The son of one of the most prolific running backs in NFL history made quite a name for himself during college football’s bowl season.
Southern Mississippi sophomore Frank Gore Jr. rushed for 329 yards — the most in any bowl game ever — to lead the Golden Eagles to a 38-24 victory over Rice at the LendingTree Bowl on Dec. 17, the second day of bowls for the 2022 season. The record had been held by Appalachian State’s Camerun Peoples, who rushed for 317 yards against North Texas in the 2020 Myrtle Beach Bowl.
Gore’s father ran for 16,000 career yards from 2005 to 2020 to rank third on the NFL’s all-time rushing list, behind only Emmitt Smith (18,355) and Walter Payton (16,726).
The younger Gore, a 5-foot-8, 195-pounder, rushed for touchdowns covering 64 and 55 yards while averaging 15.7 yards per carry against Rice. He also completed two of his three passes for 19 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown.
Gore’s huge performance made him an easy selection as the all-purpose player on the AP all-bowl team. With only Monday night’s College Football Playoff championship game between No. 1 Georgia (14-0) and No. 3 TCU (13-1) remaining, here are the picks for the best postseason performances.