2018 Outback Bowl

College football game

2018 Outback Bowl

32nd Outback Bowl
| Michigan Wolverines | South Carolina Gamecocks

|

(8–4) | (8–4)
Big Ten | SEC
19 | 26
Head coach:
Jim Harbaugh | Head coach:
Will Muschamp
|  | 1| 2| 3| 4 | Total

|
|
|
|
|

Michigan | 6| 3| 10| 0 | 19
South Carolina | 0| 3| 13| 10 | 26
Date| January 1, 2018
Season| 2017
Stadium| Raymond James Stadium
Location| Tampa, Florida
MVP| Jake Bentley (QB, South Carolina)[1]
Favorite| Michigan by 9
Referee| Stuart Mullins (ACC)
Attendance| 45,687[2]
Payout| US$$6,308,560[3]
United States TV coverage
Network| ESPN2
Announcers| Adam Amin, Dusty Dvoracek, Molly McGrath
|  Outback Bowl

< 2017 |  2019 >

The 2018 Outback Bowl was an American college football bowl game played on January 1, 2018, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The 32nd annual Outback Bowl was one of the 2017–18 NCAA football bowl games concluding the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The game was nationally televised on ESPN2, and its title sponsor is the Outback Steakhouse restaurant franchise.

## Teams

[edit]

The game featured the Michigan Wolverines of the Big Ten Conference, and the South Carolina Gamecocks of the Southeastern Conference in their fourth meeting against each other, and second meeting in the Outback Bowl.[4]

### Michigan

[edit]

Main article: 2017 Michigan Wolverines football team

After finishing their regular season with an 8–4 record, the Wolverines were selected to their sixth Outback Bowl appearance, the most Outback Bowl appearances by any team. This was their 46th bowl game appearance, the 11th-highest total all-time among FBS schools.[5]

### South Carolina

[edit]

Main article: 2017 South Carolina Gamecocks football team

After finishing their regular season with an 8–4 record, the Gamecocks were selected to their fifth Outback Bowl appearance, tying them with four other teams for the second-most Outback Bowl appearances. This was their 22nd bowl game appearance. South Carolina won the previous meeting against the Michigan Wolverines in the 2013 Outback Bowl, by a score of 33–28.[6]

## Game summary

[edit]

### Scoring summary

[edit]

Scoring summary

| Quarter  | Time  | Drive | Team  | Scoring information  | Score

|
|
|
|
|

Plays | Yards  | TOP | MICH  | SCAR
1  | 3:42  | 8  | 29  | 3:37  | MICH  | 35-yard field goal by Quinn Nordin | 3  | 0
1  | 0:09  | 6  | 23  | 2:16  | MICH  | 26-yard field goal by Quinn Nordin  | 6  | 0
2  | 8:45  | 5  | 45  | 1:36  | SCAR  | 45-yard field goal by Parker White  | 6  | 3
2  | 0:00  | 8  | 33  | 1:18  | MICH  | 45-yard field goal by Quinn Nordin  | 9  | 3
3  | 9:56  | 7  | 72  | 7:34  | MICH  | Ben Mason 1-yard touchdown run, Quinn Nordin kick good  | 16  | 3
3  | 5:42  | 4  | 2  | 1:10  | MICH  | 48-yard field goal by Quinn Nordin  | 19  | 3
3  | 2:25  | 6  | 77  | 3:17  | SCAR  | Rico Dowdle 18-yard touchdown reception from Jake Bentley, 2-point pass failed  | 19  | 9
3  | 0:51  | 1  | 21  | 0:06  | SCAR  | Bryan Edwards 21-yard touchdown reception from Jake Bentley, Parker White kick good  | 19  | 16
4  | 11:33  | 6  | 81  | 2:12  | SCAR  | Shi Smith 53-yard touchdown reception from Jake Bentley, Parker White kick good  | 19  | 23
4  | 3:47  | 4  | 9  | 1:55  | SCAR  | 22-yard field goal by Parker White  | 19  | 26
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 19  | 26

### Statistics

[edit]

| 1  | 2  | 3  | 4 | Total

|
|
|
|
|

Wolverines  | 6  | 3  | 10  | 0 | 19
Gamecocks | 0  | 3  | 13  | 10 | 26
Statistics | MICH | SCAR

|
|

First downs | 17 | 13
Plays–yards | 78–277 | 58–302
Rushes–yards | 33–74 | 26–61
Passing yards | 203 | 239
Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 21–45–2 | 19–32–1
Time of possession | 34:17 | 25:43
Team | Category | Player | Statistics

|
|
|

MICH | Passing | Brandon Peters | 20/44, 186 yds, 2 INT
Rushing | Karan Higdon | 17 car, 65 yds
Receiving | Kekoa Crawford | 5 rec, 61 yds
SCAR | Passing | Jake Bentley | 19/32, 239 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing | Rico Dowdle | 6 car, 45 yds, 1 TD
Receiving | Bryan Edwards | 5 rec, 88 yds, 1 TD

## Mascot

[edit]

The 2018 Outback Bowl marked the first appearance of SB Nation sportswriter and mixed martial artist Ryan Nanni as the Bloomin' Onion mascot.[7][8]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Outback Bowl MVP Jake Bentley". outbackbowl.com. January 1, 2018. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
2. ^ "Bentley leads South Carolina past Michigan 26-19 in Outback". ESPN. Associated Press. January 1, 2018. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
3. ^ "Bowl Payout". collegefootballpoll.com. December 9, 2017. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
4. ^ "Michigan and South Carolina to Meet in Outback Bowl". outbackbowl.com. December 3, 2017. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
5. ^ "Michigan, South Carolina to Meet in Outback Bowl on New Year's Day". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. December 3, 2017. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
6. ^ "Gamecocks Accept Outback Bowl Bid". gamecocksonline.com. CBS Interactive. December 3, 2017. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
7. ^ Diaz, Hector (December 5, 2017). "Local man achieves his dreams, becomes Bloomin' Onion mascot thanks to 10,000 retweets". SB Nation. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
8. ^ Rock, Taylor (December 8, 2017). "Outback Bowl Bloomin' Onion costume hijacked by persistent sportswriter". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 8, 2017.

* v
* t
* e

2017–18 NCAA football bowl game season

* New Mexico (Dec. 16)
* Las Vegas (Dec. 16)
* Camellia (Dec. 16)
* Cure (Dec. 16)
* New Orleans (Dec. 16)
* Boca Raton (Dec. 19)
* Frisco (Dec. 20)
* Gasparilla (Dec. 21)
* Famous Idaho Potato (Dec. 22)
* Bahamas (Dec. 22)
* Armed Forces (Dec. 23)
* Birmingham (Dec. 23)
* Dollar General (Dec. 23)
* Hawaii (Dec. 24)
* Quick Lane (Dec. 26)
* Heart of Dallas (Dec. 26)
* Cactus (Dec. 26)
* Independence (Dec. 27)
* Pinstripe (Dec. 27)
* Texas (Dec. 27)
* Foster Farms (Dec. 27)
* Military (Dec. 28)
* Camping World (Dec. 28)
* Alamo (Dec. 28)
* Holiday (Dec. 28)
* Belk (Dec. 29)
* Cotton (Dec. 29)
* Sun (Dec. 29)
* Music City (Dec. 29)
* Arizona (Dec. 29)
* Fiesta (Dec. 30)
* Liberty (Dec. 30)
* Orange (Dec. 30)
* TaxSlayer (Dec. 30)
* Citrus (Jan. 1)
* Outback (Jan. 1)
* Peach (Jan. 1)

* College Football Playoff  games: Rose (semifinal) (Jan. 1)
* Sugar (semifinal) (Jan. 1)
* National Championship Game (Jan. 8)

All-Star Games
East–West Shrine Game (Jan. 20)
NFLPA Collegiate Bowl (Jan. 20)
Senior Bowl (Jan. 27)

* v
* t
* e

Hall of Fame / Outback / ReliaQuest Bowl

History & conference tie-ins|

* History
* Tampa Stadium
* Raymond James Stadium
* Big Ten Conference
* Southeastern Conference

Games|

* 1986
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
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* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024 (Jan.)
* 2024 (Dec.)

Notes|

* The bowl was not played during calendar year 1987.

* v
* t
* e

Michigan Wolverines bowl games

* 1902 Rose Bowl
* 1948 Rose Bowl
* 1951 Rose Bowl
* 1965 Rose Bowl
* 1970 Rose Bowl
* 1972 Rose Bowl
* 1976 Orange Bowl
* 1977 Rose Bowl
* 1978 Rose Bowl
* 1979 Rose Bowl
* 1979 Gator Bowl
* 1981 Rose Bowl
* 1981 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl
* 1983 Rose Bowl
* 1984 Sugar Bowl
* 1984 Holiday Bowl
* 1986 Fiesta Bowl
* 1987 Rose Bowl
* 1988 Hall of Fame Bowl
* 1989 Rose Bowl
* 1990 Rose Bowl
* 1991 Gator Bowl
* 1992 Rose Bowl
* 1993 Rose Bowl
* 1994 Hall of Fame Bowl
* 1994 Holiday Bowl
* 1995 Alamo Bowl
* 1997 Outback Bowl
* 1998 Rose Bowl
* 1999 Florida Citrus Bowl
* 2000 Orange Bowl
* 2001 Florida Citrus Bowl
* 2002 Florida Citrus Bowl
* 2003 Outback Bowl
* 2004 Rose Bowl
* 2005 Rose Bowl
* 2005 Alamo Bowl
* 2007 Rose Bowl
* 2008 Capital One Bowl
* 2011 Gator Bowl
* 2012 Sugar Bowl
* 2013 Outback Bowl
* 2013 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl
* 2016 Citrus Bowl
* 2016 Orange Bowl
* 2018 Outback Bowl
* 2018 Peach Bowl
* 2020 Citrus Bowl
* 2021 Orange Bowl †
* 2022 Fiesta Bowl †
* 2024 Rose Bowl †
* 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship #

# denotes national championship game; † denotes College Football Playoff semifinal game

* v
* t
* e

South Carolina Gamecocks bowl games

* 1946 Gator Bowl
* 1969 Peach Bowl
* 1975 Tangerine Bowl
* 1979 Hall of Fame Classic
* 1980 Gator Bowl
* 1984 Gator Bowl
* 1987 Gator Bowl
* 1988 Liberty Bowl
* 1995 Carquest Bowl
* 2001 Outback Bowl
* 2002 Outback Bowl
* 2005 Independence Bowl
* 2006 Liberty Bowl
* 2009 Outback Bowl
* 2010 PapaJohns.com Bowl
* 2010 Chick-fil-A Bowl
* 2012 Capital One Bowl
* 2013 Outback Bowl
* 2014 Capital One Bowl
* 2014 Independence Bowl
* 2016 Birmingham Bowl
* 2018 Outback Bowl
* 2018 Belk Bowl
* 2021 Duke's Mayo Bowl
* 2022 Gator Bowl

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