Clemson: 2012 Chick-Fil-A Bowl Champions

ATLANTA -- Clemson got one last impressive drive from Tajh Boyd and company to record its first 11-win season since its 1981 national championship team.

And Tigers coach Dabo Swinney thinks this is only the beginning.

Chandler Catanzaro kicked a 37-yard field goal as time expired to give No. 14 Clemson a wild 25-24 win over No. 9 Louisiana State in the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Monday night.

Trailing 24-22, Clemson (11-2) took possession on its 20 with 1:39 remaining. Boyd passed to DeAndre Hopkins for 26 yards on a fourth-and-16 play during the decisive 10-play drive.

Catanzaro's kick set off a wild celebration on the field and in the stands. Some players collapsed on the field in apparent disbelief while most of Clemson's orange jerseys met in a midfield circle.

Clemson reached 11 wins for only the fourth time in school history and the first time since the 12-0 1981 team.

"You can't win 12 until you win 11," Swinney said. "You can't win a national championship until you learn how to win games like this.

"This was a landmark win."

Catanzaro had an extra point blocked in the second quarter, but he said that didn't cause him to doubt his chances to make the last-second field goal.

"I was ready when the opportunity came to me," Catanzaro said. "It was next-kick mentality. I was so thankful for the opportunity."

Catanzaro, a former walk-on from Greenville, S.C., made 16 of 17 field goals in the regular season.

"I didn't have any doubt," Swinney said of the junior kicker. "He's just a clutch player all the way."

Boyd completed 36 of 50 passes for 346 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He set career highs for attempts and completions while winning the game MVP award.

"Tajh Boyd was phenomenal," LSU coach Les Miles said. "I did not expect the heroic, if you will, efforts that he had."

Hopkins, who had 13 catches for 191 yards and two touchdowns, also had receptions for 7 and 13 yards in the final drive. LSU safety Greg Reid was flagged for pass interference while defending Hopkins.

Jeremy Hill ran for 124 yards and two touchdowns for LSU (10-3), which carried a 24-13 lead into the final quarter.

After Hopkins' second TD catch, LSU got the ball with 2:43 remaining and threw three straight passes. Only one was complete in the three-and-out series that took only about 1 minute off the clock, leaving Clemson with enough time for its winning drive against LSU's exhausted defense.

Hill did not have a carry in the fourth quarter.

"We had to throw the football," Miles said.

"We were not running the football. They were in a position where they outnumbered us in the run."

LSU's three passes allowed Swinney to save his timeouts.

"I had three timeouts," Swinney said. "If he runs it three times, I can call timeout, timeout, timeout.

"I think (Miles) was trying to win the game. I think he felt confident in the plays. I know he knew he needed to get a first down, because if he gets a first down I have to start burning timeouts."

Boyd said having 1:39 to stage the final drive "is like having 10, 15 minutes for us."

"When I saw that clock and that we had three timeouts I said, 'Let's get it.'"

LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger was sacked six times and completed 14 of 23 passes for 120 yards. He also threw for a touchdown and an interception.

"It's a tough thing to figure our pass protection was as poor as it was," Miles said. "That's the piece that needs fixing and frankly we've got some young players here we'll address and improve and make some strides going forward."

LSU scored 10 points off Clemson's two lost fumbles, including one by Sammy Watkins on the second play of the game that set up Hill's first touchdown.

Hopkins scored on an 11-yard reception in the second quarter and a 12-yard grab in the fourth. LSU's Bennie Logan blocked Catanzaro's extra point attempt following Hopkins' first touchdown.

Clemson had a chance to tie it after Hopkins' second TD, but Boyd's pass for the 2-point conversion was incomplete.

Michael Ford had a 43-yard kickoff return for LSU to open the second half. On first down, Hill broke through the line for a 57-yard touchdown run. His 12th rushing touchdown brokeDalton Hilliard's LSU record for a freshman set in 1982.

Clemson lost Watkins to a right ankle injury on his early fumble. X-rays were negative.

Clemson already was without backup receiver Martavis Bryant, who was suspended for the game for failing to meet academic requirements.

Clemson's second costly fumble came midway through the third quarter. Andre Ellington ran for 8 yards but lost the ball when hit by defensive end Sam Montgomery. Reid recovered the fumble at the Clemson 29, setting up Drew Alleman's 20-yard field goal.

The injury to Watkins left the spotlight on Hopkins, Clemson's leading receiver. He had catches of 17 and 12 yards as Clemson pulled even with an 11-play drive capped by Boyd's 11-yard touchdown run.

After LSU regained the lead on Mettenberger's 6-yard touchdown pass to Jarvis Landry, Hopkins had a 31-yard catch to set up his 11-yard score late in the second quarter.

Hopkins' sliding grab gave him TD receptions in 10 straight games to set an Atlantic Coast Conference record. Virginia's Herman Moore had touchdown catches in nine straight games in 1990.

Tulsa: 2012 Liberty Bowl Champions

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Iowa State scored on Edwin Arceo's 33-yard field goal, Jeremy Reeves' 31-yard interception return and Ernst Brun's 69-yard reception of a Sam B. Richardson pass. 

All of that occurred during the first quarter of Monday's AutoZone Liberty Bowl, and Iowa State surged to a double-digit lead. 

After that, the University of Tulsa defense dominated the afternoon. 

On 11 offensive possessions after surging to a 10-point advantage, the Cyclones punted seven times, had two passes intercepted (one each by safety Marco Nelson and cornerback Dexter McCoil), lost a fumble (recovered by TU defensive end Brentom Todd) and missed a field goal. 

During the final three quarters, Iowa State was scoreless while mustering only 133 yards. TU countered with a 317-yard ground game and rolled to a 31-17 victory over the Cyclones. 

Voted the game's most valuable player, Hurricane junior tailback Trey Watts rushed for 149 yards. Tailback Alex Singleton, one of 18 seniors playing for the final time in TU blue, ran for three touchdowns - extending his program-record, single-season total to 24. 

Alluding to the combination of Tulsa's defense and a run game that averaged 5.3 yards per attempt, quarterback Cody Green said, "This was the perfect game for us." 

Green scored on an 8-yard keeper as the Golden Hurricane ended a streak of 16 consecutive losses to Big 12 opponents (a streak that included this season's opening-day defeat at Iowa State). 

At 11-3, the 2012 Hurricane is only the second team in program history to have reached the 11-win mark. However, the 2008 TU squad was not the Conference USA champion. The 2012 Hurricane captured two significant trophies - one for winning the C-USA title and one for conquering Iowa State. 

"This is a group that bought in. They pulled together and believed in each other," TU coach Bill Blankenship said. "They wanted to be coached. It was really cool. 

"I think a game like this shows that we can play with people across the country. We're going to graduate 18 great seniors, but we've been able to redshirt two classes behind them. I think we're going to be good in the future." 

During the second half of the Liberty Bowl, the Cyclone offense never crossed midfield. TU's defense recorded five sacks - pushing its school-record 2012 total to an astounding 53 - and Iowa State was 2-of-14 on third-down conversions. 

The Cyclones, scheduled to visit TU's Chapman Stadium next September, finished with a 6-7 record. 

"We came ready to play, obviously, by the way we started the game," Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads said. "And then we were outplayed for the next 45 minutes." 

In games in which opponents score more than 24 points, the Rhoads-coached Cyclones are 1-23. 

The Hurricane was reeling after the Reeves interception return gave Iowa State a 10-0 cushion. Tulsa countered with a 75-yard drive that included Ja'Terian Douglas' runs of 17 and 12 yards, a Green 12-yarder and Singleton's 2-yard TD dive behind left guard Jake Alexander. 

"We drove the length of the field," Blankenship said. "(The Hurricane offense) needed to answer when things weren't looking good." 

Iowa State responded almost immediately, capitalizing on a Hurricane coverage failure and converting on the Richardson-to-Brun pass for 69 yards and a 17-7 difference. The 25,000 Iowa State fans in attendance cheered and danced. 

"We never wavered. Not for a second," Watts said. "We knew we made a mistake and gave (the Cyclones) a touchdown, but we knew we just had to rally. Just keep playing. Stick to our game plan." 

From that point, 7,000 TU fans did most of the cheering and all of the dancing. 

Within a span of 3 1/2 minutes, Tulsa got touchdowns from Green and Singleton. 

When halftime arrived, the Hurricane held a 21-17 lead. 

When halftime ended, the real misery began for the Iowa State offense. 

During the second half, the Cyclones had more turnovers (three) than first downs (two). Tulsa has Conference USA's best defense and best offensive line, and Iowa State was overwhelmed by both Monday. 

"That's how we became champions," Hurricane defensive coordinator Brent Guy said. "That's how we won the game today." 

Original Print Headline: A bellwether win

Georgia Tech: 2012 Sun Bowl Champions

EL PASO, Texas — 

Bowl champion hats were worn askew. Players piled together for an impromptu team photo, index fingers waving. The Ramblin’ Wreck tooted joyfully.

Georgia Tech celebrated Monday as seven years of bowl failure met an end in the west Texas desert with a 21-7 win over USC in the Sun Bowl.

“I didn’t think it’d feel this good,” offensive tackle Will Jackson said. “It feels awesome.”

The Jackets took down a team that began the season ranked No. 1 in the country and is stocked with future NFL draft picks. They did it in a fashion that has not been the norm since coach Paul Johnson took over in 2008 — with physical, play-making defense.

“We tried to make it interesting the last drive, being knuckleheads,” coach Paul Johnson said, acknowledging a poorly-played possession that extended USC’s life. “Other than that, it was about as good as you can play.”

Given the caliber of opponent, the Yellow Jackets (7-7) defeated the Trojans (7-6) with perhaps the best defensive effort of Johnson’s five-year tenure. Tech limited USC to 205 yards and 10 first downs, season lows for the Trojans as well as the point total.

It bears mention that USC started redshirt freshman Max Wittek in place of the injured Matt Barkley at quarterback, but consider the following: Notre Dame, which will play for the national championship with what may be the best defense in the country, played the Wittek-led Trojans in the final game of the regular season. The Irish gave up more yards, points and first downs to USC than the Jackets did Monday.

It was an emphatic closing argument for interim defensive coordinator Charles Kelly, who has guided Tech’s defense since Al Groh’s firing six games into the season.

“I think he’s done a great job,” said Johnson, who has held off on making any decisions about the hire. “All of the defensive coaches have done a good job. That was a huge undertaking.”

On the same field where they gave up a 14-point fourth-quarter lead last year in an overtime loss to Utah, the Jackets rose up against the Trojans. With the score 21-7, USC took over on downs at its 29-yard line with 8:32 to play and Wittek promptly drove USC to the Tech 4.

Said A-back Orwin Smith, “I was just (thinking), Please don’t let this happen again.”

On 3rd-and-3, Wittek dropped back to pass. Inside linebacker Quayshawn Nealy dropped back into zone coverage. Wittek threw the ball right at Nealy, who at first bobbled it before securing the interception. With 6:22 left, the game was all but over and then a Tech drive that squeezed almost five minutes from the clock did the rest.

Faced with the challenge of defending Marqise Lee, the nation’s top wide receiver, Tech played zone coverage nearly the whole game, rolling safety help to Lee’s side and using a cornerback to prevent Lee from getting a clean release from the line of scrimmage. Safeties Jemea Thomas and Jamal Golden disguised coverages by shifting before the snap.

It meant that Tech would have to rely heavily on the defensive line to pressure Wittek without blitz pressure.

Defensive ends Izaan Cross and Emmanuel Dieke were particularly up to the challenge, batting down passes at the line and knocking Wittek down or flushing him frpm the pocket. Wittek completed 14 of 37 passes for 107 yards with three interceptions.

Said cornerback Rod Sweeting, “He was rattled the whole game.”

Sweeting intercepted Wittek and also broke up two more passes. After a season in which he has struggled, he was named MVP in his final Tech game.

Said Sweeting, “To go out and play the way we did is a great feeling.”

Tech’s offense rammed the USC defense for 294 rushing yards and 369 total. B-backs David Sims and Zach Laskey combined for 159 yards on just 23 carries, a 6.9 yards-per-carry average.

Quarterback Vad Lee helped give Tech a 7-0 lead on the Jackets’ fourth possession of the game but had two turnovers on the next two possessions. Tevin Washington played the rest of the way as Tech stuck to the run on an afternoon when gusting winds played havoc with the passing game.

Washington guided the crucial possession that put Tech up 21-7, a 62-yard drive that bridged the third and fourth quarters and was boosted by Sims and Laskey. However, after earning a 1st-and-goal from the USC 8, a penalty and a busted run play put Tech in a 3rd-and-goal situation from the 17. Washington rolled left and Smith floated out to the right flat.

“I acted like I was blocking, came across the field, caught it and then tried to make a play,” Smith said.

He slipped a tackle attempt and high-stepped into the end zone.

“It feels great,” Smith said. “I feel like after all the adversity we went through, this just kind of puts icing on the cake. This is what not giving up and hard work can lead to.”

Vanderbilt: 2012 Music City Bowl Champions

Vanderbilt’s last nine-win football season came during World War I, but then a lot of history has been rewritten since coach James Franklin arrived in Nashville two years ago.

And he insists there is much more to come.

Senior running back Zac Stacy ran for 107 yards, and the Commodores forced five North Carolina State turnovers en route to winning the Music City Bowl for the second time in five years, 38-24, on Monday at LP Field.

It was the seventh win in a row for the SEC’s only private institution, which recovered from a 2-4 start to notch its most victories since 1915.

“We really heard that from the time that we arrived on campus, all the things that couldn’t be done or can’t be done, and all the negativity that was surrounding the program,” Franklin said. “We just put our earmuffs on and kept bombarding these guys with the same positive messages.”

“We’re not going anywhere, so everybody better get used to it.”

Vanderbilt senior Jordan Rodgers passed for two touchdowns and ran for one, and Stacy added a scoring run while being named the game’s MVP in his final college contest. Chris Boyd, Wesley Tate and Jordan Matthews also found the end zone for the Commodores.

N.C. State senior quarterback Mike Glennon threw for 383 yards and a touchdown but was intercepted three times as the Wolfpack (7-6) lost for the fourth time in six games. Dana Bible served as the interim coach after the dismissal of Tom O’Brien. Former Northern Illinois coach Dave Doeren is set to take over the program.

“I made a couple of calls on two of those interceptions that should be put on me,” Bible said. “I put him (Glennon) in a position to fail. … The goal was to attack and if they make a play, more power to them.”

Vanderbilt (9-4) is poised to crack the final poll in the Associated Press top 25 rankings for the first time since 1948, when it ended that season No. 12 after going 8-2-1. That was the last year Vanderbilt had a seven-game winning streak.

Franklin is the first coach to lead the Commodores to bowls in consecutive years, and this trip produced better results than a 2011 Liberty Bowl loss to Cincinnati.

“The significance of winning nine games is different,” Franklin said. “It’s different to me. It’s different to the team. I think it’s perceived different than winning six or seven games. When you get into the nine-win category, it’s a completely different conversation you’re in.”

Close to 80 percent of the 55,801 in attendance for an 11 a.m. kickoff were bundled up in black-and-gold attire for what was a de facto home game with Vanderbilt’s campus three miles away. The Commodores had aspirations for a more prestigious bowl, but they have been quite comfortable spending New Year’s Eve in Nashville — they defeated a ranked Boston College team 16-14 in this bowl in 2008.

N.C. State nearly doubled Vanderbilt in yardage, 424-225, but Wolfpack mistakes and big plays from the Commodores cemented the result. Vanderbilt, which didn’t commit a turnover, converted three of four fourth-down attempts despite its struggles on third down (3-of-14).

“It’s just making plays,” Stacy said. “That’s just what we were doing. The defense did a great job today giving us those opportunities to get back on the field.”

Vanderbilt led 28-14 at halftime and opened a 38-17 lead with 5:11 remaining on Rodgers’ 15-yard run. N.C. State tacked on a meaningless score three minutes later when Glennon found Rashard Smith for a 19-yard touchdown.

When the game ended, at least a dozen Commodores players leapt into the stands to be with their fans, celebrating a symbolic leap forward.

“Call it the Music City Leap,” Boyd said.

Vanderbilt cashed in two of N.C. State’s four first-half turnovers, and the last of those provided a huge momentum swing.

N.C. State had pulled to within 21-14 on Tobias Palmer’s 94-yard kickoff return with 3:35 in the half and got the ball back with 1:04 remaining after forcing a Vanderbilt punt. Glennon’s bid to tie the score before halftime ended quickly when his underthrown pass was intercepted by nickelback Eric Samuels, who gave the Commodores possession at the N.C. State 18.

Two plays later, Matthews was in the end zone after slipping a tackle on an 18-yard receiver screen.

“It just changed the momentum of the game,” said Vanderbilt free safety Kenny Ladler, who had an interception and a fumble recovery. “We wanted to take that and run with it.”

Vanderbilt went up 7-0 after winning the coin toss and putting its offense on the field. Boyd toe-tapped his right foot just inside the left sideline while making a one-handed catch and was awarded a 5-yard touchdown upon review, capping a 10-play, 65-yard opening drive.

N.C. State’s string of errors ensued. A snap three feet over the head of the 6-foot-6 Glennon derailed its first series. Ladler intercepted Glennon when he threw downfield on the initial play of N.C. State’s next series. Freshman tailback Shadrack Thornton fumbled when the Wolfpack took possession again.

Vanderbilt failed to generate a first down after either of those turnovers near midfield, but a shift in offensive strategy got the Commodores going.

After N.C. State’s third consecutive giveaway — a fumble by tight end Asa Watson that Ladler returned to the Wolfpack 27 — Vanderbilt went with the direct snaps to Stacy and stuck to the running game. Stacy carried it four times on that drive, including a 6-yard touchdown, and eight consecutive times overall.

Trailing 14-0, N.C. State answered with an 84-yard drive capped by Tony Creece’s 1-yard run for its first score. But freshman Brian Kimbrow responded with a 52-yard kickoff return, and after a penalty, there were only 32 yards between Vanderbilt and its next touchdown. Tate’s 7-yard run made it 21-7.

The 38 points was the most by Vanderbilt in its six bowl appearances, but it was nothing new for a team that eclipsed 40 four times in its final five regular-season games.

Michigan State: 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Champions

Michigan State 17, TCU 16: Dan Conroy's kick sends Spartan seniors off with bowl win

freep.com

By Joe Rexrode

Detroit Free Press Sports Writer

TEMPE, Ariz. – The Michigan State Spartans walked away from Sun Devil Stadium early today with a winning record, a quarterback competition and a group of seniors feeling much better about a trying final season.

Heading that list was senior kicker Dan Conroy, who had missed nine field goals in a regular season full of narrow defeats. Conroy nailed his only try in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, a 47-yard attempt with 1:01 left to give MSU a 17-16 win over the TCU Horned Frogs in front of 44,617 fans.

“He’s a clutch player and he came through in the clutch for us,” said Le’Veon Bell of Conroy, whose junior season ended with a 33-30 triple-overtime Outback Bowl win over Georgia in which he kicked the winning 28-yard field goal.

“With so many close games,” Conroy said, “losing like we did so many games in this season, to have one go our way this way was definitely exciting.”

So that’s two straight bowl wins for Mark Dantonio after losing his first four at MSU. And that’s a happy finish for an MSU team (7-6) that was ineffective on offense and dominant on defense for most of the evening, just as it was for most of the season.

“Continue to say it all along, we have great chemistry on our football team, great leadership at the ground level, which to me is the players' level,” Dantonio said. “We pushed through the tough times.”

They did it behind Bell’s 32 rushes for 145 yards in what may be his final game at MSU. Taking into account his 29-yard completion on a trick play, Bell accounted for all but 53 yards of MSU’s offensive output.

They got second-half domination and an end-of-game closeout from a Will Gholston-led defense. And punter Mike Sadler was MSU’s other standout specialist.

He averaged 43.7 yards on a career-high 11 punts, and his 55-yard bomb in the fourth quarter was dropped by TCU’s Skye Dawson and recovered at the TCU 4-yard line by MSU’s RJ Williamson.

Bell took it in two plays later for a 14-13 MSU lead. TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin, harassed all night by the blitzing Spartans, moved the Horned Frogs (7-6) 28 yards for a 53-yard field goal from Jaden Oberkrom with 2:42 left.

That made it 16-14 and forced MSU’s coaching staff into a tough decision: junior Andrew Maxwell or redshirt freshman Connor Cook?

Maxwell started as usual but struggled as much as he has all season. Cook replaced him in the third quarter and led a 90-yard touchdown drive – the Spartans’ longest of the season – capped by his 15-yard scoring strike to Aaron Burbridge.

Maxwell (6 of 15, 28 yards) returned two series later and manned the next three, including the 4-yard touchdown drive after the fumbled punt recovery.

But with 2:42 left and MSU starting at its 25, MSU quarterbacks coach Dave Warner, offensive coordinator Dan Roushar and Dantonio all agreed that Cook was the way to go.

He had played with poise and had made some plays with his feet.

“What's going through my mind?” Dantonio said of the decision. “I'm not quite sure. I had a feeling on that situation. We had to go with a guy that had moved us a little bit. Maybe more importantly, we felt like he could scramble a little better than Andrew. We needed to get in field goal position. So that's the way we went. We came out on top.”

Cook (4 of 11, 47 yards) threw to Bell for 12 yards. He hit Dion Sims with a strike for 14.

Bell and a holding penalty on TCU did the rest of the work in setting it up for Conroy -- and setting MSU up for an offseason of questions about its quarterback position.

Warner and Roushar both said it will be an open competition, with redshirt freshman Tyler O’Connor and incoming freshman Damion Terry also in the mix.

Connor said he thought he helped himself, though he didn’t want to dwell on that in the wake of a big win.

Maxwell agreed that it will be open and called it “understandable” that Cook replaced him.

“This doesn’t have to turn into being about me,” Maxwell said. “This night belongs to us. This night belongs to the Michigan State Spartans.

“I think everyone is so excited and so thrilled with how we won the game, there’s really no room to worry about how I’m feeling or who was playing quarterback. The bottom line is we won the game.”

Texas: 2012 Alamo Bowl Champions

Alamo Bowl: Texas beats Oregon State, 31-27, after fourth-quarter comeback

BY BOB CLARK

The Register-Guard

Published: Saturday, Dec 29, 2012 07:21PM

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Texas beat Oregon State, 31-27, after two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter of the Alamo Bowl tonight from David Ash.

Texas’ defense caused Oregon State’s offensive line trouble all game, finishing with 10 sacks and harrying QB Cody Vaz at every turn.

The scoring started with Trevor Romaine’s 29-yard field goal with 9:12 remaining in the first quarter, the result of a 5-play, 25-yard drive.

Texas tied the game, 3-3, with Nick Jordan’s 40-yard field goal with 6:46 remaining in the first quarter.

The game’s first touchdown came off Storm Woods’ 12-yard rush with 1:33 left in the first quarter to put Oregon State ahead, 10-3.

The Longhorns would answer just inside the second quarter when Marquise Goodwin, a former U.S. champion in the long jump and an Olympian in August, rushed 64 yards for a touchdown, the fourth play of a 75-yard drive with 14:40 remaining.

Romaine’s 37-yard field goal with 9:20 to go in the second quarter put OSU back ahead, 13-10. It came after a drive lasting 5 minutes, 20 seconds, the longest scoring drive for either team of the game.

With 3:46 remaining in the first half, Terron Ward capped a 47-yard drive with a nine-yard rush TD to give OSU a 20-10 lead.

The first score of the third quarter was Texas quarterback David Ash’s 11-yard touchdown run with 5:17 left in the third quarter, a run that included leaping over two defenders at the goal line.

Storm Woods’ second rush touchdown of the game nearly ended the third quarter, with a two-yard rushing score with just nine seconds remaining for a 27-17 lead. The run capped a five-play, 42-yard drive.

After Ash threw a 15-yard touchdown to Johnathan Gray to get the lead cut to 27-24, he connected with Goodwin for a 36-yard touchdown pass in the back of the end zone with just 2:24 left in the game. It marked the Longhorns’ first lead of the game.

Arizona State: 2012 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Champions

Arizona State topples Navy in sea of points in Fight Hunger Bowl

Sun Devils quarterback Taylor Kelly passes for four touchdowns and runs for another score in a 62-28 wipeout of the Midshipmen.

Associated Press
4:40 PM PST, December 29, 2012

SAN FRANCISCO -- Taylor Kelly threw four touchdown passes and ran for a fifth score to lead Arizona State to its first bowl win in seven years, a 62-28 victory over Navy in the Fight Hunger Bowl on Saturday.

Offensive MVP Marion Grice ran for 159 yards and two touchdowns for the Sun Devils (8-5), who used their fast-paced spread offense to score touchdowns on their first nine possessions.

That helped provided a bright end to a successful first season at Arizona State for coach Todd Graham, who helped the Sun Devils win their most games since 2007 and win a bowl for the first time since the 2005 Insight Bowl against Rutgers. The Sun Devils also capped their season by beating rival Arizona and winning a bowl, a feat they had accomplished just once in the past 33 seasons.

The Midshipmen (8-5) have lost five of their last six bowl games. Among the few highlights for Navy were Keenan Reynolds' 3-yard TD pass to Matt Aiken in the first half and a 95-yard kickoff return for a score by Gee Gee Greene in the third quarter.

Rashad Ross, who grew up in nearby Vallejo, started and ended the first-half outburst with touchdown receptions. His 16-yard catch from Kelly capped a 75-yard game-opening drive and he got behind the Navy defense for a 52-yard score in the final minute of the half to make it 34-7. Ross then caught a 50-yard TD pass on Arizona State's first drive of the second half to make it 41-7.

Grice, playing with a heavy heart after his brother was murdered last week in Houston, scored on a 10-yard run in the first quarter and a 39-yarder in the third. He had 19 touchdowns this season, with 11 coming on the ground.

Much of the talk leading up to the game was how Arizona State would handle Navy's unique triple-option offense. It turned out that the Midshipmen had much more trouble with the Sun Devils' spread, giving up 648 yards.

Arizona State had seven touchdown drives of at least 60 yards in the first three quarters and had just three third-down plays in that span as Kelly easily picked apart the defense. The longest drive took just 2:43 and one of the quickest came at the end of the half when the Sun Devils went 80 yards in two plays covering 19 seconds after Nick Sloan missed a 33-yard field goal for Navy.

Kelly finished 17 for 19 for 268 yards, ending the season completing a school-record 67.1 percent of his passes. He also rushed for 81 yards, scoring on a 1-yard run that made it 21-0.

The Midshipmen had a few opportunities to keep the game close on offense in the first half but Greene was unable to hold onto a pass in the end zone on fourth-and-7 from the 31 in the first quarter and Reynolds lost 3 yards on a third-and-1 keeper from the 8 before Sloan's missed field goal.

Sen. John McCain, a former Navy fighter pilot who represents Arizona in Congress, handled the pregame toss. Instead of using a coin, the game sponsored by Kraft uses an Oreo, with one side being a chocolate cookie and the other vanilla.

Before that, Pat Tillman Sr. presented Sun Devils defensive tackle Will Sutton the Pac-12 defensive player of the year award named after his son, the former ASU star who died as an Army ranger in Afghanistan.

Syracuse: 2012 New Era Pinstripe Bowl Champions

Syracuse routs West Virginia in Pinstripe Bowl

The Orange's Prince-Tyson Gulley rushes for 217 yards and scores three times in a 38-14 victory over the Mountaineers.

Associated Press
4:10 PM PST, December 29, 2012

NEW YORK -- Prince-Tyson Gulley ran for 217 yards and had three touchdowns, Syracuse scored twice on safeties and the Orange bid a snow-covered farewell to the Big East with a 38-14 victory over West Virginia in the Pinstripe Bowl on Saturday.

Syracuse (8-5) will enter the Atlantic Coast Conference on a roll after finishing this season with six wins in its last seven games, capped by its second postseason victory at Yankee Stadium in the last three years.

In a bowl game played in a baseball stadium with weather better suited for a playoff game in Green Bay, the team that plays in a dome ended up being better equipped to handle the elements.

The Orange leaned on their running game to plow through former Big East rival West Virginia (7-6) and the snow. Jerome Smith added 158 yards rushing.

Geno Smith connected with Stedman Bailey for two touchdown passes, but the Mountaineers' quarterback also was sacked in the end zone in the first half and called for intentional grounding in the end zone in the second half as he tried to avoid another sack.

Smith, who was an early Heisman Trophy front-runner as the Mountaineers got off to a 5-0 start this season, was 18 for 26 for 197 yards in the final game of his record-breaking career. The NFL awaits.

Same goes for Ryan Nassib, though Syracuse didn't ask much of its talented senior quarterback. He threw two touchdown passes and an interception. His most impressive feat on this day was surviving being driven into the frozen turf by Terence Garvin on a sack in the first half. Nassib missed only one play.

Snow fell just about all game, giving most of the field a white dusting. Fans were bundled and players not in the game tried to do the same. It took a while for those potent offenses — both ranked in the top 25 nationally in yards per game — to heat up, which seemed appropriate considering the conditions.

A goal-line stand by West Virginia in the second quarter kept Syracuse out of the end zone, but set up the Orange for a scoring run.

Left at their own 1, the Mountaineers tried to pass out of their end zone, but Smith was smothered by blitzing linebackers Cameron Lynch and Siriki Diabate for a safety to make it 5-0 — a baseball score, of course.

The Orange followed that up with a 33-yard touchdown run by Gulley to make it 12-0 with 6:07 left in the second.

The Mountaineers responded with their first sustained drive and Bailey took a quick pass, darted and broke tackles, and scooted 32 yards to the end zone to make it 12-7.

The Orange extended the lead to 12 points with a touchdown drive to start the second half when the Orange caught a break — and touchdown pass. Nassib's throw was tipped around the goal line, but floated safely into the waiting arms of intended receiver Beckett Wales for an 11-yard score.

West Virginia appeared to answer with a touchdown of its own, when Andrew Buie broke free for a TD run on fourth-and-2. Not so fast. A holding call on the Mountaineers wiped out the play and sent coach Dana Holgorsen on to the field screaming at the officials.

It didn't help. Instead of a touchdown, a punt.

Moments later another close call, this time on a fumble by Smith which was reviewed to determine if it was an incomplete pass, went Syracuse's way, and again the Orange capitalized.

On the next play, Gulley broke through the line bounced to the outside and went 67 yards for a touchdown to make it 26-7 with 6:52 left in the third.

West Virginia wouldn't let Syracuse pull away. Smith found Bailey deep down the sideline beating one-on-one coverage for a 29-yard score 1:11 later.

Right back came the Orange, nine plays, 70 yards, with Gulley taking a swing pass from Nassib 10 yards for his third touchdown of the day.

A minute and half later, Brandon Sharpe was taking down Smith in the end zone, when the quarterback made a futile attempt to dump the pass off. The officials dropped the flag and the second safety of the day made it 35-14 with 1:08 left in the third.

The 60th meeting between these teams, but first in a bowl, ended up being a romp in the snow for Syracuse.

Rice: 2012 Armed Forces Bowl Champions

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Freshman quarterback Driphus Jackson threw for 264 yards in relief of Rice's hurt starter, including two touchdown passes to Jordan Taylor, and the Owls beat Air Force 33-14 in the Armed Forces Bowl on Saturday.

Jackson's first series after taking over for Taylor McHargue ended with a bad pitch for a fumble near the goal line only 2 seconds before halftime, when the Owls (7-6) trailed 14-7.

But Jackson made up for it after halftime, when Rice scored 26 unanswered points. Taylor caught nine passes for 153 yards, with a 16-yard TD from McHargue in the first quarter.

McHargue never returned because of an apparent head injury after a helmet-to-helmet collision with about 5 minutes left in the first half.

Air Force (6-7), which scored on consecutive drives in the second quarter with backup quarterback Kale Pearson in the game, was held to a season-low 214 total yards.

On Rice's opening drive of the second half, Jackson had consecutive completions of 25 and 22 yards before a 2-yard keeper and then a 22-yard TD to Taylor.

The Owls went ahead to stay when Jackson had six consecutive completions for 75 yards to set up Charles Ross' 2-yard TD run on the second play of the fourth quarter for a 21-14 lead.

Jackson, who started one game during the season when McHargue was dealing with a shoulder problem, completed 15 of 21 passes and ran 13 times for 32 yards.

Rice has won both of its bowl appearances under sixth-year coach David Bailiff. Before that, the Owls had lost the only four bowl games they had played since winning the 1954 Cotton Bowl.

McHargue was hurt at the end of a 5-yard keeper, when he put his head down and ran into defensive back Steffon Batts. The ball dropped between the quarterback's legs and was recovered by Air Force. After staying down for several minutes, McHargue was noticeably wobbly while being helped to the sideline.

The Falcons then went 35 yards in nine plays for a 14-7 lead with 2:36 left in the half. Mike DeWitt converted fourth-and-1 from the 26 with a 2-yard run and Cobb scored after three consecutive carries from the 6.

Jackson then came in for the Owls and had keepers of 5 and 14 yards before a 23-yard pass to Taylor. After another 10-yard pass for first-and-goal from the 2, Jackson had a bad pitch behind his running back that was recovered by defensive back Chris Miller.

McHargue hit 6 of 8 passes for 31 yards, including the TD to Taylor. The junior quarterback returned to the sideline after halftime wearing a warmup suit and a cap.

Since the Falcons' last game, senior quarterback Connor Dietz has graduated from the academy and been commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Air Force.

Dietz was banged up late in the season and was mostly ineffective in his last game, running six times for 11 yards and completing only 1 of 3 passes.

Pearson wasn't must better, 2-of-8 passing for 44 yards with six carries for 11 yards. But he was on the field for both of Air Force's scoring drives and had a 9-yard TD run

The Falcons have made a school-record six consecutive bowl appearances under coach Troy Calhoun, but are 2-4 in those games. That includes a 1-3 mark in the Armed Forces Bowl.

Linebacker Austin Niklas had 14 tackles and Alex Means 12 for Air Force, which lost four of its last five games to finish this season.

Chris Boswell made field goals of 24 and 25 yards in the fourth quarter, before Jackson hit Taylor for a final 34-yard TD with 1:38 left.

Boswell, who made six field goals of at least 50 yards during the regular season, had apparently made a 52-yarder early in the second quarter before officials blew the whistle for an Air Force timeout. Boswell got another try, but pushed it wide right with about 9 minutes left in the first half.

That's when Pearson took over for Air Force, leading them 66 yards in 10 plays. He had a 15-yard pass and ended the drive with a wide sweeping run to get into the front corner of the end zone to tie the game at 7.

Texas Tech: 2012 Meineke Car Car Bowl of Texas Champions

Texas Tech rallies to beat Minnesota 34-31

HOUSTON (AP) -- D.J. Johnson returned an interception 39 yards and Ryan Bustin made a 28-yard field goal as time expired to give Texas Tech a 34-31 comeback victory over Minnesota on Friday night in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

Seth Doege found Eric Ward on a short pass, and he outran a defender for a 35-yard scoring play to pull the Red Raiders even at 31 with just more than a minute remaining.

Michael Carter intercepted two of Doege's passes in the fourth quarter before the tying score, but Minnesota couldn't convert either of the turnovers into points.

The Red Raiders (8-5) got their third straight bowl win to wrap up a month that began with coach Tommy Tuberville's abrupt departure for the job at Cincinnati. Texas Tech has hired Kliff Kingsbury to replace him, but interim coach Chris Thomsen led the team against Minnesota (6-7). Kingsbury was at the game, watching from a suite.

Doege threw for 271 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score in front of a crowd that included 1977 Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell and former Tech coach Spike Dykes.

Philip Nelson threw for 138 yards and two scores for the Gophers, who were in a bowl game for the first time since 2009.

The Red Raiders returned to a bowl after having their 18-season bowl streak snapped last year.

A 1-yard touchdown pass from Nelson to Drew Goodger gave Minnesota a 31-24 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Texas Tech led 24-17 at halftime, but couldn't do anything offensively in the second half until the last couple of minutes. It was an ugly game for the Red Raiders, who had 13 penalties for 135 yards and lost the tight end Jace Amaro when he was ejected for throwing a punch.

Jakeem Grant ran for what was initially ruled a touchdown for Tech late in the third quarter. Amaro threw a punch at Derrick Wells in the end zone on the play and was ejected.

After the penalty, the play was reviewed and overturned. Doege threw an incomplete pass before Tech made a 32-yard field goal. But the Red Raiders had a false start penalty on the play and had to kick again and this time the Gophers blocked it.

Nelson threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Devin Crawford-Tufts, who was left uncovered in the end zone, to tie it at 24 early in the third quarter.

Donnell Kirkwood scored on a 3-yard run to leave Minnesota up 17-14 early in the second quarter.

Texas Tech had a first-and-goal at the Minnesota 2 after a pass-interference call on the Gophers. But Texas Tech had to settle for a field goal after a rush for a 3-yard loss and two penalties.

Minnesota's next drive started out well before turning ugly. The Gophers had made two first downs before Gray was sacked for a loss of seven yards. Kirkwood ran for 17 yards on the next play, but Minnesota received two 15-yard penalties on the play, one for a personal foul on lineman Zac Epping, to make it second-and-42. Epping received a second personal foul penalty on the next play to bring up third-and-49.

Christian Eldred shanked the punt, giving Texas Tech the ball at the Minnesota 42.

The Red Raiders capitalized on their great field position when Doege spun away from a defender in the backfield and leaped over another Gopher near the goal line on a 4-yard touchdown run. Tech converted a fourth-and-6 play on that drive, and led 24-17 at halftime.

Minnesota's Rodrick Williams Jr. scored on a 2-yard run to give the Gophers a 10-7 lead in the first quarter.

Doege lost his helmet on a 5-yard scramble on Tech's next drive and had to go out for one play. He was replaced by Michael Brewer, who found Derreck Edwards for a 13-yard touchdown pass to give the Red Raiders a 14-10 lead.

Minnesota's Troy Stoudermire returned the opening kickoff 26 yards to break the NCAA record for career kickoff return yards. He finished the game with 111 yards to push his total to 3,615.

The Gophers ended that drive with a 41-yard field goal to make it 3-0.

Texas Tech's Grant returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown to put Texas Tech up 7-3.

Virginia Tech: 2012 Russell Athletic Bowl Champions

Russell Athletic Bowl: Virginia Tech outlasts Rutgers, 13-10, for overtime win and winning season

By Mark Giannotto, Friday, December 28, 7:00 PM

ORLANDO — Ever since Virginia Tech Coach Frank Beamer’s worst regular season in 20 years ended, rumors have been rampant that he will initiate wholesale changes to much-maligned offensive coaching staff. For much of Friday night, it appeared they could go out in embarrassing fashion.
But in a game dominated by defense, the Hokies awoke from the dead just in time, defeating Rutgers, 13-10, in overtime to win the Russell Athletic Bowl and avoid their first losing season since 1992.
In a fitting conclusion to the lowest scoring game in this bowl’s history, the winning points came when the Hokies were forced to settle for a 22-yard field goal by place kicker Cody Journell during their first overtime possession. His counterpart, Rutgers redshirt freshman Nick Borgese missed wide right on a 42-yard field goal to end the contest. It was Journell’s third game-winning field goal of the season.
Virginia Tech’s defense was its lone saving grace considering its offense finished with a season-low 196 yards. The Hokies kept Rutgers’s offense out of the end zone the entire game, the Scarlet Knights’ lone touchdown coming off a bad snap by Thomas on the second play of the night.
Rutgers ended the night with just 197 yards.
At the end of the third quarter, though, the Hokies appeared completely lost, with more yards in penalties (85) than on offense (80). But somehow they only trailed 10-0
Virginia Tech’s offense finally awoke when Thomas completed consecutive passes of 32 and 25 yards to begin the fourth quarter, the Hokies’ longest plays of the game to that point. Play-caller Mike O’Cain then opted for three straight handoffs to running back Martin Scales, who gained only five yards on the plays. The Hokies were forced to settle for a 25-yard field goal from Journell, a kick that ensured they would not be shut out for the first time since 1995.
The game then turned on Rutgers’s ensuing possession. After the Hokies dropped three would-be interceptions earlier, and had another by cornerback Kyle Fuller overturned by a questionable pass interference penalty, Scarlet Knights quarterback Gary Nova overthrew his intended receiver and the pass fell directly into the arms of Virginia Tech cornerback Antone Exum.
Thomas soon responded by throwing his best pass of the night to that point, finding wide receiver Corey Fuller for a 21-yard touchdown in the corner of the end zone that, with the extra point, tied the score at 10 with 10 minutes, 56 seconds remaining in regulation.
Virginia Tech’s defense gave the offense five more chances to score the go-ahead points in the final nine minutes of regulation, including a fumble recovery by defensive end Tyrel Wilson in Rutgers’s territory But all the Hokies could muster was three punts, a 51-yard field goal attempt by Journell that landed in the end zone, Thomas’s second interception and a turnover on downs.
Exum was later named the game’s most valuable player
In what could be his final game in a Virginia Tech uniform, Thomas finished 15 of 39 for 192 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. The redshirt junior is considering declaring for the NFL draft, but looked shaky most of the night behind an offensive line that allowed four sacks.
Luckily for the Hokies, Nova was even worse. He completed just 17 of his 40 passes for 130 yards. The two teams combined for 21 punts.
Virginia Tech couldn’t have asked for a worse start, as disaster struck on the second play of the game. A poor snap by Hokies center Caleb Farris eluded Thomas and rolled to the end zone. Thomas recovered it and appeared to have a knee down in the end zone before the ball was jarred loose and recovered by Rutgers linerbacker Khaseem Greene.
But following a conference on the field, the Big 12 officiating crew ruled it a Scarlet Knights touchdown and Virginia Tech found itself in a 7-0 hole 17 seconds into the contest.
That, though, only proved to be the first of several lowlights for the Hokies’ offense. They ended the first quarter with 12 yards on 21 plays and were held scoreless in the first half for the first time this season, entering halftime with minus-11 rushing yards and as many punts (six) as first downs. The Hokies averaged just 1.9 yards per play.
Rutgers’s lone field goal was in part because of a personal foul penalty by Virginia Tech wide receiver Kevin Asante, a mistake that left Beamer infuriated on the sideline.

Ohio: 2012 Independence Bowl Champions

Ohio routs Louisiana-Monroe in Independence Bowl

CBSSports.com wire reports

Dec. 28, 2012

SHREVEPORT, La. -- The final pass of Tyler Tettleton's dizzying early-game onslaught was beautiful -- a 68-yard touchdown heave to Chase Cochran over two defenders.

Ohio coach Frank Solich couldn't have designed a better beginning to a football game. And the end result -- a dominant 45-14 victory over Louisiana-Monroe in the Independence Bowl on Friday -- wasn't too bad either.

"It was probably as complete of ballgame as we've played in some time," Solich said. "I think our guys played with great intensity and a great deal of heart. We showed we can play a great game against a really good team like Louisiana-Monroe."

He finished 14 of 22 passing for 331 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.Tettleton's early heroics staked the Bobcats (9-4) to an early 14-0 lead and Louisiana-Monroe was never really able to gain its footing. During the two early touchdown drives, Tettleton completed all five of his passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns.

"We knew we were going up against a great front seven, so our game plan was to take some shots down field and let our playmakers make plays," Tettleton said.

They certainly did. Cochran caught three passes for 162 yards while Tyler Futrell had five receptions for 133 yards. With Tettleton softening the Louisiana-Monroe defense early, running back Beau Blankenship provided the power offense to seal the game, rushing for 104 yards and an Independence Bowl record four touchdowns.

Tettleton was especially sharp in the first half, completing 9 of 14 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns as Ohio built a 24-7 lead.

Louisiana-Monroe (8-5) struggled in its first bowl game after 19 seasons in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Kolton Browning completed 21 of 39 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw three first-half interceptions.

Ohio broke several Independence Bowl records, including the 31-point margin of victory and 556 total yards.

Ohio lost four of five games to end the regular season -- including the last three -- but looked crisp in a complete performance against the Warhawks.

Tettleton's 2012 season had been a slight disappointment considering the huge numbers he put up the year before as a sophomore, but his performance against Louisiana-Monroe was a reminder of how good he can be. He averaged more than 23 yards per completion.

Blankenship finished with a school record 1,604 yards rushing yards this season and topped the 100-yard mark for the 10th time. All four of his touchdown runs came from 2 yards out or less.

Louisiana-Monroe came into Friday's game with the better storyline and basically a home-field advantage. The Warhawks were playing in their first bowl game after joining college football's highest level in 1994 and secured a bid in Shreveport, which is only about 100 miles from their campus.

But that emotional lift didn't help ULM's defense, which was torched by Tettleton's deep ball accuracy early and Blankenship's hard running late.

Tettleton needed just three passes to lead Ohio to its first touchdown. He hit Futrell on a 26-yard gain and Cochran on a 51-yard strike before finding Donte Foster for the 3-yard score.

A few minutes later, Tettleton hit Cochran perfectly in stride for the 68-yarder that gave the Bobcats a 14-0 lead.

Louisiana-Monroe briefly showed some life early in the second quarter when Browning's 14-yard touchdown pass to Tavarese Maye cut the margin to 14-7.

But Ohio came right back, using Matt Weller's 38-yard field goal and Blankenship's 2-yard touchdown run to push ahead 24-7 with 4:50 left in the second quarter. Blankenship's touchdown run was set up by Browning's third interception of the first half.

Louisiana-Monroe had a chance to cut into the deficit just before halftime, but coach Todd Berry's gamble to go for a touchdown instead of a short field goal backfired when Browning's final pass of the half sailed harmlessly out the back of the end zone.

Berry's gamble wasn't a surprise -- the Warhawks had gained a reputation for unorthodox play-calling during their record-setting season. But nothing seemed to work against the Bobcats, and the large ULM fan contingent had mostly disappeared from the stands by the end of the third quarter.

It was a disappointing ending for the Warhawks, who started the season with a stunning overtime victory over Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark., and still finished with the best season in school history since moving up to the Football Bowl Subdivision.

"This will get us back to work," Berry said. "I would have liked it to have been a little cleaner. But I also recognize the opportunities for this football team next year. This will add fuel to the fire. We will have a great offseason because of what happened today and that's what we're going to use. This group will rally."