When Boise State and Boston College took to the field on Wednesday for the First Responder Bowl, neither team thought they wouldn't get to finish the game. Thanks to a lightning strike just ten minutes into the game, the unthinkable happened. Officials had to completely cancel the game, making the First Responder Bowl a no contest.
The first lightning strike was eight miles away from the Cotton Bowl stadium where the game was being played, according to Sporting News. Each lightning strike delayed the game by 30 more minutes and eventually, officials decided the game just couldn't be played. There are no plans to have a rematch which means neither team gets a win, despite Boston being up 7-0 at the time of the delay.
This marked the first time a bowl game was ruled a no contest due to weather. The decision was explained in a press release with Pete Derzis, ESPN senior vice president of ESPN Events and programming saying "All parties were concerned about player safety first and foremost, and with that being the primary concern, as well as the fans in attendance, it was a unanimous decision to cancel the game.”
Once the game was canceled, Boise State linebacker Curtis Weaver rubbed his jersey on the field to make sure it looked like he had played. Weaver's actions show just how disappointed the players were about the decision to cancel the game.