The 2022 LendingTree Bowl matchup was as ordinary of a bowl matchup as possible on paper. It pitted two longtime C-USA rivals, the Southern Miss Golden Eagles and Rice Owls against each other, and the two opponents squared off in each of the eight previous seasons.
But what transpired in Mobile, AL on Saturday night was anything but ordinary. It featured an occurrence which had never been accomplished before in the storied history of bowl season. Southern Miss running back Frank Gore Jr. put on a showcase of a lifetime, exploding for 329 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in a jaw-dropping performance.