Armed Forces Bowl
Encyclopedia
The Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl is an annual postseason college football
bowl game
that was inaugurated in 2003 as the Fort Worth Bowl under corporate sponsorship of PlainsCapital Bank
. In 2005, the game was without corporate sponsorship. In 2006, Fort Worth based Bell Helicopter Textron
took over sponsorship, and thus it became officially known as the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl. The contest is one of six bowls produced by ESPN Regional Television (a/k/a ESPN Plus
) and has been televised annually on ESPN
since its inception. Armed Forces Insurance
is the official Insurance Partner of the Armed Forces Bowl and has sponsored the Great American Patriot Award, presented at halftime at the Bowl, since 2008.
The game is traditionally played in the 44,008-seat Amon G. Carter Stadium
on the campus of Texas Christian University
in Fort Worth, Texas
, featuring a team from Mountain West Conference
and a team from Conference USA
. In addition, both of the D-I independent military academies (Army
and Navy
) are eligible to participate if either the MWC or C-USA cannot provide a bowl-eligible team (the third football-playing military academy, Air Force
, is eligible as a MWC member). On April 27, 2011 it was announced that Brigham Young University
(former MWC member, now a D-I independent) becomes bowl eligible and not playing in a BCS game, it was also eligible to participate.
On August 15, 2010, TCU
announced plans for the renovation of Amon G. Carter Stadium
to take place immediately after the 2010 football season. Thus, the 2010 and 2011 Armed Forces Bowl will be held at Gerald J. Ford Stadium
on the campus of Southern Methodist University
in the Dallas enclave
of University Park
. The game will return to Amon Carter Stadium in Fort Worth in 2012 after construction on that stadium is completed.
The bowl's partnership with the Big 12 Conference
ended with the 2005 season; in 2006, the game featured a team from Conference USA
against a team from the MWC, with C-USA returning in 2008. The Pac-10 would send its 6th place team to play the MWC in 2007 pending the team's bowl eligibility
. The Pac-10 tie-in was also in effect in 2009; however, no eligible teams were available, Houston again played the Air Force Academy. For the 2010 contest tie-ins with the Mountain West and Conference USA were in effect. If either conference was unable to fill its slot Army would play in the bowl. Since the Mountain West was unable to fulfill its obligation to the Bowl, Army accepted an invitation to play in the contest.
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
that was inaugurated in 2003 as the Fort Worth Bowl under corporate sponsorship of PlainsCapital Bank
PlainsCapital Bank
-About PlainsCapital Bank:PlainsCapital Bank, a subsidiary of PlainsCapital Corporation, is one of the largest independent banks in Texas with approximately $5.2 billion in assets. PlainsCapital operates 34 branches in Arlington, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Lubbock, San Antonio and Weatherford...
. In 2005, the game was without corporate sponsorship. In 2006, Fort Worth based Bell Helicopter Textron
Bell Helicopter Textron
Bell Helicopter is an American rotorcraft manufacturer headquartered in Hurst, Texas, near Fort Worth. A division of Textron, Bell manufactures military helicopter and tiltrotor products in and around Fort Worth, as well as in Amarillo, Texas, and commercial rotorcraft products in Mirabel, Quebec,...
took over sponsorship, and thus it became officially known as the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl. The contest is one of six bowls produced by ESPN Regional Television (a/k/a ESPN Plus
ESPN Plus
ESPN Plus, the popular name of ESPN Regional Television, is an American television program syndicator. ERT is based along with sister network ESPNU in Charlotte, North Carolina...
) and has been televised annually on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
since its inception. Armed Forces Insurance
Armed Forces Insurance
Armed Forces Insurance provides property and casualty insurance to military professionals throughout the United States and overseas. AFI is headquartered in Leavenworth, Kansas, approximately 20 miles northwest of Kansas City, Missouri....
is the official Insurance Partner of the Armed Forces Bowl and has sponsored the Great American Patriot Award, presented at halftime at the Bowl, since 2008.
The game is traditionally played in the 44,008-seat Amon G. Carter Stadium
Amon G. Carter Stadium
Amon G. Carter Stadium is an open-air football stadium on the campus of Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. It is the home stadium of the TCU Horned Frogs football team. It was named after Amon G...
on the campus of Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
in Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
, featuring a team from Mountain West Conference
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
and a team from Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
. In addition, both of the D-I independent military academies (Army
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
and Navy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
) are eligible to participate if either the MWC or C-USA cannot provide a bowl-eligible team (the third football-playing military academy, Air Force
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
, is eligible as a MWC member). On April 27, 2011 it was announced that Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
(former MWC member, now a D-I independent) becomes bowl eligible and not playing in a BCS game, it was also eligible to participate.
On August 15, 2010, TCU
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
announced plans for the renovation of Amon G. Carter Stadium
Amon G. Carter Stadium
Amon G. Carter Stadium is an open-air football stadium on the campus of Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. It is the home stadium of the TCU Horned Frogs football team. It was named after Amon G...
to take place immediately after the 2010 football season. Thus, the 2010 and 2011 Armed Forces Bowl will be held at Gerald J. Ford Stadium
Gerald J. Ford Stadium
Gerald J. Ford Stadium is a stadium in University Park, Texas, one of the two "Park Cities" that form an enclave within the city limits of Dallas. The stadium is used primarily for football, and it is home to the Southern Methodist University Mustangs and is frequently used for local high school...
on the campus of Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
in the Dallas enclave
Enclave and exclave
In political geography, an enclave is a territory whose geographical boundaries lie entirely within the boundaries of another territory.An exclave, on the other hand, is a territory legally or politically attached to another territory with which it is not physically contiguous.These are two...
of University Park
University Park, Texas
University Park is a city in Dallas County, Texas, United States, and a inner suburb of Dallas. The population was 23,324 at the 2000 census. The city is home to Southern Methodist University. Like its neighbor, Highland Park, it is a city partially surrounded by the municipality of Dallas...
. The game will return to Amon Carter Stadium in Fort Worth in 2012 after construction on that stadium is completed.
The bowl's partnership with the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
ended with the 2005 season; in 2006, the game featured a team from Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
against a team from the MWC, with C-USA returning in 2008. The Pac-10 would send its 6th place team to play the MWC in 2007 pending the team's bowl eligibility
Bowl eligible
Bowl eligibility in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision College Football is the standard through which teams become available for selection to participate in postseason bowl games. When a team achieves this state, it is described as "bowl-eligible"...
. The Pac-10 tie-in was also in effect in 2009; however, no eligible teams were available, Houston again played the Air Force Academy. For the 2010 contest tie-ins with the Mountain West and Conference USA were in effect. If either conference was unable to fill its slot Army would play in the bowl. Since the Mountain West was unable to fulfill its obligation to the Bowl, Army accepted an invitation to play in the contest.
Game results
| Date Played | Winning Team | Losing Team | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 23, 2003 | Boise State 2003 Boise State Broncos football team The 2003 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University in the 2003 college football season. Boise State competed as a member of the Western Athletic Conference , and played their home games at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho... |
34 | TCU 2003 TCU Horned Frogs football team The 2003 TCU Horned Frogs football team represented Texas Christian University in the 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season. TCU finished with an 11–1 record. The team was coached by Gary Patterson and played their home games at Amon G... |
31 | notes 2003 Fort Worth Bowl The 2003 edition to the Fort Worth Bowl, the inaugural edition of the game, featured the Boise State Broncos, and the TCU Horned Frogs. The title sponsor for the game was PlainsCapital Bank.... |
| December 23, 2004 | 32 | 14 | notes 2004 Fort Worth Bowl The 2004 edition to the Fort Worth Bowl, the second edition, featured the , and the . It had a title sponsor of PlainsCapital Bank. The game was particularly notable because it featured an incoming school to and outgoing school from Conference USA.Cincinnati scored first, when Antauwn Gibbons... |
||
| December 23, 2005 | Kansas 2005 Kansas Jayhawks football team The 2005 Kansas Jayhawks football team played in the Big 12 Conference representing the University of Kansas. The Jayhawks won the Fort Worth Bowl, defeating the Houston Cougars, 42-13.-Schedule:... |
42 | 13 | notes 2005 Fort Worth Bowl The 2005 edition to the Fort Worth Bowl , the third edition, featured the Kansas Jayhawks, and the Houston Cougars.-Game summary:... |
|
| December 23, 2006 | Utah 2006 Utah Utes football team The 2006 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah in the college football season of 2006–2007. The team was coached by 2nd year head football coach Kyle Whittingham. The Utes played their homes games in Rice–Eccles Stadium.-Schedule:... |
25 | 13 | notes 2006 Armed Forces Bowl The 2006 edition to the Armed Forces Bowl, the 4th edition , featured the , and the Utah Utes, both former members of the Western Athletic Conference... |
|
| December 31, 2007 | California 2007 California Golden Bears football team The 2007 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in the college football 2007-2008 season. They played their home games at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California and were coached by Jeff Tedford.... |
42 | Air Force 2007 Air Force Falcons football team The 2007 United States Air Force Academy Falcons football team represented the United States Air Force Academy in the college football season of 2007–2008, getting second place in the Mountain West Conference, and losing the Armed Forces Bowl to California... |
36 | notes 2007 Armed Forces Bowl The 2007 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl was a college football bowl game that was played on December 31, 2007, at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas, USA... |
| December 31, 2008 | Houston 2008 Houston Cougars football team The 2008 Houston Cougars football team, also known as the Houston Cougars, Houston, or UH, represented the University of Houston in the college football 2008-2009 season. It was the 63rd year of season play for Houston... |
34 | Air Force 2008 Air Force Falcons football team The 2008 Air Force Falcons football team represented the United States Air Force Academy in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the 2008 season. Air Force competed as a member of the Mountain West Conference .The team was led by... |
28 | notes 2008 Armed Forces Bowl The 2008 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl was the sixth edition of the annual post-season college football bowl game, and featured the Houston Cougars against the Air Force Falcons on December 31, 2008 at Amon G. Carter Stadium on the campus of Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas and... |
| December 31, 2009 | Air Force 2009 Air Force Falcons football team The 2009 Air Force Falcons football team represented the United States Air Force Academy during the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Air Force competed as a member of the Mountain West Conference. The Falcons were coached by third-year head coach Troy Calhoun... |
47 | Houston 2009 Houston Cougars football team The 2009 Houston Cougars football team, also known as the Houston Cougars, Houston, or UH, represented the University of Houston in the college football 2009–2010 season. It was the 64th year of season play for Houston. The team was coached by second year head football coach, Kevin Sumlin... |
20 | notes 2009 Armed Forces Bowl The 2009 Armed Forces Bowl was the seventh edition of the college football bowl game, and was played at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas. The game started at 12:00 PM US EST on Thursday, December 31, 2009... |
| December 30, 2010 | Army 2010 Army Black Knights football team The 2010 Army Black Knights football team represented the United States Military Academy in the 2010 college football season. The Black Knights, led by second-year head coach Rich Ellerson, competed as an Independent and played their home games at the Michie Stadium.By winning 6 regular season... |
16 | SMU 2010 SMU Mustangs football team The 2010 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Mustangs, led by third-year head coach June Jones, were members of Conference USA in the West Division and played their home games at Gerald J... |
14 | notes 2010 Armed Forces Bowl The 2010 Armed Forces Bowl was the eighth edition of the college football bowl game, and the first of two editions to be played at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on the campus of Southern Methodist University in the Dallas enclave of University Park, Texas. From the bowl's inception as the Fort Worth Bowl... |
| December 30, 2011 | BYU 2011 BYU Cougars football team The 2011 BYU Cougars football team represent Brigham Young University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cougars, led by head coach Bronco Mendenhall, play their home games at LaVell Edwards Stadium... |
notes 2011 Armed Forces Bowl The 2011 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, the ninth edition of the game, will be a post-season American college football bowl game, held on December 30, 2011 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on the campus of SMU in University Park, Texas as part of the 2011–12 NCAA Bowl season.The game, which will... |
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MVPs
| Date played | MVP | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 23, 2003 | Ryan Dinwiddie Ryan Dinwiddie Ryan Dinwiddie is a professional Canadian football quarterback playing for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. Dinwiddie was a three-year starter at Boise State from 2001 to 2003, and one of the most prolific passers in college football history. In 2003, he passed for... |
Boise State 2003 Boise State Broncos football team The 2003 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University in the 2003 college football season. Boise State competed as a member of the Western Athletic Conference , and played their home games at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho... |
QB |
| December 23, 2004 | Gino Guidugli Gino Guidugli Gino Guidugli is an arena football quarterback, for the Milwaukee Mustangs of Arena Football League. He was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Cincinnati.He is also a former professional Canadian football quarterback... |
QB | |
| December 23, 2005 | Jason Swanson | Kansas 2005 Kansas Jayhawks football team The 2005 Kansas Jayhawks football team played in the Big 12 Conference representing the University of Kansas. The Jayhawks won the Fort Worth Bowl, defeating the Houston Cougars, 42-13.-Schedule:... |
QB |
| December 23, 2006 | Louie Sakoda Louie Sakoda Louie Sakoda is a kicker and punter for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. In college, he played for the Utah Utes... |
Utah 2006 Utah Utes football team The 2006 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah in the college football season of 2006–2007. The team was coached by 2nd year head football coach Kyle Whittingham. The Utes played their homes games in Rice–Eccles Stadium.-Schedule:... |
P/K |
| December 31, 2007 | Kevin Riley Kevin Riley (quarterback) Kevin Riley is a former American football quarterback for the California Golden Bears. He played for California from 2007-2010.-High school:... |
California 2007 California Golden Bears football team The 2007 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in the college football 2007-2008 season. They played their home games at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California and were coached by Jeff Tedford.... |
QB |
| December 31, 2008 | Bryce Beall | Houston 2008 Houston Cougars football team The 2008 Houston Cougars football team, also known as the Houston Cougars, Houston, or UH, represented the University of Houston in the college football 2008-2009 season. It was the 63rd year of season play for Houston... |
RB |
| Jared Tew | Air Force 2008 Air Force Falcons football team The 2008 Air Force Falcons football team represented the United States Air Force Academy in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the 2008 season. Air Force competed as a member of the Mountain West Conference .The team was led by... |
FB | |
| December 31, 2009 | Asher Clark | Air Force 2009 Air Force Falcons football team The 2009 Air Force Falcons football team represented the United States Air Force Academy during the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Air Force competed as a member of the Mountain West Conference. The Falcons were coached by third-year head coach Troy Calhoun... |
RB |
| Tyron Carrier | Houston 2009 Houston Cougars football team The 2009 Houston Cougars football team, also known as the Houston Cougars, Houston, or UH, represented the University of Houston in the college football 2009–2010 season. It was the 64th year of season play for Houston. The team was coached by second year head football coach, Kevin Sumlin... |
WR | |
| December 30, 2010 | Stephen Anderson | Army 2010 Army Black Knights football team The 2010 Army Black Knights football team represented the United States Military Academy in the 2010 college football season. The Black Knights, led by second-year head coach Rich Ellerson, competed as an Independent and played their home games at the Michie Stadium.By winning 6 regular season... |
LB |
| Darius Johnson | SMU 2010 SMU Mustangs football team The 2010 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Mustangs, led by third-year head coach June Jones, were members of Conference USA in the West Division and played their home games at Gerald J... |
WR | |
Most appearances
| Rank | Team | Appearances | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Air Force Air Force Falcons football The Air Force Falcons are a college football team from the United States Air Force Academy, located just outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the NCAA Division I and the Mountain West Conference.-Style:... |
3 | 1–2 |
| T1 | Houston Houston Cougars football The Houston Cougars football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents the University of Houston. The team is commonly referred to as "Houston" or "UH" . The UH football program is currently a member of the Conference USA intercollegiate athletic conference, and is coached by... |
3 | 1–2 |
| T3 | Army Army Black Knights football The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946.... |
1 | 1–0 |
| T3 | Boise State Boise State Broncos football This page discusses the Boise State football program. For more Boise State athletics, see Boise State Broncos.The Boise State Broncos football program represents Boise State University in college football and compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I as a member of the Mountain West... |
1 | 1–0 |
| T3 | California California Golden Bears football The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to... |
1 | 1–0 |
| T3 | Cincinnati Cincinnati Bearcats football The Cincinnati Bearcats football program represents the University of Cincinnati in a college football. They compete at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level as members of the Big East Conference. The Bearcat football program is one of the nation's oldest, having fielded a team as... |
1 | 1–0 |
| T3 | Kansas Kansas Jayhawks football The Kansas Jayhawks football program is the intercollegiate football program of the University of Kansas Jayhawks. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference.... |
1 | 1–0 |
| T3 | Utah Utah Utes football The Utah Utes football program is a college football team that currently competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I and represents the University of Utah. The Utah college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Rice–Eccles... |
1 | 1–0 |
| T3 | BYU | 1 | 0–0 |
| T3 | TCU TCU Horned Frogs football The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football... |
1 | 0–1 |
| T3 | Tulsa Tulsa Golden Hurricane football The University of Tulsa's Golden Hurricane football team represents Tulsa in Conference USA. Tulsa is currently coached by first-year head coach Bill Blankenship. The football team was coached by Todd Graham until he accepted the head coaching job at Pittsburgh.... |
1 | 0–1 |
| T3 | Marshall Marshall Thundering Herd football The Marshall Thundering Herd football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports program of Marshall University. The team represents the university as a member of the Conference USA Eastern division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, playing at the Division 1 Bowl Subdivision... |
1 | 0–1 |
| T3 | SMU SMU Mustangs The SMU Mustangs is the name of the athletic teams representing Southern Methodist University. The Mustangs participate in the NCAA's Division I as a member of Conference USA. In 2005, SMU accepted an invitation to the Western Division of Conference USA, and left the Western Athletic Conference... |
1 | 0–1 |
Results By Conference
| Conference | Wins | Losses | Pct Win |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big 12 Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving... |
1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Division I FBS Independents | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Pac-10 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| WAC Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS... |
1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Mountain West Mountain West Conference The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999... |
2 | 2 | .500 |
| C-USA Conference USA Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports... |
2 | 5 | .286 |
| MAC Mid-American Conference The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members... |
0 | 1 | .000 |