2023 Famous Toastery Bowl Explained

Game Name:Famous Toastery Bowl
Subheader:9th Bahamas Bowl
Date Game Played:December 18
Year Game Played:2023
Football Season:2023
Stadium:Jerry Richardson Stadium
City:Charlotte, North Carolina
Visitor School:Western Kentucky University
Visitor Name Short:Western Kentucky
Visitor Nickname:Hilltoppers
Visitor Record:7–5
Visitor Conference:C-USA
Visitor Coach:Tyson Helton
Visitor 1Q:0
Visitor 2Q:7
Visitor 3Q:7
Visitor 4Q:21
Visitor Ot:3
Home School:Old Dominion University
Home Name Short:Old Dominion
Home Nickname:Monarchs
Home Record:6–6
Home Conference:Sun Belt
Home Coach:Ricky Rahne
Home 1Q:21
Home 2Q:7
Home 3Q:7
Home 4Q:0
Home Ot:0
Mvp:Caden Veltcamp (QB, Western Kentucky)[1] & Anthony Johnson Jr. (DB, Western Kentucky)[2]
Odds:Old Dominion by 2.5[3]
Referee:Andrew Speciale (MAC)[4]
Attendance:5,632
Us Network:ESPN
Us Announcers:Dave Neal (play-by-play), Tom Luginbill (analyst), and Abby Labar (sideline)
Intl Network:ESPN Brazil
Intl Announcers:ESPN Brazil: Thiago Alves (play-by-play) and Deivis Chiodini (analyst)
Different Previous:2022
Different Next:2025
Game Link:Bahamas Bowl

The 2023 Famous Toastery Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 18, 2023, at Jerry Richardson Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Originally planned as the 9th annual Bahamas Bowl, it was renamed and relocated due to renovations at its usual site, Thomas Robinson Stadium in the Bahamas. The game featured the Old Dominion Monarchs from the Sun Belt Conference and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers from Conference USA. It started at approximately 2:30 p.m EST and was broadcast on ESPN. The Famous Toastery Bowl was one of the 2023–24 bowl games concluding the 2023 FBS football season.[5]

Relocation

The bowl was originally scheduled, as the Bahamas Bowl, to be played on December 16, 2023, with a start time of 11:00 a.m. EST. However, on October 26, it was announced that the game would be held at Jerry Richardson Stadium in North Carolina due to renovations at Thomas Robinson Stadium in the Bahamas.[6] The game also swapped dates and start times with the 2023 Myrtle Beach Bowl. The game was originally sponsored by mortgage lender HomeTown Lenders, and was, before relocation, to be officially known as the HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl.[7] [8] On November 14, 2023, the Famous Toastery restaurant chain was named the title sponsor of the relocated bowl.[9] The game is expected to return to the Bahamas in 2024.[10]

Teams

The game originally planned to feature teams from the Sun Belt Conference and Mid-American Conference (MAC). While the Old Dominion Monarchs from Sun Belt were named as a participant, the MAC did not have enough bowl-eligible teams to fill their spot. The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers of Conference USA (C-USA) were then selected.[11]

This was the eighth meeting between Old Dominion and Western Kentucky; entering the bowl, the Hilltoppers led the all-time series 6–1, with the Monarchs' lone win coming in 2018.[12] From 2014 to 2021, Old Dominion and Western Kentucky played together in C-USA, parting ways when the Monarchs joined the Sun Belt for 2022.

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

See main article: 2023 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team.

Western Kentucky entered the season returning star quarterback-wide receiver duo Austin Reed and Malachi Corley and hoping to contend for a C-USA title. They entered conference play 2–2 following a blowout loss to Ohio State and a close loss to Troy. In Week 11, a 38–29 loss to New Mexico State gave the Hilltoppers their third conference loss and ended their hopes of a C-USA title. They clinched bowl eligibility a week later with a 28–23 win over Sam Houston. The Hilltoppers entered the Famous Toastery Bowl with a record of 7–5.

Old Dominion Monarchs

See main article: 2023 Old Dominion Monarchs football team.

The Monarchs started the season 2–3 with two one-score losses as well as a blowout loss to Virginia Tech. A three-game losing streak in late October and early November dropped them to 4–6, one loss away from bowl ineligibility. However, the Monarchs managed to win their final two games, a three-point win over Georgia Southern and a one-point win over Georgia State. This allowed them to clinch bowl eligibility in the final week of the season. Old Dominion entered the Famous Toastery Bowl with a record of 6–6.

Game summary

Statistics

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: BREAKING: Western Kentucky Ride Furious Comeback To Bowl Win In Charlotte . Veltkamp was named the game's offensive MVP. . Joe . Londergan . . December 18, 2023 . December 18, 2023.
  2. Web site: Famous Toastery Bowl Postgame . ESPN.com . December 18, 2023 . December 18, 2023.
  3. News: College football bowl schedule, game odds, point spreads for 2023-24. Sports Illustrated. James. Parks. December 11, 2023. December 12, 2023.
  4. News: 2023-24 bowl officiating assignments. footballzebras.com. Ben. Austro. December 3, 2023. December 5, 2023.
  5. Hofheimer. Bill. Famous Toastery Named Title Sponsor of ESPN Events’ Charlotte Bowl Game . ESPN Pressroom . ESPN. 14 November 2023 . en . 14 November 2023.
  6. Web site: 2023 Bahamas Bowl to Move to Alternate Location. 19 October 2023. Mid-American Conference. 25 October 2023.
  7. Web site: Straka . Dean . 2023-24 college football bowl schedule, games, dates, locations, kickoff times, TV channels . CBS Sports . 31 May 2023 . 30 June 2023.
  8. Lewis . Barry . 2023-24 College Football Bowl Schedule, Dates, Times Announced . Sports Illustrated . 3 June 2023 . 30 June 2023.
  9. Hofheimer. Bill. Famous Toastery Named Title Sponsor of ESPN Events’ Charlotte Bowl Game . ESPN Pressroom . ESPN. 14 November 2023 . en . 14 November 2023.
  10. Web site: 2023 Bahamas Bowl to Be played at 49ers' Jerry Richardson Stadium. Charlotte49ers.com. October 26, 2023. October 26, 2023.
  11. News: How WKU became a part of the first ever ‘Famous Toastery Bowl’ . Kaden . Gaylord-Day . . December 15, 2023 . December 17, 2023.
  12. Web site: Old Dominion Monarchs vs. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football series games list . winsipedia.com . December 18, 2023.