel Joseph. Both saw action this season, with Sutherland having 35 tackles, a pass defended and one forced fumble in 12 games. Also playing in 12 games, Joseph had 12 tackles, a sack, a pass defended and a fumble recovery. Against Kentucky, they’ll try to send senior quarterback Trace McSorley out a bowl game winner.
Redshirts not playing in their bowl games:
DB Benjamin St-Juste, Michigan, Vieux Montreal, QC — Peach Bowl vs Florida Dec 29
DL Luiji Vilain, Michigan, Episcopal VA — Peach Bowl vs Florida Dec 29
DL Mohamed Diallo, Texas A&M, Western Arizona AZ — Gator Bowl vs NC State Dec 31
