The Wake Forest Demon Deacons defeated the Mississippi State Bulldogs 43-29 in the Duke's Mayo Bowl after a highly dramatic fourth quarter that saw Robby Ashford score the go-ahead-for-good touchdown on a 1-yard goal-line run and then throw a 62-yard cover-all-spreads TD pass to Ty Clark III to leave no doubt.
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.
West Virginia coach Neal Brown got a bath of mayonnaise after his team beat North Carolina 30-10 in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
Brown became the latest victim — for lack of a better term — of the now-traditional mayo bath for the winning coach of the game.
Mountaineers QB Garrett Greene was 12-of-24 passing for 228 yards and a TD and also rushed nine times for 64 yards thanks to a 48-yard carry. Greene’s TD came on the first play of the game as he found Traylon Ray for a 75-yard TD pass on play-action.
West Virginia shut out North Carolina in the second half as the Tar Heels played the game without Drake Maye. The junior QB opted out of the game to prepare for the NFL draft. Maye is a potential No. 1 pick in April.
Conner Harrell started in his place and was 18-of-27 passing for 199 yards and a TD and two interceptions.
The win means West Virginia finishes the season 9-4 and wins nine games in a season for the first time since 2016. It’s a massive accomplishment for Brown and the team after he entered the season in danger of losing his job if West Virginia didn’t have a good season.
Brown was entering his fifth season in 2023 and the team hadn’t won more than six games in any of his first four seasons at the school. West Virginia went 5-7 in 2022 after a 6-7 campaign in 2021.
CHARLOTTE, NC -- Maryland came out on top in a defensive battle in Bank of America Stadium on Friday afternoon, besting No. 23 NC State 16-12 to win the Duke's Mayo Bowl. The Terps won bowl games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since winning the Peach Bowl after the 2002 season and Gator Bowl following the 2003 season.
Neither team had much luck finding the end zone as both defenses shined and the teams combined for seven field goal makes. The Terps notched the lone touchdown of the day as Octavian Smith Jr. made a terrific leaping catch in the corner of the end zone — a 19-yard score that proved to be the difference in the game.
The Wolfpack got the ball down 16-12 with 2:34 remaining, but, as they did all game, the Maryland defense came up big when needed as Jakorian Bennett, playing in his final game as a Terp, ripped the ball away from a NC State receiver to secure an interception and the victory. Bennett was named the game's MVP.
Kicker Chad Ryland connected on three field goals, coming from 45, 42 and 33 yards. It was the seventh time in his career he made three or more field goals in a game.
After his 221-yard day on 19-of-37, quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa now holds every major passing record in Maryland football history as he set the school record for total touchdowns (59) and passing completions (665) in a career.
Tai Felton posted career-highs in receptions (four) and receiving yards (69). Jeshaun Jones had four catches for 79 yards while Smith Jr. snagged three balls and totaled 34 yards. Corey Dyches capped off his impressive season with a four-catch, 45-receiving yard day.
The Terps' defense was stout, limiting NC State to 296 overall yards, and just 27 rushing yards. The Wolfpack had just 93 yards in the second half. Maryland held the Wolfpack to just 5-of-18 on third-down conversions. Beau Brade led the Terps with seven tackles.
NC State was only able to muster four field goals. The last time the Terps held an opponent without a touchdown in a bowl game was the 2002 Peach Bowl, when Maryland beat Tennessee, 30-3.
The win brought the Terps to an 8-5 final record, marking the first time Maryland won eight games in a season since 2010. The Wolfpack also finished 8-5.
Breaking Down The Action
Billy Edwards Jr. led the Terps down the field on the game's opening drive, but the Wolfpack came up with a goal-line stand on fourth down. The Maryland defense came up with a strong response as Fa'Najae Gotay came up with his first-career interception on a deflected ball to give the Terps the ball back at the NC State 23-yard line.
NC State got on the board first with a 38-yard field goal after a Tagovailoa interception in the end zone.
The Terps tied it up on the ensuing drive as Chad Ryland, playing in his final game as a Terp, connected on a 42-yarder. The drive was keyed by a 41-yard kickoff return from Octavian Smith Jr., followed by a Tagovailoa scramble for 25 yards.
Maryland took a 10-3 lead with 8:07 remaining in the half as Octavian Smith Jr. came up with a beautiful grab on a fade route in the back corner of the end zone.
On the ensuing drive, the Wolfpack drove down the field, but the Terps forced three consecutive incompletions from the two yard line to hold them to a field goal. NC State added a second field goal just before halftime as the Terps went into the locker room up 10-9.
A 33-yard field goal from Ryland was the only scoring in the third quarter and Maryland led 13-9 entering the final 15 minutes of play.
The Wolfpack added a field goal to cut the deficit to one, but Maryland responded with a long drive resulting in another kick through the uprights for Ryland, pushing it back to a 16-12 lead that would hold for the rest of the game.
Taulia The Record Setter
Coming into today's game, Tagovailoa needed just five completions and one touchdown to officially hold every major passing record in Maryland history.
With a 26-yard completion to Tai Felton in the second quarter, he broke the school record for completions (surpassing Scott Milanovich's former mark of 650 completions).
He set the total touchdown record midway through the second quarter when he connected with Octavian Smith Jr. for a 19-yard touchdown, giving him 59 overall.
Now, Tagovailoa stands as the Terps all-time leader in passing yards (7,879), passing touchdowns (51), total touchdowns (59), completion percentage (68%), , total offense (8,067) and completions (670).
Single-season wise, Tagovailoa went over 3,000 passing yards in the season on a 30-yard completion to Corey Dyches. He's the first Terp to have two seasons of 3,000 or more yards with 3,860 last season.
You Can't Spell Maryland without Ryland
Kicker Chad Ryland, the top NFL Draft kicking prospect, connected on three field goals for the second time in as many games and seventh time in his career. The first five came during his time at Eastern Michigan.
He finished his lone season as a Terrapin making 19-of-23.
He made his last 10 field goals in a row.
Terps' Bowl History
The Duke's Mayo Bowl is Maryland's 29th bowl appearance all-time as the Terps are now 13-14-2 in bowl games.
This was the Terps' second consecutive bowl win, with the previous one coming last season when Maryland defeated Virginia Tech 54-10 in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl behind 481 yards of total offense. It marked the first time the Terps won back-to-back bowl games since 2002-03. Maryland won the 2002 Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl 30-3 over Tennessee on Dec. 31, 2002 and the 2004 Toyota Gator Bowl, 41-7 over West Virginia on Jan. 1, 2004.
The Duke's Mayo Bowl marked the third-straight bowl game against an ACC team (2016, Boston College).
Series History
Coming into the game, the series between the Terps and the Wolfpack was deadlocked at 33 wins apiece with four ties.
Now, the Terps hold a 34-33-4 advantage through 71 total meetings. The 71 matchups are the most previous meetings in any bowl matchup since the 2016 Poinsettia Bowl between Wyoming and BYU (77).
Beating Ranked Teams
In beating No. 23 NC State, the Terps won their first game over a ranked team since beating No. 21 Syracuse, 63-20, on Sept. 7, 2019.
Non-Conference Coasting
The Terps are now 10-1 in non-conference games under Locksley and have won seven straight non-conference games.
Streaks Extended
Spencer Anderson started on the offensive line in his final game as a Terp, bringing his consecutive number of starts to 31.
The safety duo of Beau Brade and Dante Trader Jr. started all 13 games this season.
Corey Dyches extended his number of consecutive games with a catch to 14.
The Terps have won the past 19 games where they've led after the third quarter.
Notes and Nuggets
The Terps used two quarterbacks in the game with Billy Edwards Jr., drawing the start, his third of the season. Edwards also started against Northwestern (Oct. 22) and Wisconsin (Nov. 5) this season, his first with the Terps.
Edwards' 45-yard pass to Jones, on the first reception of the game, was the 16th Maryland offensive play of more than 40 yards this season.
Jakorian Bennett had his second interception of the season and fifth of his career. He now 28 pass break-ups over the last two seasons, the most in FBS.
Smith Jr.'s touchdown in the second quarter was the second of his career - with both coming in Charlotte as he also scored for the first time in the Terps' game at Charlotte on Sept. 10.
Gotay had the first interception of his career, playing in his 29th career game.
Colton Spangler tied his career-long with a 63-yard punt and had his 13th punt of 50 yards or longer with a boomer in the third quarter.
Joseph Bearns and Smith Jr. both made their first career starts.
The seven combined field goals from both sides set the Duke's Mayo Bowl record for most in a game.
Several players donned new numbers for the game, Corey Coley Jr., wore No. 3; Shaleak Knotts wore No. 5 and Tai Felton in No. 7.
South Carolina coach Shane Beamer had a big day on Thursday, and he concluded it by torching a reporter on social media.
CBS Sports college football writer Dennis Dodd sent a critical tweet Thursday in which he suggested that there were too many irrelevant bowl games, and the schedule needed to be scaled back. To back his assertion, Dodd cited Beamer getting a mayonnaise bath after his Gamecocks won the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
Beamer took notice of Dodd’s take and responded by calling out the “miserable” reporter, complete with a reminder of how wrong Dodd had been about this year’s South Carolina team.
It is not common that you see a player or coach call out a media figure that brutally. Beamer has not gone as far as one athlete-media member rivalry has, but this is still pretty stinging.
Beamer has a point, by the way. The Gamecocks finished 7-6, and the bowl game victory seemed quite sweet to everyone involved.
The first ever Duke’s Mayo Bowl, at least the first sponsored by the mayonnaise brand, was a wild ride. Wisconsin ultimately came out unscathed with a 42-28 victory over ACC opponent Wake Forest. A 28-14 second half margin in favor of UW, four second half interceptions by Demon Deacon QB Sam Hartman, and taking care of the football ultimately propelled Paul Chryst to a victory bath of “mayonnaise” that was definitely just water or clear Gatorade.
The pace of play was the story coming in, with Wake Forest wanting to speed things up against a methodical Wisconsin squad. Early on, the Deacs controlled the pace, and on their first two drives of the game used third down conversions to score in just 3:39 and 1:59 respectively. Hartman looked like the QB that had only thrown one interception all year long. He found junior Jaquarii Roberson for a pair of touchdowns in the first quarter.
Wisconsin’s defense was uncharacteristic early, allowing long third-down conversions and looking like a secondary that was ready to be torched all afternoon long. All of a sudden, Wisconsin was down 14-0 after the first quarter and reeling.
A long, Wisconsin-like drive got the Badgers back to feeling like themselves. A drive that lasted over six minutes ended shortly after the second quarter began with a John Chenal 2-yard TD run to make cut the Wake Forest lead in half. A fitting fullback-led end to a vintage Badger scoring drive.
Graham Mertz once again looked comfortably under center on the late first/early second quarter drive, and had his best series since week one at home against Illinois.
From there, Wake Forest mistakes and lockdown Badger defense gave Wisconsin control. A blocked punt late in the first half by Jaylan Franklin set up a game-tying Badger QB sneak TD by Mertz. The score was knotted at 14 headed to the break.
A quick Wake Forest TD saw Hartman looking like himself to begin the third quarter. Then disaster struck for the sophomore. The next six Wake Forest drives? Two turnover’s on downs and four, yes four, Hartman interceptions. Not only did the Wake Forest signal caller make critical mistakes on the turnovers, he missed numerous big plays by underthrowing his receivers deep.
With the interceptions, the credit to Wisconsin and blame on Hartman is a mixed bag, but there is no questioning the activity of the Badger LB’s in the second half. Duke’s Mayo Bowl MVP Jack Sanborn was everywhere, and led a key 4th down stop near midfield in the third quarter. He finished with a team-high 11 tackles, and came up with an interception.
The Wisconsin offense cashed in on excellent field position in the final 30 minutes. The Badgers had 176 return yards off of their four interceptions compared to just 144 passing yards all afternoon long. Despite Chase Wolf throwing an interception after strangely coming in for the final drive of the half, Mertz valued the ball and finished with a zero in the turnover column.
Six second half Wake Forest turnovers, three of which set up Wisconsin in the red zone, allowed the Badgers to score 28 points in the final 30 minutes. The Badgers capitalized on Demon Deacon mistakes and took home a 42-28 win.
Wisconsin improved to 4-3 to close out this strange 2020 season, while Wake Forest dropped to 4-5. Momentum is on the Badgers’ side headed into a 2021 year where expectations will be rightfully high in Madison.