| Game Name: | Boca Raton Bowl |
| Subheader: | 4th Boca Raton Bowl |
| Title Sponsor: | Cheribundi Tart Cherry |
| Date Game Played: | December 19 |
| Year Game Played: | 2017 |
| Football Season: | 2017 |
| Stadium: | FAU Stadium |
| City: | Boca Raton, Florida |
| Visitor School: | University of Akron |
| Visitor Name Short: | Akron |
| Visitor Nickname: | Zips |
| Visitor Record: | 7–6 |
| Visitor Conference: | MAC |
| Visitor Coach: | Terry Bowden |
| Visitor 1Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 3 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 0 |
| Home School: | Florida Atlantic University |
| Home Name Short: | Florida Atlantic |
| Home Nickname: | Owls |
| Home Record: | 10–3 |
| Home Conference: | C-USA |
| Home Coach: | Lane Kiffin |
| Home 1Q: | 7 |
| Home 2Q: | 14 |
| Home 3Q: | 15 |
| Home 4Q: | 14 |
| Mvp: | Jason Driskel (QB, FAU) Azeez Al-Shaair (LB, FAU)[1] |
| Referee: | Kevin Stine (Sun Belt) |
| Attendance: | 25,912 |
| Payout: | 800,000[2] |
| Us Network: | ESPN ESPN Radio |
| Us Announcers: | Clay Matvick, Kirk Morrison, Cole Cubelic Radio: Steve Levy, Desmond Howard, Paul Carcaterra |
The 2017 Boca Raton Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 19, 2017, at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida, United States. The fourth edition of the Boca Raton Bowl featured the Conference USA champion Florida Atlantic Owls against the Mid-American Conference East Division champion Akron Zips. Kickoff was scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST and the game aired on ESPN. It was one of the 2017–18 bowl games that concluded the 2017 FBS football season. Sponsored by the Cheribundi beverage company, the game was officially known as the Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl.[3]
The game featured the Akron Zips against the Florida Atlantic Owls and was the first-ever meeting between the two schools.[4]
See also: 2017 Akron Zips football team and 2017 Mid-American Conference football season.
See also: 2017 Florida Atlantic Owls football team and 2017 Conference USA football season.
This was Florida Atlantic's third bowl game in school history, first since 2008, and first Boca Raton Bowl; the Owls won both of their previous bowl games (the 2007 New Orleans Bowl and the 2008 Motor City Bowl).
This was Akron's third bowl game in school history, first since 2015, and first Boca Raton Bowl; the Zips previously lost one bowl game (the 2005 Motor City Bowl) and won one bowl game (the 2015 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl).
| Statistics | Akron | FAU |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 11 | 29 |
| Total offense, yards | 146 | 582 |
| Rushes-yards (net) | 37–69 | 60–312 |
| Passing yards (net) | 77 | 270 |
| Passes, Comp-Att-Int | 10–21–0 | 19–26–0 |
| Time of Possession | 27:52 | 32:08 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akron | Passing | Kato Nelson | 9/15, 80 yds |
| Rushing | Manny Morgan | 17 car, 41 yds | |
| Receiving | A.J. Coney | 2 rec, 28 yds | |
| Florida Atlantic | Passing | Jason Driskel | 19/25, 270 yds, 2 TD |
| Rushing | 26 car, 124 yds, 3 TD | ||
| Receiving | Kalib Woods | 4 rec, 79 yds |