The ‘Halo’ protagonist was all over the new bowl game—including at the trophy presentation with victorious coach Butch Jones.

The Xbox Bowl, the newest addition to the bowl slate, is bringing Missouri State vs. Arkansas State to a TV near you on Thursday, Dec. 18.

Missouri State had plenty of chances to lie down after it fell behind 31-7. That's now how these Bears operated in a special 2025 season.

The Cougars and Yellow Jackets seem happy to play along. On Friday, both teams unveiled Pop-Tarts-themed helmets ahead of their forthcoming clash. BYU will wear its traditional white helmets with sprinkles on its stripe, while Georgia Tech will wear white helmets with sprinkles on both its stripe and “GT” logo.

The 2025 Gasparilla Bowl features an exciting matchup between the explosive offense of Memphis (8-4) and an inconsistent NC State (7-5) team. Memphis is led by interim coach Reggie Howard as their former head coach left for Arkansas,

Missouri State's offensive line was a shell of itself in its Xbox Bowl appearance. Bowl opt outs was a big reason why.

However, Beard's old role reportedly will not stay vacant for long. Missouri State is naming SMU offensive coordinator Casey Woods its next coach on a five-year contract, according to a Thursday afternoon report from Pete Thamel of ESPN.