HONOLULU – Following the conclusion of its regular season with four wins in its last five, Middle Tennessee has announced that the Blue Raiders have accepted an invitation to participate in the EasyPost Hawai’i Bowl. This marks Middle Tennessee’s sixth bowl appearance over the past eight seasons and is the 10th overall under head coach Rick Stockstill.
The 2022 EasyPost Hawai’i Bowl, which will be broadcast nationally on ESPN and ESPN Radio, will be held Saturday, Dec. 24, at 7:00 p.m. CT at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex on the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa campus. Middle Tennessee (7-5) will face San Diego State, which also went 7-5 this season with a 5-3 mark in the Mountain West Conference. The Aztecs have won five of their last seven games. Each team has previously played in the Hawai’i Bowl once, as Middle Tennessee fell 52-35 to Hawai’i in 2016 and San Diego State knocked off Cincinnati 42-7 in 2015.
Middle Tennessee boasts a quick-strike offense that averages just under 30 points per game and is led by QB Chase Cunningham (2,920 passing yards and 25 total touchdowns), RB Frank Peasant (747 rushing yards and nine scores) and WRs Jaylin Lane (59 catches for 829 yards and four touchdowns) and Izaiah Gathings (53 catches for 490 yards and two scores).
Defensively, the Blue Raiders are tied for third in the country in interceptions (17) and fifth in turnovers gained (25). DB Decorian Patterson has picked off six passes this season, which is tied with five other players in the country for the national lead, while DL Jordan Ferguson (63 tackles, 16.0 tackles for loss, 9.0 sacks, a fumble recovery and two forced fumbles) and S Tra Fluellen (97 stops, 3.0 tackles for loss, two interceptions and seven pass break-ups) help lead the Blue Raiders.
C-USA teams have appeared in the EasyPost Hawai‘i Bowl 12 times with an 8-4 record, including a win in its last appearance in 2018 (Louisiana Tech).
The EasyPost Hawai‘i Bowl is known for its high scoring, thrilling offenses, and close games with two overtime contests and seven games decided by one touchdown or less. In addition to promoting the island way of life by sponsoring events intrinsic to Hawai‘i, the bowl supports many non-profit organizations through the Hawai‘i Bowl Foundation. More than $1.6 million has been awarded to local charities since the inception of the Hawai‘i Bowl Foundation. Additionally, through the Extra Yard for Teachers program, the EasyPost Hawai‘i Bowl has partnered with Teach for America Hawai’i to support teachers, schools and students.
The bowl game was created in 2002 after the hometown Rainbow Warriors finished the 2001 season with a 9-3 record and were not invited to a bowl game. The University of Hawai’i has participated in the bowl a record nine times.
The 2020 and 2021 games were not played due to Covid-19.
ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In 2022, the 32-event schedule includes three early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events, and a college softball event, which account for approximately 400 hours of live programming, while reaching nearly 64 million viewers and attracting over 800,000 annual attendees. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, 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.
About EasyPost:
EasyPost is a technology leader that builds shipping solutions for e-commerce brands, fulfillment providers, and online marketplaces. The company provides a best-in-class, multi-carrier shipping API that removes the technical complexities of logistics while making shipping more reliable, efficient, and affordable. Headquartered in Lehi, Utah, EasyPost is available in over 200 countries worldwide and has executed over one billion shipments. For more information, go to easypost.com and follow them on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
-ConferenceUSA.com-
