Each bowl game has a storied past, with numerous remarkable player performances. Whether we're talking about a quarterback putting up gaudy stats, running back scampering all over the field, receiver or tight end hauling in everything, or defensive player dominating the action, anyone on the field can come up big in bowl season.
The following features the best individual performance from every bowl.
Barkley put up huge numbers for Penn State in one of the most exciting Rose Bowls ever. Penn State lost to USC, 52-49, but Barkley had 25 carries for 194 yards and two touchdowns, along with five receptions for 55 yards and one receiving touchdown. Unfortunately for the Nittany Lions, USC quarterback Sam Darnold's day was nearly as good; he had 453 passing yards and five touchdown passes.
As usual, South Florida quarterback Quinton Flowers put up huge numbers. South Florida beat South Carolina 46-39 in overtime, as Flowers threw for 261 yards and two touchdowns, adding 105 rushing yards and three scores on the ground.
Wales had his way with the Memphis defense in a 51-31 win by Western Kentucky. He had 245 rushing yards on 35 carries and three scores, adding four receptions for 84 yards receiving.
Sanders was an unstoppable force for Arkansas State in a 31-13 win over UCF. He accounted for 127 of Arkansas State's 205 yards receiving yards and scored three touchdowns.
Formerly known as the Miami Beach Bowl, five of the six teams that have participated in it over the last three seasons have scored at least 35 points. The top performance came in 2016 when Tulsa quarterback Dane Evans led his team to an easy 55-10 blowout win over Central Michigan. Evans threw for 304 yards and five touchdowns.
Dobbs finished his Tennessee career with a 38-24 win over Nebraska. He had 291 yards passing and one score but played an even bigger role as a runner. Dobbs finished with 118 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns on only 11 attempts.
J.T. Barrett won the Fiesta Bowl MVP over Elliott, but the running back had arguably the greatest stat line in the game's history. He rushed 27 times for 149 yards and four scores, tying Woody Green's game record. Elliott added one reception for 30 yards as Ohio State beat Notre Dame 44-28.
Butler was the MVP of the inaugural Arizona Bowl, as Nevada beat Colorado State 28-23. The running back had 24 carries for 189 yards and two touchdowns.
Goff finished his college career at California in style in a 55-36 win over Air Force. He was 25-of-37 for 467 yards and six touchdowns.
The Celebration Bowl features the winners of the MEAC and SWAC conferences. Bears third-down back Tarik Cohen made a name for himself in the 2015 Celebration Bowl while playing for North Carolina A&T, rushing for 295 yards and three scores.
Gaskin led the Huskies to a 44-31 win over Southern Miss, rushing for 181 yards and four scores.
Ford had remarkable game in a 55-52 Virginia Tech win over Tulsa. The wideout finished with 12 receptions for 227 yards and one score, adding 23 rushing yards.
One of Navy's greatest players ever, Reynolds led the Midshipmen to a 44-28 win over Pitt. The quarterback threw for 126 yards and one touchdown but did far more damage on the ground. He had 24 carries for 144 yards and three touchdowns, as well as a reception for 47 yards.
Dixon was the game MVP in a 47-28 domination by Louisiana Tech over Arkansas State in 2015. The future Baltimore Raven had 102 yards rushing and two scores, along with 113 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.
Fournette had one of his best college games in a 56-27 win by LSU over Texas Tech. He ran over the Red Raiders defense with 212 yards rushing and four scores, along with one reception for 44 yards and a receiving touchdown.
Zeke ran over, through and around Oregon in a 42-20 win by Ohio State. He finished the game with 36 carries for 246 yards and four touchdowns.
Gordon put up huge numbers in his final game at Wisconsin. He had 34 carries for 251 yards and three touchdowns in Wisconsin's 34-31 win over Auburn.
Doughty put up huge numbers during his career at Western Kentucky, and the 2014 Bahamas Bowl was one of his best performances. He was 31-of-42 for 486 yards and five touchdowns. However, the Hilltoppers got a scare as Central Michigan came storming back with 34 points in the fourth quarter, only to fall short, 49-48. Central Michigan quarterback Cooper Rush threw for 485 yards and seven touchdowns with one pick.
Chubb capped off an incredible freshman season with 33 carries for 266 yards and two touchdowns, as Georgia defeated Louisville 37-14.
Knapke starred for Bowling Green in the first Camellia Bowl since it was the DI-AA championship game in 1980. The quarterback threw for 368 yards and two scores, as Bowling Green defeated South Alabama 33-28.
Rutgers beat North Carolina 40-21 with the help of Hicks. The running back rushed 19 times for 202 yards and one touchdown.
Watkins had an all-time performance in Clemson's 40-35 win over Ohio State. The wideout finished with 16 receptions for 227 yards and two touchdowns.
Cooper led East Carolina to a 37-20 win over Ohio in 2013 with a huge day at running back. He had 25 rushes for 198 yards and two scores, adding three receptions for 22 yards.
Prescott finished his season with a brilliant game in a 44-7 Mississippi State win over Rice. The quarterback had 283 yards passing and three touchdown passes. He also had a huge game on the ground with 14 carries for 78 yards and two scores.
Manziel's final game at Texas A&M was spectacular, as he threw for 382 yards and four touchdowns. He also had 11 carries for 73 yards and one rushing score in Texas A&M's 52-48 shootout victory over Duke.
Manziel had an encore after winning the 2012 Heisman Trophy. The freshman contributed 516 yards of total offense in a 41-13 Texas A&M win over Oklahoma. He had 287 passing yards and two passing touchdowns in addition to 229 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
West Virginia had no answer for Syracuse's running game, losing 38-14. Gulley rushed for 213 yards and two scores, adding five catches for 56 yards and one receiving touchdown.
While Robert Griffin III was Baylor's offensive headliner, he was upstaged by Ganaway in a 67-56 win over Washington. The running back had 21 carries for 200 yards and five touchdowns.
Tebow was nearly perfect in his final game at Florida. He was 31-of-35 for 482 yards and three touchdowns, adding 14 carries for 55 yards and a score. Florida defeated Cincinnati 51-24, giving the Bearcats their first loss of the year.
The New Mexico Bowl has featured some truly spectacular performances, Johnson's among them. He had an incredible 375 yards from scrimmage, including 285 rushing yards and two scores in a 40-35 Colorado State victory over Fresno State in 2008.
Florida's versatile Harvin had a great day in a 41-35 losing effort vs. Michigan. The wideout had 13 carries for 165 yards and a rushing touchdown, in addition to nine receptions for 77 yards and one receiving score.
Stewart had a great performance in the Sun Bowl in a 56-21 Oregon win over South Florida. He had 23 carries for 253 yards and a touchdown, along with two receptions for 29 yards and a receiving score.
Megatron ended his career at Georgia Tech on a high note despite a 38-35 loss to West Virginia. He finished his last game with nine receptions for 186 yards and two touchdowns.
Booker was a multidimensional monster in Florida State's 44-27 win over UCLA. The running back had 208 yards from scrimmage and two rushing touchdowns.
Brennan had an unbelievable career at Hawaii, and the 2006 Hawaii Bowl was arguably his best game. He threw for 559 yards and five touchdowns, as Hawaii defeated Arizona State 41-24.
Carpenter led Arizona State over Rutgers 45-40 in a wild game. He threw for 467 yards and four touchdowns.
Cumbie led the Red Raiders to a 45-31 upset over California and Aaron Rodgers. He was 39-of-60 for 520 yards and three touchdowns.
Before he was a great quarterback for the Chargers, Rivers was a legend at NC State. The quarterback had one of his best games in 2003 in a 56-26 win over Kansas in what was known as the Tangerine Bowl. He finished the game 37-for-45 for 475 yards and five touchdowns.
Georgia Tech clobbered Tulsa 52-10 behind the wheels of Daniels. The Yellow Jackets running back had 31 carries for 307 yards and four touchdowns.
Jackson finished off his Oregon State career with a terrific performance in a 55-14 win over New Mexico. The running back had 149 rushing yards and four scores on the ground and 51 receptions and a receiving touchdown, giving him exactly 200 yards from scrimmage.
Marshall defeated East Carolina in a 64-61 double-overtime shootout. Leftwich was the star for Marshall, as he'd been all season, throwing for 576 yards, four touchdown passes and one touchdown run.
Seth Trachtman is a fantasy sports expert and diehard Kansas City Chiefs fan. He doesn't often Tweet, but when he does, you can find him on Twitter @sethroto.
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