| BYU Dominates UCF (49-23) in The Seventh Annual RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl BOCA RATON, Fla. (December 23, 2020) – No.16 BYU never let up in their 49-23 win over UCF in the 2020 RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl. The Cougars had a historic night tying the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl record for most points scored in a quarter, with 21 in the first. BYU went on to break the bowl record for points in a half with 35 points in the first half. The Cougars crushed another bowl record for most first downs in the bowl game with 34 total. BYU was on a roll from kickoff, scoring twice in the first few minutes of the first half to take a 14-0 lead. After the Cougars (11-1) took a 21-point lead to end the first quarter, UCF answered back with their first touchdown to cut BYU’s lead to 21-7. Wilson found Isaac Rex for the second time of the game for a 27-yard pass, after scoring on a 36-yard touchdown in the first. The Cougars continued to dominate after Wilson found Neil Pau’u to increase their lead to 35-10 at the half. The second half BYU returned with power, scoring in back-to-back possessions with a 39-yard run from Tyler Allgeier. Wide receiver Gunner Romney followed with a 6-yard run to make it 49-10 after five minutes of play in the third. UCF fought to stay in the game, scoring with five seconds remaining in the third quarter to make it 49-17. For UCF, sophomore quarterback Dillon Gabriel completed 21 passes and threw for over 200 yards (21-45 for 217). While senior running back Greg McCrae rushed for 81 yards including a touchdown for the Knights to conclude his collegiate career. UCF managed to score again in the fourth at the 7:53, but it would not be enough for a comeback. No surprise, BYU junior quarterback Zach Wilson was named the offensive MVP and led the Cougars (11-1) the entire season. Wilson tossed a personal career-high of 425 passing yards in the bowl game, setting a new RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl record. Wilson threw for three touchdowns with no interceptions, completing 26 of his 34 attempts, and added another two scores on the ground. Linebacker Keenan Pili was named the Defensive MVP tallying three tackles; one of them being unassisted. Freshman defensive back Caleb Christensen was named the Special Teams MVP returning for 10 yards in one attempt. About the Roofclaim.com Boca Raton Bowl The RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl debuted in 2014 and has been well received in the community through its first six years. It has twice held the distinction of matching up two conference champions – Marshall University vs. Northern Illinois University (2014), and UAB vs. Northern Illinois (2018). In all, six conference champions and another three conference division champions have played in the game. Among the bowl’s alumni who have moved on to the NFL are current Buffalo Bills running back Devin Singletary (FAU, 2017) and Philadelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott (Memphis, 2016). For more information about the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl visit RoofClaimBocaRatonBowl.com. ESPN Events ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of 35 collegiate sporting events nationwide. The roster includes four early-season college football games, 17 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events, a college softball event and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 400 hours of live programming, reaches nearly 64 million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. With satellite office in more than 10 markets across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conference, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages. |
