2012 Kickoff: Friday, December 28 at 1pm on ESPN

2012 I-Bowl to be played on Friday, Dec. 28 at 1 p.m. on ESPN

Shreveport, La. – The 2012 AdvoCare V100™ Independence Bowl will kick off at 1 p.m. CT on Friday, Dec. 28th from Independence Stadium and will be nationally televised on ESPN.

The I-Bowl will be played on Dec. 28th for the sixth time in history and first since 2009. Dec. 28th is the most frequented playing date in I-Bowl history along with Dec. 31th as the game has been played seven times on New Year’s Eve and six times on Dec. 28th prior to this December. The I-Bowl was televised on ESPN2 the past three years.

“As the 2012 AdvoCare V100™ Independence Bowl date is announced, excitement for game day has grown even more. We’re proud to partner with the Independence Bowl organization for the fourth consecutive year and looking forward to another great match up in Shreveport!” AdvoCare President and CEO Richard Wright said.

ESPN will televise the game for the 21st-straight year after signing an eight-year extension in 2010, which will guarantee the game will be on the network through 2017. ESPN first televised the Independence Bowl in 1992, bringing Wake Forest’s 39–35 victory over Oregon to a nationwide audience, and the game has since become a fixture on ESPN’s “Bowl Week”.

“We are pleased to be the kickoff game of what promises to be a great day for college football,” said 2012 AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl Chairman Jack Andres “We believe this early afternoon time slot right in the middle of the Christmas and New Year holidays will appeal to both our local fans and those traveling to the Shreveport-Bossier City area to support their teams.”

Hall of Famer Lou Holtz to speak at 2012 I-Bowl Kickoff Luncheon

Portrait of Coach Lou HoltzPhoto of Coach Lou Holtz in actionShreveport, LA – Legendary College Football Hall of Fame coach Lou Holtz will be the featured speaker at the third annual AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl Kickoff Luncheon on Wednesday, Aug. 22nd at 11:45 a.m. at the Shreveport Convention Center. Tickets for the luncheon are available for $50 and tables of eight are $400 by calling the Bowl Office at 318-221-0712 or toll-free at 888-414-BOWL (2695).

Holtz, elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008, joined ESPN as a college football analyst in 2005. He guided Notre Dame to a national championship in 1988 and is the only college football coach to lead six different programs to bowl games and four different programs to a final ranking in the top 20.

Holtz served as head coach at William & Mary, North Carolina State, Arkansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame, and South Carolina. His 1985 Minnesota team earned a bid to face Clemson in the Independence Bowl, but Holtz did not coach the Gophers in the game, as he had already accepted the head coaching position at Notre Dame.

“It is a distinct pleasure for the AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl to present the famous football coach, prognosticator, TV commentator, and sought-after motivational speaker, Lou Holtz, as the keynote speaker at our Kickoff Luncheon”, said 2012 I-Bowl Chairman Jack Andres. …

Missouri defeats North Carolina 41–24 to win 2011 I-Bowl

Mizzou celebrates their victory, with the trophy.Photo courtesy of Roger Braniff, Sr. Story courtesy of the Associated Press: Shreveport, LA — James Franklin’s hard running and timely passing led Missouri to an easy win in its final game as a member of the Big 12. It also gives the Tigers plenty of hope heading into their new home in the Southeastern Conference. Franklin ran for two touchdowns and threw for another, and the Tigers easily beat North Carolina 41–24 in the Independence Bowl on Monday night. Missouri (8–5) ends the season on a four-game winning streak for the first time since 1965. The Tigers will join the SEC next fall and showed one reason they should be a factor immediately: The 6′2″, 225-pound Franklin, a sophomore who generally did as he pleased in both the running and passing games.

Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said Franklin has just started to realize his potential. “After the game, I gave him a hug and said congratulations,” Pinkel said. “Then I went back and asked ‘What happens when you get really good?’ … He kind of gave me a look, but that’s a huge compliment.” Franklin, named the game’s offensive Most Valuable Player, rushed for 142 yards and threw for 132 despite less than ideal conditions in the cold and rain at Independence Stadium. He led the Tigers to 31 first-half points — an Independence Bowl record. For North Carolina (7–6), a season that started with a promising 5–1 record ends with a lopsided loss.

The Tar Heels lost five of their final seven under interim coach Everett Withers, who leaves to become defensive coordinator at Ohio State under Urban Meyer. North Carolina had the Atlantic Coast Conference’s second-best rushing defense, giving up just 106.2 yards per game. But the Tigers found plenty of running room with Franklin and Kendial Lawrence, repeatedly gashing the Tar Heels for big gains. “(Frankin) is just such a dynamic guy running and throwing that you have to respect both,” Withers said. “I always count the quarterback as an extra running back in the spread and that's exactly what he was.”

Gen. Charles C. “Hondo” Campbell Named 2011 Bradley Recipient

This prestigious award has been given out annually at the Independence Bowl after the Sports Foundation directors decided to recognize an outstanding American citizen, with the “Spirit of Independence Award.” The first recipient honored in 1977 was General Omar N. Bradley, the only living five-star general in the United States at that time. The following year, and until his death, General Bradley presented the “Spirit of Independence Award” to his fellow recipients. After his death, the General’s name was added to the award.

Gen. Campbell, a Shreveport native, becomes the 35th recipient of the award and joins many distinguished past recipients such as John Wayne (1978), former President Ronald Reagan (1981), the YMCA (1994), and Hal Sutton (2003). St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital was last year’s recipient.

“He has been, and still is, intimately involved with the most important aspects of our nation’s security. It is a distinct pleasure to welcome him into the ranks of those outstanding individuals who have been selected to receive the Gen Omar Bradley Spirit of Independence Award,” said Sexton, Jr.

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ACC
Atlantic		Conf.
W – L		Overall
W – L		Rank
Clemson6 – 29 – 321 AP/Coaches
Florida St.5 – 38 – 425 AP/24 Coaches
Wake Forest5 – 36 – 6 
North Carolina St.4 – 47 – 5 
Boston College3 – 54 – 8 
Maryland1 – 72 – 10 
CoastalConf.OverallRank
Virginia Tech7 – 111 – 19 AP/7 Coaches
Georgia Tech5 – 38 – 4 
Virginia5 – 38 – 423 Coaches
North Carolina3 – 57 – 5 
Miami3 – 56 – 6 
Duke1 – 73 - 9 
 

Mountain West		Conf.
W – L		Overall
W – L
Rank
TCU6 – 09 – 218 AP/17 Coaches
Boise State5 – 110 – 19 AP/8 Coaches
Wyoming4 – 27 – 4 
San Diego St.4 – 37 – 4 
Air Force3 – 47 – 5 
Colorado St.1 – 5 3 – 8 
UNLV1 – 5 2 – 9 
New Mexico1 – 5 1 – 10