Air Force: 2019 Cheez-It Bowl Champions

Air Force polished off its best season in 21 years with a 31-21 victory over Washington State at the Cheez-It Bowl at Chase Field in Phoenix on Friday.

The Falcons ran for 371 yards, including 178 from Kadin Remsberg. The 5'9" junior running back provided the play of the day after withstanding a crushing hit and extending the ball to score a touchdown that gave the Falcons a 30-21 edge with 3:50 remaining.

Taven Birdow added 108 yards and one touchdown for Air Force, which finished its year with 11 victories. That mark is one shy of the school record set in 1985 and matched in 1998.

The Falcons ended on an eight-game win streak, with their only losses occurring against No. 19 Boise State and No. 23 Navy.

Washington State wideout Brandon Arconado had 11 catches for 167 yards and touchdown for the 6-7 Cougars, whose four-year streak of winning seasons ended.

                   

Notable Performances

Air Force RB Kadin Remsberg: 26 carries, 178 yards, 1 TD

Air Force QB Donald Hammond III: 15 carries, 62 yards, 2 TD; 4-of-12, 30 yards, 1 INT

Air Force FB Taven Birdow: 20 carries, 108 yards, 1 TD

Washington State QB Anthony Gordon: 28-of-42, 351 yards, 3 TD

Washington State WR Brandon Arconado: 11 catches, 167 yards, 1 TD

Air Force entered Friday ranking third in the FBS with 292.5 rushing yards per game.

Washington State began the day first in the FBS with 444.3 passing yards per matchup, or 57.5 more yards than second-place LSU.

While neither offense is the most efficient (the rushing and passing honors go to Clemson and Oklahoma, respectively), it's clear how these two teams like to operate.

The question was which offense would win in a clash of disparate styles, and the answer was Air Force thanks to 373 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 67 attempts.

The Falcons made an immediate statement by going 98 yards in 20 plays and taking up 12:23 of the clock en route to a Donald Hammond III one-yard touchdown run.

That drive helped Air Force dominate time of possession, with the Falcons holding the ball for 43:24. Air Force also mounted three other scoring drives of six minutes or longer.

As for Washington State, the Cougars offense didn't have much trouble moving the ball down the field en route to 366 scrimmage yards. The problem was that they didn't have much to show for it.

A game-opening 71-yard drive ended at the Air Force 2-yard line when a 4th-and-goal conversion attempt proved unsuccessful. A 75-yard drive in the third quarter down to the Air Force 5-yard line finished with WSU getting stuffed on a 4th-and-2 run.

The Cougars did mount scoring drives that combined for 180 yards, with Anthony Gordon tossing touchdown passes to end each one. The final TD was a 13-yard pass to Brandon Arconado, the leading receiver on the night.

However, Air Force responded with Remsberg's score on 4th-and-goal to take a two-score lead. Washington State couldn't score on its final drive, and Air Force ended the game in victory formation.

Iowa: 2019 Holiday Bowl Champions

SAN DIEGO —  At the end of a long month, in the final moments of a long season, Matt Fink, the backup quarterback who’d played hero once before, trotted onto the SDCCU Stadium field Friday night to a grateful roar from the cardinal-and-gold faithful who still held onto hopes of a strong finish.

But around Fink, everything cardinal and gold was coming undone. USC’s defense had yet to force a punt against Iowa — and wouldn’t until late in the third quarter. Its special teams had been anything but special, allowing yet another untouched return for a touchdown. And now, Kedon Slovis, the Pac-12 offensive freshman of the year, the only bright spot in a dark night that would end in a 49-24 drubbing, sat on the sideline, surrounded by trainers working on his injured right arm.

The Holiday Bowl was supposed to help begin the healing within a frustrated USC fanbase, which was still seething with the decision to keep coach Clay Helton. Here was a shot at a strong finish, a chance for partial vindication, an opportunity to prove their pride was still intact.

But as Fink took the field at the start of the fourth quarter, the Trojans were already well beyond saving. Instead of redemption, No. 22 USC (8-5) was confirming every doubt and frustration its fan had made known all season.

Then, as if on cue, a snap soared over Fink’s head. No. 16 Iowa (10-3) recovered on the doorstep of USC’s end zone. And a long offseason of discontent began in earnest.

Even before Iowa defensive end A.J. Epenesa slammed into Slovis’ right arm, ending his night late in the third quarter, the Trojans had already been tiptoeing around disaster.

Slovis threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns before being sidelined, capping an unforgettable freshman season with another impressive performance. As his defense and special teams threatened to derail them, the quarterback’s play had been just enough to keep the Trojans on track.

Without him, any hope of a strong finish soon imploded altogether.

Against an Iowa offense that’d failed to score four touchdowns in a Big Ten game all season, USC gave up four scores in the first half alone. After weeks of preaching third-down defense, the Trojans allowed the Hawkeyes to convert six of eight third downs over the first three quarters.

By game’s end, Iowa had put up 49 points, the most its bottom-tier Big Ten offense had scored all season. Only Oregon scored more against USC this season.

Defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast’s job was already in jeopardy, with staff changes expected to come after the bowl game. But after a brutal performance in which Helton stood on the sideline, begging his defense for just one stop, a decision on Pendergast appeared to be made for him.

The same could be said for John Baxter, USC’s special teams coach, who’d spent all season answering questions about his questionable kick coverage. As the Trojans still clung to a tie, the kickoff team watched helplessly as Hawkeyes wideout Ihmir Smith-Marsette sprinted 98 yards, untouched, on his way into the end zone.

It was the last time the Trojans would come within a sniff of their Big Ten counterpart, as their own offense stalled and a plodding Iowa group pushed down the gas pedal.

In a clash of conflicting styles, it was a more dominant performance than the Hawkeyes could’ve hoped for.

Iowa wasted no time in exerting its will. The Hawkeyes’ first two drives lasted nearly a full quarter (14:44), tiring out a Trojans defense that couldn’t manage to get off the field.

In the three-plus minutes USC did manage to have the ball in the first quarter, though, the Trojans appeared poised for their own brand of fireworks. After nearly having a pass intercepted to start, Slovis completed his other six passes, capping the drive with a short touchdown to Drake London. It was London’s fifth straight game with a score.

USC scored again on its next possession, as Slovis watched Vavae Malepeai slide past Iowa’s secondary on a wheel route and delivered a perfect pass from 16 yards out.

But without the ball, a high-powered offense couldn’t make up issues in just about every other facet of the game.

Still, Fink tried to drive the offense one last time. With only pride on the line late, he flung one last pass into the Iowa secondary. It was picked and returned for a touchdown, adding even insult to an already insulting bowl finish.

Texas A&M: 2019 Texas Bowl Champions

HOUSTON – Kellen Mond ran for a career-high 117 yards and threw a touchdown pass as Texas A&M scored 24 consecutive points to overcome an early deficit and beat Oklahoma State 24-21 in the Texas Bowl on Friday night.

Mond ran 67 yards to give the Aggies (8-5) a 21-14 lead early in the fourth quarter. Mond cut to the right to avoid a couple of defenders and outran everyone else. Tre Sterling had a shot to tackle him around the 25, but Mond ran away from his diving attempt.

The Cowboys (8-5) went for it on fourth-and-1 from the Texas A&M 34 on their next possession, but Spencer Sanders was stopped for no gain.

The Aggies added a 24-yard field goal to make it 24-14 with about three minutes to go.

Oklahoma State cut the lead to three on a touchdown reception by Braydon Johnson with about a minute left. The Cowboys attempted an onside kick, but A&M recovered it to secure the victory.

Chuba Hubbard, who finished the regular season as the nation’s leading rusher, ran for 158 yards, and Johnson had 124 yards receiving and two touchdowns for the Cowboys.

Hubbard finished the season with 2,094 yards rushing to become the second player in school history to reach 2,000, joining Barry Sanders, who did it in 1988 when he won the Heisman Trophy. Sanders tweeted congratulations to Hubbard after he reached the mark and said: “I know the effort it takes to get there.”

Mond, who threw for 95 yards, fumbled twice early and the Aggies trailed 14-0 after the first quarter and were down by seven at halftime.

He had just 35 yards passing in the first half, but got going on Texas A&M’s first possession of the second half. He had a 28-yard completion on a drive that ended with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jhamon Ausbon which tied it at 14-14 early in the third.

Mond fumbled on A&M’s first drive and it was recovered by Oklahoma State. But the Cowboys came away empty when Matt Ammendola missed a 53-yard field goal.

The Cowboys took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter when they capped a 97-yard drive with a 42-yard touchdown reception by Johnson. Hubbard had a 37-yard run to power that drive.

Dru Brown connected with Johnson on a 57-yard pass later in the first quarter to give Oklahoma State a first down at the 9. The Cowboys pushed the lead to 14-0 when Brown dashed into the end zone on the next play.

Brown threw for 184 yards and two touchdowns.

Mond fumbled again early in the second quarter, but once again the Cowboys couldn’t turn the mistake into points and they had to punt it away.

The Aggies cut the lead to 14-7 on the next drive on a 1-yard touchdown run by Isaiah Spiller.

Oklahoma State had a chance to pad the lead just before halftime, but Ammendola’s 46-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left.

THE TAKEAWAY

Oklahoma State: The Cowboys started out strong but were unable to build on their early lead and allowed Mond to control the game after halftime.

Texas A&M: The Aggies did a good job of shaking off their bad start and get the win to end the season on a positive note after losing their last two regular-season games.

UP NEXT

Oklahoma State: The Cowboys will wait to see if Hubbard will return for his junior season or enter the NFL draft. He has said he’ll make his decision sometime after the bowl game.

Texas A&M: The Aggies have yet to become true contenders in the rugged SEC West, but they could be poised for a strong 2020 campaign in Mond’s last season with the return of an experienced offensive line and talent at running back.

Michigan State: 2019 Pinstripe Bowl Champions

NEW YORK – Michigan State ended a disappointing season on a high note.

The Spartans (7-6, 4-5 Big Ten) topped Wake Forest (8-5, 4-4 ACC) 27-21 in the Pinstripe Bowl on Friday at Yankee Stadium in New York. It was their third straight victory and their first time accomplishing that feat since beating Washington State in the Holiday Bowl to close the 2017 season.

Michigan State, which won its final two regular-season games just to become bowl eligible, came out on top of an entertaining bowl game that featured five lead changes. The Spartans squandered chances to put the game away late, including a 28-yard missed field goal by Matt Coghlin with three minutes left, but got the defensive stops they needed while blanking the Demon Deacons in the second half.

Michigan State quarterback Brian Lewerke closed his career with an impressive outing in his 38th and final start. The fifth-year senior was 26-for-37 passing for 320 yards, one touchdown and one interception and had 11 carries for 46 yards and a score. With that performance, he passed Connor Cook for the most yards of total offense in program history and finished with 9,548.

Cody White had eight receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown to lea the Spartans, Jalen Nailor had five catches for 60 yards while tight end Trenton Gillison had four grabs for 88 yards. Elijah Collins led the team with 21 rushes for 96 yards.

Wake Forest quarterback Jamie Newman finished 12-for-27 passing for 175 yards, three touchdowns and one interception and had 17 rushes for 87 yards before leaving the game injured late in the fourth quarter. Cade Carney had 15 carries for 64 yards.

Michigan State won the opening coin toss, deferred to the second half and Wake Forest quickly took the lead. The Demon Deacons went 65 yards in just seven plays and Newman hit Kendall Hinton for a 29-yard touchdown.

The Spartans mounted a 16-play drive on their second possession of the game but stalled after facing first-and-goal from the 6-yard line. Matt Coghlin made a 23-yard field goal to pull the team within four points with 2:44 left in the first quarter.

Michigan State took a 10-7 lead three plays later on a 14-yard interception return for a touchdown by senior defensive tackle Mike Panasiuk. Newman’s pass was deflected by Panasiuk’s younger brother, junior defensive end Jacub Panasiuk, bounced off linebacker Noah Harvey and Panasiuk returned his second career interception for his first touchdown. Panasiuk was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for taking off his helmet and lifting it to the crowd after he was mobbed by teammates.

Wake Forest reclaimed the lead when Newman connected with Donavon Green for a 16-yard touchdown. Michigan State needed just three plays to respond as Lewerke hit Gillison for a 64-yard completion and the quarterback followed with an eight-yard touchdown run on the next play for a 17-14 lead midway through the second quarter.

Michigan State’s lead lasted less than two minutes as Wake Forest responded with a big play by their tight end. A blown coverage led to Newman finding a wide-open Jack Freudenthal for a 44-yard touchdown as Wake went ahead 21-17.

The Spartans had a chance to reclaim the lead, but they had another long drive stall in the red zone. A 13-play possession ended with Coghlin making a 44-yard field goal to pull Michigan State within one at 21-20 with 49 seconds left in the second quarter that stood up as the halftime score.

Michigan State opened the second half with an impressive scoring drive. Lewerke rushed for two yards on fourth-and-1 and Collins ripped off a 31-yard gain on the next play. That set up a 10-yard touchdown pass from Lewerke to White for a 27-21 lead.

The Spartans had a chance to extend their lead to two scores but came up empty after driving inside the Wake Forest 30-yard line. On third-and-7, Lewerke’s pass was a bit high and behind Collins crossing the middle of the field and it bounced off his hands and was intercepted by Ryan Smenda Jr.

Michigan State’s next possession was another blown opportunity after reaching the red zone. Lewerke threw a shovel pass to Gillison, who was stripped of the ball and fumbled as Wake Forest recovered at its 6-yard line while the Spartans came away empty.

After Michigan State’s defense got another much-needed stop, Lewerke used his arm and legs to drive the team down with a chance at a potential game-sealing score. However, Coghlin missed a 28-yard field goal wide left as Michigan State’s lead remained at 27-21 with 3:03 remaining in the fourth quarter.

On the ensuing possession, defensive end Kenny Willekes got to Newman for a sack to force a fumble and the quarterback had to leave the game. Sophomore Sam Hartman took over on third down but threw a pair of incompletions as the Demon Deacons turned over the ball on downs and the Spartans ran out the clock.

GAME NOTES:

* Michigan State was shorthanded on offense and that included a new injury as tight end Matt Seybert didn’t dress and was spotted with a brace on his right leg while using a crutch. The fifth-year senior leads the team’s tight ends with 26 catches for 284 yards and three touchdowns. Offensive linemen Luke Campbell, Tyler Higby, Kevin Jarvis and Cole Chewins were also out for the Spartans. Campbell, a redshirt junior, missed the last two games of the regular season. Higby, a fifth-year senior, missed the final five games of the regular season. Jarvis, a junior, missed the last nine games of the regular season. Chewins, a fifth-year senior, didn’t play this year due to a back injury.

* Fifth-year senior receiver Darrell Stewart Jr. returned to the lineup to close his college career for Michigan State after missing the final four games of the regular season with a lower leg injury. Redshirt junior center Matt Allen was also back after missing the previous four games and started. True freshman Nick Samac started at center in the final four games of the regular season while burning his redshirt.

* During a press conference prior to the game, Michigan State president Samuel Stanley Jr. voiced support for Dantonio before the end of a disappointing season. Asked if he was confident in the direction of the program, Stanley said “Yes. I am excited about the future and I think this is a great opportunity. … I think Coach Dantonio has really an incredible track record – as you know, the winningest coach in MSU history – so I am pleased with the direction of the program overall.”

North Carolina: 2019 Military Bowl Champions

North Carolina coach Mack Brown told anyone who would listen that the Tar Heels were going to win right away in his first season there.

Few believed it was possible. The Tar Heels were coming off a 2-9 season in 2018, and 3-9 in 2017.

Turns out, he was right.

And just as the Tar Heels opened their season with a victory, they ended it with one, too.

The Tar Heels dominated Temple in the Military Bowl in Annapolis, Md 55-13. on Friday. They will finish the 2019 season 7-6, their first winning season since 2016. It was also the Tar Heels’ first bowl win since 2013.

With the win Brown is now 14-8 all time in bowl games, and 4-2 at UNC.

Temple entered the game with some big wins this season, including a 30-28 victory over Memphis, which is playing in one of the New Year’s Six bowl games.

But in this game, the Tar Heels looked more confident, more polished, and the better overall team.

They were led by true freshman quarterback Sam Howell, who for much of this season, has delivered when needed. He completed 25 of 34 passes for 294 yards, and three touchdowns.

He even caught a 2-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter.

The Tar Heels’ defense was just as good as the offense.

They allowed only two touchdowns, and in the third quarter scored one of their own. Storm Duck intercepted Temple quarterback Anthony Russo, and took it back 20 yards for a touchdown.

It was one of three touchdowns the Tar Heels scored in the third quarter. And by the end of that quarter, the game was all wrapped up, as the Tar Heels led by four touchdowns.

The Tar Heels 42-point victory was its second-largest of the season. They never trailed in this game.

FIRST DOWN
The Tar Heels intercepted two passes, including the pick-six from Duck. The second interception was by UNC linebacker Tomon Fox in the fourth quarter. They won the turnover battle 2-1, which helped their dominating effort.

TOUCHDOWN
The Tar Heels had one of their best offensive performances of the season. They gained 534 total yards. They did it by establishing the run.

Even Howell got into the action. He had 53 yards rushing at halftime. That kept Temple guessing all game. Running it with Howell is something the Tar Heels haven’t been able to do this season with the lack of depth at the position. Backup quarterback Jace Ruder is out for the season with a leg injury.

PENALTY
The Tar Heels made few mistakes on Friday. But the one mistake they did make was a turnover in the third quarter. Junior wide receiver Dazz Newsome caught a screen pass from Howell, and fumbled it as he was tackled. The turnover gave the Owls the ball near the 50-yard line, and set up a 45-yard touchdown a short time later.

ICYMI
Howell, who won the game’s MVP award, passed Clemson’s Tahj Boyd for third place for most passing touchdowns in a single season in the ACC. He finished with 38.

Boyd threw 36 passing touchdowns in 2012, and Howell entered the game one touchdown behind him. The ACC record is 41 touchdown passes thrown by Clemson’s Deshaun Watson in 2016.

UNC junior running back Michael Carter rushed for 1,000 yards this season.

And UNC wide receivers Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome became the fourth and fifth UNC receivers to join the 1,000-yard club. They are also the first wide receiver duo to get a 1,000 yard season in the same year.

KEY NUMBERS
238 rushing yards. The Tar Heels were 4-0 this season when they rushed for 200 or more yards in game.

11 out of 14conversions on third downs. Temple could not get the Tar Heels off the field.

55 The number of points UNC scored. It was a Military Bowl record.