The second annual Pop-Tarts Bowl was nothing short of a sweet treat.
Amid the nail-biting matchup between Iowa State University and the University of Miami, which ended in a 42-41 victory for the Cyclones, Pop-Tarts caused chaos on the field.
At the 2024 bowl game, fans met three mascots, Hot Fudge Sundae, Wild Berry and Cinnamon Roll, via a stripping — sorry, unwrapping — reveal prior to the start of the game.
“just when you thought the pop tarts bowl couldn’t get ANY sexier,” one X user wrote about Hot Fudge Sundae’s reveal, which involved the mascot ripping his aluminum wrapper open right down the middle.
Throughout the evening, the three Pop-Tarts competed to be the fan favorite. Wild Berry sparked a memorable meme when the mascot tip-toed behind a referees from the sideline, before scurrying back to hide once he was noticed.
Meanwhile, Hot Fudge Sundae attracted the eye of Miami’s mascot, Sebastian the ibis, who tried to take a bite out of the treat.
In the end, after Iowa State narrowly won the game, the team’s quarterback Rocco Becht got to pick which treat to send down into a giant toaster. Becht picked Cinnamon Roll, and the mascot held up a sign that read, “Follow your dreams,” as they met their sweet and fiery fate.
“Mouth Heaven gained another angel!” the official X account for the Pop-Tarts Bowl captioned footage of the moment.
Iowa State players were seen devouring the giant edible breakfast tart costume after their big win.
Aside from the mascots, the game featured plenty of Pop-Tarts references. Sprinkles were painted along the sidelines and the winning team’s trophy featured a working toaster.
Instead of dumping gallons of Gatorade on each other after winning the game, players covered their coaches in tons of mini Pop-Tarts.
The chaos didn’t end there. Fans were also able to experience the resurrection of the Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tart.
Last year, at the inaugural Pop-Tarts Bowl, Frosted Strawberry sacrificed himself to the taste buds of Kansas State.
This year, in a powerful moment on the field, the three mascots stood with tissues, flowers and a toaster as they watched Frosted Strawberry stand atop the entire stadium. “Hallelujah” played in the background.
On X, fans couldn’t get enough of the Pop-Tarts influence on the game, with one person sharing, “This bowl game is the greatest thing to ever happen to college football.”
Another wrote, “Pop Tarts Bowl out here raising the bar. Give them the championship game next year.”
And when one person questioned why Cinnamon Roll seemed so eager to give himself up to the toaster, ultimately leading to consumption, the official account for the Pop-Tarts Bowl explained.
