| 2014 GoDaddy Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||
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 The game took place at Ladd–Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | January 5, 2014 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 2013 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Ladd–Peebles Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Mobile, Alabama | ||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Ball St. by 9.5[1] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Marc Curles (SEC) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 36,119 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Payout | US$1.5 million combined | ||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ESPN | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Carter Blackburn, Danny Kanell and Allison Williams[2] | ||||||||||||||||||
The 2014 GoDaddy Bowl was an American college football bowl game that was played on January 5, 2014, at the Ladd–Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. The fifteenth edition of the GoDaddy Bowl (originally known as the Mobile Alabama Bowl), it featured the Ball State Cardinals from the Mid-American Conference and the Arkansas State Red Wolves, co-champions of the Sun Belt Conference. It was one of the 2013–14 bowl games that concluded the 2013 FBS football season. The game began at 8:00 p.m. CST and aired on ESPN. It was sponsored by web hosting service company Go Daddy. Arkansas State defeated Ball State by a score of 23–20.
The Cardinals, who earned a 10–2 record during the season, made their second appearance in the bowl, while the Red Wolves, who earned a 7–5 record during the season, made their third consecutive appearance in the bowl. The pregame buildup focused on the teams' respective strong offenses. For Ball State, the passing game centered on quarterback Keith Wenning connecting with wide receiver Willie Snead. In tandem with the rushing attack fueled by a strong offensive line, one writer asserted that they would enjoy "easy pickings" against a mediocre Arkansas State defense. Unlike the Ball State offense, Arkansas State's offense focused predominantly on the rushing attack, to which both dual-threat quarterback Adam Kennedy and running back Michael Gordon contributed. Ball State's defense was average in terms of points allowed, but poor in terms of yards allowed. Ball State was a 9.5 point favorite to win the game, and was the predicted winner among most sportswriters.
Ball State jumped out to an early lead via a Wenning to Snead touchdown, and led at the end of the first quarter 7–0. After the first quarter, due to Kennedy's ineffectiveness, Fredi Knighten took over at quarterback for Arkansas State, and in the second quarter, helped the team score 10 points while Ball State scored only 3 – at half time, the teams were tied at 10. Arkansas State made two field goals in the third quarter, thus entering the fourth with a six-point lead. However, Ball State scored via a field goal early in the quarter, and a touchdown with less than two minutes to play to retake the lead. Arkansas State promptly responded via a touchdown pass. Although Ball State was able to move the ball into field goal range as time waned, their field goal try was blocked, and ultimately Arkansas State held onto win the game, 23–20.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
spreadwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Entire BCS Highlights ESPN College Football Bowl Schedule of 34 Games". ESPN Media Zone. December 19, 2013. Retrieved January 1, 2014.