Fresno State: 2025 Arizona Bowl Champions

 

The Fresno State Bulldogs got the best of the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks, prevailing 18-3 in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona, on Saturday, Dec. 27.

Miami (OH): 2024 Arizona Bowl Champions

 

TUCSON, Ariz. -- — Kevin Davis had a career-high 148 yards rushing and two touchdowns on just nine carries Saturday and Jordan Brunson also ran for two TDs to help Miami (Ohio) beat Colorado State 43-17 at the Arizona Bowl.

Davis scored on a 4-yard run with 12:35 left in the third quarter, Matt Salopek forced a fumble that was recovered by Silas Walters and quarterback Brett Gabbert's first rushing touchdown of the season — a 10-yard scramble that capped a 47-yard drive — made it 22-3 about 2 minutes later.

After the Rams failed to convert a fourth-and-4 from the 5, Davis took a hand off up the middle and raced untouched for a 97-yard touchdown to give the RedHawks a 26-point lead with 6:45 remaining in the third quarter. George Swarn's 98-yard TD against Western Michigan in 1984 is the longest run in RedHawks history.

Miami (9-5) is 9-7 all-time in bowl games.

Colorado State (8-5) committed four turnovers which the RedHawks converted into 19 points.

Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi threw a 56-yard touchdown pass to Stephon Bailey and Peter Montini scored on a 1-yard run for the Rams.

Dom Dzioban made field goals of 34, 26 and 24 yards and the RedHawks led 9-3 lead at halftime. Dzioban's 26 made field goals are tied with Sam Sloman (2019) — a seventh-round pick by the Los Angeles Rams in the 2019 NFL draft — for second most on the program's single-season list. Graham Nicholson made 27 of 28 last season and won the Lou Groza Award, given to the nation's top kicker.

The Rams made their first bowl appearance since 2017, when they lost 31-28 to Marshall at the New Mexico Bowl.

Wyoming: 2023 Arizona Bowl Champions

 

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — John Hoyland kicked a 24-yard field goal as time expired and Wyoming sent coach Craig Bohl into retirement a winner with a 16-15 win over Toledo in the Arizona Bowl on Saturday.

Bohl is retiring after 42 years of coaching — the last 10 in Laramie — and defensive coordinator Jay Sawvel will take over next season.

Toledo (11-3) shut down Wyoming's offense most of the afternoon before the Cowboys started to find an offensive rhythm in the fourth quarter.

Playing in a third straight bowl game for the first time, the Cowboys (9-4) trailed 15-6 after giving up a safety and a field goal in the third quarter.

Evan Svoboda scored on a 1-yard touchdown sneak after Andrew Peasley was injured in the fourth quarter to pull Wyoming within two.

Peasley returned to throw a 26-yard pass after the Cowboys forced a punt, but went down again without being hit. Svoboda then moved the Cowboys quickly down the field — with the help of an unnecessary roughness penalty on Ronald Delancy III — and Hoyland split the uprights to finish off Wyoming's best season since going 10-2 in 1996.

Both teams were able to move the ball in the first half. Neither was able to reach the end zone until Jacquez Stuart raced through a big hole and dodged a tackle along the sideline for an 80-yard touchdown that put the Rockets up 10-6.

Before that, Hoyland kicked two field goals, including a 52-yarder that hit the crossbar and trundled over. Toledo's Luke Pawlak also hit one from 33 yards out.

THE TAKEAWAYS

Toledo: The Rockets appeared to be in control before unraveling in the fourth quarter to lose for the second time during a three-year bowl streak.

Wyoming: The Cowboys nearly fell flat in their return trip to Tucson after losing 30-27 in overtime to Ohio last year. Wyoming pulled it out by using three quarterbacks in the fourth quarter.

UP NEXT

Toledo: The Rockets lost two of their best players when RB Peny Boone and QB Dequan Finn opted to transfer. QB Tucker Gleason is a sophomore and most of his receivers still have eligibility left.

Wyoming: RB Harrison Waylee is a junior, so he could return, but Peasley is out of eligibility. Most of the Cowboys' defense should be back.

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.

Ball State: 2020 Arizona Bowl Champions

TUCSON, Ariz. -- In a memorable football season that almost didn't happen, Ball State finished it by making history. The Cardinals scored 27 first-quarter points and cruised the rest of the afternoon to capture the first bowl victory in school history, a 34-13 win over AP No. 19 San Jose State in the Arizona Bowl. 

The bowl win caps a seven-game winning streak for the Cardinals that featured a conference title and put this team among the greatest in school history. In the strangest of years, Ball State was at its best. And the Cardinals brought their best effort on the biggest stage of the season, a nationally-televised bowl appearance against an undefeated, ranked team.

"I'm so proud of our football team and the effort that's been put in week in and week out," head coach Mike Neu said. "It's high-character men doing things the right way. We got here because of hard work. We embraced the underdog role, and we came out with a purpose. We wanted to seize the moment, and we've done that. Playing on this stage, on CBS, we wanted to put our best brand of football on the field, and our guys earned it."

The Cardinals (7-1) jumped on the Mountain West champ SJSU (7-1) early, scoring twice in the first five minutes of the game and four touchdowns in the opening 14 minutes. Cornerback Antonio Phillips started the scoring in the game's first possession, taking an interception 53 yards for a touchdown. The lead grew to 13-0 after the Cardinals capitalized on a short punt. BSU took over at the 50 and scored again quickly, with Will Jones punching it into the end zone on a 3-yard run. Tye Evans later added a 3-yard TD run of his own to make it a 20-0 game. On another short field after a Nic Jones blocked punt, Drew Plitt scored on a quarterback sneak to give the Cards a 27-0 lead in the first quarter. 

The Cardinals defensive unit turned in its greatest effort, picking off four passes and nearly a fifth on a play that was overturned. San Jose State managed just 69 yards on the ground and was 1-for-11 on third downs, as Ball State protected its early lead with swarming defense. 

"The defense was unbelievable from start to finish," Neu said.

Yo'Heinz Tyler caught four passes for 113 yards and scored BSU's fifth and final touchdown, a 48-yard catch from Plitt. Jones led the Cards with 89 yards rushing on 22 carries, as the Cardinals pounded the ball for 189 yards on the ground before kneeling in victory formation. Plitt finished with an efficient 12-for-19 day for 217 yards and touchdowns passing and rushing. 

The Arizona Bowl defensive player of the game was safety Bryce Cosby who had one interception, and nearly another one, plus a team-high nine tackles. Brett Anderson II and Jimmy Daw had the other two picks. Plitt was named offensive player of the game. 

"We knew we had the opportunity to do something special here. We bought in as a team," Cosby said. "We could've gotten complacent after the conference championship win, but the coaches did a great job keeping us locked in. We came out and executed. I love these guys, and I'm proud of the way we played."

 

"All season we kept saying, 'The job's not finished.' Well, the job is now finished," Neu said. "We are so excited to bring a bowl win back to Muncie, Indiana."

Wyoming: 2019 Arizona Bowl Champions

Levi Williams has strong audition for next season

If the Arizona Bowl was any indication, Wyoming could have itself another quarterback competition looming.

This spring, it was Sean Chambers solidifying the job over Tyler Vander Waal. Vander Waal is almost certainly on his way out of the program after entering the NCAA’s transfer portal a few weeks back, but true freshman Levi Williams could enter the equation at the position given how he looked Tuesday.

Making his first career start, Williams shined against Georgia State. The 6-foot-5, 208-pounder wasn’t terribly efficient — he completed just 42 percent of his passes — but, as Wyoming coach Craig Bohl noted afterward, he looked composed. There was an interception he threw off his back foot late in the first half that you could chalk up to a freshman moment for a guy playing in his third career game, but he delivered big plays in the clutch more often than not.

He had touchdown passes of 18 and 51 yards and also delivered a 62-yard strike to Xazavian Valladay — the Cowboys’ longest pass of the season — to set up another touchdown. All three of his touchdown passes came on third down, helping Wyoming start 9 of 12 on third down and finish 11 of 17 on the money down. His 234 yards passing marked the most for Wyoming all season, and he added 53 more yards and a score on the ground.

Bohl has said in the past he’s never had a player lose his spot atop the depth chart because of an injury, and given how dynamic Chambers is in the running game, it’s hard to see Chambers not back as QB1 whenever his surgically repaired knee returns to full strength.

But should there be a competition heading into next season? Or at least a platoon? You have to think Williams, who accounted for 524 total yards in the three games he played this season, has at least made Bohl and offensive coordinator Brent Vigen start pondering those questions with the way he performed down the stretch.

Xazavian Valladay is an emerging star

Wyoming’s sophomore running back doesn’t like the limelight. Given the chance to talk about himself, he usually opts to thank his offensive line or a Wyoming defense that was really good about getting the ball back to the offense this season to give him more opportunities.

But Valladay better start getting used to all the attention.

Valladay put together another lunch-pail type of performance against GSU that doubled as his best of the season. The first-team all-Mountain West selection was bottled up for much of the first half but exploded as part of the Cowboys’ 218 second-half rushing yards. He finished with 204 yards on the ground and 91 receiving, surpassing the 280 all-purpose yards he had against Nevada earlier this season.

Valladay finished with six 100-yard games in the last seven games of the season. He ran for 1,385 yards on the season. And it’s not just the running game where Valladay can hurt you (211 receiving yards).

He’s quickly emerging as one of more well-rounded backs in the MW and could become a household name next season.

Wyoming takes momentum into the offseason

The excitement of a 6-2 start for Wyoming was dampened some after the Cowboys lost three of four games to end the regular season. Bohl and his players talked at length about wanting to get that bad taste out of their collective mouth in the bowl game, and Wyoming did that Tuesday.

It gives the Cowboys a wave of momentum heading into one of the more promising offseasons of Bohl’s tenure.

Losing Logan Wilson, Cassh Maluia, Alijah Halliburton and Tyler Hall from one of the MW’s top defenses will hurt, but the Cowboys were still a relatively young team this season. Wyoming is losing fewer than 20 seniors in all.

What’s coming back is significant. That includes the Cowboys’ leading rusher (Valladay), leading passer (Chambers), at least two quarterbacks with starting experience, five of their top 8 tacklers and all but two offensive and defensive linemen off their two-deep.

And Wyoming was in every game despite some of that youth. Their five losses came by a combined 28 points.

Wyoming has never won more than eight games in a season in Bohl’s six years at the helm, but there’s enough talent and experience returning that the Cowboys could make a serious run at changing that in 2020.

Nevada: 2018 Arizona Bowl Champions

TUCSON, Ariz. -- As Nevada quarterback Ty Gangi worked through his progressions, Reagan Roberson slipped out into the left flat unnoticed.

Gangi flipped the ball out to his tight end and Arkansas State's defense quickly converged. Roberson shed the first would-be tackler like he was brushing off a bug, made a beeline for the corner of the end zone, diving across the line just before two more defenders could stop him.

Following more than three quarters of offensive ineptitude, the Wolf Pack found their offensive rhythm at just the right time, beating Arkansas State 16-13 on Saturday in the Arizona Bowl on Roberson's 11-yard overtime catch-and-run.

"They took some things away and we had to go to the tight end more," said Gangi, who threw for 200 yards and a touchdown on 18-of-34 passing with two interceptions. "I gave him a chance and he made a great play for me, broke a tackle and dove into the end zone for the winner."

Nevada (8-5) looked as if it would never get the chance. The Wolf Pack struggled against Arkansas State's stout defensive front, barely eking out 100 yards of total offense for three quarters.

Nevada stayed in it with a bend-don't-break defense and found a rhythm with a couple of big plays in the fourth quarter. Devonte Lee put the Wolf Pack up 10-7 on a 1-yard run with 1:06 left and, after the Red Wolves tied it with Blake Grupe's last-play field goal, Roberson sent them racing onto the field with his bulldozing touchdown.

"This is right up there at the top as far as guys fighting and believing in each other," Nevada second-year coach Jay Norvell said.

Arkansas State (8-5) needed a little more belief -- at least in the red zone.

The Red Wolves made five trips inside Nevada's 20 and came away with seven points. Arkansas State had two turnovers in the end zone and twice failed to convert on fourth down, including once on a trick play.

Throw in a blocked field goal and another short one badly missed by Grupe, the Red Wolves head into the offseason wondering what if after racking up 499 total yards and coming away with 13 points.

"We've had a struggle with that for a long time," Arkansas State coach Blake Anderson said. "You can blame on whatever you want to, at the end of the day we just didn't get it done."

Arkansas State's Warren Wand ran for 140 yards and Justice Hansen threw for 275 yards, but also had three interceptions -- two in the end zone -- after throwing six during the regular season.

The Red Wolvers' miscues in the red zone allowed Nevada to still be within 7-3 at halftime despite managing 72 total yards.

"We believed in the plan and if you continue to work, good things will happen," Novell said. "Just amazing."

BIG PICTURE

Nevada's offense came to life at just the right time to avoid ending the season with a loss to rival UNLV and a disappointing bowl performance.

Arkansas State will lament its lost offensive opportunities all offseason.

INJURED WOLVES

Arkansas State lost two of its best players by early in the third quarter.

Defensive end Ronheen Bingham, who led the Red Wolves with nine regular-season sacks, had to be helped from the field with a serious left leg injury in the first quarter. On the first play of the third quarter, defensive back Justin Clifton went down with an injury.

"It was tough seeing two of our best defensive players go down," Red Wolves safety B.J. Edmonds said. "We still played well after that, but who knows what could have happened."

SCHOLARSHIP TIME

Nevada receiver Ben Putman had two of the game's biggest plays, catching a pair of 44-yard passes from Gangi -- one on a flea flicker, the other to set up Lee's 1-yard score late in regulation.

A walk-on, Putman finished with four catches and a game-high 144 yards. After the game, Norvell rewarded the junior with a scholarship.

"I didn't know who he was three months ago," Norvell said. "All he does is compete.."

UP NEXT

Arkansas State: Hansen is a senior, so the Red Wolves will need a new QB next season. They also have 14 players on their two-deep roster who are seniors.

Nevada: The Wolf Pack also will be searching for a new QB with Gangi in his final year of eligibility. They also have 14 seniors on the two-deep roster, most of their skill players on offense should be back.

New Mexico State: 2017 Arizona Bowl Champions

TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Arizona Bowl is not typically the type of game where fans storm the field. Certainly not for a team that finished 7-6.

But this has been a long, arduous wait for New Mexico State fans. All those losing seasons, all that disappointment, all that time between bowl games.

Storm away, Aggies. You've earned it.

Larry Rose III scored on a 21-yard run in overtime and New Mexico State won in its first bowl game in 57 years, beating Utah State 26-20 in the Arizona Bowl on Friday night.

"I'm just thrilled for these kids and this community," New Mexico State coach Doug Martin. "Just look at these fans who showed up here. This is an unbelievable day for us.

Utah State (6-7) had the ball first in overtime and Dominik Eberle hit the right upright on a 29-yard field goal attempt, sending a groan through the Utah State crowd. Eberle made 16 for 18 field goals during the regular season, but missed three in the Arizona Bowl.

New Mexico State won it when Jones burst through a hole on the left side, sending the Aggies and their fans rushing onto the Arizona Stadium field. Jones finished with 142 yards on 16 carries.

"He's my field goal kicker. I love that kid and he's been really consistent all year," Utah State coach Matt Wells said. "Was I surprised? Yes. Was I disappointed in him? Not one bit."

The third Arizona Bowl started with some early fireworks on special teams.

Utah State's Savon Scarver returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, then New Mexico State's Jason Huntley took the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a score.

The excitement leveled off considerably until LaJuan Hunt scored on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter, set up by a shanked punt from New Mexico State's Payton Theisler.

New Mexico State's Tyler Rogers, held in check most of the game, answered by moving the Aggies on a 69-yard scoring drive, capped by his 11-yard touchdown pass to Jaleel Scott that tied it at 20. A video review overturned the initial call that Scott was out of bounds.

Rogers, who was second nationally with 347 yards passing per game during the regular season, threw for 191 yards and touchdown with two interceptions.

This was a rematch 57 years in the making.

New Mexico State had not been to a bowl game since the 1960 Sun Bowl. The opponent: Utah State.

Utah State went to eight bowls after that, including six of the last seven.

New Mexico State went into a bowl-less tailspin, finishing with a losing record 44 times since that last bowl game. It had 14 straight losing seasons, including a 0-12 mark in 2005, before winning its final two games this season to finally get back to bowling.

The long-awaited rematch turned into the Special Teams Bowl in the first half.

New Mexico State's Dylan Brown made two field goals, Eberle made two and missed two, and each team had a kickoff return for a touchdown.

After a third quarter of defensive stops and punting, both teams found the end zone to send the game overtime -- and, later, New Mexico State's fans onto the field.

"I thought it was a fairly clean game and pretty aggressive on both sides," Wells said. "If we had made the field goals early, then maybe it would have been a different ball game."

BIG PICTURE

Utah State racked up 441 yards of offense and kept Rogers from having a big game, but had a rough night on special teams.

New Mexico State made its first postseason game in nearly six decades a memorable one by rallying for a victory.

MOMENTUM SWING

Utah State had the game's best chance for the game's first offensive touchdown early in the third quarter, when Jordan Love completed a 41-yard pass to Ron'quavion Tarver to New Mexico State's 1.


On the next play, New Mexico State's Terrill Hanks knocked down Love's pitch to Hunt and recovered the ball himself at the 12-yard line, ending Utah State's hopes.

THIRD-DOWN WOES

Both teams struggled on third downs, converting a combined 5 of 40. Utah State was 1 for 18 and New Mexico State was 4 for 22. The teams had a combined 20 punts

UP NEXT

Utah State must replace seniors Hunt and cornerback Jalen Davis, a second-team AP All-American, but Love is a redshirt freshman.

New Mexico State will have big holes to replace with Rogers and Rose among the seniors it will have to replace.

Air Force: 2016 Arizona Bowl Champions

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Arion Worthman threw for 207 yards to balance out Air Force's run-heavy offense, Jacobi Owens scored two touchdowns and the Falcons overcame a sluggish start to beat South Alabama 45-21 in Arizona Bowl on Friday.

Air Force (10-3) struggled to get its triple-option going, falling into an 18-point first-half hole. Once the Falcons got rolling, they couldn't be stopped, scoring 42 straight points to turn it into a rout.

Worthman was the trigger, jump-starting Air Force's option while completing 7 of 10 passes, including a 75-yard touchdown to Jalen Robinette to open the second half. He also had 71 yards on 21 carries.

South Alabama (6-7) appeared to be headed toward its first bowl win after jumping on the Falcons early, starting with Dallas Davis' 75-yard touchdown pass to Josh Magee on the game's first play.

The Jaguars couldn't sustain their early offensive success or stop the Falcons to lose a bowl game for the second time in three seasons.

Davis threw for 245 yards and a touchdown, but also had an interception and lost a fumble. Magee had five catches for 154 yards.

Davis hit Chris Lewis on a 51-yard pass to set up Dami Ayoola's 2-yard TD run. Davis next found Magee on a 37-yard pass, then scored himself on a 4-yard run that put the Jaguars up 21-3.

South Alabama also seemed to have the combination for stopping Air Force's tricky triple-option, the Falcons to a pair of field goals into the second quarter.

Air Force finally unlocked its option late in the half. Ronald Cleveland scored on 14-yard run , then Owens on a 2-yard run after Santo Coppola returned Davis' fumble to 1-yard line.

Once down 21-3, Air Force found itself at halftime after converting the 2-point conversion .

The Falcons took their first lead by doing exactly what South Alabama did to open the game: a 75-yard TD pass on the first play of the second half, from Worthman to Robinette.

Tyler Williams later took a pitch left to the pylon for a 6-yard TD and Owens scored on a 22-yard run to put Air Force up 45-21.

THE TAKEAWAY


Air Force is typically dominant running team, but had a nice balance in the Arizona Bowl to win 10 games for the second time in three seasons.

South Alabama was unable to hit long passes after its initial first-half flurry and fell short of its first winning season in four years as a Division I program.

UP NEXT

South Alabama will get Davis back and several defensive starters next season, but will have to replace tight end Gerald Everett and receiver Tyrone Williams, two of its best playmakers.

Air Force will have plenty of holes to fill after losing the largest senior class in school history of 32 players.

Nevada Wolf Pack: 2015 Arizona Bowl Champions

The Nevada Wolf Pack defeated the Colorado State Rams 28-23 in the inaugural Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl on Tuesday night. It was a gritty, grinded it out performance by the Wolf Pack as they leaned on an explosive rushing attack and a solid defensive performance to give them their first bowl victory since defeating Boston College in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl back in 2010.

Nevada running back James Butler was named offensive MVP of the Arizona Bowl as he ran for 189 yards and scored two touchdowns while Wolf Pack defensive end Ian Seau was named defensive MVP as he recorded five tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack, a pass break up and forced a fumble tonight in Seau's final game as a member of the Wolf Pack. Seau got the action started in the first quarter of the game when he sacked Rams quarterback Nick Stevens causing him to fumble the ball which was recovered by Wolf Pack defensive end Rykeem Aytes and ten plays later, Nevada capitalized on that turnover when Brett Zuso kicked a 19-yard field to give the Wolf Pack a 3-0 lead.

The Rams took the lead in the second quarter when Stevens scored on a one-yard touchdown run and after the extra point, Colorado State took a 7-6 lead. After the score, the Wolf Pack answered back quickly when James Butler scored on a 77-yard touchdown run to give Nevada a 13-7 lead. After the Rams scored on a Wyatt Brown field goal to make it 13-10 Nevada, the Rams kicked the ball off to the Wolf Pack's Elijah Mitchell and he took it 96 yards for the touchdown to give the Wolf Pack a 19-10 lead after Zuso missed the PAT. The Rams were able to tack on another field goal before the half to cut the Nevada lead to 19-13.

In the second half with Nevada up 22-13, Colorado State went on a 12 play, 75-yard scoring drive that was capped off with a nine-yard touchdown run by Jasen Oden Jr., to cut the Wolf Pack lead to 22-20. In the fourth quarter, the Rams took the lead when Brown connected on a 38-yard field to give Colorado State a 23-22 lead. Nevada got the ball back with 3:40 left in the game and scored on an eight play, 72-yard drive that was capped off by a four-yard touchdown run by James Butler as the Wolf Pack retook the lead 28-23. The Rams had one final chance to retake the lead late in the game and despite having no timeouts, the Rams were able to orchestrated a quick hitting drive that got them in scoring range. But in the final seconds of the game, Stevens connected with Jordon Vaden but Vaden could not get out of bounds as time expired.

With the bowl win, Nevada ends their up and down season on a high note by going 7-6 and gained some much needed momentum headed into the offseason as Brian Polian and his Wolf Pack look to improve on their consistency and hopefully become a factor in the Mountain West in 2016.