ISML 2022: Genshin Impact Final Four Set

ISML 2022: Genshin Impact Final Four Set

By Jo-Ryan Salazar

The Bedlam On Baltic Avenue

30 December 2022

Raiden Ei, the Raiden Shogun of Inazuma and Electro Archon, easily dispatched Keqing 3461-2665 to advance to the semifinals of the 2022 International Saimoe League Genshin Impact Tournament. "A straightforward assignment," Ei said. "It will be an honor to win this tournament because I know what I am capable of, as history has shown for centuries. I thank Keqing for the encounter and wish the Yuheng well on her ongoing projects in Liyue as she has done a magnificent job giving her all for her country."

Ei's next challenger is Ayaka Kamisato, the Shirasagi Himegimi and sister to Ayato Kamisato, the Yashiro Commissioner. A 3934-2124 win over Zhongli, the Geo Archon and de facto leader of Liyue as Rex Lapis, sent a strong message to the Shogun. "Her banner rerun may be occuring right now, but I know full well that nothing is given, all victories must be earned," Ayaka said. "I may come into the semifinals as a decisive underdog, but if I have faith and know that my brother believes in me no matter what...I will have the power to surprise. So I will do my best to the end."

In the Female Division, Violet Evergarden thumped Sagiri Izumi 4240-3201, Emilia defeated Marin Kitagawa 3652-3411, Index L. Prohibitorum roared past Taiga Aisaka 3714-3320, Rikka Takanashi rocked Kurumi Tokisaki 4122-3405, Kaguya Shinomiya throttled Takina Inoue 4134-2985, Shiro prevailed over Ai Haibara 3734-3476 and Elaina boomed past Mio Akiyama 3932-3620.

Yui Hirasawa soared past Shouko Nishimiya 3743-3419, Sora Kasugano overcame Kamui Kanna 3533-3256, Miku Nakano rammed Rem 4260-3200, Mashiro Shiina smashed Yui Yuigahama 4013-2837, Kanade Tachibana flew past Asuna Yuuki 3493-3171, Yukino Yukinoshita bounced past Nao Tomori 4040-3162 and Kuroko Shirai defeated Nino Nakano 4145-3552.

Wrapping up Female Division play, Utaha Kasumigaoka won the closest race of the round, a 3468-3440 thriller over Mitsuha Miyamizu, Mikoto Misaka defeated Eru Chitanda 3851-3505, Tamako Kitashirakawa pounded Chika Fujiwara 3579-3416, Azusa Nakano romped past Tsukasa Yuzaki 3793-3209, CHisato Nishikigi scored the Upset of the Round, a 4085-3750 scalp of Mai Sakurajima, Megumi Katou prevailed over Isla 3461-3358 and Ritsu Tainaka rumbled past Zero Two 3681-3335.

In Male Division play, Hachiman Hikigaya thumped Yuu Otosaka 4102-2731, Levi leveled Kaito Kuroba 3395-2656, Mochizou Ouji pounded Nasa Yuzaki 3168-2872, Houtarou Oreki routed Conan Edogawa 4325-2866, Loid Forger defeated Yuu Ishigami 3356-2172, Shidou Itsuka eased past Shirou Emiya 3124-2811 and Yuuta Togashi took down Subaru Natsuki 4313-2562.

Shinpei Ajiro drover past Itachi Uchiha 3248-2788, Saika Totsuka toasted Dio Brando 3585-2640, Accelerator accelerated past Taki Tachibana 4135-2824, Rimuru Tempest stormed past Tanjirou Kamado 3167-2843, Sorata Kanda dismissed Ken Kaneki 3189-2730, Kazuto Kirigaya slashed past Sora 3478-2841 and Miyuki Shirogane defeated Takashi Natsume 3399-2968.

Wrapping up Male Division play, Fuutarou Uesugi won a 3036-3005 nailbiter over Masamune Izumi, Sakuta Azusagawa broke Touma Kamijou 3809-3036, Tomoya Okazaki jojo'd Joutarou Kuujou 3200-2775, Haruka Kasugano eased past Kyoujurou Rengoku 3148-2907, Kiyotaka Ayanokouji flattened Izumi Miyamura 3505-2704, Riku Dola rocked Satoru Gojou 3033-2985 and Kousei Arima overwhelmed Ainz Ooal Gown 3154-2643.

A special exhibition saw Kate Mirror win a 2625-1155 snoozer over Tooru Hagakure. In Seasonal action, Nezuko Kamado powered past Sakura Matou 3357-2454, Silence Suzuka raced past Kotoko Iwanaga 2759-2581, Illyasviel von Einzbern burned Tooru Amuro 3297-2463, Takagi trounced Toge Inumaki 3928-1698, Special Week sped past Renge Miyauchi 2815-2574, Ninym Ralei rallied past Momo Chiyosa 2712-2276, Kobayashi scorched Yuuko Yoshida 3123-2388 and Sajuna Inui rolled past Eris Boreas Greyrat 2960-2540.

Kyaru dismantled Wakana Gojou 3080-2328, Ai Hayasaka routed Eiko Tsukimi 4318-1768, Touka Yatogami defeated Miko Iino 3286-2837, Zhuge Kongming won a 2583-2485 pillow fight over Zhong Lanzhu, Yoshino upended Kogorou Mouri 4113-2158, Shikimori defeated Tomoyo Sakaghami 3068-2678, Shouko Koumi drilled Mio Kofune 3834-1152 and Ushio Okazaki whipped past Fuuko Ibuki 2904-1948.

Wrapping up Exhibition play, Reina Aharen slayed Serena 3374-1633, Kurumi sat on Shalltear Bloodfallen 3862-2269, Ruka Sarashina defeated Sumi Sakurasawa 2577-2139, Hinata Hyuuga blew Son Goku apart 3122-1841, Kei Karuizawa mowed down Ayano Yugiri 3380-2045, Yume Irido overcame Albedo 2940-2519, Hizuru Minakata jojo'd Jolyne Kuujou 3051-2248, Suzune Horikita slammed Rin Shima 3630-2014, Kisara defeated Lucy 3096-2472 and Nazuna Nanakura routed David Martinez 3071-2050.

Match Day 6 of the 2022 International Saimoe League Amethyst Period is the first voting day of 2023 and is on 3 January 2023. Vote for your favorite characters at InternationalSaimoe.com and join the ongoing debate. Happy New Year!

Tennessee: 2022 Orange Bowl Champions

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The sixth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers emphatically punctuated a memorable 2022 campaign on Friday night with a New Year's Six bowl victory, taking down No. 7 Clemson 31-14 in the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium.

 

In his second year at the helm of Tennessee football, head coach Josh Heupel guided the Vols (11-2) to their first 11-win season since 2001. Friday's result marked Tennessee's first victory in a "New Year's Six" bowl game (2014-pres.) and first win in the Orange Bowl since defeating Oklahoma in 1939.

 

Playing 80 miles from his hometown of Pahokee, Florida, quarterback Joe Milton III shined under the bright lights in his fourth start for the Vols. The redshirt senior completed 19-of-28 passes for 251 yards and a career-high tying three touchdowns with no interceptions, and he was named the 2022 Capital One Orange Bowl Most Valuable Player.

 

Sophomore running back Jaylen Wright led the Vols in the ground game with a game-high 89 yards on 11 carries, while junior Jabari Small toted 13 rushes for 38 yards and his 13th touchdown of the season. The Volunteer receiving corps was paced by freshman slot receiver Squirrel White who cracked the century mark for the second time this season, finishing with a season-high nine catches for 108 yards and a touchdown.

 

Tennessee's defense reigned supreme in the battle between top-10 squads, and the Vols were led by senior linebacker Aaron Beasley. The Franklin, Georgia, native feasted with a game-high 12 tackles, career-high four tackles for loss and two sacks along with one pass breakup. Redshirt senior linebacker Solon Page III ended his career with a career-best effort, logging 10 tackles to rank second on the team.

 

The UT secondary got the job done on the back end, with junior defensive backs Tamarion McDonald and Wesley Walker posting one interception each and Doneiko Slaughter logging a career-high three pass breakups.

 

Tennessee grabbed momentum early after forcing a turnover on downs in the first quarter, halting Clemson's nine-play, 53-yard drive when redshirt junior cornerback Kamal Hadden and Page combined for a stop on a fake field goal rush. The duo stuffed holder Drew Swinney for a two-yard gain on fourth-and-4 to set up a scoring drive for the Big Orange.

 

Milton orchestrated an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown series off the turnover, culminating with a 16-yard scoring strike to redshirt junior wideout Bru McCoy who made a strong, two-handed grab on contact in the back of the end zone. Redshirt senior Chase McGrath knocked through his 67th PAT of the year, breaking his own school record from last season to give the Vols a 7-0 edge with 5:17 left in the opening stanza.

 

The Tigers (11-3) had three chances at points early in the first half but were unable to capitalize after three consecutive missed field goals by senior placekicker B.T. Potter. His 55-yard attempt with 3:05 remaining in the first quarter fell harmlessly wide right and short of the goal post before a 49-yard try with 14:08 left in the second quarter was also pushed wide right. His third kick came from 42 yards and sailed just left of the goal posts, keeping Tennessee's seven-point lead intact with 10:15 to go in the half.

 

Tennessee quickly doubled its lead after the third kicking miscue, using 1:12 of game clock for a five-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to go ahead by 14 with 9:03 left in the second period. Milton completed four-straight passes on the drive, including a 50-yard deep ball to White that set up junior running back Jabari Small's two-yard scoring plunge.

 

Small improved his season total to 13 rushing touchdowns, moving into a tie for sixth in UT single-season history. His 13 scores on the ground are the most by a Vol since Montario Hardesty also had a baker's dozen in 2009.

 

Potter got Clemson on the board with 5:11 left in the first half, hooking his fourth field goal try of the night from 31 yards just inside the left post. Neither side scored for the rest of the period, and the Vols headed to the halftime locker room with a 14-3 lead over the Tigers.

 

After receiving the kickoff out of halftime, the Tigers doubled their point total when Potter's 40-yard field goal sailed between the uprights with 10:57 remaining in the third quarter. The kick capped a methodical, 10-play, 45-yard drive for Clemson to cut its deficit to eight points, 14-6.

 

Tennessee's offense stalled on the next two drives before Clemson marched into Volunteer territory. The Big Orange defense held up once again when linebackers Beasley and Juwan Mitchell stopped Tiger running back Will Shipley on fourth-and-2 to force the game's second turnover on downs with 1:27 left in the third.

 

The UT offense responded with another quick touchdown series, going 70 yards in four plays in 1:22 of game time. Wright broke off runs of nine, 42 and five yards before Milton's second touchdown toss found White in the middle of the checkerboard-painted endzone. The 14-yard throw vaulted Tennessee's lead to 21-6 with five seconds remaining in the third.

 

Clemson quickly narrowed the deficit with its first touchdown of the night when quarterback Cade Klubnik ran four yards into the endzone on a read option—capping a 12-play, 71-yard drive for the Tigers. Shipley broke through the middle on the two-point conversion to make it a 21-14 Tennessee lead with 10:01 left in regulation.

 

Milton put the game on ice midway through the fourth quarter on the ensuing drive, connecting with Keyton on a wide open deep ball down the right sideline for a 46-yard touchdown that put Tennessee ahead by two touchdowns. McGrath's program record 70th made PAT doubled up the Vols over the Tigers, 28-14, with 8:34 left in the contest.

 

Tennessee's attacking, staggering defense posted the game's first takeaway on Clemson's next drive to all but seal the win as junior defensive back Tamarion McDonald leaped in the air and nabbed his third career interception. McGrath put the finishing touches on the victory, knocking his final career field goal attempt from 32 yards between the uprights for the final score, 31-14.

 

Clemson threatened a late touchdown when Klubnik heaved his 54th pass attempt into the endzone, but redshirt junior Wesley Walker grabbed his first career interception to leave no doubt. Three Milton kneel downs ended the game and the Vols hoisted the Orange Bowl trophy for the first time in 83 years.

 

The Vols finished the 2022 campaign breaking several single season records, including total points (599), points per game (46.1), total offense (6,832), yards per game (525.5) and passing touchdowns (38) while tying the record for rushing touchdowns (40).

Ohio: 2022 Arizona Bowl Champions

Perfect football weather. Imperfect football. No complaints.

The Arizona Bowl always has been a bit quirky. The play on the field is seldom pristine. But Tucson’s bowl game has charm, a good heart and a fighting spirit.

Bowl organizers were determined to put on a good show after the pandemic impacted the past two Arizona Bowls. The 2020 version was played without fans in the stands; the ’21 game, the first with new title sponsor Barstool Sports, was canceled.

Typical of most Arizona Bowls since the game’s inception in 2015, this one came down to the wire. CJ Harris’ 10-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Foster in overtime gave Ohio a 30-27 victory over Wyoming on a picturesque Friday afternoon at Arizona Stadium.

The Arizona Bowl has been contested seven times. Friday’s game marked the third time it was decided in overtime — and the third time it ended with a walk-off score.

The lead changed hands four times in the second half and OT. The Bobcats rallied from a 17-11 halftime deficit behind the running of tailback Sieh Bangura, who had a game-high 138 yards, and the clutch play of Harris, who took over as Ohio’s starter late in the season after MAC Offensive Player of the Year Kurtis Rourke hurt his knee.

Harris was named the Arizona Bowl MVP after passing for 184 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 52 yards.

“The boys supported me,” Harris said. “They had my back, and I had theirs.

“It means a lot. I just wanted to give it my all for the team.”

The Bobcats finished 10-3, reaching double figures in wins for the first time since 2011 and the third time in modern program history. Wyoming, a two-time participant in the Arizona Bowl, ended the season with a three-game losing streak and finished 7-6.

The Cowboys took a 27-24 lead in overtime on John Hoyland’s 29-yard field goal. The Bobcats won it on Harris’ pass to Foster, a 6-5, 247-pound tight end, in the back left corner of the end zone.

“One on one, I just saw my man versus their man,” Harris said. “I’m going to give my man a shot every time.”

The Bobcats raced down the west sideline to mob Foster. Soon after, second-year coach Tim Albin and his team accepted the Arizona Bowl trophy.

“Unbelievable football game for four quarters," Albin said, his voice breaking. "And a little extra."

Bangura gave Ohio an 18-17 advantage with a 3-yard touchdown run with 5:14 remaining in the third quarter.

Wyoming’s offense had been completely stymied in the second half before the Cowboys pieced together a six-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to reclaim the lead late in the fourth quarter. Wyoming had four previous possessions in the half. The Cowboys gained just 17 yards.

A 31-yard pass from quarterback Andrew Peasley to tight end Treyton Welch moved Wyoming to the Ohio 11-yard line. On third-and-4 from the 5, Jordon Vaughn — the Cowboys’ fifth-string running back — plowed into the end zone to give Wyoming a 24-21 lead with 2:08 remaining.

Ohio had ample time to get into field-goal range and did. Nathanial Vakos’ 46-yard field goal — his third from 40-plus yards in the game — tied the score with four seconds left in regulation.

While Ohio lost its star quarterback – but was able to overcome it – Wyoming was hit hard by late-season injuries and pre-bowl transfer-portal departures.

"We have what we had, and we put them out there,” Cowboys coach Craig Bohl said. “I’m proud of them."

The first quarter was characterized by big plays and big mistakes.

Wyoming opened the scoring with a 17-yard touchdown run by Vaughn, who was making his college debut.

Since the bowl matchup was set, Bohl had dodged questions about the Cowboys’ running back situation. He knew Titus Swen, a 1,000-yard rusher, had been dismissed from the team. Bohl also knew one of Swen’s backups, Joey Braasch, had entered the transfer portal.

With second- and third-stringers Dawaiia McNeely and D.Q. James unavailable because of injuries, Wyoming listed its running backs as “TBA” on the official pregame depth chart. Vaughn — a redshirt freshman from Manvel, Texas — got the start and the bulk of the work. He carried 16 times for 67 yards and two scores.

Vaughn’s backup was Sam Scott — a redshirt-freshman linebacker. Scott normally wears No. 32; he donned a No. 22 jersey for this special assignment.

The Cowboys’ early lead was short-lived, in large part because of a poor decision by cornerback Kolbey Taylor. Wyoming was set to get the ball back after an overthrown Ohio pass on third-and-11. But Taylor lowered his head and made helmet-to-helmet contact with receiver Sam Wiglusz, drawing a targeting foul and a disqualification.

"I'm going to be real guarded on the targeting,” Bohl said. “As coaches, we have pushed to have that rule adjusted to have ‘targeting 1’ and ‘targeting 2.’ … We have taken the play that is the big headhunting play out of the game. We’ve coached that out of the game.

“When you have a young man who loses basically a whole game on a play that is viewed as targeting, that is nowhere connected to a malicious hit, this is why as coaches we say that there needs to be some balance."

On the next play, Harris connected with Jacoby Jones for a 34-yard touchdown. The Bobcats pulled off a fake PAT for a 2-point conversion that gave them an 8-7 lead.

Wiglusz — a transfer from Ohio State who led Ohio in receiving this season — was involved in the next scoring sequence as well. He muffed Clayton Stewart’s punt, which Cole DeMarzo recovered at the Bobcats’ 17-yard line. On the next play, Peasley threw a strike to Welch for a touchdown to give Wyoming a 14-8 lead.

The second quarter was a slog. The teams combined to complete only 3 of 13 passes for 31 yards. An exchange of field goals — including a 53-yarder by Hoyland — left the Cowboys with a 17-11 advantage at halftime.

The third quarter featured much of the same — until Bangura burst through a hole for a 40-yard gain to the Wyoming 3. He scored on the next play to put Ohio up 18-17.

Vakos’ 45-yard field goal made it 21-17 with 4:17 remaining.

Notre Dame: 2022 Gator Bowl Champions

 

Tyler Buchner fit a season’s worth of highlights and drama into his only start since week 2. Seven times the sophomore quarterback made a decision that directly led to a touchdown, though two of those were interception returns to the end zone for No. 19 South Carolina (8-5).

Yet he led No. 21 Notre Dame (9-4) to a comeback win in the Gator Bowl, bouncing back from each of his mistakes with better decisions. Buchner finished the day with five total touchdowns, not counting those pick-sixes, to carry the Irish to a 45-38 win in a chaotic showing.

His third touchdown pass of the day came on the drive immediately after a red-zone interception allowed the Gamecocks to tie the game at 38 late in the fourth quarter. Notre Dame had run the ball into the red zone with ease when Buchner never identified a defender on the goal line, gifting O’Donnell Fortune a 100-yard interception return touchdown.

The Irish did it all over again on the next drive and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees once again called a passing play in the red zone despite the efficient rushing. Buchner connected with sophomore tight end Mitchell Evans for the game-winning score.

He missed Notre Dame’s last 10 regular-season games after suffering a shoulder sprain in week two, but Buchner never looked worried about contact on Friday. He converted an early third-and-short on a quarterback sneak, leading with his injured shoulder, and then on the same drive took a quarterback draw 15 yards to put the Irish on the scoreboard.

His shoulder never bothered him, but his accuracy still somewhat lacked, as it did early in the season, as well. Worse yet, Buchner made three woefully poor decisions resulting in those Gamecocks’ defensive touchdowns. An impromptu shovel pass became an interception; a short, deflected pass resulted in a pick-six; and missing Fortune cost Notre Dame a ripe scoring chance in the red zone.

Buchner finished with 274 yards on 18-of-33 passing, throwing three touchdowns along with those three interceptions. He added 82 yards and two more scores on 10 rushes, sacks adjusted.

SCORING SUMMARY

First Quarter

11:48 — South Carolina touchdown. Xavier Legette 13-yard pass from Spencer Rattler. Mitch Jeter PAT good. South Carolina 7, Notre Dame 0. (10 plays, 75 yards, 3:12)

5:54 — Notre Dame touchdown. Tyler Buchner 15-yard rush. Blake Grupe PAT good. South Carolina 7, Notre Dame 7. (10 plays, 50 yards, 3:37)

2:27 — South Carolina touchdown. Hunter Rogers 23-yard pass from Kai Kroeger. Jeter PAT good. South Carolina 14, Notre Dame 7. (10 plays, 75 yards, 3:27)

0:44 — South Carolina touchdown. DQ Smith 47-yard interception return. Jeter PAT good. South Carolina 21, Notre Dame 7.

Second Quarter

8:36 — Notre Dame field goal. Grupe 37 yards. South Carolina 21, Notre Dame 10. (12 plays, 56 yards, 7:08)

5:18 — South Carolina field goal. Jeter 45 yards. South Carolina 24, Notre Dame 10. (10 plays, 48 yards, 3:18)

5:06 — Notre Dame touchdown. Logan Diggs 75-yard pass from Buchner. Grupe PAT good. South Carolina 24, Notre Dame 17.  (1 play, 75 yards, 0:12)

Third Quarter

10:28 — Notre Dame touchdown. Buchner 11-yard rush. Grupe PAT good. South Carolina 24, Notre Dame 24. (5 plays, 68 yards, 2:21)

8:31 — South Carolina touchdown. Legette 42-yard pass from Rattler. Jeter PAT good. South Carolina 31, Notre Dame 24. (5 plays, 67 yards, 1:48)

0:31 — Notre Dame touchdown. Braden Lenzy 44-yard pass from Buchner. Grupe PAT good. South Carolina 31, Notre Dame 31. (1 play, 44 yards, 0:08)

Fourth Quarter

12:41 — Notre Dame touchdown. Logan Diggs 39-yard rush. Grupe PAT good. Notre Dame 38, South Carolina 31. (7 plays, 73 yards, 2:13)

7:42 — South Carolina touchdown. O’Donnell Fortune 100-yard interception return. Jeter PAT good. Notre Dame 38, South Carolina 38.

1:38 — Notre Dame touchdown. Mitchell Evans 16-yard pass from Buchner. Grupe PAT good. Notre Dame 45, South Carolina 38. (12 plays, 80 yards, 6:01)

Pittsburgh: 2022 Sun Bowl Champions

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – Rodney Hammond Jr. rushed for 96 yards and two touchdowns, Pitt’s defense forced four turnovers, while Ben Sauls kicked a 47-yard game-winning field goal, as the Panthers (9-4) overcame a 14-point deficit in the second half to beat UCLA (9-4) 37-35 on Friday in the 89th Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl at Sun Bowl Stadium.

Pitt was short-handed with several starters opting out of the Sun Bowl to prepare for the 2023 NFL Draft. Nick Patti, playing for Kedon Slovis who transferred to BYU, saw the majority of the snaps at quarterback for Pitt, throwing for 224 yards and a touchdown.

Bub Means hauled in four receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown, while the Panther’s defense came away with four takeaways, including interceptions by Bangally Kamara, Javon McIntyre, and Tylar Wiltz.

Playing in his final collegiate game at UCLA, Dorian Thompson-Robinson completed 15 of his 23 passes for 270 yards and three total touchdowns (2 pass, 1 rush), but threw three costly interceptions before being pulled from the game by head coach Chip Kelly in the fourth quarter.

TJ Harden paced the Bruins with 111 yards and a go-ahead touchdown on the ground late in the fourth quarter, while Kam Brown hauled in four receptions for 115 yards.

Early in the third quarter, Patti threw an interception that was returned 52 yards for a touchdown by Jaylin Davies that put UCLA up 28-14. It was all Panthers from there. Pitt responded on their next possession with a blue collar, 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run by Hammond Jr. to make it a 7-point game heading into the fourth quarter.

Following Thompson-Robinson’s third interception of the game, Hammond Jr. punched in a 7-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 28-28 in the fourth quarter.

The Bruins would then cough up the football for their fourth turnover of the game on the ensuing kickoff, leading to a 31-yard field goal by Sauls to put the Panthers up 31-28 with 10:38 to play. Sauls would add another chip shot field goal late in the fourth quarter to put Pitt up 34-28 with 4:24 to play.

Ethan Garbers, in relief of Thompson-Robinson, would then engineer a 8-play, 70-yard touchdown drive, which was capped off by an 8-yard touchdown run from Harden with just 0:30 seconds to play. With their backs against the wall, Patti got the Panthers into field goal range in six plays, leading to the game-winning field goal from Sauls.

Under head coach Pat Narduzzi, Pitt ends their 2022 campaign at 9-4, while UCLA also finishes the season 9-4 under Kelly.

Maryland: 2022 Duke's Mayo Bowl Champions

CHARLOTTE, NC -- Maryland came out on top in a defensive battle in Bank of America Stadium on Friday afternoon, besting No. 23 NC State 16-12 to win the Duke's Mayo Bowl. The Terps won bowl games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since winning the Peach Bowl after the 2002 season and Gator Bowl following the 2003 season. 

Neither team had much luck finding the end zone as both defenses shined and the teams combined for seven field goal makes. The Terps notched the lone touchdown of the day as Octavian Smith Jr. made a terrific leaping catch in the corner of the end zone — a 19-yard score that proved to be the difference in the game. 

The Wolfpack got the ball down 16-12 with 2:34 remaining, but, as they did all game, the Maryland defense came up big when needed as Jakorian Bennett, playing in his final game as a Terp, ripped the ball away from a NC State receiver to secure an interception and the victory. Bennett was named the game's MVP. 

Kicker Chad Ryland connected on three field goals, coming from 45, 42 and 33 yards. It was the seventh time in his career he made three or more field goals in a game. 

After his 221-yard day on 19-of-37, quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa now holds every major passing record in Maryland football history as he set the school record for total touchdowns (59) and passing completions (665) in a career. 

Tai Felton posted career-highs in receptions (four) and receiving yards (69). Jeshaun Jones had four catches for 79 yards while Smith Jr. snagged three balls and totaled 34 yards. Corey Dyches capped off his impressive season with a four-catch, 45-receiving yard day. 

The Terps' defense was stout, limiting NC State to 296 overall yards, and just 27 rushing yards. The Wolfpack had just 93 yards in the second half. Maryland held the Wolfpack to just 5-of-18 on third-down conversions. Beau Brade led the Terps with seven tackles. 

NC State was only able to muster four field goals. The last time the Terps held an opponent without a touchdown in a bowl game was the 2002 Peach Bowl, when Maryland beat Tennessee, 30-3. 

The win brought the Terps to an 8-5 final record, marking the first time Maryland won eight games in a season since 2010. The Wolfpack also finished 8-5. 

Breaking Down The Action

Billy Edwards Jr. led the Terps down the field on the game's opening drive, but the Wolfpack came up with a goal-line stand on fourth down. The Maryland defense came up with a strong response as Fa'Najae Gotay came up with his first-career interception on a deflected ball to give the Terps the ball back at the NC State 23-yard line. 

NC State got on the board first with a 38-yard field goal after a Tagovailoa interception in the end zone. 

The Terps tied it up on the ensuing drive as Chad Ryland, playing in his final game as a Terp, connected on a 42-yarder. The drive was keyed by a 41-yard kickoff return from Octavian Smith Jr., followed by a Tagovailoa scramble for 25 yards. 

Maryland took a 10-3 lead with 8:07 remaining in the half as Octavian Smith Jr. came up with a beautiful grab on a fade route in the back corner of the end zone. 

On the ensuing drive, the Wolfpack drove down the field, but the Terps forced three consecutive incompletions from the two yard line to hold them to a field goal. NC State added a second field goal just before halftime as the Terps went into the locker room up 10-9. 

A 33-yard field goal from Ryland was the only scoring in the third quarter and Maryland led 13-9 entering the final 15 minutes of play. 

The Wolfpack added a field goal to cut the deficit to one, but Maryland responded with a long drive resulting in another kick through the uprights for Ryland, pushing it back to a 16-12 lead that would hold for the rest of the game. 

Taulia The Record Setter

Coming into today's game, Tagovailoa needed just five completions and one touchdown to officially hold every major passing record in Maryland history. 

With a 26-yard completion to Tai Felton in the second quarter, he broke the school record for completions (surpassing Scott Milanovich's former mark of 650 completions). 

He set the total touchdown record midway through the second quarter when he connected with Octavian Smith Jr. for a 19-yard touchdown, giving him 59 overall.

Now, Tagovailoa stands as the Terps all-time leader in passing yards (7,879), passing touchdowns (51), total touchdowns (59), completion percentage (68%), , total offense (8,067) and completions (670).

Single-season wise, Tagovailoa went over 3,000 passing yards in the season on a 30-yard completion to Corey Dyches. He's the first Terp to have two seasons of 3,000 or more yards with 3,860 last season. 

You Can't Spell Maryland without Ryland

Kicker Chad Ryland, the top NFL Draft kicking prospect, connected on three field goals for the second time in as many games and seventh time in his career. The first five came during his time at Eastern Michigan. 

He finished his lone season as a Terrapin making 19-of-23.

He made his last 10 field goals in a row. 

Terps' Bowl History

The Duke's Mayo Bowl is Maryland's 29th bowl appearance all-time as the Terps are now 13-14-2 in bowl games.

This was the Terps' second consecutive bowl win, with the previous one coming last season when Maryland defeated Virginia Tech 54-10 in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl behind 481 yards of total offense. It marked the first time the Terps won back-to-back bowl games since 2002-03. Maryland won the 2002 Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl 30-3 over Tennessee on Dec. 31, 2002 and the 2004 Toyota Gator Bowl, 41-7 over West Virginia on Jan. 1, 2004. 

The Duke's Mayo Bowl marked the third-straight bowl game against an ACC team (2016, Boston College).

Series History

Coming into the game, the series between the Terps and the Wolfpack was deadlocked at 33 wins apiece with four ties. 

Now, the Terps hold a 34-33-4 advantage through 71 total meetings. The 71 matchups are the most previous meetings in any bowl matchup since the 2016 Poinsettia Bowl between Wyoming and BYU (77).

Beating Ranked Teams

In beating No. 23 NC State, the Terps won their first game over a ranked team since beating No. 21 Syracuse, 63-20, on Sept. 7, 2019. 

Non-Conference Coasting

The Terps are now 10-1 in non-conference games under Locksley and have won seven straight non-conference games. 

Streaks Extended

Spencer Anderson started on the offensive line in his final game as a Terp, bringing his consecutive number of starts to 31. 

The safety duo of Beau Brade and Dante Trader Jr. started all 13 games this season. 

Corey Dyches extended his number of consecutive games with a catch to 14.

The Terps have won the past 19 games where they've led after the third quarter. 

Notes and Nuggets

The Terps used two quarterbacks in the game with Billy Edwards Jr., drawing the start, his third of the season. Edwards also started against Northwestern (Oct. 22) and Wisconsin (Nov. 5) this season, his first with the Terps. 

Edwards' 45-yard pass to Jones, on the first reception of the game, was the 16th Maryland offensive play of more than 40 yards this season. 

Jakorian Bennett had his second interception of the season and fifth of his career. He now 28 pass break-ups over the last two seasons, the most in FBS. 

Smith Jr.'s touchdown in the second quarter was the second of his career - with both coming in Charlotte as he also scored for the first time in the Terps' game at Charlotte on Sept. 10. 

Gotay had the first interception of his career, playing in his 29th career game. 

Colton Spangler tied his career-long with a 63-yard punt and had his 13th punt of 50 yards or longer with a boomer in the third quarter. 

Joseph Bearns and Smith Jr. both made their first career starts.

The seven combined field goals from both sides set the Duke's Mayo Bowl record for most in a game. 

Several players donned new numbers for the game, Corey Coley Jr., wore No. 3; Shaleak Knotts wore No. 5 and Tai Felton in No. 7.