2009 EagleBank Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 2009 EagleBank Bowl was a college football
bowl game
. It marked the second edition of the EagleBank Bowl, played at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.
The game, in which UCLA
of the Pacific-10 Conference defeated Temple
of the Mid-American Conference
30–21, started at 4:30 PM US EST
on Tuesday, December 29, 2009
. The game was telecast on ESPN
and was organized by the DC Bowl Committee, Inc., the Washington Convention and Sports Authority and its title sponsor.
and the eighth team selected from the ACC
. Army finished the regular season at 5–7 after failing to defeat rival Navy
to become bowl eligible. Only seven teams from the ACC finished with bowl-qualifying regular season records (6–6 or better.)
would have been selected as the opponent for the ACC team. All of the bowl-eligible teams from the ACC and Conference USA were selected by bowls with a higher selection priority. The Bowl was also under partnership with the MAC to select a team if neither an ACC or a C-USA team is available. Under this provision, the bowl selected the Temple Owls.
was a likely choice, but the team would not participate in a bowl following the firing of Charlie Weis
. The choice then ultimately fell to UCLA, which would take Army's spot if Army did not defeat Navy and finish 6–6. UCLA was permitted to practice for the bowl, per NCAA rules, since they were eligible to participate in a bowl.
Army was required to beat Navy on Saturday, December 12, 2009, in order to qualify for the bowl. Army fell short by losing 17–3 in the Army-Navy game
, thereby allowing UCLA (6–6) to play Temple (9–3).
UCLA rallied from a 21-10 halftime deficit to defeat Temple for their first winning season in 3 years. Temple did not score in the second half of the game after star tailback
Bernard Pierce left the game with an injured shoulder. Pierce had recorded 53 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries before his early exit. UCLA quarterback
Kevin Prince completed 16 of 31 passes for 221 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. His counterpart, Vaughn Charlton, had more interceptions (two) than completed passes (one) in the second half. Bruins linebacker
Akeem Ayers
returned an interception 2 yards for a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter and was named the game's MVP for his efforts.
The temperature was 32 degrees at kickoff with the wind chill at 19, and it only got colder as the evening wore on, leading many (including Temple Alum Bill Cosby) to assume UCLA would struggle with the conditions. The game drew 23,072 to RFK Stadium, a decline of more than 5,000 from last year's inaugural game.
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
. It marked the second edition of the EagleBank Bowl, played at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
The game, in which UCLA
2009 UCLA Bruins football team
The 2009 UCLA Bruins football team , under second year head coach Rick Neuheisel, opened the season at the Rose Bowl on September 5 against San Diego State. One scheduling change was that the last game of the season against USC was moved from the "Championship Saturday" weekend of December...
of the Pacific-10 Conference defeated Temple
2009 Temple Owls football team
The 2009 Temple Owls football team represented Temple University in the college 2009 football season. They competed in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision . Temple competed as a member of the Mid-American Conference East Division...
of the Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
30–21, started at 4:30 PM US EST
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
on Tuesday, December 29, 2009
2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on September 2, 2009, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Pasadena, California on January 7, 2010, featuring the...
. The game was telecast on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and was organized by the DC Bowl Committee, Inc., the Washington Convention and Sports Authority and its title sponsor.
Teams
The 2009 edition of the EagleBank Bowl was originally to match Army2009 Army Black Knights football team
The 2009 Army Black Knights football team represented the United States Military Academy in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the 2009 season. Army competed as an Independent, with no conference affiliation and were led by...
and the eighth team selected from the ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
. Army finished the regular season at 5–7 after failing to defeat rival Navy
2009 Navy Midshipmen football team
The 2009 Navy Midshipmen football team represented the United States Naval Academy in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS college football season. The Midshipmen, led by third year head coach Ken Niumatalolo, played their home games at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.On November 7, 2009 athletic...
to become bowl eligible. Only seven teams from the ACC finished with bowl-qualifying regular season records (6–6 or better.)
Temple Owls
A number of teams were up for consideration. The matchup was originally planned to be Army vs. a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference. If Army were not bowl-eligible (at least 6–6), a team from Conference USAConference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
would have been selected as the opponent for the ACC team. All of the bowl-eligible teams from the ACC and Conference USA were selected by bowls with a higher selection priority. The Bowl was also under partnership with the MAC to select a team if neither an ACC or a C-USA team is available. Under this provision, the bowl selected the Temple Owls.
UCLA Bruins
With the 7–5 teams all selected from the Football Bowl Subdivision, the 6–6 teams from other conferences are available to be selected. Notre Dame2009 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 2009 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2009 college football season. Charlie Weis entered his fifth season as head coach with the expectation from the Notre Dame administration that his team would be in position to compete for a BCS Bowl berth...
was a likely choice, but the team would not participate in a bowl following the firing of Charlie Weis
Charlie Weis
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Weis is an American football coach. He currently serves as offensive coordinator for the Florida Gators. For five years, from December 2004 through 2009, he was the head football coach at the University of Notre Dame...
. The choice then ultimately fell to UCLA, which would take Army's spot if Army did not defeat Navy and finish 6–6. UCLA was permitted to practice for the bowl, per NCAA rules, since they were eligible to participate in a bowl.
Army was required to beat Navy on Saturday, December 12, 2009, in order to qualify for the bowl. Army fell short by losing 17–3 in the Army-Navy game
Army-Navy Game
The Army–Navy Game is an an American college football rivalry game between the teams of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York and the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. The USMA team, "Army", and the USNA team, "Navy", each represent their services' oldest...
, thereby allowing UCLA (6–6) to play Temple (9–3).
Game summary
Temple wore their home cherry jerseys and UCLA wore their away white jerseys.UCLA rallied from a 21-10 halftime deficit to defeat Temple for their first winning season in 3 years. Temple did not score in the second half of the game after star tailback
Tailback
Tailback can mean:* Halfback * A line of motor vehicles caught up in traffic congestion; a traffic jam...
Bernard Pierce left the game with an injured shoulder. Pierce had recorded 53 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries before his early exit. UCLA quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Kevin Prince completed 16 of 31 passes for 221 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. His counterpart, Vaughn Charlton, had more interceptions (two) than completed passes (one) in the second half. Bruins linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Akeem Ayers
Akeem Ayers
Akeem Christopher Ayers is an American football linebacker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He played for the UCLA Bruins. He was a redshirt junior and the starting outside linebacker. At the end of the 2010 season, he declared for the NFL draft.-High school career:Ayers...
returned an interception 2 yards for a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter and was named the game's MVP for his efforts.
The temperature was 32 degrees at kickoff with the wind chill at 19, and it only got colder as the evening wore on, leading many (including Temple Alum Bill Cosby) to assume UCLA would struggle with the conditions. The game drew 23,072 to RFK Stadium, a decline of more than 5,000 from last year's inaugural game.
Scoring summary
| Scoring Play | Score | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Quarter | |||
| TEM — Steve Maneri 26 yard pass from Vaughn Charlton (Brandon McManus kick), 12:15 | TEM 7–0 | ||
| UCLA — Nelson Rosario 46 yard pass from Kevin Prince Kevin Prince Kevin Prince is an American football quarterback. He played at Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino, California. He is a redshirt junior at UCLA, the starting quarterback for the team... (Kai Forbath Kai Forbath Kai August Forbath is an American football placekicker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was a very successful placekicker for the University of California, Los Angeles... kick), 6:00 |
TIE 7–7 | ||
| 2nd Quarter | |||
| TEM — Bernard Pierce 11 yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 3:47 | TEM 14–7 | ||
| TEM — Matt Brown 2 yard rush (Brandon McManus kick), 1:25 | TEM 21–7 | ||
| UCLA — Kai Forbath 40 yard field goal, 0:00 | TEM 21–10 | ||
| 3rd Quarter | |||
| UCLA — Terrence Austin 32 yard pass from Kevin Prince (Kai Forbath kick), 11:59 | TEM 21–17 | ||
| 4th Quarter | |||
| UCLA — Kai Forbath 42 yard field goal, 12:31 | TEM 21–20 | ||
| UCLA — Akeem Ayers Akeem Ayers Akeem Christopher Ayers is an American football linebacker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He played for the UCLA Bruins. He was a redshirt junior and the starting outside linebacker. At the end of the 2010 season, he declared for the NFL draft.-High school career:Ayers... 2 yard interception (Nelson Rosario pass from Kevin Prince two-point conversion), 6:01 |
UCLA 28–21 | ||
| UCLA — Safety, 4:29 | UCLA 30–21 | ||
External links
- EagleBank Bowl official website