Illinois: 2025 Music City Bowl Champions

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — David Olano kicked a 29-yard field goal as time expired, and Illinois beat Tennessee 30-28 Tuesday night in the Music City Bowl.

Missouri: 2024 Music City Bowl Champions

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — This season, Missouri has relied on setting the tone offensively with its run game. But quarterback Brady Cook broke that norm and made the Music City Bowl his own Monday at Nissan Stadium.

The three-year starter completed 18 of 32 passes for a season-high 287 yards and two touchdowns and added 54 yards on 14 carries in the Tigers’ 27-24 win over Iowa.

It was the second-most yards passing in a game this season for Mizzou. Cook and backup Drew Pyne combined for 310 yards in the season opener against Murray State.

Cook was named the Music City Bowl MVP for his performance against the Hawkeyes. It was the feather in the cap of a storied collegiate career for the fifth-year senior from St. Louis, who finished his MU career with 9,876 all-purpose yards — the third-most in program history — and 8,721 passing yards, the fourth-most in program history.

Cook’s 54 rushing yards paced the Tigers, who finished with just 89 yards on the ground. It was the third time this season MU failed to crack triple digits rushing, the others coming in the loss to Texas A&M (68 yards) and the win over Auburn (81 yards).

“Getting that 10th win, leaving our legacy and going out with a win, going out winning a championship, no matter what the championship it is, we’ve won a championship today,” Cook said. “And that’s what we want to do every single year.”

Mizzou finished the season with three straight victories, helping the program to back-to-back double-digit-win seasons. Coach Eli Drinkwitz said the reason the streak stayed alive was because of the seniors.

“When these guys showed up, it wasn’t this way,” he said. “It was really, really tough. And then, there was people leaving left and right, and I’m sure these guys had doubts. But they stayed, and they fought shoulder to shoulder every day to get to where we’re at. And the underclassmen, they now know what it looks like, but they owe it to them every single day to keep fighting for the legacy that these guys built.”

Monday’s result was full-circle for the Tigers, who lost 27-24 to Iowa the last time the teams played — Dec. 28, 2010, in the Insight Bowl.

Mizzou improved to 10-1 in one-score games in the last two seasons, the only loss a 34-30 road defeat to South Carolina on Nov. 16.

“I think (it stems from a) belief in each other, belief in what we’re doing,” Drinkwitz said. “We prepare really hard for these moments. We truly believe in our elite edge. We truly believe we’re faster, stronger, tougher than you in the fourth quarter. I think there’s a big belief.”

Craig sets Music City Bowl record then breaks it again

Cook was the MVP of the game, but the Tigers’ kicker came up big in the victory.

Both of Blake Craig’s field goals against the Hawkeyes broke the Music City Bowl record for longest field goal. His 51-yarder with 10:10 left in the fourth quarter surpassed the 49-yarder booted by Maryland’s Jack Howes last year and tied the game at 24. Then, Craig broke his own record with a 56-yarder that gave the Tigers the lead with 4:36 remaining.

Craig ended his first season as MU’s starting kicker 24-for-34 on field goals. He went 7-for-8 from 20-29 yards, 10-for-10 from 30-39 yards, 1-for-7 from 40-49 yards and 6-for-9 from 50-plus yards.

When asked what goes through his mind before high-stakes kicks, Craig replied, “I’m going to be completely honest: I black out when I go out for kicks.”

“That explains a lot,” Drinkwitz jokingly responded.

“Before the kick,” Craig continued, “I’m thinking about all the seniors and everything like that. I’m ready to do what I do for them, especially this scenario, their last game.”

Wilderness brotherhood, finishers, team culture

Each year, Mizzou seems to have a mantra for its bowl game. Last year in the Cotton Bowl, it was all about a wilderness brotherhood. This year, Drinkwitz’s team adopted the idea of being a finisher.

When words seem to fail to describe the way the Tigers’ season turned out, Drinkwitz can find the perfect phrases. His latest came from a quote by philosopher and poet Henry David Thoreau.

”All endeavor calls for the ability to tramp the last mile, shape the last plan, endure the last hours toil. The fight to the finish spirit is the one characteristic we must posses if we are to face the future as finishers.”

“It’s just something (that) I think speaks to us,” Drinkwitz said. “There’s a lot of people to start things in life if they don’t finish, and if you’re going to be a person of significance, if you’re going to be the best at whatever you do, you’ve got to have a finisher’s fight-to-the-finish spirit. ... I just felt like (for) these seniors that have come this far, we just needed to finish. We needed to finish. And that’s what they did for four quarters today.”

It’s a mindset that has embedded itself in the MU locker room and in the practices leading up to games, Drinkwitz said. He’s brought it onto the field, and it’s been motivation that helped push players past their limits and in the final moments of a game.

Drinkwitz recalled a conversation he had with Cook after he took a big hit from Iowa defensive back Xavier Nwankpa with a minute left in the first quarter. After Cook had his head down on the field for a moment, the mentor had another push for his veteran signal-caller in his last game as a Tiger.

“There was one point where you could tell it looked like they were roll tackling pretty good, and it looked like his ankle started bothering him,” Drinkwitz said. “But I just kept telling him, ‘You’re a finisher, man. You’re a finisher. You’ve gotta finish.’”

And finish the seniors did, some members of Drinkwitz’s first signing class at Mizzou. Their legacy may outstretch their own names, however, as Drinkwitz and players have consistently said in the weeks leading up to the bowl game.

“I hope we left behind a great brotherhood,” redshirt senior defensive end Johnny Walker Jr. said. “Years before, to be real, it was toxic. We had to get rid of those players. But now, I just hope the guys know what a team is and team success.”

Maryland: 2023 Music City Bowl Champions

 NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Auburn football came into the Music City Bowl with momentum.

The Tigers are a little more than a week removed from signing 18 scholarship recruits in the Class of 2024, a haul that currently ranks No. 7 in the country and is good for a team score from 247Sports of 282.19, the second-best mark in program history in the modern recruiting era.

But that off-field energy didn't translate to on-field production, as the Tigers fell behind early against Maryland (8-5) in Nissan Stadium on Saturday and could never recover from the 21-point hole they put themselves in, losing 31-13, to end coach Hugh Freeze's first year on the Plains with three straight losses.

Auburn (6-7) has finished with a record under .500 for three consecutive seasons, which is the first time that's happened since it went a combined 11-20-2 from 1975-77.

By the numbers: A horrific 1Q for Auburn football

By the end of the first frame, the Terrapins were on pace for more than 1,000 yards of offense.

Maryland totaled 226 yards in the first quarter to Auburn's 42, and coach Mike Locksley's team averaged 11.9 yards per play on 19 snaps. Quarterback Payton Thorne completed just two of his seven throws during the game's first 15 minutes, and Auburn's third-leading rusher was punter Oscar Chapman, who picked up 10 yards and a first down and a fake.

New-look secondary struggles

Much of Maryland's early flurry of production came through the air, as both of its QBs — starter Billy Edwards Jr. and reserve Cam Edge — were a combined 9-for-16 at halftime for 201 yards and two touchdowns. The Terrapins hit Auburn with six completions of fifteen or more yards in the first couple of quarters, including a 61-yard screen on the opening possession to set them up for their first score.

Edwards and Edge, playing in place of the opted-out Taulia Tagovailoa, sliced up an Auburn secondary that was severely shorthanded, as starting cornerbacks DJ James and Nehemiah Pritchett both opted out of the game. Jaylin Simpson, who Freeze said Dec. 16 was nursing a hamstring injury, didn't play, either.

Rivaldo Fairweather caps impressive season

Tight end Rivaldo Fairweather finished with five catches for 45 yards, giving him a season total of 48 catches and 394 yards. The former is a new single-season record for an Auburn TE, and the latter places him 19 yards short of John Samuel Shenker's record (413).

Iowa: 2022 Music City Bowl Champions

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The University of Iowa football team defeated Kentucky, 21-0, at the TransPerfect Music City Bowl at Nissan Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Redshirt freshman Joe Labas was 14-for-24 for 139 yards and a touchdown in his first career start for the Hawkeyes.

Senior tight end Sam LaPorta had 5 receptions for 56 yards, and sophomore Luke Lachey had 3 catches for 36 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, senior linebacker Jack Campbell had 10 tackles (8 solo) and a sack. Freshman Xavier Nwankpa had 8 tackles (7 solo) and an interception returned for a touchdown. Sophomore Cooper DeJean also had an interception returned for a touchdown.

QUOTING COACH FERENTZ

“Just really happy for our guys. Especially our seniors. What a way to send them off. It’s been a great group, and I can’t thank them enough for all they’ve done.

Each and every one of these guys has really embodied what it means to be a Hawkeye. You talk about the guys that are seniors, the senior captains, or a kid like Tommy Hartlieb, Dallas Craddieth, you know, big tackle on special teams. Just a really special group.

Bowl games are a little bittersweet because of that. You have to say goodbye to those guys, but just couldn’t be more proud.

Then the other aspect obviously a chance for some younger players to step up and do some things. You know, one of the fun things with keep coaching about a goal game, you watch younger guys develop and grow. Saw a lot of that during the course of this past four weeks.

You know, coincidentally Jaz Patterson took it there at the end and had a couple of good runs. He is a young guy who just quietly has been grabbing opportunities and doing a great job.

You talk about Cooper. Obviously, he had a great game. Joe Labas might be as valuable as Cooper just in the fact that he didn’t make any critical mistakes out there, and that’s easier said than done. You know, just proud of the way he handled things and got thrown into it pretty suddenly.

So, you know, just happy about the younger guys’ development. Obviously, we have a big leadership void. I think as much as anything I think this group of seniors, the contributions they’ve made leadership-wise just invaluable. Just happy about everything on that front.”

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Hawkeyes opened the scoring with 12:08 remaining in the second quarter. Back-to-back completions from Joe Labas to Sam LaPorta and Luke Lachey was all it took for Iowa to find the endzone. The Hawkeyes went 42 yards on the two completions with Lachey scoring on a 15-yard reception.

On the first play of Kentucky’s next drive freshman Xavier Nwankpa recorded his first career interception and took it 52-yards for the Hawkeye score.

With Kentucky backed up on the seven-yard line Cooper DeJean intercepted a pass and returned it 14 yards for Iowa’s second pick six of the game with 1:36 remaining in the first half.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

DB Cooper DeJean was named the TransPerfect Music City Bowl MVP after tallying seven tackles, one TFL, one pass breakup and returning a 14-yard interception for a pick six. He also made numerous plays on special teams.

DeJean’s 14-yard pick six in the second quarter gave Iowa a 21-0 lead. It was his third pick six this season.

The three interception returns for touchdowns sets a single season program record.

The three pick 6s also tie a career school record along with Tom Knight, Desmond King and Riley Moss.

DB Xavier Nwankpa had a 52-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter to give Iowa a 14-0 lead. It is his first career interception and first career touchdown.

Nwankpa also had a career-high eight tackles and one pass breakup.

They were Iowa’s third and fourth career pick six all-time in a bowl game along with Micah Hyde (72 yards vs. Missouri in 2010 Insight Bowl) and Nick Niemann (25 vs. USC in 2019 Holiday Bowl).

LB Jack Campbell finished with a game high 10 tackles, including one sack and two TFL. It is Campbell’s eighth game this season with 10 or more stops.

Campbell finished the season with 128 tackles, the 23rd-most in a single season in program history.

He closes out his career with 305 tackles to rank 19th all-time in the record books.

P Tory Taylor tied an Iowa bowl record with eight punts for 386 yards (48.3 avg.). Four of his punts pinned the Wildcats inside the 10 and two at the 15.

He tied Nick Gallery (1993 Alamo) and Jason Baker (1997 Sun).

Taylor finished the season with 82 punts for 3,766 yards – a school record yardage total. It is the second straight year Taylor has broken the school record.

QB Joe Labas made his first career start and saw his first collegiate action. He finished the game 14-of-24 for 139 yards and one touchdown – the first of his career.  He also rushed four times for 11 yards.

TE Luke Lachey had a 15-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter to give Iowa a 7-0 lead. It is his fourth touchdown reception of the season (and his career).

TE Sam LaPorta had a team-best five receptions for 56 yards. He finishes his career with 153 receptions for 1,786 yards, ranking first in school history in career receptions amongst tight ends and second in career receiving yards.

Nwankpa made his first career start at strong safety. He is the first true freshman to start on defense since Dane Belton and Jack Campbell in 2019.

MISCELLANEOUS 

Iowa posted the first shutout in TransPerfect Music City Bowl history in the 21-0 victory over Kentucky.

It is the team’s second shutout of the season (Nevada) – the most by the program since 2019.

It is the first shutout of the 2022 bowl season and the first by a Big Ten team in a bowl game since Penn State in 1999.

It is the program’s second shutout all-time in a bowl game (1996 Alamo Bowl vs. Texas Tech – 26-0).

Iowa allowed 10 or fewer points in nine games during the 2022 season, the most for the program since 1903.

The Hawkeye defense allowed 185 yards against Kentucky. It is the sixth game this season the defense has surrendered fewer than 200 yards.

Iowa’s defense forced its 22nd and 23rd turnovers in the game (8 fumbles, 15 interceptions). The defense turned them into 14 points in the game.  Iowa scored 66 defensive points this season.

Iowa won the toss and elected to defer; Kentucky will receive. The Hawkeyes have played 301 games under head coach Kirk Ferentz. Iowa has opened the game on offense 220 times (140-80). The Hawkeyes have opened the game on defense 81 times (46-35).

UP NEXT

The Hawkeyes open the 2023 season, hosting Utah State on Sept. 2 at Kinnick Stadium.

Purdue: 2021 Music City Bowl Champions

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- — Purdue came into the Music City Bowl short-handed and banged-up, particularly at wide receiver.

The Boilermakers are going home winners after a game that had people clicking over to catch an amazing finish.

Mitchell Fineran kicked a 39-yard field goal in overtime and Purdue finished off its best season since 2003 by overcoming a 14-point deficit and beating Tennessee 48-45 on Thursday in a record-setting Music City Bowl.

Purdue's Aidan O'Connell threw for 534 yards and five touchdowns with three interceptions. He couldn't explain the final five minutes of regulation as the teams combined to score four TDs — two apiece.

"It's why you love the game, it's why it keeps bringing you back," O'Connell said. "The fact it's unknown. No one knows what's going to happen. It's not a movie or TV show where the actors get retries. It seems like the world's watching and anything could happen."

Purdue (9-4) tied for the second-most wins in program history as only the 12th team in the Boilermakers' 134-year history to win nine games. They also won their fifth game away from home, something they hadn't done since 1943.

"We found a way to just barely win," Purdue coach Jeff Brohm said.

Tennessee (7-6) missed a chance to make Josh Heupel the first Vols coach to cap his debut season with a bowl win since Bill Battle won the 1971 Sugar Bowl. The Vols also snapped a four-game bowl victory streak with a loss that dropped the Southeastern Conference to 1-5 this bowl season.

The teams combined for 1,293 yards of total offense — second-most in overall bowl history, trailing only the 1,397 yards Baylor and Washington had in the 2011 Alamo Bowl. Tennessee became the 10th team in bowl game history to run 100 or more plays, and the combined 185 plays rank seventh.

This high-scoring game featured a flurry of big plays and points in the final five minutes only to see Purdue's defense make the deciding play.

On the first possession of overtime, Jamar Brown and Kieren Douglas stopped Vols running back Jaylen Wright short on fourth-and-goal. The stop was upheld on review for Wright's forward progress being stopped despite Wright reaching the ball over the goal line before the whistle without a knee touching the ground while laying on top of Douglas.

"I love these guys," Heupel said. "They fight, they scratch, they claw and they compete. We came up a play short."

Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker watched the replay on the large video board and was excited.

"I thought we scored, but you know it's a tough call," Hooker said. "Feels like me and my teammates gave it our all.

After Purdue ran three plays, Fineran sealed the victory with his fourth field goal of the game, sending the Boilermakers running down the field in celebration after what Brohm called a "a crazy game."

"It really picked up there at the end," Brohm said.

The Vols had a final chance to win in regulation, but Chase McGrath's 56 yard field goal fell well short.

Tennessee finished with 639 yards total offense and Purdue had 623 in regulation — both bowl records before overtime. O'Connell easily set the yards passing record, well above the 383 Mike Glennon had with N.C. State.

Purdue came in without a pair of All-Americans in defensive end George Karlaftis and wide receiver David Bell, both prepping for the NFL draft, with a receiving corps further thinned by injuries. Broc Thompson, who needs offseason surgery on both knees, filled in with seven catches for a game-high 217 yards and two TDs.

The Boilermakers had a chance to keep this finish from being quite so exciting. But they settled for three field goals in the second quarter and only led 23-21 at halftime. Tennessee led 31-30 after the third.

Hooker finished with 378 yards passing. Tillman had three touchdowns on seven receptions for 150 yards, and Jabari Small ran for 180 yards. Small wasn't available in overtime with Heupel saying he was fighting "some things" all through the game.

THE TAKEAWAYS

Tennessee: The Vols set a single-season record with 511 points, topping the 484 scored in 12 games in 1993. ... The Vols brought out a record crowd of 69,489 topping the previous mark of 69,143 set in 2010 when Tennessee also played in this bowl.

Purdue: Brohm said his Boilermakers had a lot of wide receivers, and they tapped that depth in this game. O'Connell spread the ball around connecting with nine receivers.

PENALTY ISSUES

The Vols were flagged 14 times for 128 yards.

"End of the day you can't control when they yellow hankies come out," Heupel said. "There's some things I don't agree with. Yeah, everyone knows that. But it's about what we can control."

UP NEXT

Tennessee is set up nicely for 2022. Tillman, who came into this season with eight career catches, finished with the Vols' first 1,000-yard season since 2012. He's already announced he's returning next season along with Hooker, tight ends Jacob Warren and Princeton Fant and a handful of other Vols.

Purdue has O'Connell coming back along for 2022, giving Brohm a chance to build on an offense that threw the ball more than any other team in school history.

------

Louisville: 2019 Music City Bowl Champions

Louisville finished off a remarkable 2019 season on Monday night in the Music City Bowl with a 38-28 win over Mississippi State at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, and the youngsters were the stars of the show.

Sophomore quarterback Micale Cunningham threw for 279 yards and two touchdowns, rushed for 81 yards on 16 carries and the Cardinals racked up a whopping 511 total yards to finish off an 8-5 season in Scott Satterfield's first year at the helm. Freshman running back Javian Hawkins was the workhorse for the Cardinals, rushing for 105 yards and one touchdown on 23 carries. Sophomore Chatarius Atwell provided balance through the air with nine receptions for 147 yards.

The Louisville defense -- which entered the game next-to-last in the ACC in rushing defense -- held the stout Bulldogs rushing attack to just 145 yards after star Kylin Hill was knocked out of the game with an injury.

It was the culmination of a remarkable turnaround for Satterfield, who took over a broken program following a 2-10 season under former coach Bobby Petrino. In one short season, Louisville transformed itself from the punchline of a very bad ACC joke into a program that looks more like the one that was a threat to Clemson and Florida State in the ACC Atlantic when Petrino had things cooking with quarterback Lamar Jackson.

The college football world is begging another team in the ACC to become a threat to knock Clemson off of its pedestal. Why not Louisville? The Cardinals are the second team in conference history to go from 0-8 in conference play to 5-3, and Satterfield just orchestrated the biggest turnaround in Power Five football in 2019. The school has made a major investment in the football program since joining the ACC earlier this decade, is in a fertile recruiting ground and has momentum on its side.

Is Louisville the next Clemson? No. It's way too soon for that. But in the crowded mess that is the ACC, it has the best chance to become the primary threat in 2020 and beyond.

Auburn: 2018 Music City Bowl Champions

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Jarrett Stidham threw for 373 yards and five touchdowns in his final college game, and Auburn routed Purdue 63-14 in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl on Friday.

Auburn raced out to a 56-7 halftime lead, scoring TDs on its first eight possessions -- spanning only 11 minutes -- to set a record for points in any half of any bowl game, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

The Tigers also tied Music City Bowl records for most points and TDs -- set by West Virginia in 2000 -- with 5:36 left in the first half.

The 56 points by halftime were the most scored in any half in program history.

Auburn (8-5) rolled in the finale of a season in which it opened with a top-10 ranking, stumbled a bit in the middle and concluded with a record-setting performance. It was the Tigers' first postseason victory since beating Memphis in the 2015 Birmingham Bowl.

Auburn scored the most points by a Southeastern Conference team in a bowl, topping Alabama's 61-6 win over Syracuse in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 1953. The Tigers had a chance to match the most points ever scored in a bowl (70), most recently reached by Army in the Armed Forces Bowl last week, but they took a knee at the Purdue 1-yard line with 61 seconds left.

"We've had some ups and downs this year,'' Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said, crediting his seniors for keeping the Tigers together. "This was a big win for us.''

Stidham, a junior who already has declared his intention to leave school early for the NFL draft, got the Tigers off to a fast start, and they just poured it on from there.

"We just tried to make those explosive plays that we've needed all year,'' Stidham said.

Purdue (6-7) dropped three of its last four games in its second season under coach Jeff Brohm.

"That one snowballed faster than most,'' Brohm said. "I've been part of games that were a bad outcome, but that one happened fast. Credit to them, they made their breaks. Every little thing that went wrong seemed like it could. We got behind the eight-ball early.''

Auburn started the game with the ball and needed only 63 seconds to set the tone, with Stidham finding JaTarvious Whitlow for a 66-yard TD pass. Whitlow also added a pair of short TD runs as Auburn led 28-7 at the end of the first quarter.

"I mean, it was a thing of beauty to watch from the sideline to watch the guys make plays,'' Malzahn said. "When we make explosive plays and we play fast, we're a pretty good offense, and today it all came together. I really believe that will carry over to next season.''

The Tigers outgained Purdue 586-263 in total offense and had only one three-and-out late in the third quarter. Purdue was intercepted twice and turned it over on downs twice. Auburn punted once all game.

Darius Slayton set a bowl record with three TD catches of 74, 52 and 34 yards. Javaris Davis had a sack and an interception in the first quarter for Auburn, and Big Kat Bryant returned an interception 20 yards for a TD and a 45-7 lead with 12:29 left in the first half.

THE TAKEAWAY

Purdue: With defensive tackle Lorenzo Neal out after tearing an ACL in the regular-season finale against Indiana, the Boilermakers had few answers for anything Auburn tried on offense.

Auburn: It sure looks as if coach Malzahn made the right decision when he took back the playcalling duties he handled his first three seasons at Auburn.

UP NEXT

Purdue: Brohm has a handful of key seniors to replace, including quarterback David Blough and his top two running backs in D.J. Knox and Markell Jones.

Auburn: The search for Stidham's replacement begins with sophomore Malik Willis getting the first look once Malzahn finally pulled his starting quarterback with 1:33 left. Joey Gatewood also played late in the game, driving the Tigers to the 1 before taking a knee.

Northwestern; 2017 Music City Bowl Champions

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Go ahead and question Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald's decisions to go for it over and over on fourth down, even late in a move that nearly cost the Wildcats dearly.

His defense had their coach's back.

The Wildcats broke up Kentucky's 2-point conversion, and No. 21 Northwestern held off Kentucky 24-23 on Friday in a Music City Bowl that might be remembered more for injuries, ejections and a wild finish.

"I'm not sure words can describe that game," Fitzgerald said. "Wow. What a great job by our young men. We had to persevere through so much."

Justin Jackson ran for 157 yards and two touchdowns as Northwestern (10-3) finished off back-to-back bowl wins in consecutive years for the first time in program history. The Wildcats notched their second 10-win season in three years and third in six under Fitzgerald. The senior class also won its 27th game for the best stretch in more than a decade.

Both starting quarterbacks left in the first half with injuries, though Kentucky's Stephen Johnson returned early in the third quarter. Kentucky lost running back Benny Snell Jr. to an ejection for contact with an official early in the second quarter, and Northwestern lost leading tackler and linebacker Paddy Fisher before halftime when he was ejected for targeting.

Kentucky (7-6) still had a chance to win after Fitzgerald tried to convert his fifth fourth down of the game only to turn it over for the fourth time on downs -- this time at his own 39 with 2:31 left.

"Go for the win," Fitzgerald said of his decision. "We got it did you see the replay? I did. It is what it is, and somebody had to make a play. We went for the win right there."

Johnson ran for his second TD of the second half with 37 seconds left. Kentucky coach Mark Stoops went for the 2-point conversion rather than play for overtime. Johnson couldn't connect with Tavin Richardson on the pass. That cost Kentucky a chance at its best season since 2007 and a second straight bowl loss.

"We just lost a heartbreaker by inches," Stoops said.

With quarterback Clayton Thorson knocked out early in the second with an injured right knee , Northwestern outran Kentucky 333-65. Safety Kyle Quiero provided the winning margin taking Northwestern's second interception 26 yards for a TD with 7:49 left.

TAKEAWAYS

Northwestern: Losing Jackson won't be easy. He finished his career 10th among the NCAA's leading rushers with 5,440 yards. But Jeremy Larkin is a redshirt freshman who ran for 112 yards, and he will be back in 2018. Thorson already planned to return for his senior season too. Fitzgerald said he told Jackson he'd better get a lot of yards.

"He's coming for you, you know he's coming for you," Fitzgerald said.

Kentucky: Snell, who came in leading the SEC in rushing TDs, capped the opening drive of the game with a 3-yard TD that was his 19th this season and 32nd of his career. Both are school records, and he'll be back for his junior season.

QUESTIONABLE EJECTIONS

Both teams lost key players in a wild second quarter. The Wildcats lost Snell when he was ejected with 13:01 left in for contact with referee Chris Coyte. Snell had just lost 7 yards on a run, and Coyte appeared to be trying to give Snell a hand up. Replays showed Snell perhaps pushing Coyte's hands away as he got up. The referee then threw the flag immediately. Kentucky trailed 10-7 at the time.

"I was on top of the play," Coyte told a pool reporter. "And the player got up and grabbed my arms and pushed them away and contacted me. That's a foul."

UGLY INJURY



Thorson hurt his right knee as he was tackled after making a 24-yard catch early in the second quarter. After handing off to Larkin, Thorson ran down the left sideline and was wide open for the catch before being tackled by Kentucky linebacker Jordan Jones. But Thorson, in his 38th career start, immediately grabbed at his right knee. He was carted off the field and replaced by senior Matt Alviti.

Fitzgerald said Thorson will have an MRI exam when they return home.

UP NEXT

Northwestern: The Wildcats have to replace Jackson.

Kentucky: Replacing Johnson at quarterback will be Stoops' challenge.

Tennessee: 2016 Music City Bowl Champions

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Joshua Dobbs finished his Tennessee career making one final move, helping All-America defensive lineman Derek Barnett figure out how to lead the band in "Rocky Top."

"I was a little nervous," Barnett said with a laugh.

Dobbs quickly chimed in: "He asked me what to do."

The duo led Tennessee in celebrating after beating No. 24 Nebraska 38-24 on Friday at the Music City Bowl. Dobbs ran for three touchdowns and 118 yards and threw for 291 yards and another score, while Barnett got the sack he needed to break a tie with the late Reggie White for the school career record.

The Volunteers (9-4) beat a Big Ten team in a bowl for a third straight year and notched their first win in three tries against the Cornhuskers. It's the first time Tennessee has won three straight bowls since 1994-1996 when Peyton Manning was quarterback for the Vols.

"Great, great competitor," Tennessee coach Butch Jones said about Dobbs. "I knew he was going to play one of his best games. I was worried he was too amped up before the game. I told him he had four quarters of football, don't win it in the first quarter, take what they give you."

Tennessee took a 14-0 lead in the second quarter and outgained Nebraska 521-318 in total offense in the bowl sponsored by Franklin American Mortgage.

Nebraska (9-4) ended the season with two straight losses. The Cornhuskers lost four of their final six after rising as high as No. 7 in the rankings.

Ryker Fyfe, the fifth-year former walk-on started for injured quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. He pulled Nebraska within a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Fyfe threw two TD passes to Brandon Reilly and ran for a 9-yard TD with 10:02 left in the fourth to pull the Cornhuskers within 31-24.

Dobbs answered with a 59-yard TD pass to Josh Malone for the final margin, and Nebraska coach Mike Riley said Dobbs' athleticism was a factor.

"He did a nice job of throwing a lot of balls right on time, but it looked like to me, too, that when it wasn't there, when it wasn't right on time, he moved around, bought time where he moved around and ran," Riley said. "Those plays were hard on us. You know, they had a big impact on that. I think he went for two touchdowns off of scramble plays."

THE TAKEAWAY

Nebraska: Armstrong was just one of the Cornhuskers watching from the sideline with his injured hamstring. Terrell Newby, their leading rusher with 864 yards, ran only nine times for 15 yards in the first half and didn't return. Reilly had his first TDs this season, trying to help with wide receiver Jordan Westercamp recovering from knee surgery.

Fyfe credited Barnett with being in the backfield a lot. "My head, I was seeing stars and I thought I was concussed," Fyfe said of being sacked by Barnett.

Tennessee: The Vols gave up 608 yards offense in their last visit to Nashville, a 45-34 loss to Vanderbilt that ended their hopes of a Sugar Bowl berth. With linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. and cornerback Cam Sutton among those defenders healthier after a month off, the Vols came up with four sacks and a turnover.

BARNETT'S RECORD

Barnett finally got his 33rd career sack with 3:29 left, giving him the school record for career sacks to himself. The junior came in sharing the mark with the Pro Football Hall of Fame lineman. His teammates mobbed him after the sack, and the Vols took a timeout to celebrate to avoid a penalty. "They knew that that was a milestone, that that was something very, very special," Jones said. "And that's one of those moments in time that you'll always remember."

A junior, Barnett is expected to declare early for the NFL draft. Barnett said he will consult with his family before making a decision.

IN GOOD COMPANY


Dobbs became only the third quarterback in SEC history with 15 touchdowns passing and 10 rushing in multiple seasons with his 10-yard TD run in the second quarter. Dobbs had 15 TDs passing and 11 rushing last season and came into the bowl only needing a rushing TD. He joined Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and Dak Prescott of Mississippi State, now in the NFL with Dallas, as the only quarterbacks to manage that feat.

His third TD rushing in the fourth quarter was his 12th of season, a school record for quarterbacks.

UP NEXT

Nebraska: The Cornhuskers need a new quarterback before next season with Tanner Lee, a transfer from Tulane, and Patrick O'Brien, who redshirted as a freshman this season, the options.

Tennessee: The Vols also will be looking for a new starter. Quinten Dormady backed up Dobbs this season, but freshman Justin Guarantano is a dual-threat quarterback.

Louisville Cardinals: 2015 Music City Bowl Champions

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Louisville football came here to Nissan Stadium, three hours or so from home, and put in a solid performance to finish the 2015 season, running past Texas A&M 27-21 in the Music City Bowl on Wednesday night.

The win pushes Louisville (8-5) into a critical offseason in which a young team hopes to start the process of growing into a potential ACC title contender in the coming seasons. The Cards will spend the next few weeks waiting on the decisions of four key juniors who are trying to figure out if they want to return to school for one more season or make an NFL roster.

In the meantime, U of L has its third bowl win in four seasons, a budding star in freshman quarterback Lamar Jackson and a young core of talent around him.

Offensive player of the game: It has to be Jackson, who set a freshman record for total offense in a single game (453 yards) and broke the school's career rushing record for quarterbacks in the process. The speedy, shifty signal caller did a little bit of everything in Louisville's win, carving his way into the end zone in the first quarter with a 6-yard run, then busting through Texas A&M's defense 10 minutes later for a 61-yard touchdown sprint. The first quarter hadn't even ended when Jackson ran past the 100-yard mark. He finished with 226 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

The biggest knock on Jackson is that he is not a polished passer. That is still the case, and U of L's offensive coaches will spend a lot of the offseason working with him on his pocket presence, deep balls and throwing touch, but he was sharp throwing the ball on Wednesday. His numbers aren't eye-popping - 12 of 26 for 227 yards and two touchdowns - but he was effective enough to keep Texas A&M's defense at bay while also limiting turnovers and throwing the ball away when he was in trouble. It was an important step into the offseason for Jackson.

Defensive player of the game: Call it a tie between DeVonte Fields and Josh Harvey-Clemons, who both had major impacts on the game. Fields had his best game of the season, sacking Texas A&M quarterback Jake Hubenak three times. He tormented Texas A&M left tackle Avery Gennesy, who at one point in the first half picked up back-to-back false starts.

Harvey-Clemons, a much-maligned figure on U of L's defense in the second half of the season, came up big, too. The hulking safety had a free shot at Hubenak on a safety blitz in the third quarter and slapped the ball out of the quarterback's hands for a strip-sack, a fumble that James Hearns recovered. Later in the same quarter, he snatched a key interception that led to Louisville's fourth touchdown of the game and gave the Cards a two-score lead.

Where the game turned: Harvey-Clemons, after checking back on Hubenak mid-play, adjusted himself to make a leaping, fingertips interception at the Louisville 27-yard line. It came at a time when Louisville was clinging to a six-point lead and needed some momentum, and the Georgia transfer provided it. U of L went 73 yards in seven plays after the pick, capping the drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Keith Towbridge, who was wide open in the end zone.

Key stats: This one comes with the obvious caveat that Texas A&M's two primary quarterbacks transferred, which left Hubenak, the third-stringer, at the helm. That said, A&M (8-5) came into the game with an impressive 43.2 percent conversion rate on third downs, but the Aggies struggled on Wednesday, hitting on just 6-of-18 tries.

What went right: The pass rush was really effective for Louisville, especially early on. DeVonte Fields was disruptive as ever, and Sheldon Rankins and James Hearns had solid games, too, until Hearns's late-game hands-to-the-face penalty that kept alive Texas A&M's last-gasp drive. Beyond that, the offensive line did a solid job for Jackson, who did a lot of work with his own legs, but he did have running lanes and space to operate.

What went wrong: The game got off to a rather surprising start, with senior linebacker James Burgess, one of the key cogs in Louisville's defense, getting ejected from the game after a targeting penalty on the first play. It was a disappointing end to what has been a very productive career for Burgess. Later in the first quarter, one of Louisville's top pass rushers, Trevon Young, was taken to the hospital with a hip injury after he was carted off the field. Those two incidents, and the brief back injury for cornerback Shaq Wiggins, put a damper on Louisville's otherwise impressive first quarter.

Notre Dame: 2014 Music City Bowl Champions

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Notre Dame and senior kicker Kyle Brindza got the finish they had missed too often the last half of the season. Beating a Southeastern Conference team in southern territory only made it that much sweeter.

Brindza hit a 32-yard field goal as time expired, and Notre Dame upset LSU 31-28 in a Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl shootout Tuesday.

"This was a matchup that we had wanted at Notre Dame, and I know LSU felt the same way," Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said. "We wanted to be challenged. We were disappointed in the way we played obviously at the end of the year, and our guys wanted the opportunity to finish the season the right way."

The Tigers (No. 22 CFP, No. 23 AP) were unsuccessful on a fake field goal at the end of the first half, a call that stood on review even though replays appeared to show the ball crossing the goal line. The Fighting Irish (8-5) also blocked a 40-yard field goal attempt by Trent Domingue early in the fourth quarter.

Kelly watched the fake field goal on the video board and thought the Irish stopped holder Brad Kragthorpe short. LSU coach Les Miles thought Kragthorpe scored and wasn't happy the play wasn't overturned for a touchdown. Miles also wasn't pleased at the lack of better replays that might have shown Kragthorpe got the ball over the line before his knee went down.

"The guy that carried the ball, forcing it, said he absolutely scored," Miles said. "Kids will be kids, but this guy's going to tell the truth."

Notre Dame got the ball with 5:41 left and never gave it back, driving 71 yards in 14 plays before Brindza finished off the win.

"We dictated the outcome by controlling the football," Kelly said. "Obviously, if LSU has the football with No. 7 (Leonard Fournette), he's a game changer. We certainly couldn't give them the football back."

Kelly went with sophomore Malik Zaire for his first career start, but he also played senior Everett Golson, using both quarterbacks on the winning drive.

Notre Dame held the ball for 37 minutes but finished with a 449-436 edge in total offense against the SEC's toughest defense thanks only to that final drive. Golson was 4 of 5 for 50 yards passing on it, including a 12-yard completion to Ben Koyack on third-and-10. Zaire finished off the drive with a couple of rushes to set up Brindza.

Brindza had missed 6 of 9 field goals in the last five games of the regular season, including a 32-yarder late in a loss to Louisville.

"To leave a program so historic like this in this kind of fashion is great," Brindza said. "It's a blessing for me, but also to be able to help win a game for all my teammates is a bigger blessing."

The Fighting Irish were ranked as high as fifth before dropping four straight and five of their final six, struggling in the fourth quarter against Florida State, Northwestern, Arizona State and Louisville. Kelly set a target of controlling the ball for 9 minutes each quarter, and they beat that by a minute for the game.

Zaire rushed 22 times for 96 yards and was 12 of 15 for 96 yards passing. He threw for a TD and ran for another. Golson was 6 of 11 for 90 yards passing, and Kelly said the senior needed a painkilling shot after taking a hit to his ribs earlier in the game.

LSU (8-5) lost for the first time this season to a team not from the Southeastern Conference's Western Division. Fournette ran for 143 yards and two touchdowns, and the freshman also returned a kickoff 100 yards for a score.

Miles said after the game he heard media reports that defensive coordinator John Chavis is leaving for Texas A&M but planned to make another pitch to keep the coach nicknamed Chief.

The Tigers' final three touchdowns took all of 38 seconds. Fournette had his kick return, and his 89-yard TD run later gave the Tigers their first lead of the game at 28-21 with 6:14 left in the third quarter. In between, Anthony Jennings connected with John Diarse on a 75-yard catch-and-run touchdown.

But LSU didn't score again after Fournette's TD run, the longest play from scrimmage in this bowl's history. Isaac Rochell blocked Domingue's field goal attempt with 11:56 left.

Late in the first half, Notre Dame stopped LSU at the Irish 1 on a third-down pass, so the Tigers lined up for a field goal attempt. But Kragthorpe took off on a fake, bumping into teammate Terrence McGee on his way to the end zone. Officials ruled Kragthorpe short, and the call wasn't reversed.

Ole Miss: 2013 Music City Bowl Champions

Georgia Tech mounted a fourth quarter rally, but Ole Miss held on for an 25-17 win in the Music City Bowl.

The Rebels got off to a solid start, driving 75 yards for a touchdown on the opening possession of the game. Although Georgia Tech answered right back with a touchdown of its own, the first three quarters belonged to the Rebels. Ole Miss held a 13-7 lead at halftime and extended the advantage to 23-7 heading into the fourth quarter.

It appeared Ole Miss was well on its way another bowl win, but Georgia Tech made things interesting. The Yellow Jackets drove down for a field goal to open the fourth quarter, their first points since their opening drive. D.J. White then intercepted Bo Wallace on Ole Miss' third play, giving the ball right back to Georgia Tech. Vad Lee and the offense took advantage with Lee hitting Darren Waller for a 72-yard touchdown on the first play of the drive. Ole Miss' 16-point lead was cut to six in the span of five plays.

The defenses traded game-changing plays during the rest of the fourth quarter. The Rebels drove deep into Georgia Tech territory with a chance to make it a two-score game. The Yellow Jackets held strong in the red zone, however, and blocked Andrew Ritter's field-goal attempt. Ritter had a field goal and extra point blocked and missed a 29-yard field goal.

Ole Miss' defense came up with a big play of its own, forcing a fumble on Georgia Tech's next possession which resulted in a safety. Wallace hit Laquon Treadwell for 27 yards to convert a crucial 3rd-and-13 on the ensuing possession. The Rebels milked the clock to 37 seconds and intercepted Lee to end the game.

With the win, Ole Miss finishes the season 8-5 and extended its bowl winning streak to six games. Georgia Tech ends the year 7-6.

Box Score Hero: Donte Moncrief led the way for Ole Miss, hauling in six passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. Bo Wallace threw for 256 yards and set the single-season Ole Miss record for completions.

Rankings Ramifications: Neither team will crack the final polls.

But Did They Cover?

Mississippi State opened as a 4-point favorite and were able to cover.