The Foster Farms Bowl will be played at Levi's Stadium -- the new home of the San Francisco 49ers. Previously the San Francisco Bowl, the Emerald Bowl and the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, the game dropped the "Kraft" prior to last year's game. Before this year, the game was played at AT&T Park (home of the San Francisco Giants). For the first year in the new stadium, local team Stanford will match up against Maryland.
2014 Foster Farms Bowl, Stanford vs. Maryland: Date, time, location and more
The Pac-12 and Big Ten will clash in the 49ers’ new stadium.
Besides the name and stadium change, the Foster Farms Bowl will also see a new matchup. The Pac-12 has been involved since 2006, but the game has struggled to find a consistent partner for them since the ACC left in 2010. Army, Navy and BYU each held the spot for a year at a time, but now the Big Ten will send a representative to the Golden State.
Date and time: Tuesday, Dec. 30, 10 p.m. ET
TV channel: ESPN
Location: San Francisco, Calif.
Stadium: Levi’s Stadium (68,500, expandable to 75,000)
Last year’s score: Washington 31, BYU 16
Last year’s attendance: 34,136
Last year’s TV rating: 2.3
Last year’s payout for each school: $1 million (Washington), $850,000 (BYU)
Team with the most all-time appearances: Boston College (three)
Team with the most all-time wins: 12 tied with one
Stanford Cardinal (7-5, 5-4 Pac-12)
After four consecutive seasons with 11 or more wins, Stanford stumbled in 2014. While David Shaw’s defense was its typical stout self, finishing second nationally in scoring defense, the Cardinal offense was putrid. Stanford scored just 26 points per game, tied with Oregon State for the Pac-12’s worst mark. The Cardinal never found their usual workhorse back, instead relying on a handful of halfbacks and quarterback Kevin Hogan to contribute to the ground game.
There are some signs of hope for Stanford’s offense, though. Tight end Austin Hooper has emerged as a top target, and freshman halfback Christian McCaffrey could become the top back when the depth chart clears.
Last bowl game: 2013 Rose Bowl, 24-20 loss vs. Michigan State
All-time bowl record: 11-12-1
Head coach’s bowl record: David Shaw, 1-2
Maryland Terrapins (7-5, 4-4 Big Ten)
2014 was Maryland’s first season in the Big Ten, and things actually went pretty well. They lost handily to Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Michigan State, but those are the three teams in conference that are markedly better than they are. They scored an important regional win over Penn State, and also beat Michigan in Ann Arbor. Not bad for a team with serious issues at quarterback.
The Terps’ player to watch for is sophomore defensive back Will Likely. Likely returned a punt and two interceptions for touchdowns in 2014, and had six interceptions total. He’s one of the more dangerous punt and kick returners in the country, and can turn a game on its head in one play if given the chance.
Last bowl game: 2013 Military Bowl, 31-20 loss vs. Marshall
All-time bowl record: 11-12-2
Head coach’s bowl record: Randy Edsall, 3-3
See More:
