It was difficult to determine who had more fun Saturday night at Arizona Stadium — Snoop Dogg or the Arizona Bowl-record crowd of 40,076 who attended the game between Miami of Ohio and Colorado State.
Miami of Ohio took advantage of four Colorado State turnovers and senior running back Kevin Davis scored on an Arizona Bowl-record 97-yard run in the RedHawks’ 43-17 victory.
Snoop Dogg and his enterprise Gin & Juice was the title sponsor of the game for the first time.
The sponsor arrangement lasts through 2026. Can the Arizona Bowl sign him to a lifetime contract?
Please.
ARIZONA BOWL MATCHUPS
Annual results of the Arizona Bowl. Five games decided by a touchdown or less with three games going to overtime.| Date | Winner | Loser | Score | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/29/2015 | Nevada | Colorado State | 28-23 | 20425 |
| 12/30/2016 | Air Force | South Alabama | 45-21 | 33868 |
| 12/29/2017 | New Mexico State | Utah State | 26-20 (OT) | 39132 |
| 12/29/2018 | Nevada | Arkansas State | 16-13 (OT) | 32368 |
| 12/31/2019 | Wyoming | Georgia State | 38-17 | 36892 |
| 12/31/2020 | Ball State | San Jose State | 34-13 | 0 (COVID-19) |
| 12/31/2021 | Canceled | COVID-19 | Restrictions | |
| 12/30/2022 | Ohio | Wyoming | 30-27 (OT) | 27691 |
| 12/30/2023 | Wyoming | Toledo | 16-15 | 30428 |
| 12/28/2024 | Miami (Ohio) | Colorado State | 43-17 | 40076 |
Snoop Dogg was a prominent figure all day in and around Arizona Stadium, at the tailgate and before, during and after the game on the field.
He caught passes from a Miami equipment manager before the game. He told fans outside the Gin & Juice House at the tailgate party, “I’m just here to say, ‘Hi.’ I mean ‘high.’ I mean real ‘high.'” He visited both locker rooms before the game. He served as a drum major for both marching bands during the halftime show. He also was as an analyst in the broadcast booth in the press box during The CW telecast in the second and third quarters.
“This is a seven-day-a-week thing with me, man,” Snoop Dogg said during the broadcast. “I guess I’m the people’s champ because I love the people as much as they love me.”
He was everywhere others wanted him but welcomed them with an exuberant smile and a healthy disposition.
“It was a beautiful day of football; the kids had a good time, the fans had a good time, the fans came out … shout out to both universities,” Snoop Dogg said in an interview with KGUN-TV. “Shout out to Arizona, to the whole NCAA. It’s been a beautiful day. Thank you all for giving me the opportunity to show what I’m really about.”
Snoop Dogg taking some passes from a @MiamiOHFootball equipment manager, who asked if he could throw some to him. #ArizonaBowl pic.twitter.com/TwAHvSddbO
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) December 28, 2024
Arizona Bowl chairman of the board Ali Farhang was heard in the press box saying the event can get to the next stature of bowls.
When all the bowls are complete, the attendance for the Arizona Bowl will undoubtedly be among the best surpassing those with a higher payout than the $350,000 the Arizona Bowl splits between the schools.
A bonus for the players involved — at the behest of Snoop Dogg, the game was unique because the players were compensated through NIL money for appearing in the game.
Each of Miami’s players were awarded gold and silver Deathrow Records necklaces from Snoop Dogg during the trophy presentation following the game.
Snoop Dogg, who wore a stylish green-and-gold jacket with a huge Arizona Bowl logo on the front and back, drove the trophy onto the field in a light-green Chevy Impala convertible lowrider. After the trophy presentation, Miami coach Chuck Martin climbed to the backseat and sat there for a photo op with Snoop Dogg at the steering wheel.
“It was very uncomfortable for me,” Martin said with a smile when asked about that experience in the Impala. “If you know me, I’m a one-lane human being. I wear the same sweatshirt and same sweatpants every day, all year, unless I have to get dressed up for a function. That’s not a lot … (but) I wash them.
“I’m sitting there with a gold chain and my wife is laughing her ass off. Snoop’s there … who in the world is cooler than Snoop? Shaq? Okay, Shaq and Snoop are probably two of the coolest people on the planet. I’m sitting in the back of this vehicle and my wife is looking at me like, ‘What a complete imbecile.’ It’s a moment you’ll remember forever.”
Miami coach Chuck Martin talks about his experience sitting in the back of the Impala convertible with the gold chain around his neck given to him by Snoop Dogg, who was at the steering wheel. Snoop also presented Martin the Arizona Bowl trophy after the 43-17 win over Colorado… pic.twitter.com/Pzb7Qyib8P
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) December 29, 2024
Miami (9-5) won its first bowl since 2021 after losing the last two seasons in the postseason.
Colorado State (8-5), making its first bowl appearance since 2017, has lost five consecutive bowl games (the Rams also lost in the inaugural Arizona Bowl in 2015).
The experience of attending the Arizona Bowl and taking part of the festivities with Snoop Dogg the figurehead helped ease the pain of the outcome for Colorado State.
Colorado State’s ticket office immediately sold out its allotment of 1,500 tickets and Rams fans purchased well more than 3,000 through the school. Likely more than 10,000 were in attendance from Fort Collins, Colo.
“There’s a lot of tears and a lot of hugs in that locker room,” Colorado State coach Jay Norvell said. “We’ve talked about the 27 seniors we’ve had that have sacrificed so much, been through so much in their career at CSU and they’ve done some amazing things. Disappointed that we didn’t send them out with a victory tonight.
“We had an amazing turnout here with our fans. So grateful for our fans being here and how they handled themselves here down in Tucson. We’re very grateful for that. Disappointed on how we played tonight. It wasn’t typical of how we’ve played this year, particularly taking care of the football.”
Justin Marshall, a freshman with Colorado State, gained 84 yards on nine carries.
Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi was 23 of 45 for 321 yards with a touchdown with two interceptions.
Brett Gabbert, closing his six-year career at Miami, completed 13 of 25 passes for 184 yards without a touchdown or interception.
Davis, also ending his five-year run at the Oxford, Ohio school, finished with 144 yards on eight carries with two touchdowns. He averaged 16.4 yards per carry behind his record 97-yard touchdown run.
“It’s like a dream come true,” Davis said of earning the game’s Most Valuable Player award. “It doesn’t even feel real. The biggest thing about it is I get to do it with the guys I love. I’ve been here for five years, so just going out in a way like that the guys that have been through it all for the past few years.”
Caught up with @theARIZONABOWL MVP Kevin Davis @kevsss_jr after the trophy presentation. @MiamiOHFootball @AllSportsTucson pic.twitter.com/F1AjuI3LqD
— Lori Burkhart (@loriburkhart) December 29, 2024
The teams combined for 48 points in the second half after Miami led 9-3 at halftime.
The RedHawks took the opening drive of the second half 75 yards in six plays in only 2:25 to build its lead to 16-3.
Davis’ 4-yard run capped the drive, which included Gabbert completing a 40-yard pass to Kam Perry.
A fumble by Vince Brown II following a reception allowed Miami to take possession at its 47 with 12:23 left in the third quarter.
Gabbert scored three plays later on a 10-yard run to increase the lead to 22-3.
Colorado State was then stopped on downs at the Miami 3, when Avery Morrow was tackled by Ambe’ Caldwell on a 1-yard gain.
Davis followed with his 97-yard run on the next play with 6:45 left in the third quarter.
Snoop Dogg after the game. He seemed to have more fun than the fans. How big was it for @theARIZONABOWL to get Snoop Dogg and his enterprise Gin & Juice as a title sponsor? pic.twitter.com/A1mDvvdPde
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) December 29, 2024
Colorado State cut the lead to 29-10 when Fowler-Nicolosi completed a 56-yard touchdown pass Stephon Daily on a fourth-and-2 situation.
The Rams were driving again when Fowler-Nicolosi threw an interception that was returned 54 yards by Ty Wise to the Colorado State 5.
Jordan Brunson scored on a 2-yard run to increase the lead to 36-10 with 13:30 left.
The game was a battle of field goals in the first half with both quarterbacks struggling to sustain drives to the end zone.
Gabbert completed 7 of 18 passes for 83 yards in the first half, while Fowler-Nicolosi was 8 of 15 for 107 yards and an interception.
Both were missing their top receivers who left via the transfer portal in the weeks leading up to the game.
Javon Tracy (transfer to Minnesota) and Reginald Virgil (Texas Tech) left Miami after each had more than 800 yards receiving in the regular season.
Caleb Goodie (Cincinnati) was Colorado State’s top receiver who transferred.
Norvell took the time to talk about what he believes is the deteriorating state of college athletics because of NIL and the transfer portal. His two top receivers, top tackler and best pass rusher entered the transfer portal and were not with the Rams tonight in the Arizona Bowl.… https://t.co/clFvuOaTju
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) December 29, 2024
Almost more penalties were called than points were scored at halftime.
The teams combined for 10 penalties, six on Colorado State.
Colorado State elected to receive after winning the coin toss and proceeded to go 72 yards in 13 plays, taking 6:45 off the clock, before Jordan Noyes made a 21-yard field goal.
The Rams’ next four possessions included a fumble, interception, turnover on a loss of downs and two punts.
The fumble by Morrow after a reception led to Miami’s first field goal.
Caldwell forced the fumble, which was recovered by Wise.
After a couple of incompletions by Gabbert and a 4-yard run by Keyon Mozee, Dom Diozban made a 34-yard field goal with 3:35 left in the first half to tie the game at 3.
Fowler-Nicolosi’s interception with 1:01 left in the first quarter set up Miami’s second field goal.
Adam Trick intercepted the pass and returned the ball five yards to the Colorado State 11.
Gabbert again had two incompletions and Mozee a short gain before Diozban converted a 26-yard field goal with 8 seconds left in the first quarter.
Miami’s last field goal of the first half, a 24-yarder by Diozban with 12 seconds left, was set up by a 14-yard pass from Gabbert to Cade McDonald and a 14-yard run by Davis.
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He is a former Arizona Daily Star beat reporter for the Arizona basketball team, including when the Wildcats won the 1996-97 NCAA title. He has also written articles for CollegeAD.com, Bleacher Report, Lindy’s Sports, TucsonCitizen.com, The Arizona Republic, Sporting News and Baseball America, among many other publications. He has also authored the book “The Highest Form of Living”, which is available at Amazon. He became an educator in 2016 and is presently a special education teacher at Sunnyside High School in the Sunnyside Unified School District.
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