Your open thread for tonight’s bowl games
Good evening New York Giants fans!
Don’t look now, but the 2024-2025 Bowl Season is now upon us.
Tonight we James Madison vs. Western Kentucky in the Boca Raton Bowl at 5:30 p.m. That game is followed by (24) UNLV vs. Cal in the Art of Sport LA Bowl. Bowl games are always fun to watch, and that’s reason enough to tune in on a Wednesday evening. There will also be a few prospects worth watching in the games, which is something to care about from a Draft and Giants perspective.
Boca Raton Bowl – JMU vs. Western Kentucky
ESPN – 5:30 p.m.
James Madison
George Pettaway (RB) – Pettaway could be a late round pick or perhaps more likely a UDFA. He started his career at North Carolina and played 15 games across his freshman and sophomore seasons before redshirting. He then transferred to JMU in search of more playing time.
Pettaway is an undersized scat-back at 5-foot-10, 200, and has a lot of tread left on his tires after sitting in 2023 and carrying the ball just 148 times this year. That said, his quickness and acceleration make him an explosive runner. He has 880 yards and 5 touchdowns and is averaging 5.9 yards per carry, and has topped 6.8 ypc six times this year. Pettaway also has some upside as a pass catcher, and has 24 catches two of which went for touchdowns.
The Giants struck gold with Tyrone Tracy, still have Devin Singletary, and they also have Dante Miller waiting in the wings. So they’re likely set at running back, but it might pay to keep an eye on a player who could surprise if he gets a larger role.
Western Kentucky
Upton Stout (DB) – Stout won’t be for every team. Coaches who want big, physical defenders probably won’t be interested in a 5-foot-9, 180-pound defensive back. He isn’t exactly small — 180 pounds is pretty dense at 5-foot-9 — but the lack of length will be a turn-off for some teams.
However, he’s also instinctive and fluid in coverage — as evidenced by his 8 passes defensed in 2023 and 4 interceptions in 2022, as well as the pick-six he’s had in both seasons.
Stout will likely find a home on special teams and could work his way onto the field as a versatile nickel defender for a zone-based defense at the NFL level.
Art of Sport LA Bowl – (24) UNLV vs. Cal
ESPN – 8 p.m.
University of Nevada – Las Vegas
Jalen Catalon (S) – We’ve actually highlighted Catalon a couple times already. You might remember him being highlighted in the Mountain West championship two weeks ago. But you might not remember him being highlighted twice before that in 2022. Back then, he was playing for Arkansas and was considered a potential first round talent. Since then, he’s suffered a couple injuries and transferred to UNLV.
Safety could be a low-key need for the Giants with Jason Pinnock entering free agency and Dane Belton entering the final year of his rookie contract. A player like Catalon could be a steal as long as his medicals check out.
California
Teddye Buchanan (Off-Ball LB) – Buchanan is a player to watch over the course of the draft prospects and has the potential to be a real hidden gem.
He lacks prototypical size at 6-foot-2, 235 pounds, and might have been called a “safety/tweener” in an earlier era of football. However, the proliferation spread offenses has made players like Buchanan all the more important. That’s because Buchanan is a legitimately excellent coverage linebacker, with range, athleticism, and playmaking instincts.
He doesn’t have any interceptions this year, but had 3 in each of the two prior years, and another 2 picks as a freshman. And while he hasn’t had any interceptions this year (yet), he has had 4 passes defensed as well as 2 forced fumbles and 5 sacks. Oh, and 114 total tackles — he does that a lot too.
He’ll likely have to earn a roster spot through special teams, but he could be legitimately difficult to keep off the field as a Nickel or third down linebacker.
