College Football: Devy matchups to watch in the opening weekend of 2019’s bowl season

With college football transitioning into bowl season, we take a look at the best devy matchups to watch on the opening weekend of bowl season. Friday’s college football bowl game slate opens with Buffalo and Charlotte both vying for their first bowl victory in program history, while the primetime matchup features devy prospect Jordan Love out of Utah State. Even with a down-year in Logan, Utah, Love has enough raw talent to be an intriguing option in dynasty drafts.

Saturday offers a jam-packed six-game college football slate featuring devy prospects Antonio Gandy-Golden, Jacob Eason, Hunter Bryant, and Omar Bayless, among other matchups. 

Without further ado, here are the best devy matchups to watch this weekend. Be sure to check back throughout the bowl season for our look ahead to every college football bowl game. You can also find my updated 2020 dynasty rookie rankings for a look ahead at which prospects to scout for the 2020 NFL Draft.

Bahamas Bowl: Buffalo vs. Charlotte

Date: Friday, December 20
Time: 2:00 PM ET
TV: ESPN
Location: Thomas Robinson Stadium, Nassau, Bahamas

Buffalo’s Jaret Patterson finished the 2019 regular season as the nation’s sixth-leading rusher with 1,626 rushing yards and 18 total touchdowns. The only players with more rushing yards than Buffalo’s sophomore running back: Chuba Hubbard, Jonathan Taylor, J.K. Dobbins, Navy quarterback Malcolm Perry, and AJ Dillon.

Dual-threat quarterback Chris Reynolds leads Charlotte into the program’s first bowl game in school history. Reynolds enters bowl season with 2,366 passing yards and a 21-10 TD/INT ratio while the quarterback has added another 757 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. 

Frisco Bowl: Utah State vs. Kent State

Date: Friday, December 20
Time: 7:30 PM ET
TV: ESPN2
Location: Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas

After entering the season as one of 2020’s most-hyped quarterback prospects, Utah State’s Jordan Love struggled for much of the 2019 season. Love still showed flashes of brilliance in 2019, but the quarterback too often pressed due to the lack of talent around him. Love finished his junior season with a measly 17-16 TD/INT ratio leading to rumors of a potential grad-transfer as a way to improve the quarterback’s stock. Instead of transferring to a better program, Love has already entered his name into the 2020 NFL Draft.

Did the talented gun-slinger make the right decision entering the 2020 NFL Draft, or should he have transferred? I guess we’ll have to wait and see. Love has shown enough potential to warrant selecting the quarterback in the mid-to-late rounds in devy drafts.

New Mexico Bowl: Central Michigan vs. San Diego State

Date: Saturday, December 21
Time: 2:00 PM ET
TV: ESPN
Location: Dreamstyle Stadium, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Central Michigan wide receiver Kalil Pimpleton (79 receptions, 823 yards, 6 TD) and the Chippewas offense will have their hands full against one of the best defenses in college football. San Diego State is #4 in scoring defense, #5 in total defense, and #2 stopping the run.

Cure Bowl: Liberty vs. Georgia Southern

Date: Saturday, December 21
Time: 2:30 PM ET
TV: CBS Sports Network
Location: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida

Liberty wide receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden might be the best player that casual college football fans have never heard of. With Gandy-Golden on his way to the National Football League, that might not be the case for very long. With concerns about Gandy-Golden’s route diversion and the ability to separate against elite speed, the Liberty Flames wide receiver is one of the most intriguing prospects to watch at the upcoming 2020 Senior Bowl.

Georgia Southern is a run-first option team that only passes when given no other option. The Eagles have three players with over 600 rushing yards, but their leading receiver has 218 yards on 14 total receptions.

Boca Raton Bowl: SMU vs. FAU

Date: Saturday, December 21
Time: 3:30 PM ET
TV: ABC
Location: FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, Florida 

SMU’s offense is led by Texas transfer Shane Buechele who has 3,626 passing yards and a 33-9 TD/INT ratio heading into Saturday’s Boca Raton Bowl. Seniors Xavier Jones (1,249 yards, 21 rush TD) and James Proche (1,139 yards, 14 rec TD) lead the Mustangs in rushing and receiving, respectively.

As FAU transitions from Lane Kiffin to Willie Taggart, the Boca Raton Bowl is a great opportunity for returning players to make their case for playing time in 2020. Sophomore quarterback Chris Robison and freshman running back Malcolm Davidson both return in 2020, so the Owls offense could be just as dangerous if Taggart can replicate Kiffin’s success at #theFAU.

Camellia Bowl: FIU vs. Arkansas State

Date: Saturday, December 21
Time: 5:30 PM ET
TV: ESPN
Location: Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Alabama 

Arkansas State wide receiver Omar Bayless dominated Sun Belt competition this season en route to 1,473 receiving yards and 16 touchdown receptions. Bayless finished the regular season #2 overall in receiving yards behind only LSU standout Ja’Marr Chase.

Las Vegas Bowl: Boise State vs. Washington

Date: Saturday, December 21
Time: 7:30 PM ET
TV: ABC
Location: Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada

Washington’s Jacob Eason had a solid season in Seattle, but the quarterback’s inconsistency might have dropped the Georgia-transfer out of first-round consideration. Eason is still seen as a solid second-round prospect that could sneak into the end of the first-round for teams seeking that fifth-year option.

Washington running back Salvon Ahmed finished the regular season with precisely 1,000 rushing yards while Huskies’ tight end Hunter Bryant is considered one of the best devy prospects at the position.

New Orleans Bowl: Appalachian State vs. UAB

Date: Saturday, December 21
Time: 9:00 PM ET
TV: ESPN
Location: Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana  

Appalachian State quarterback Zac Thomas completed 63% of his passes with a 26-6 TD/INT ratio to lead the Mountaineers to a 10-1 record and Sun Belt conference championship. Appalachian State defeated Power Five foes UNC and South Carolina, but the Mountaineers lost to conference-rival Georgia Southern 24-21 in late October.

Junior running back Darrynton Evans led the Mountaineers in rushing with over 1,300 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground. Evans has also been solid when given the opportunity in the passing game with an 18-193-5 line through the air.