2020 Armed Forces Bowl (December)

The 2020 Armed Forces Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 31, 2020, with kickoff at noon EST (11:00 a.m. local CST).^[4] It was the 18th edition of the Armed Forces Bowl, and was one of the 2020–21 bowl games concluding the 2020 FBS football season. Sponsored by aerospace and defense company Lockheed Martin, the game was officially known as the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl.

2020 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
18th Armed Forces Bowl
Tulsa Golden Hurricane Mississippi State Bulldogs (6–2) (3–7) The American SEC 26 28 Head coach:  Philip Montgomery Head coach:  Mike Leach AP Coaches CFP 22 25 24
1 2 3 4 Total Tulsa 0 6 7 13 26 Mississippi State 7 0 14 7 28
Date	December 31, 2020
Season	2020
Stadium	Amon G. Carter Stadium
Location	Fort Worth, Texas
MVP	Lideatrick Griffin (WR/KR, Miss. State) & Christian Williams (DB, Tulsa)^[1]
Favorite	Mississippi State by 1^[2]
Referee	Jeff Servinski (Big Ten)^[3]
Attendance	9,000
United States TV coverage
Network	ESPN
Announcers	Chris Cotter (play-by-play) Mark Herzlich (analyst) Ian Fitzsimmons (sideline)
International TV coverage
Network	ESPN Deportes
Armed Forces Bowl  < 2020 (Jan.) 2021 >

Teams

Following the cancellation of the Las Vegas Bowl, it had been announced that the game would feature its tie-ins with the Pac-12 Conference and the Southeastern Conference (SEC).^[5] The presence of a Pac-12 team did not come to fruition, with the Tulsa Golden Hurricane of the American Athletic Conference ("The American") accepting a bid for the Armed Forces Bowl instead.^[6] This game was the first matchup between the two programs.^[7]

Mississippi State

Main article: 2020 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team

Mississippi State of the SEC accepted their bid on December 20, 2020.^[8] The Bulldogs entered the bowl with an overall record of 3–7; they were ranked at number 16 in the AP Poll early in the season after defeating the defending national champions, LSU. This marked the second time in program history that Mississippi State had entered a bowl game with a losing record (the prior instance being the 2016 St. Petersburg Bowl). This was the Bulldogs' first appearance in the bowl.

Tulsa

Main article: 2020 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team

Tulsa of The American accepted their bid on December 20, 2020.^[9] The Golden Hurricane entered the bowl with an overall record of 6–2 (6–0 in conference play); they were ranked at number 22 in the AP Poll entering the bowl. Tulsa was 0–2 in prior editions of the bowl, having lost in 2006 and 2011.^[6]

Game summary

2020 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 24 Tulsa	0	6	7	13	26
Mississippi State	7	0	14	7	28

at Amon G. Carter Stadium • Fort Worth, Texas

• Date: Thursday, December 31, 2020
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST (11:00 a.m. CST)
• Game weather: Rain • Temperature: 37 °F (3 °C) • Wind: NNE 16 mph
• Referee: Jeff Servinski (Big Ten)
• TV announcers (ESPN): Chris Cotter (play-by-play), Mark Herzlich (analyst) and Ian Fitzsimmons (sideline)
• ESPN game summary

Game information

First quarter (13:41) MSST – Jo'Quavious Marks 28 yard rush, Jace Christmann kick (Drive: 3 plays, 39 yards, 1:19; Mississippi State 7–0) Second quarter (11:15) TLSA – Zack Long 27 yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 4:07; Mississippi State 7–3) (2:34) TLSA – Zack Long 33 yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 4:51; Mississippi State 7–6) Third quarter (9:04) MSST – Will Rogers 13 yard rush, Jace Christmann kick (Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 5:17; Mississippi State 14–6) (6:37) TLSA – Deneric Prince 14 yard rush, Zack Long kick (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:27; Mississippi State 14–13) (3:29) MSST – Emmanuel Forbes 90 yard interception return, Jace Christmann kick (Mississippi State 21–13) Fourth quarter (12:30) TLSA – Corey Taylor II 5 yard rush, 2-point pass failed (Drive: 9 plays, 32 yards, 3:11; Mississippi State 21–19) (8:01) MSST – Lideatrick Griffin 13 yard pass from Will Rogers, Jace Christmann kick (Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 4:29; Mississippi State 28–19) (1:23) TLSA – Keylon Stokes 15 yard pass from Zach Smith, Zack Long kick (Drive: 6 plays, 55 yards, 1:31; Mississippi State 28–26)

Statistics

Statistics	TLSA	MSST
First downs	27	16
Plays–yards	86–484	60–271
Rushes–yards	40–137	30–123
Passing yards	347	148
Passing: comp–att–int	26–46–2	19–30–0
Time of possession	31:19	28:41

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Tulsa	Passing	Zach Smith	26/46, 347 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Corey Taylor II	20 carries, 85 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Keylon Stokes	9 receptions, 117 yards, 1 TD
Mississippi State	Passing	Will Rogers	19/30, 148 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Jo'Quavious Marks	11 carries, 72 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Austin Williams	3 receptions, 42 yards

Emmanuel Forbes, cornerback for Mississippi State, set a school and Armed Forces Bowl record for the longest interception return (90 yards).^[1][10]

Post-game

Following the conclusion of the game, a brawl broke out between the two teams.^[11][12]

References

1. "AFB Postgame Notes". armedforcesbowl.com/. December 31, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
2. "ESPN Game Summary - Tulsa vs. Mississippi State - December 31, 2020". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
3. Austro, Ben (December 23, 2020). "2020-21 bowl officiating assignments". footballzebras.com. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
4. "College Football Bowl Schedule | 2020". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
5. "Armed Forces Bowl announces Pac-12, SEC partnership". 247Sports.com. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
6. "No. 22 Tulsa, Mississippi St to meet in Armed Forces Bowl". USA Today. December 20, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
7. "Tulsa Golden Hurricane vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs football series history". winsipedia.com. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
8. "Mississippi State to play Tulsa in Armed Forces Bowl". The Vicksburg Post. December 20, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
9. "TU Football Accepts Bowl Invite To Armed Forces Bowl". NewsOn6.com. Griffin Communications. December 20, 2020. from the original on December 20, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
10. Selby, Zach. "Five things to know about CB Emmanuel Forbes". Commanders.com. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
11. Horka, Tyler (December 31, 2020). "Nasty brawl erupts at end of Armed Forces Bowl between Mississippi State and Tulsa". USA Today. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
12. Bonagura, Kyle (December 31, 2020). "Tulsa, Mississippi State players brawl after Armed Forces Bowl". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 31, 2020.

External links

• Official website
• Game statistics at statbroadcast.com