Delvon Simmons, DT, USC

Holiday Bowl

Had Wisconsin not retaken the lead late in the fourth quarter of the Holiday Bowl, USC defensive lineman Delvon Simmons was likely on his way to receiving the game’s Most Outstanding Player.

Simmons acclimated well to the 4-3 defensive base USC introduced for the first time this season, racking up a game-high 11 tackles. Two went for loss. Simmons also batted down a pass attempt at the line of scrimmage.

“Coach [Peter] Sirmon did a great job of mixing in our four-down front to allow and get penetration to try to get to a very experienced quarterback, and we were able to get there some,” USC head coach Clay Helton said in the postgame press conference. Sirmon replaced Justin Wilcox, who had been fired as defensive play-caller just three weeks prior to the Holiday Bowl.

It was Simmons’ best game of the season, capping a strong second-half of the 2015 season for the senior.