ARLINGTON, Texas- The 100th annual East-West Shrine Bowl was held at AT&T Stadium, and under the bright lights in Jerry’s World, the East team came to play, forcing five turnovers and dominating on both sides of the ball en route to a 25-0 win.
The West team received to open the game after East won the toss and deferred. Missouri QB Brady Cook got the start for the West and made two nice throws on the opening drive, connecting with Texas Tech TE Jalin Conyers for an 18-yard gain and Colorado WR Will Sheppard for a 20-yard gain, but the drive would stall out at the East 44 yard line.
North Dakota State QB Cam Miller got the start for the East, but two penalties knocked them back on their opening drive and they were forced to punt after just one first down. The West team took back over at their own 36. After a first-down run by Cincinnati’s Corey Kiner, the West failed to pick up a first down, with South Carolina DL Tonka Hemingway bringing down Cook for a sack to put the East in a third-and-long situation.
The East team put together a long drive, led by Arizona RB Jacory Croskey-Merrit, who had runs of 13 and 27 yards on the drive. He capped things off with a four-yard score after taking a pitch to the right edge, and the East offense stayed on the field and Miller converted on a read option to take an 8-0 lead with 13:29 to play in the first half. It was an 11-play, 90-yard scoring drive for the East.
The first play of the West drive didn’t go as they drew it up, as UCLA QB Ethan Garbers’ pass intended for Pitt WR Konata Mumpfield was intercepted by Delaware DB Tyron Herring. The East took over at the West 30, and despite a 19-yard gain on the first play on a reception by Eastern Washington WR Efton Chism, the West defense held and got off the field on a 4th and 1 stop on a nice tackle by Cal CB Nohl Williams.
Another turnover by the West set up an East touchdown, as Ole TE Caden Prieskhorn fumbled on a nice hit from Kansas State DB Marques Sigle. The East took over at the West 16-yard line, and an eight-yard run by Miller on 3rd and 3 put them at the goal line. Croskey-Merritt then punched in his second score of the night, although the East would fail the two-point conversion. They took a 14-0 lead with 7:56 left to go in the first half.
Minnesota QB Max Brosmer came in at quarterback for the West team, but the West offense didn’t have any more success with their third quarterback of the night, going three-and-out. A nice pass rush by Hemingway and Missouri’s Johnny Walker forced a throw away on third down. The East would take over at their own 32 following the 43-yard punt by Oklahoma’s Luke Elzinga. After a 14-yard completion from Miller to San Jose State WR Nick Nash, Miller fumbled the snap and Cal LB Teddye Buchanan recovered for the West.
That possession lasted just two plays for the West though, as Brosmer overthrew his receiver and South Carolina CB O’Donnell Fortune picked the pass off and took it 65 yards for a touchdown. The East extended their lead to 22-0 following a two-point conversion on a pass from Miller to Louisville WR Ja’Corey Brooks with 4:56 left to play.
Cook returned at quarterback for the West and while they avoided a turnover, they didn’t cross midfield and punted coming out of the two-minute warning. On the second play of the East drive, Miller hit Auburn TE Rivaldo Fairweather over the middle for a 25-yard gain to midfield, but Miller fumbled the shotgun snap on the next play, and Boston College DL Cam Horsley recovered for the West, who took over at the East 49.
West’s possession lasted one play, as Missouri EDGE Johnny Walker sacked Cook, his teammate Missouri, and he fumbled.
It was recovered by Clemson DL Payton Page for the East team, and they would take back over at the West 44. A 20-yard completion from Miller to Chism moved the East to the West 24. SMU EDGE Elijah Roberts would sack Miller on the final play of the first half though, and the score would remain 22-0 heading into the half.
The East got the ball to begin the second half, and Chism returned Pitt’s Ben Sauls’ kickoff to their own 20-yard line. Auburn’s Payton Thorne came in to replace Miller. Croskey-Merritt got going again early in the second half, with a nice run to the outside on second down for an 11-yard gain. But he would drop a pass on the next play and the East drive stalled out.
Garbers came back in at quarterback for the West, who went three-and-out after Villanova CB Isas Waxter broke up a pass downfield on third down. On the next East possession, Thorne scrambled for a first down on 3rd and 10, and then Croskey-Merritt ran for 10 yards and another first down, getting him up to 97 yards on 11 carries. The East picked up their third straight first down, with Thorne connecting with Nick Nash for 14 yards. New Mexico RB Andrew Henry then found a hole for a 36-yard run down to the West 4, but he couldn’t find room to run on the next play, getting brought down for a two-yard loss by LSU LB Greg Penn.
Henry made up for the lost yards, running for another two but Thorne’s pass on third-and-goal was incomplete. The East then brought out their field goal unit, and Miami’s Andres Borregales hit from 21 yards out and the East extended their lead to 25-0.
Garbers got to work on the West’s next drive, hitting Utah WR Money Parks for a 23-yard gain after connecting with Ole Miss’ Juice Wells for a seven-yard gain to move to the East 45. But on 3rd and 3 from the East 27, Garbers threw his second interception of the day, getting picked by Ole Miss DL JJ Pegues, who returned it 12 yards to keep the shutout alive for the East side.
The East couldn’t take advantage of the turnover though, as they were forced to punt after Thorne’s third down pass to Georgia WR Dominic Lovett was short of the sticks. South Carolina P Kai Kroeger pinned the West deep with a 48-yard punt that was downed at the West 3-yard line.
Brosmer came back in at quarterback for the West, replacing Garbers. But after moving to the West 39, back-to-back incompletions and a sack by Cal Poly EDGE Elijah Ponder forced a punt, and the East got the ball back leading 25-0 with 7:31 left. A scramble by Thorne for 10 yards gave the East a first down on 3rd and 8, but a holding penalty and a missed throw by Thorne forced them into a 3rd and 20, and then Thorne was stopped short of the sticks on a third down scramble. Kroeger unleashed another punt, this one 56 yards, and the coverage team did their job, tackling La’Johntay Webster at the West 11-yard line with 3:28 left.
Brosmer remained in at quarterback and didn’t get much help from his offensive line on the first play of the West drive, as two rushers came in unblocked and forced a throw away. Jacksonville State RB Tre Stewart then had the best run of the night for the West, going 12 yards for a first down. He then caught a ball over the middle from Brosmer for nine yards and picked up a first down on his next run.
The West was looking to get on the board, holding the ball at midfield with 1:37 left, and then they got into East territory on a completion to Texas Tech RB Tahj Brooks. Two plays later, Missouri EDGE Johnny Walker got his second sack of the night with 57 seconds left to play.
On 3rd and 13 with 29 seconds left, Brosmer went underneath from Brooks who got out of bounds, and the West tried to get on the board with a 55-yard field goal on the next play, but it was no good and the East preserved their shutout and closed out the 25-0 win.
Arizona RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt of the East team was named offensive MVP after running 11 times for 97 yards and two touchdowns. South Carolina CB O’Donnell Fortune, also of the East team, won Defensive MVP with a 66-yard pick-six, two passes defensed and one tackle.
