2018 Cheez-It Bowl

The 2018 Cheez-It Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 26, 2018 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.^[3] It was one of the 2018–19 bowl games concluding the 2018 FBS football season. It was the 30th edition of a bowl game that has gone by various names, and was called the Cactus Bowl for its previous four playings. The bowl was sponsored by Cheez-It crackers.

2018 Cheez-It Bowl
30th Cheez-It Bowl
California Golden Bears TCU Horned Frogs (7–5) (6–6) Pac-12 Big 12 7 10 Head coach:  Justin Wilcox Head coach:  Gary Patterson
1 2 3 4 OT Total California 7 0 0 0 0 7 TCU 0 0 7 0 3 10
Date	December 26, 2018
Season	2018
Stadium	Chase Field
Location	Phoenix, Arizona
MVP	Sewo Olonilua (RB, TCU) Jaylinn Hawkins (S, California)
Favorite	Pick (even)[1]
Referee	Marc Curles (SEC)
Attendance	33,121
Payout	US$1,037,000 [2]
United States TV coverage
Network	ESPN & ESPN Radio
Announcers	Jason Benetti, Kelly Stouffer, and Olivia Dekker (ESPN) Kevin Brown, Andre Ware, and Shelley Smith (ESPN Radio)
International TV coverage
Network	ESPN Deportes
Cheez-It Bowl  < 2017 2019 >

Tied 7–7 at the end of regulation, it was the first 2018–19 bowl game to go into overtime; TCU defeated California in the first overtime period, 10–7. The two teams combined for six interceptions in the first half, more than any game during the 2018 season, with a total of nine for the entire game. It became the fourth bowl game in NCAA history with nine or more interceptions, joining the 1942 Orange Bowl, 1968 Sun Bowl, and 1982 Liberty Bowl.^[4] It is jokingly referred to on social media and by broadcast media as the “Cheez-Int Bowl”.^[5]

Teams

The game was played between the TCU Horned Frogs from the Big 12 Conference and the California Golden Bears from the Pac-12 Conference.^[6] This was the first meeting between the two programs.^[7]

TCU Horned Frogs

Main article: 2018 TCU Horned Frogs football team

TCU received and accepted a bid to the Cheez-It Bowl on December 2.^[6] The Horned Frogs entered the bowl with a 6–6 record (4–5 in conference).

California Golden Bears

Main article: 2018 California Golden Bears football team

California received and accepted a bid to the Cheez-It Bowl on December 2.^[6] The Golden Bears entered the bowl with a 7–5 record (4–5 in conference).

Game summary

Scoring summary

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP CAL TCU 1 4:33 2 34 0:29 CAL Chase Garbers 4-yard touchdown run, Greg Thomas kick good 7 0 3 0:03 7 33 3:59 TCU Sewo Olonilua 1-yard touchdown run, Jonathan Song kick good 7 7 OT 10 15 TCU 27-yard field goal by Jonathan Song 7 10 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.

Statistics

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Golden Bears	7	0	0	0	0	7
Horned Frogs	0	0	7	0	3	10

Statistics	CAL	TCU
First downs	14	16
Plays–yards	63–264	80–290
Rushes–yards	30–100	59–262
Passing yards	164	28
Passing: comp–att–int	17–33–5	8–21–4
Time of possession	25:13	34:47

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
California	Passing	Chase Garbers	12/19, 93 yds, 3 INT
	Rushing	Christopher Brown Jr.	14 car, 57 yds
	Receiving	Nikko Remigio	5 rec, 21 yds
TCU	Passing	Grayson Muehlstein	7/20, 27 yds, 4 INT
	Rushing	Sewo Olonilua	32 car, 194 yds, 1 TD
	Receiving	Jaelan Austin	1 rec, 15 yds