Indiana is a college football national champion for the first time.
Showing posts with label college football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label college football. Show all posts
Montana State: 2025 NCAA Division FCS National Champions
Over the course of Monday's FCS national championship game, Montana State coughed up a 14-point fourth-quarter lead, blocked an Illinois State field goal to help send the game to overtime, gave up the lead in overtime and still found a way to win.
Wisconsin-River Falls: 2025 NCAA Division III Football National Champions
CANTON, Ohio -- Kaleb Blaha threw a touchdown pass and added two second-half rushing TDs to help Wisconsin-River Falls beat defending national champion North Central 24-14 on Sunday night at Hall of Fame Stadium to win the first Division III title in program history.
Ferris State: 2025 NCAA Division II Football National Champions
Make it four.
Ferris State had explosive starts to both halves on offense and went on to wallop Harding, 42-21, to win the Division II national championship Saturday at McKinney ISD Stadium in McKinney, Texas. It was the fourth national championship in five years for Ferris State.
San Mateo: 2025 CCCAA Football State Champions
COSTA MESA – College of San Mateo was able to survive a 20-point 4th quarter comeback by previously unbeaten Golden West College to repeat as 3C2A state football champions by a narrow 28-27 score on Saturday afternoon at LeBard Stadium on the Orange Coast College campus. Both teams finished with 12-1 records.
Iowa Western: 2025 NJCAA Football National Champions
The Iowa Western football team secured the fourth NJCAA national championship in program history Wednesday night, besting reigning champion Hutchinson, 28-10.
Grand View: 2025 NAIA Football National Champions
FORT WORTH, Texas – Top-seeded Grand View (Iowa) had the last say in a back-and-forth affair, defeating No. 2 Keiser (Fla.) 22-16 to win the 70th Annual NAIA Football National Championship Saturday (Dec. 20) at Crowley ISD Multipurpose Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas,.
The victory secured the Vikings’ second consecutive football national championship and third overall, having previously claimed the red banner in 2013 and 2024.
The scoring started out slow as neither offense could generate much in the first quarter. However, Keiser (12-1) cracked the scoring column first with a Dorian Hall 27-yard field goal with 42 seconds left in the opening frame.
Grand View (14-0) countered with a pair of field goals in the second quarter. Cory Wood connected on kicks from 45 and 41 yards, with the latter coming with 3:08 to go in the half. The Vikings extended their lead to 13-3 when Dalten Van Pelt broke loose for an 80-yard touchdown run with 22 seconds to go in the second.
Keiser wasted no time in answering, scoring on the opening drive of the second half. Facing fourth and 2 at the 7-yard line, Shea Spencer hooked up with Maurico Porcha for score, cutting Grand View’s lead to 13-10 with 10:19 left in the third. Hall added his second field goal of the day, a 36-yarder, to tie the game at 13-all with 4:26 to go in the third.
Grand View reclaimed the lead with 10:08 remaining in the game when a scrambling Jackson Waring found an open Corey Phillips for a 40-yard touchdown pass. The PAT was no good, leaving the score at 19-13.
Wood tacked on a 32-yard field goal with 2:05 left to give the Vikings a 22-13 advantage.
With two seconds remaining, Hall added a 37-yard field to make the final 22-16. Keiser kept things interesting recovering the onside kick at the Grand View 44 with one second half. Spencer heaved a Hail Mary, but Triston Wilson knocked the ball down to secure the win and national championship for Grand View.
Following the game, Van Pelt was named the Offensive Player of the Game, with teammate Jackson Filer earned Defensive Player of the Game honors. Van Pelt finished with 144 yards rushing and one score on 19 carries. Filer only had three tackles, but all went for a loss of 10 yards as he created havoc in the Keiser backfield.
Waring threw for 144 yards and a touchdown on 9-of-21 passing, connecting with seven different receivers.
For Keiser, Spencer finished with 290 yards on 28-of-50 passing. Porcha and Dallas Desouza each had nine receptions with Porcha covering 114 yards and Desouza 102.
Ohio State: 2024 College Football Playoff National Champions
The Buckeyes are back on top, as Ohio State took down Notre Dame, 34-23, to win the College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Monday night.
Ohio State has now won nine college football titles, tying them with USC for fourth-most ever among NCAA's officially recognized championships.
This is also the first title since the 2014 season, which was the inaugural College Football Playoff.
The Buckeyes have been such a different team since losing to Michigan in their rivalry game. And after convincingly defeating Tennessee (42-17), Oregon in the Rose Bowl (41-21), and Texas in the Cotton Bowl (28-14), Ohio State used their high-octane offense to barrel its way past Notre Dame to win it all.
But this game wasn’t like previous Ohio State wins during this playoff, as the Fighting Irish really made a statement on an opening drive that lasted 18 plays and killed over nine minutes of first quarter clock.
And it was all thanks to the hard work by quarterback Riley Leonard and the Notre Dame offensive line.
Leonard ran nine times for 34 yards and scored after picking up a fourth-and-1 on Ohio State’s five-yard line. ESPN even reported that Leonard ran to the sideline, threw up and stumbled a bit before sitting on the bench. He also appeared to tell teammates that he landed on the ball on one of the runs, which could’ve caused the upset stomach.
However, the tides of momentum quickly shifted to the Ohio State sideline, as Will Howard and his group of talented weapons didn't just respond, but took over when they had the ball in their hands.
The ensuing drive went 11 plays and 75 yards, as freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith capped the drive with a perfect play call that saw him act like he was running behind Howard on pre-snap motion but planting in the ground and walking into the end zone with no one in sight.
Ryan Day’s group not only tied the game, but the defense turned it up a notch as they forced back-to-back three-and-outs on Notre Dame’s second and third drive. And the Buckeyes’ offense used that to their advantage with two more touchdown drives before the end of the first half.
Quinshon Judkins, the explosive running back that splits time with TreVeyon Henderson, scored both of those touchdowns, the first of which being a nine-yard run where he fought through multiple tackles to get across the line. Then, he was wide open in the end zone on a rolling throw by Howard with 27 seconds left in the second quarter to put the Buckeyes up 21-7.
And if that wasn’t deflating enough, Judkins scored his third touchdown of the night on the first drive of the second half – a one-yard run that was set up by his 70-yard run on the second play of the half to immediately get the Buckeyes first-and-goal.
Judkins finished the game with 100 rushing yards on just 11 carries as well as his two catches for 21 yards.
There was some concern for Ohio State, though, when Notre Dame cut it to a two-score game after Leonard found Jaden Greathouse for a 34-yard touchdown and converted the two-point try to make it 31-15.
The concern was due to an Emeka Egbuka fumble after going 24 yards on a catch-and-run. It was the first Ohio State fumble since their game against Penn State on Nov. 2.
Notre Dame used that turnover to drive downfield, and Leonard found himself knocking on the doorstep until an incomplete pass to Greathouse made it fourth-and-goal from Ohio State’s nine-yard line with 9:27 left to play in the game.
Given the score, one would think head coach Marcus Freeman wanted to try his luck at another touchdown, but kicker Mitch Jeter and the special teams unit ran out onto the field. And the interesting play call backfired, as Jeter’s 27-yard field goal attempt ran off the left goal post – he hooked it.
The game wasn't over entirely after the defense forced a punt, and Leonard was able to find Greathouse once again, this time on a beautifully thrown ball and an even better catch from 30 yards out. Needing another two-point conversion, Jordan Faison took a handoff and it looked like Ohio State sniffed it out, but he threw it to Beaux Collins for the successful try.
Now a one-score game, the Buckeyes had to dig deep with the Fighting Irish knowing a stop gave them a chance to make the comeback complete.
Backed up with third-and-11, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly called a gutsy deep pass from Howard to Smith, and despite the freshman not having a single reception in the second half, he secured the dagger – a 57-yard catch to place the Buckeyes on the nine-yard line at the two-minute warning.
The Buckeyes could run out the clock at that point with the Fighting Irish using all of their timeouts, and the celebrating ensued.
In the box score, Leonard was 20-for-29 for 240 yards with two touchdowns, while also rushing for a team-high 40 yards on 17 carries with his score on the ground. Greathouse had 11 yards on five receptions as well.
For the Buckeyes, Smith led the way with his 89 yards on five receptions, while Egbuka had six catches for 64 yards. Howard finished the game 17-of-21 for 231 yards, and he also rushed for 57 yards on 16 carries.
Ohio State: 2025 Cotton Bowl Champions
ARLINGTON, Texas -- — Jack Sawyer had the kind of moment that will live on long past his playing days with Ohio State. Of course, one more victory would make it that much sweeter.
Sawyer stripped Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers — his former roommate — and returned the fumble 83 yards for the clinching touchdown in a 28-14 victory over the Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl on Friday night, giving the Buckeyes a shot at their sixth AP national title.
“We talked before the game about how do you leave a legacy is to become your old legend. And there’s some guys on this team today that I believe will become legends in Ohio State history,” coach Ryan Day said. “Now they get 10 more days together, and an opportunity to tell their story if they go win one more.”
Led by Ohio native Sawyer and Quinshon Judkins, who rushed for two touchdowns, the Buckeyes (13-2) posted the semifinal victory in the same stadium where 10 years ago they were champions when the College Football Playoff debuted with a four-team format. Now they have the opportunity to be the winner again in the first season with an expanded 12-team field.
Ohio State plays Orange Bowl champion Notre Dame in Atlanta on Jan. 20. It could be quite a finish for the Big Ten Buckeyes after they lost to rival Michigan on Nov. 30.
Sawyer got to Ewers on a fourth-and-goal from the 8, knocking the ball loose before scooping it up and lumbering all the way to the other end zone with 2:13 left. It was the longest fumble return in CFP history.
“I saw the ball pop out right to me after I tackled him, I was just thinking, I’ve got to stay on my feet, because I almost blacked out when I scooped it and saw a bunch of green grass ahead of me,” Sawyer said.
Ewers and Sawyer were roommates in Columbus for one semester before the quarterback transferred home to Texas. Ewers helped lead the Longhorns (13-3) to consecutive CFP semifinals, but next season will be their 20th since winning their last national title with Vince Young in 2005.
“I felt him. I started drifting away, thought I was going to be able to get the ball off before he got there,” Ewers said. “I saw Jack running with the ball down the sideline. ... Jack’s a good player made a great play.”
Texas had moved to the 1, helped by two pass-interference penalties in the end zone, before Quintrevion Wisner was stopped for a 7-yard loss. Ewers then threw a third-down incompletion while being pressured by Sawyer on the play before the defensive touchdown.
“He’s everything that we possibly ask for in a captain,” Day said. “To make a play like that in that moment ... He just became a legend at Ohio State.”
Judkins, a transfer from Mississippi, had a 1-yard touchdown for a 21-14 lead with 7:02 left, capping an 88-yard, 13-play drive over 7:45. That score came four plays after quarterback Will Howard converted a fourth-and-2 from the Texas 34 with a stumbling 18-yard run that probably should have been a score.
“That fourth down was huge. ... I fell on purpose. I'm joking,” Howard said. “A statement drive. We needed that.”
Howard was 24-of-33 passing for 289 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He played his first game at AT&T Stadium since leading Kansas State to a win over undefeated TCU in the Big 12 championship two years ago. He was 0-3 as a starter against the Longhorns while at K-State, including an overtime thriller in Austin last season.
Ewers finished 23 of 39 for 283 yards with two TD passes to Jaydon Blue and an interception after getting the ball back one final time. It might have been his last play for the Longhorns since he could go into the NFL draft.
Texas won the Big 12 title last season before moving to the SEC.
Not so fast
The Buckeyes went ahead on their opening drive of the game when Judkins scored on a 9-yard run. It looked as if they could get off to another fast start, after jumping ahead 21-0 and 34-0 in their first two playoff games.
But Ohio State then punted on four consecutive possessions before Texas tied it at 7 on Ewers' 18-yard touchdown pass to Blue with 29 seconds left in the first half. Arch Manning, the backup and future starting quarterback, kept that drive alive when he converted fourth-and-1 from midfield with an 8-yard keeper — his only play in the game.
Right after Texas' first TD, Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson turned a screen pass into a 75-yard touchdown, following a wall of blockers before shooting through an open gap and sprinting to the end zone.
A great escape
Blue had a tying 26-yard TD catch with 3:12 left in the third quarter. The drive featured a terrific play by Ewers, who was being dragged down by Sawyer on third-and-10 when he managed to scoop the ball underhanded to Wisner for a 13-yard gain.
Up next
While Ohio State prepares for the CFP title game, Texas waits for a rematch with the Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium in the previously scheduled 2025 season opener Aug. 30.
Notre Dame: 2025 Orange Bowl Champions
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- — Penn State quarterback Drew Allar said he was trying to throw the ball into the ground. Notre Dame defensive back Christian Gray dove for it anyway and — luck of the Irish — the ball ended up right in his hands.
A few seconds later, Gray and Notre Dame found themselves with a spot in the national title game after a thrill-a-minute 27-24 victory Thursday night in the Orange Bowl.
Gray's snag of Allar's ill-advised pass across the middle at the Penn State 42 with 33 seconds left, set up a 19-yard drive that ended with Mitch Jeter's winning 41-yard field goal.
The Irish (14-1), seeded seventh in this, the first 12-team college playoff, will have a chance to bring their 12th title and first since 1988 back under the Golden Dome with a game Jan. 20 in Atlanta. Their opponent will be the winner Friday night of the Texas-Ohio State semifinal in the Cotton Bowl.
“Just catch the ball. Just catch the ball,” Gray said about his interception. “That was going through my mind and I knew I was going to make a play.”
Penn State QB was trying to throw it away
Allar explained he saw his first two options covered on the play, then wanted to throw the ball into the dirt. But the throw, under pressure and across his body, didn't have enough zip on it to reach either receiver Omari Evans or the ground before Gray slid in.
“Honestly, I was trying to ‘dirt’ it at his feet,” said the junior quarterback. “I should’ve thrown it away when I saw the first two progressions were not open. I didn’t execute.”
It was the most memorable play of a game that was the best of what's been a sleepy few weeks of playoff football. It featured three ties and three lead changes, along with 31 points in the fourth quarter alone.
In the final, Irish coach Marcus Freeman will try to become the first Black coach to win the title at college football’s highest level. Freeman, whose mother is South Korean, also is the first coach of Asian heritage to get this far.
“We found a way to make a play when it mattered the most,” Freeman said. “In my opinion, great teams, great programs, find a way to do that.”
Penn State coach James Franklin fell to 4-20 with the Nittany Lions against teams ranked in the AP Top 10. The sixth-seeded Nittany Lions ended the season at 13-3.
“Everyone wants to look at a specific play,” Franklin said. “But there's probably eight to 12 plays in that game that could have made a difference. I'm not going to call out specific plays or specific players. There are a ton of plays where we could have done better.”
Hit on Leonard shook up the QB and shook up the Irish
Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard shook off a hit late in the second quarter that sent him to the medical tent to be checked for a concussion. He came back and led the Irish on four scoring drives in the second half, including the last one.
“He’s a competitor and competitors find a way to win, and that’s what Riley does," Freeman said. "That’s what this team does.”
Leonard finished with 223 yards passing, including a key 10-yard dart to Jaden Greathouse to convert third-and-3 on the last drive. Leonard also had 35 yards rushing, and passed and ran for a score each.
With 4:38 left in the game, the senior quarterback hit Greathouse for a 54-yard score to tie it at 24 after a defender slipped.
The game started slow (and boring), but Riley’s injury injected life into things. He led Notre Dame on TD drives of 75 and 72 yards in the third quarter to take a 17-10 lead.
At that point, the fun was just getting started.
Penn State had its chances, and Allar, considered a first-round pick by some if he leaves for the NFL, will spend the offseason reliving that last throw — or trying to forget it.
Penn State forced a Notre Dame punt and looked assured of at least going to overtime when they took over at their 15 with 47 seconds left.
After a gain of 13, Allar dropped to pass and had pressure coming. He threw across his body to the middle of the field, where Gray dove for the pick.
A review showed it was a catch, and the Irish were onto the next step on a road that looked all but impossible when they fell 16-14 to Northern Illinois back in September.
“To see how far we’ve come after the hiccup early on, just to know that we have one more guaranteed, one last one guaranteed, it’s just so exciting,” Notre Dame linebacker Jack Kiser said.
Nick Singleton ran for 84 yards and all three Penn State touchdowns. Off target for much of the day, Allar finished 12 for 23 for 135 yards with the interception.
“He's hurting right now. He should be. We're all hurting,” Franklin said.
The quarterback didn't duck questions about the play or his role in the loss.
“We didn’t win the game so it wasn't good enough, it’s plain and simple,” Allar said. “I’ll try to learn from it, do everything in my power to get better and just grow from it.”
Cameo from Notre Dame's backup
When Leonard went out, backup Steve Angeli came in and injected life into the Fighting Irish offense on the way to its first score.
Angelli went 6 for 7 for 44 yards and moved Notre Dame to field goal range to trim its deficit to 10-3 just before halftime.
“We have a lot of confidence in Steve,” Freeman said when asked why he allowed the Irish to play aggressively when he entered.
Chilly Orange Bowl
The kickoff temperature was 56 degrees, unseasonably cool for South Florida — and making it the second-coldest Orange Bowl ever, next to the Georgia Tech-Iowa game in 2010 that started at 49 and felt like the upper 30s.
Up next
Notre Dame will face either Ohio State or Texas in the CFP national championship game on Jan. 20. Penn State opens its 2025 season at home against Nevada on Aug. 30.
North Dakota State: 2024 NCAA Division I FCS National Champions
North Dakota State took down undefeated Montana State, 35-32, in the FCS national championship. This is the Bison’s 10th title since 2011 and their first since 2021.
NDSU led 21-3 at the half, holding the high-powered Bobcat offense to a little over 100 yards in the first 30 minutes. However, Walter Payton Award-winning quarterback, Tommy Mellot, pulled Montana State back within three by the end of the third quarter with a handful of explosive plays.
A 66-yard, five-minute drive sealed the game for the Bison late in the fourth, giving the ball back to the Bobcats with under three minutes to play down 10. Mellot found Taco Dowler on 4th and 2 to cut the lead to three with a little over a minute to play, but MSU did not recover the ensuing onside kick, sealing the game.
Standout wide receiver Bryce Lance powered the NDSU offense, hauling in nine catches for a career-high 108 yards, including a remarkable 39-yard catch that set up a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Bison quarterback Cam Miller played a remarkably clean game, connecting on 19 of 22 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns. Miller has now won his second FCS championship after leading NDSU to a title in 2021, also over Montana State.
The North Dakota State defense held the Bobcats over 100 yards under their 301-yard rushing total per game, as MSU finished with 199 on the ground.
The Bison are once again on top of the FCS, spoiling Montana State’s perfect season and bringing yet another title back to Fargo, North Dakota.
North Central: 2024 NCAA Division III Football National Champions
HOUSTON -- Luke Lehnen accounted for five touchdowns Sunday night and North Central beat Mount Union 41-25 to win its third Division III national championship.
The Cardinals (15-0) appeared in their fifth consecutive Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.
Lehnen threw two of his four touchdown passes to Jacob Paradee and has 162 in his career, tied with John Matocha (D-II Colorado School of Mines, 2019 to 2023) for college football's all-divisions record.
Mount Union's Tyler Echeverry ran 29 yards untouched to open the scoring -- the first time North Central has trailed this season.
Lehnen, who went 57-2 over his college career, threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Myles Walton to make it 7-7 with 4:35 left in the first quarter. It gave Lehnen 159 career TD passes, breaking Braxton Plunk's (Mount Union, 2019 to 2023) D-III record.
After the Purple Raiders failed to convert on fourth down deep in North Central territory, Lehnen scored on a 16-yard run about seven minutes into the second quarter to make it 14-7 and the Cardinals led the rest of the way.
Mount Union (14-1) made trips into the red zone on four consecutive possessions but scored just once, a 30-yard field goal by Ivan Maric with 3:57 remaining in the first half.
The Purple Raiders (75) and North Central (47) have won a combined 122 consecutive regular-season games.
Mount Union has won 13 D-III championships in 23 title-game appearances, both of which are records. North Central -- which captured its first title in 2019, the first championship-game berth in program history -- beat the Purple Raiders 28-21 in the 2022 title game.
Echeverry, who had 68 yards rushing and a touchdown on eight carries in the first quarter, finished with 20 carries for 83 yards.
Buffalo: 2025 Bahamas Bowl Champions
NASSAU, Bahamas -- — Upton Bellenfan kicked four field goals, linebacker Red Murdock led a dominant defense with 13 tackles and a pick six and Buffalo completed a turn-around season with a 26-7 win over Liberty in the Bahamas Bowl on Saturday.
The Bulls, 3-9 last season, finished 9-4 under first-year coach Pete Lembo and won their fourth-straight bowl game. They also became the first team to win the Bahamas Bowl twice.
Bellenfant had a career-long 52-yard field goal in the first quarter and added kicks of 42 and 20 yards to give Buffalo a 9-0 lead at the half.
Al-Jay Henderson, who had 21 carries for 119 yards, scored on a 45-yard burst up the middle on the first possession of the second half to make it 16-0. Henderson became the 11th player in program history to run for more than 1,000 yards.
Bellenfant missed a 30-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter but on the next possession connected from 45 yards, the first time the sophomore made four field goals in one game.
Two plays later Murdock intercepted a Nate Hampton pass and returned it 31 yards for a 26-0 lead. It was the third takeaway for the Bulls' defense.
Liberty (8-4), in a bowl game for the sixth-straight year but winless since 2021, then had its longest drive, going 75 yards capped by a 36-yard pass from Hampton to Reese Smith.
After a failed onside kick, Buffalo ran out the last seven minutes of the game, reaching the Liberty 3.
Hampton, who hadn't thrown a pass all year, took over in the fourth quarter and was 2 of 9 for 40 yards. Ryan Burger was 4 of 12 for 40 yards through three quarters.
Minnesota: 2025 Duke's Mayo Bowl Champions
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- — Moments before being doused with a five-gallon tub of mayonnaise, Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck shouted “make it a double!"
Then the 44-year-old coach strapped on a Duke's Mayo Bowl necktie and — with his players watching and chanting “Mayo! Mayo!" — was drenched on a chilly 40-degree night, a celebration that has become part of the game tradition.
“I told our players if they had 15 tubs of those, I would have done all 15," Fleck said. "It's worth it to be a champion at the end of the year.”
Max Brosmer threw for 211 yards and a touchdown, Darius Taylor ran for 113 yards a TD and also threw for a score and the Golden Gophers extended their bowl winning streak to eight with a 24-10 victory over Virginia Tech on Friday night.
Elijah Spencer had six catches for 81 yards and two TDs for Minnesota (8-5) and was selected the game's MVP after returning to Charlotte, where he played two seasons for the 49ers.
“It was big time because I didn't think I would have another opportunity to play in front of all of my friends and family,” Spencer said. "A lot of friends and family haven't seen me play since I went to Minnesota, so being able to play in my backyard, hey, why not?'
Said Fleck: "It's a little ironic. And it's a fitting end to his career. He had two really great years with us."
For Fleck it was another victorious bowl victory — his sixth in a row at Minnesota.
“In the era 2024-25 is it really difficult to build a team and connect a team, but it is way easier when you have a group of men like these guys," Fleck said.
Backup quarterback Collins Schlee ran for a touchdown and Ayden Greene had six catches for 115 yards for the Hokies (6-7). They’ve lost five of their last six bowl games.
The Golden Gophers outgained the Hokies 403-223.
Schlee and William Watson split time at quarterback for Virginia Tech, with neither eclipsing 100 yards passing.
The Hokies failed to pick up a first down in three series under Watson, so coach Brent Pry switched to Schlee on the and he provided instance offense with a 67-yard strike to Greene to set up his own 3-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead.
But the Hokies couldn't sustain the momentum.
Minnesota rattled of 21 consecutive points in the second quarter behind Spencer, who hauled in a 10-yard halfback option pass from Taylor and a 12-yard TD toss from Brosmer over the middle on back-to-back possessions. Taylor then made it 21-7 when he raced around left end on a 28-yard run.
With Minnesota up 24-10, Dante Lovett intercepted Brosmer’s to give the Hokies the ball at the Minnesota 15 and a last chance at a comeback midway through the fourth quarter. But the Hokies couldn’t convert as Za’Quan Bryan intercepted Watson’s pass in the end zone, essentially sealing the game with 4:24 remaining.
“Offensively, we got in the red zone and we couldn't score," Pry said. “We get down there and we have to score.”
Takeaways
Minnesota: It took a while for the Golden Gophers to get going, but three touchdowns in the second quarter proved to be the difference. “It’s one of the great traditions of bowl games and I hope we never ever go away from bowl games," Fleck said of the mayo bath. ""I think it is what makes college bowl games special.”
Virginia Tech: The Hokies came in with 14 new starters — seven on each side of the ball — after several players either opted out or entered the transfer portal leading up to the game. “I'm hopeful and encouraged about where we are at,” Pry said.
Bowl-record boot
Virginia Tech's John Love made a bowl-record 60-yard field goal at the end of the first half.
Celebrity mascot
Word leaked out during the game that there was a celebrity serving as “Tubby,” the bowl game's mascot which resembles a large yellow-and-white mayonnaise jar. It turns out to be hip-hop artist Flavor Flav, with his identity being revealed shortly after the game. He also helped with the mayo pour.
Stay in the box
Pry received a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct in the second quarter when he raced down the sideline to about the 15 — well outside of the coach's box — to argue a call with the officials. "We are going to fight for every inch and I thought there were couple of calls I thought were missed," Pry said.
Texas State: 2024 First Responder Bowl Champions
DALLAS -- — Jordan McCloud threw for 307 yards and a touchdown, Lincoln Pare ran for a 73-yard touchdown with 2:25 remaining in the fourth quarter and Texas State held off North Texas 30-28 on Friday night in the First Responder Bowl.
Texas State (8-5) secured eight wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1981-82. North Texas (6-7) was seeking its first bowl win since the 2014 Heart of Dallas Bowl.
Pare carried 21 times for 143 yards and two touchdowns. His first score, from 1-yard out, capped a 13-play, 75-yard drive that took nearly seven minutes to give Texas State a 23-14 lead midway through the third quarter.
Neither team scored again until Makenzie McGill's short TD run got North Texas within 23-21 with 3:20 left. Two plays later, Pare raced for his long score and Texas State made the extra point for a nine-point lead.
North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker answered with a 70-yard run with 1:49 left to get within two points again. The Mean Green got the ball back with 40 seconds left at their 8-yard line. But Texas State defensive end Kalil Alexander made a sack on first down to work down the clock and linebacker Treylin Payne sealed it with an interception over the middle.
Mestemaker, who was making his first career start, finished with 393 yards passing and two touchdowns with two interceptions for North Texas. It was the most passing yards in a bowl game in program history. He also carried nine times for 55 yards and a touchdown.
Mestemaker started in place of Chandler Morris, who threw for 3,774 yards and 31 touchdowns with 12 interceptions this season before transferring to Virginia. Mestemaker, a freshman, matched his season passing total of 69 yards on North Texas' only scoring drive in the first quarter.
Ole Miss: 2025 Gator Bowl Champions
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- — Jaxson Dart's final college pass was a 69-yard touchdown that got him chewed out by coach Lane Kiffin on the sideline.
It's one the quarterback will never forget.
Dart threw for 404 yards and four touchdowns in his final start for Ole Miss, leading the 16th-ranked Rebels to a 52-20 romp over Duke in the Gator Bowl on Thursday night.
Dart connected with Jordan Watkins seven times for 180 yards and two scores, including the longest pass play of the night with 1:27 to play. Kiffin ripped him for it afterward.
“I love him except for the last play when he checks to a pass play he’s not supposed to do,” Kiffin said. “He's got to learn a little better class there.”
Dart added 43 yards rushing, leaving EverBank Stadium with grass and dirt stains all over his red and white uniform.
The senior never considered opting out of the bowl game. Instead, he helped the Rebels (10-3) make history. With the victory, Ole Miss notched double-digit wins in consecutive years for the second time in program history and the first since 1959-60.
“This place changed my life," Dart said. "It was the best decision that I made. Just the relationships that I built with everybody here will last a lifetime.”
Ulysses Bentley IV, another senior playing his last college game, ran for 70 yards and two scores for the Rebels. Isaiah Hamilton returned an interception 50 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter. All of them got to celebrate with sideline dunks on a portable basketball hoop adorned with Duke logos.
This ACC-SEC postseason matchup was never close. It wasn’t expected to be, either. Ole Miss was a 17 1/2-point favorite, according to , mostly because the Blue Devils (9-4) were without quarterback Maalik Murphy and running back Star Thomas. Both entered the transfer portal after Duke’s regular-season finale.
Third-year sophomore Henry Belin IV made his second career start and was harassed all night. Belin completed 25 of 44 passes for 236 yards, with two touchdowns and the interception. He was sacked three times.
Belin’s TD passes were two of the team's few highlights. Sahmir Hagans' 99-yard kickoff return — off a cross-field lateral, no less — was another.
One of Ole Miss’ few miscues came when Kiffin called for a trick play on fourth down. Kicker Caden Davis’ pass got picked off in the end zone, and Dart took nearly every snap the rest of the way.
“I think the thing that jumped out today is a special quarterback who played special," Duke coach Manny Diaz said.
The takeaway
Duke: The Blue Devils won't put too much stock into the loss, not with Belin getting a rare start and more offensive help on the way.
Ole Miss: The Rebels had most of their starters play in the bowl, a testament to how they feel about Dart and Kiffin. CB Jadon Canady and RT Micah Pettus, both starters, entered the transfer portal. And LB and leading tackler Chris Paul Jr. opted out to prepare for the draft process.
Key injuries
Duke cornerback Terry Moore, who intercepted the kicker’s pass on the trick play, left the game in the first half and ended up in the locker room. Ole Miss offensive lineman Eli Acker injured his right knee on an extra point in the second period and was helped off the field.
Chewed-up field
The field at EverBank Stadium was far from pristine. The center section of grass was mostly chewed up, looking more like a community sandlot than the bright-green sod that usually seems pulled from a resort golf course. The Jaguars hosted Tennessee in an NFL game four days earlier, leaving little time to get the turf in its best shape. Overnight temperatures in the 40s didn’t help regrowth, either.
Up next
Duke awaits the arrival of former Tulane QB Darian Mensah, who will reportedly get $8 million in NIL funding over two years to play for the Blue Devils.
Ole Miss will turn to highly touted left-handed QB Austin Simmons, a redshirt freshman from Miami. Simmons enrolled two years early and spent the last two seasons watching and learning from Dart.
Notre Dame: 2025 Sugar Bowl Champions
NEW ORLEANS -- — Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish found the right balance of family and football to produce a memorable performance under unprecedented, emotionally trying circumstances.
Riley Leonard passed for a touchdown, Jayden Harrison returned a kickoff 98 yards for a score, and Notre Dame's defense made it hold up in a 23-10 victory over No. 2 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on Thursday that sent the third-ranked Fighting Irish into the semifinals of the College Football Playoff.
The triumph came in wake of a deadly terror attack in the host city early Wednesday —- the day the game was supposed to have been played. The first postponement of a Sugar Bowl in the event's 91-year history followed hours later.
“We spent some time together, and I think that’s what you do in tough moments,” Freeman said in recounting how the Irish handled their unexpected down time on Wednesday. “You want to spend time with family, and that’s what we are.”
Notre Dame (13-1, CFP No. 5) came through with enough big plays, avoided major mistakes and all but sealed it with a clever move by Freeman.
“Our coaches called the game aggressive. Our players executed, put everything on the line,” Freeman said. “I’m really proud of them. Proud of the way they handled the events of the last 24 hours.”
Georgia (11-3, CFP No. 2) was in position to close within one score when Notre Dame stopped the Bulldogs on fourth-and-5 from the Irish 9-yard line with 9:29 to go.
Minutes later, Notre Dame had a fourth-and-short deep in his own territory when Freeman sent the punt team out before running all 11 players off the field and sending the offense back out. Georgia raced to match up and then jumped offside as the play clock ticked down, giving the Irish a clock-sapping first down with 7:17 to go.
“They were going to hard-count us. We prepare for that. We do it every week,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “We jumped offsides.”
By the time the Bulldogs got the ball back, just 1:49 remained, and Notre Dame was on its way to a 12th straight victory and a date with No. 5 Penn State (13-2, CFP No. 6 seed) in a semifinal at the Orange Bowl in Miami next Thursday.
“That’s the aggressiveness in terms of our preparation that I want our program to have,” Freeman said. “That’s got to be one of our edges, that we are going to be an aggressive group and not fear making mistakes.”
Georgia played without starting quarterback Carson Beck, who injured his elbow in the Southeastern Conference championship game. He was replaced by Gunner Stockton, who was 20 of 32 for 234 yards and one touchdown.
The Bulldogs outgained Notre Dame 296 yards to 244, but Georgia was stopped on all three of its fourth-down attempts and lost two fumbles — one deep in Notre Dame territory and one inside its own 20.
“The turnovers are the difference in the game, guys,” Smart said. “I mean, you should know when you turn it over twice and they return a kickoff for a touchdown, you’re not going to have a lot of success.”
Leonard finished with 90 yards passing and a team-high 80 yards rushing, including a late first-down run in which he was sent head over heels as he tried to leap over a defender.
“We’re in the playoffs,” Leonard said. “Everybody else can put their body on the line, I’m going to do it right there with them.”
The game had been set for Wednesday night as part of a New Year's Day playoff tripleheader, but it was postponed after an Army veteran inspired by the Islamic State group drove a pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street early Wednesday morning, killing 14 revelers. Security was increased at the Superdome — which will also host the Super Bowl next month — and arriving fans said they felt safe.
With some fans unable to alter their travel plans, attendance in the 70,000-seat stadium was announced at 68,400. There were patches of empty seats in the upper levels, but passionate supporters made no shortage of noise trying to will their teams into the next round of college football's first 12-team playoff.
The game was tied at 3-all before Notre Dame scored 17 points in a span of 54 seconds.
The unusual sequence began with Mitch Jeter’s 48-yard field goal with 39 seconds left in first half.
Soon after, Georgia paid for a decision to attempt a drop-back pass from its own 25. RJ Oben’s blind-side sack caused Stockton to fumble at the 13, where Irish defensive lineman Junior Tuihalamaka recovered. Leonard found Beaux Collins over the middle for a touchdown on the next play for a 13-3 lead that stood at halftime.
By the time 15 seconds had elapsed in the third quarter, Notre Dame led 20-3.
Harrison took Georgia's second-half kickoff all the way to the end zone, slipping a tackle near the middle of the field, cutting toward the right sideline and outrunning everyone.
Georgia closed the gap to 20-10 when Stockton hit reserve running back Cash Jones for a 32-yard score before Jeter’s third field goal of the game gave the Irish their winning margin.
“Holding a team like that to 10 points, it’s a low amount, it’s pretty good,” safety Xavier Watts said. “Just really proud of the performance we put up.”
Takeaways
Notre Dame: With a dominant defense and the dual-threat nature of Leonard’s playmaking, the Irish look dangerous heading into the semifinals.
Georgia: A team trying to win big games without its starting QB can’t afford big mistakes, and missed opportunities doomed the Bulldogs and Smart, who will have to wait a year for another chance at his third national title.
Up next
Notre Dame: The Irish resume a series with the Nittany Lions that is currently even at 9-9-1.
Georgia: The 2025 season opener will be at home against Marshall on Aug. 30.
Ohio State: 2025 Rose Bowl Champions
PASADENA, Calif. -- — Second chances don’t come around often in life, Ohio State coach Ryan Day told his players in a team meeting before the Rose Bowl.
After a season in which they fell short at too many key moments, the Buckeyes all knew they had one of those second chances when they stepped onto this famous turf for another shot at the top-ranked, unbeaten Oregon Ducks.
Ohio State seized it with a vengeance.
Jeremiah Smith caught two of Will Howard’s three long touchdown passes during a sensational 34-point first half, and the No. 6 Buckeyes roared into the College Football Playoff semifinals with a 41-21 victory in the 111th Rose Bowl on Wednesday night.
“You can see the potential of where we’re at, when we play in all three phases the way we did,” Day said.
Howard passed for 319 yards, Emeka Egbuka also caught a long TD pass and TreVeyon Henderson made a 66-yard touchdown run in a redemptive Rose Bowl for the Buckeyes (12-2, CFP No. 8 seed), who lost a 32-31 heartbreaker to the Ducks in Eugene in October. Ohio State then lost to archrival Michigan in humiliating fashion to conclude a regular season in which its performances didn't always measure up to its formidable talent.
The inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff created a way for the Buckeyes to erase their mistakes — and from the opening minute in Pasadena, they took out every frustration on the outclassed Ducks.
“I think nobody has gone through more scrutiny than probably the team here," Egbuka said. "Five weeks ago, you know, people on the scene getting death threats, our head coach getting cussed out, people saying he should never come to Ohio again, all that type of stuff. And I’m sure by the end of (tonight), when you scroll Twitter, Instagram, everyone’s going to be singing our praises. We just know what to say true to in our building.”
Facing the tournament's No. 1 seed in the Granddaddy of Them All, the Buckeyes scored on six of their first seven drives — with four scoring plays longer than 40 yards — to take a 34-0 lead late in the second quarter on the nation’s only remaining unbeaten team.
Henderson's second TD run late in the third essentially put it away for Ohio State, which is headed to the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10 to face No. 4 Texas for a berth in the national title game. The Longhorns barely advanced earlier Wednesday, holding off Arizona State 39-31 in a double-overtime Peach Bowl.
“I’m proud of the resilience of these guys,” Day said. “Still got a lot of football ahead of us.”
Smith, the Buckeyes’ standout freshman playmaker, had a remarkable bowl debut with seven receptions for a season-high 187 yards — including five catches for 161 yards in the first half alone, hauling in scoring passes of 45 and 43 yards. Egbuka compared Smith favorably to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who had a record 347-yard, three-touchdown Rose Bowl performance three years ago.
“I would say legendary," Egbuka said. “I was able to witness Jaxon’s game in the Rose Bowl and the pure dominant performance that that was, but even though (Smith's) stats might not reflect the exact same thing that Jaxon has, I don’t think it was too far off in terms of dominance. He’s a very special talent, and I’m so excited to keep watching him grow.”
Dillon Gabriel passed for 299 yards and hit Traeshon Holden for two touchdowns for the Ducks (13-1, CFP No. 1 seed), whose dreams of their first national title were flattened on the famed Rose Bowl turf. Oregon's 14-game winning streak also ended.
“We really didn’t have the ability to stop them, and we didn’t have the ability to get something going for us on offense,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “We haven’t faced a lot of moments like this all year. (Ohio State) is an unbelievable team.”
Eleven days after routing Tennessee to open the Playoff, Ohio State dominated the Ducks. Along with the Buckeyes' offensive fireworks, the Ohio State defense that couldn’t sack Gabriel in the teams’ first meeting dropped the Heisman Trophy finalist eight times in the rematch.
The Big Ten champion Ducks failed to create any of the big plays that carried them to victory last time. Oregon also played without receiver Evan Stewart, who caught seven passes for 149 yards in the first meeting, but was ruled out of the Rose Bowl with a back injury.
“They brought the fight, and we got hit in the mouth,” Oregon receiver Tez Johnson said. “They won the game from the first snap.”
Following the usual pregame pageantry in Arroyo Seco's 70-degree sunshine, Ohio State needed just three plays and 49 seconds to strike first. Howard threw a short play-action screen pass to Smith, who motored through Oregon’s secondary for a 45-yard score.
On the Buckeyes’ third drive, Howard feathered an exceptional long pass over three Ducks to the sprinting Egbuka for a 42-yard TD. Howard finished the first quarter with a career-best 212 yards passing, surpassing his 160 yards against Tennessee.
Early in the second quarter, Smith got so open near the Ducks’ goal line that he had two seconds to settle under Howard’s long throw like an outfielder with a fly ball, scoring a 42-yard TD untouched.
When Henderson broke a 66-yard TD run down the Oregon sideline for a 31-0 lead, both sides of the Rose Bowl stands rippled with disbelief.
Oregon finally got moving on its final drive before halftime. Gabriel found Holden for a 5-yard TD pass at the gun to salvage something from its horrific half.
Takeaways
Ohio State: It was the Buckeyes' biggest margin of victory over a No. 1 team in school history. No doubt about it, they look like the best team still playing.
Oregon: Having 3 1/2 weeks off with their first-round bye proved to be dangerous. This disconcerting flop doesn't completely ruin a breakthrough Big Ten debut, but the season will always loom as a missed opportunity in Oregon history — and a good argument for changing the CFP rules to introduce reseeding between rounds.
Up next
Ohio State: The Cotton Bowl will be a preview of both teams’ 2025 season opener, with Texas visiting Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30.
Oregon: The 2025 season opener is at home against Montana State, which faces North Dakota State in the FCS title game Monday night.
Texas: 2025 Peach Bowl Champions
ATLANTA -- — With Arizona State one play away from pulling off a comeback for the ages in the College Football Playoff, Quinn Ewers delivered a throw to Matthew Golden that saved the season for Texas.
Then it was left to Andrew Mukuba to finish off Cam Skattebo and the gritty Sun Devils.
If the Longhorns go on to win the national championship, they’ll long remember how they kept their hopes alive in this Peach Bowl quarterfinal classic.
Ewers passed 28 yards to Golden for a touchdown on fourth-and-13 to force a second overtime, and Mukuba's interception clinched a 39-31 victory after Texas squandered a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter and missed two field goal attempts that could've won it in regulation.
“The one thing that I know about our group is when our backs are against the wall and when our best is needed, our best shows up time and time again,” coach Steve Sarkisian said. “The resiliency that these guys showed today was something that as a coach makes you really proud.”
Skattebo put No. 10 Arizona State ahead for the first time all day with a 3-yard touchdown run to start overtime against No. 4 Texas, the capper on a brilliant performance that wasn't quite enough to knock off the Longhorns.
The Sun Devils — a two-touchdown underdog, according to Sportsbook — had the game in their grasp before Ewers spotted Golden breaking free behind two defenders to haul in the tying score.
“That's just a testament to how mature this team is and just taking advantage of every single opportunity that we have,” Ewers said.
After moving to the opposite end of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Ewers threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Gunnar Helm on the very next play, followed by a 2-point conversion pass to Golden.
The Longhorns (13-2) finally put Arizona State (11-3) away when Mukuba picked off Sam Leavitt’s pass at the 3 to end the game.
“We gave everything we had,” Skattebo said. “We never stopped.”
After a bunch of lopsided results through the first five games of the expanded 12-team playoff, the format finally produced the sort of thrilling game that supporters envisioned.
It sends Texas back to its home state for a Cotton Bowl semifinal against No. 6 Ohio State, which routed No. 1 Oregon 41-21 in the Rose Bowl.
Despite being dominated on the stat sheet most of the game, the Longhorns had a seemingly comfortable 24-8 lead after scoring two early touchdowns and getting a 5-yard scoring run from Ewers with just over 10 minutes remaining.
But Skattebo and the Sun Devils were just getting warmed up.
The running back who calls himself the best in the nation, Skattebo backed up his bravado by displaying every facet of his all-around game.
First, he took a pitch on fourth-and-2 and heaved a 42-yard touchdown pass to Malik McClain that gave the Sun Devils a chance when they made the 2-point conversion.
Then, Skattebo broke loose down the sideline and hauled in a 62-yard throw from Leavitt — getting his helmet ripped off at the end of the play, which seemed like the only way to bring him down.
That set up a 2-yard touchdown run by the bowling ball of a back, and it was only appropriate that Skattebo also powered in for the 2-point conversion that tied the game at 24 with 5 minutes remaining.
Texas had a pair of chances to win in regulation, but Bert Auburn was wide right on a 48-yard field goal attempt and clanked one off the left upright from 38 yards away as time expired.
“We weren’t at our best and it felt like an NCAA March Madness basketball game with the swings of emotions and things,” Sarkisian said. “I'm just proud of these guys because not every game is going to be pretty and not every game is just going to go exactly how you want it to go.”
In the final minute of the third quarter, Texas led 17-8 even though Arizona State had a commanding 303-128 lead in total yards and had held the ball nearly three times longer than the Longhorns, 32:49 to 11:30.
Arizona State finished with 510 yards to 375 for the Longhorns.
Despite vomiting on the sideline before the start of the fourth quarter, Skattebo rushed for 143 yards, made eight catches for another 99 yards and, of course, had that one big completion.
It wasn’t quite enough.
Ewers threw for 322 yards, with Golden making seven receptions for 149 yards.
Early fireworks
After Arizona State drove for a field goal on the opening possession, Texas needed only two plays to claim the lead.
Ewers hooked up with Golden on a 54-yard play, then went to DeAndre Moore Jr. for a 23-yard scoring pass.
Both times, the Longhorns went after Montana Warren, starting in place of Shamari Simmons with the Sun Devils star forced to sit out the first half after being penalized for targeting in the Big 12 championship game.
Arizona State then went three-and-out and Silas Bolden returned the punt 75 yards for another Texas touchdown. Having taken just two snaps, the Longhorns had a 14-3 lead.
But any thoughts of another CFP blowout faded as Texas struggled to finish off the Sun Devils, one of the nation’s most surprising teams after going 3-9 a year ago and remaining largely unnoticed until late this season.
The takeaway
Texas: It wasn’t pretty, but Sarkisian was correct to give the Longhorns points for resiliency. This also provides the coaching staff with plenty of teaching tools, because it’s hard to see Texas winning two more games — and a national championship — without significant improvement.
Arizona State: The Sun Devils will regret all the chances they squandered before the fourth quarter. Three times, they were stopped on fourth down in Texas territory. The Longhorns also blocked a 36-yard field goal attempt just before the end of the first half. But this was a performance that is sure to boost ASU’s profile nationwide and give coach Kenny Dillingham’s program a sense that it does belong among the nation’s elite.
Up next
Texas: The Longhorns will face Ohio State for the first time since the 2009 Fiesta Bowl, when Texas prevailed 24-21. The Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10 will make the fourth meeting overall between the powerhouse programs, with Texas holding a 2-1 lead in the series.
Arizona State: Will look to build on its remarkable turnaround, beginning with the 2025 season opener hosting Northern Arizona on Aug. 30.
LSU: 2024 Texas Bowl Champions
HOUSTON -- — Garrett Nussmeier threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns as LSU beat Baylor 44-31 in the Texas Bowl on Tuesday.
Nussmeier, who finished 24 of 34, tossed scoring passes of 10 yards and 1 yard to Trey’Dez Green and 41 yards to Chris Hilton Jr. in the first half as LSU (9-4) built a 34-17 halftime lead.
Nussmeier said the win gives LSU a “confidence boost” heading into next year.
“It’s definitely a good feeling to end the season with a win,” said Nussmeier, selected the game’s MVP. “It’s definitely something that we were looking forward to doing. It was one of our goals. Coach (Brian) Kelly said before the game that this is the start of 2025, so we wanted to make a statement. We talked about having that killer instinct.”
Hilton caught four passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. Aaron Anderson had eight receptions for 91 yards for the Tigers, who finished the season with a three-game winning streak. LSU has won three straight bowl games.
Kelly was pleased with how the Tigers wrapped up 2024.
“I know cynics would say it’s disappointing,” he said. “It wasn’t disappointing. It was a team that was less than perfect because of inexperience. A team that gained experience. … To win nine games and win three in a row at the end, I’m just happy for our football team.”
Sawyer Robertson was 30 of 51 for a career-high 445 yards and two touchdowns for the Bears (8-5), who had their six-game winning streak snapped.
“I thought he battled,” Baylor coach Dave Aranda said. “I thought he was able to put balls where they needed to be. … I thought he was patient under pressure, he stepped up in the pocket. He took some hits, got back up and rallied the troops. I think the best for him is yet to come.”
Dawson Pendergrass rushed for 63 yards and two touchdowns, and Josh Cameron caught eight passes for 111 yards and a TD.
“I think with this game it’s just way too many mistakes,” Aranda said. “Just so unfortunate. Hasn’t been a game like this in a while. We’ve played complementary football and this is not that. I think you take away just one of the mistakes that we had, and then we’re going to go win the game at the end of the game.”
Baylor closed to 34-24 on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Robertson to Ashtyn Hawkins with six minutes left in the third quarter, and after Garmon Randolph intercepted Nussmeier to give the Bears the ball on the LSU 26, Baylor had a chance to cut into the lead further.
However, on 4th-and-1 from the LSU 17, the snap went over Robertson’s head for a loss of 36 yards, and LSU capitalized on the mistake with Josh Williams scoring on a 4-yard touchdown run to start the fourth period.
Takeaways
Baylor: The offense, which entered averaging 434.5 yards per game this season, finished with 507. But the defense had trouble slowing down LSU, which gained 418 yards.
LSU: The Tigers scored in all three phases. Davhon Keys returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown midway through the first quarter, and Zavion Thomas brought back a kickoff 95 yards for a score with 1 1/2 minutes left in the first half.
Up next
Baylor hosts Auburn on Aug. 30 to open next season. LSU visits Clemson that same day.
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