Miami Beach Bowl

New bowl game alert, pt. 2.  Monday afternoon, three days before Christmas, only five games two days before, of course you need another bowl game.

Come to the Marlins stadium, stay for the art deco, right there in the logo.

Brigham Young vs. Memphis

Started this day with a client meeting and then some Christmas shopping.  By all means, I hope your shopping is done. First stop, Cork and Barrel in Covington.  This used to be my go-to liquor store, it's a shell of itself.  Half filled shelves, higher prices, booze is now cheaper in Ohio.  The bourbon craze has hit this store hard.  I bought a bottle of vermouth and a bottle of wine, more or less out of pity.

Then in succession: Bed, Bath & Beyond, TJ Maxx and Target.  Notice to stores, its three days before Christmas, you may want to have all your registers staffed.  Then gas at Costco, $1.97 a gallon!  Final stop, O'Reilly's for a couple things automotive for my Jeep - no one in the store.  Lesson learned, do your shopping at O'Reilly's.

Got home to find my big recyclable can had not been picked up.  So, a long phone call on the automation system with my trash company and like a Christmas miracle, they showed up to empty the can.  I never spoke to an actual human. Every time a trash can's emptied, a garbage man gets his wings!

Finally, football.  I joined the game seven minutes into the first quarter and four - FOUR- touchdowns have already been scored.  But no worries, the action was only starting.

Second quarter, another three touchdowns.  Just your usual shootout.  Long half time, so I switch over to the Food Network to see what Giada is cooking for Christmas.  Probably something with parmesan, lemons and cleavage.  Hi Giada.  Hey, look, she's in Miami too.

Mrs. Keith hates Giada.

Both teams trade touchdowns in the third quarter, Memphis holds on to a 38-31 lead and then all hell breaks loose in the fourth

Fourth quarter fireworks - Memphis turned it over three times giving BYU the lead.  But in true Miami Beach Bowl fashion, we're not done. It really was spectacular, go read about it on your own.

Memphis gets great field possession, converts on a nutty fourth down play and scores with 45 seconds left.  Setting up the extra point, things really get weird.  BYU's coach Bronco Mendenhall calls not one but two time outs.  Two time outs on an extra point with 45 seconds remaining - what the ___ Bronco?  Of course, BYU still manages to move the ball and has a shot at the end zone before time expires.  Would have been nice to have those two time outs, huh Bronco?  I would love to hear the explanation of calling two time outs on an extra point. 

Overtime!

BYU gets the ball first, bumbles around and has to kick a field with their weak legged kicker and he drops it just over the crossbar.  Memphis possession, nothing they do makes any sense and they lose 13 yards.  55 yard field goal attempt and their kicker would have made it from 65 yards.

Flip the field.  Memphis scores a beauty of a TD and BYU chokes, throwing an interception, game over.  

But wait, there's more!

A huge fight broke out and this guy threw a sucker punch at a Memphis player.  I guess that didn't work out too well. This wasn't the only bloody player.  One of the Memphis players in the pre-game was ramming his un-helmeted head into other players helmeted heads, breaking open his nose. At least two others players were bloodied, one doing it just  running into something. This game had it all.

Memphis 55  BYU 48

Notes

-This will easily be the craziest game of BowlQuest.  I can't imagine what could happen to surpass the awful play, turnovers and weird coaching decisions. Both teams played terrible and great on the same day.

-What a game for Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch - four touchdown passes and he ran for three others.  Also, he's 6'7".  It's the second time in six bowl games a quarterback of that height has played.

-What did I eat?  Cheese plate with crostini and then some pretzel and nuts snack mix.  It was a long game.

-Player swag.  Hopefully, band-aids for a few guys.  Actually, Under Armour sunglasses and hat, Oakley backpack. Typical bowl game crap.

I picked Memphis, so my record goes to 5-1.  I still don't know how I picked Colorado State over Utah.

Two games tomorrow; Boca Raton Bowl and Poinsettia Bowl.