2021 Guaranteed Rate Bowl

2021 Guaranteed Rate Bowl
32nd Guaranteed Rate Bowl
West Virginia Mountaineers Minnesota Golden Gophers (6–6) (8–4) Big 12 Big Ten 6 18 Head coach:  Neal Brown Head coach:  P. J. Fleck
1 2 3 4 Total West Virginia 0 6 0 0 6 Minnesota 0 15 3 0 18
Date	December 28, 2021
Season	2021
Stadium	Chase Field
Location	Phoenix, Arizona
MVP	Ky Thomas (RB, Minnesota) & Tyler Nubin (S, Minnesota)
Favorite	Minnesota by 4
Referee	Jeff Flanagan (ACC)
Attendance	21,220
United States TV coverage
Network	ESPN ESPN Radio
Announcers	ESPN: Dave Flemming (play-by-play), Rod Gilmore (analyst), and Stormy Buonantony (sideline) ESPN Radio: Beth Mowins (play-by-play), Kirk Morrison (analyst), and Dawn Davenport (sideline)

The 2021 Guaranteed Rate Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 28, 2021, with kickoff at 10:15 p.m. EST (8:15 p.m. local MST) and televised on ESPN. It was the 32nd edition of the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, although the first played under that name (the 2020 edition was canceled due to an insufficient number of teams being available to fill all bowl slots) and was one of the 2021–22 bowl games concluding the 2021 FBS football season. Residential mortgage company Guaranteed Rate was the game's title sponsor.

Teams

Consistent with conference tie-ins, the game was played between teams from the Big 12 Conference and the Big Ten Conference.

This was first time that Minnesota and West Virginia ever played each other.

West Virginia Mountaineers

Main article: 2021 West Virginia Mountaineers football team

West Virginia finished their regular season with an overall 6–6 record, 4–5 in Big 12 games. After starting their season with four losses in their first six games, the Mountaineers won four of their final six games to become bowl eligible. West Virginia played four ranked opponents, losing to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State while defeating Virginia Tech and Iowa State.

Minnesota Golden Gophers

Main article: 2021 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team

Minnesota finished their regular season with an overall 8–4 record, 6–3 in Big Ten games. The Golden Gophers were ranked 20th after winning six of their first eight games, but then lost two of their final four games. Minnesota played three ranked teams, losing to Ohio State and Iowa while defeating Wisconsin.

Game summary

2021 Guaranteed Rate Bowl

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
West Virginia	0	6	0	0	6
Minnesota	0	15	3	0	18

at Chase Field • Phoenix, Arizona

• Date: Tuesday, December 28, 2021
• Game time: 10:15 p.m. EST (8:15 p.m. local MST)
• Game attendance: 21,220
• TV announcers (ESPN): Dave Flemming (play-by-play), Rod Gilmore (analyst), and Stormy Buonantony (sideline)
• Box score

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter 14:19 MIN – Daniel Faalele 2-yard rush, Brock Annexstad conversion rush good. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 4:00. Minnesota 8–0 8:48 WVU – Jarret Doege 1-yard rush, conversion pass incomplete. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 5:31. Minnesota 8–6 2:14 MIN – Ky Thomas 5-yard rush, Matthew Trickett kick good. Drive: 14 plays, 61 yards, 2:17. Minnesota 15–6 Third quarter 5:53 MIN – Matthew Trickett 49-yard field goal. Drive: 8 plays, 39 yards, 4:58. Minnesota 18–6 Fourth quarter No scoring plays

Statistics

Statistics	WVU	MIN
First downs	16	17
Plays–yards	58–206	64–358
Rushes–yards	27–66	51–249
Passing yards	140	109
Passing: comp–att–int	18–31–1	8–13–1
Time of possession	21:31	38:29

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
West Virginia	Passing	Jarret Doege	18/31, 140 yards, INT
	Rushing	Tony Mathis Jr.	13 carries, 56 yards
	Receiving	Sam James	3 receptions, 40 yards
Minnesota	Passing	Tanner Morgan	8/13, 109 yards, INT
	Rushing	Ky Thomas	21 carries, 144 yards, TD
	Receiving	Dylan Wright	2 receptions, 58 yards

Externals links

• Game statistics at statbroadcast.com