ZAXBY'S HEART OF DALLAS BOWL

Played in the heart of Dallas in historic Cotton Bowl Stadium is the Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl. This bowl game supports multiple charities in the Dallas area including those that serve the homeless and honored first responders and their families at the 2015 game. The Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas is an exciting time for teams, fans and the local community and represents something truly BIGGER THAN THE GAME.

HISTORY

YEAR	TEAM	SCORE	TEAM	SCORE
2016	Army	38	North Texas	31 (OT)
2015	Washington	44	Southern Miss	31
2014	La Tech	35	Illinois	18
2013	North Texas	36	UNLV	14
2012	Oklahoma State	58	Purdue	14
2011	Houston	30	Penn State	14
2010	Texas Tech	45	Northwestern	38

MEMORABLE GAMES

2014:

With North Texas in its first bowl game since 2004,more than 30,000 Mean Green followers made the 45-mile trip from the Denton campus to the bowl game. Outgoing UNT president V. Lane Rawlins joined thatcrowd and watched the Mean Green post 22 fourth-quarter points in a 36-14 victory over UNLV.

2013:

Oklahoma State rolled up the most points ever scored in a bowl game at venerable Cotton Bowl Stadium, bolting out to a 45-0 lead by late in the third quarter and eventually taking a 58-14 victory over Purdue. The Cowboys forced five turnovers and rolled up 524 offensive yards along with five touchdown passes, three of them from starter Clint Chelf on the way to its biggest bowl win since the 1988 Holiday Bowl team routed

2012:

Houston quarterback Case Keenum put on a first-quarter show and his teammates never let Penn State back into the game as the Cougars posted a 30-14 win over the Nittany Lions. Keenum, who entered the game as the NCAA’s all-time career leader in scoring passes and passing yardage, threw for 227 yards in the game’s first 15 minutes to set an all-time NCAA bowl record for pass yardage in a quarter. His 45-of-69 passing effort for 532 yards and three scores made a winner of Houston coach Tony Levine in his debut, after he took over when Kevin Sumlin left to take the Texas A&M post.

2011:

Texas Tech jumped to a 22-point lead and led 38-17 late in the third quarter but had to hold on to take a 45-38 victory over Northwestern in the first-ever bowl. The Wildcats, trying to snap a string of seven straight bowl losses and a winless bowl streak since 1949, got within a touchdown twice in the fourth quarter with freshman quarterbacks Evan Watkins and Kain Colter leading three straight touchdown drives and Jordan Maybin returning an interception 39 yards for a score with 5:37 left. But Red Raider quarterback Taylor Potts, who hit on 43-of-56 passes for 369 yards, had hit Lyle Lelong from 11 yards for his fourth scoring pass, and Tech running back Eric Stephens helped the Raiders run out the clock except for one final Wildcat heave that was intercepted on the final play. Stephens rushed for 128 yards including an 86-yard scoring burst that gave Tech a 31-9 lead in the third quarter.

STANDOUT PLAYERS

Clint Chelf, QB, Oklahoma State, 2013

Threw three of his team’s five touchdown passes while hitting 17-of-22 passes for 197 yards and no interceptions, sparking the Cowboys to a runaway 58-14 victory over Purdue. Chelf had scoring throws of four and seven yards on OSU’s second and third possessions and added a 37-yarder in the third quarter that built the lead to 45-0.

Patrick Edwards, WR, Houston, 2012

The Senior Bowl selection wrapped up his collegiate career in style, catching touchdown passes of 40 and 75 yards in the first half in guiding UH to a 30-14 victory over Penn State. Edwards finished with 228 receiving yards on 10 catches.

Case Keenum, QB, Houston, 2012

Became one of only nine quarterbacks in NCAA bowl history to pass for 500 or more yards, hitting 45-of-69 passes for 532 yards in leading the Cougars to a 30-14 victory over Penn State. Keenum passed for 227 yards in the first quarter alone, setting an all-time NCAA bowl record for passing yards in a quarter, and added to his NCAA all-time career numbers for passing yards and touchdown passes with his three scoring tosses.

Quentin Davie, LB, and Nate Williams, LB, Northwestern, 2011

In a losing effort, the two combined for29 tackles, with Davie also recording a pair of sacks, in the Wildcats’ 45-38 loss to Texas Tech.

Taylor Potts, QB, Texas Tech, 2011

Threw four touchdowns passes and scored another TD on a trick play in leading the Red Raiders to a 45-38 win over Northwestern in the inaugural bowl. Potts completed 43-of-56 passes for 369 yards and had a scoring pass in each quarter, and also scored himself on a 13-yard lateral back to him following a completion to Austin Zouzalik.

MORE

The Heart of Dallas Bowl was known as the TicketCity Bowl in its first two years.

ESPN will manage the bowl game’s media rights, sales and game-related activities and coordinate the conference school inventory.

In its first three years, the Heart of Dallas Bowl developed a reputation for hosting wide-open offensive games. The three winning teams combined to throw for 1,272 yards (424.0 yards per game).

CONFERENCE AFFILIATION