2017 Boca Raton Bowl

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]

2017 Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl
4th Boca Raton Bowl
Akron Zips Florida Atlantic Owls (7–6) (10–3) MAC C-USA 3 50 Head coach:  Terry Bowden Head coach:  Lane Kiffin
1 2 3 4 Total Akron 0 3 0 0 3 Florida Atlantic 7 14 15 14 50
Date	December 19, 2017
Season	2017
Stadium	FAU Stadium
Location	Boca Raton, Florida
MVP	Jason Driskel (QB, FAU) Azeez Al-Shaair (LB, FAU)[1]
Referee	Kevin Stine (Sun Belt)
Attendance	25,912
Payout	US$800,000[2]
United States TV coverage
Network	ESPN ESPN Radio
Announcers	Clay Matvick, Kirk Morrison, Cole Cubelic Radio: Steve Levy, Desmond Howard, Paul Carcaterra
Boca Raton Bowl  < 2016  2018 >

Teams

The game featured the Akron Zips against the Florida Atlantic Owls and was the first-ever meeting between the two schools.^[4]

Akron Zips

See also: 2017 Akron Zips football team and 2017 Mid-American Conference football season

Florida Atlantic Owls

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).

Game summary

Scoring summary

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP Akron FAU 1 1:08 13 79 4:44 FAU Willie Wright 4-yard touchdown reception from Jason Driskel, Greg Joseph kick good 0 7 2 11:14 12 42 4:54 Akron 19-yard field goal by Nick Gasser 3 7 2 5:38 14 75 5:36 FAU Jason Driskel 3-yard touchdown run, Greg Joseph kick good 3 14 2 00:37 4 87 0:58 FAU Devin Singletary 6-yard touchdown run, Greg Joseph kick good 3 21 3 9:13 10 52 3:13 FAU Devin Singletary 2-yard touchdown run, Greg Joseph kick good 3 28 3 06:30 6 40 1:41 FAU Willie Wright 13-yard touchdown reception from Jason Driskel, 2-point run good 3 36 4 14:35 6 75 1:44 FAU Jason Driskel 7-yard touchdown run, Greg Joseph kick good 3 43 4 10:47 8 66 3:22 FAU Devin Singletary 26-yard touchdown run, Ryan Rickel kick good 3 50 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 3 50

Statistics

	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	0	3	0	0	3
Owls	7	14	15	14	50

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	Devin Singletary	26 car, 124 yds, 3 TD
	Receiving	Kalib Woods	4 rec, 79 yds