Miami: 2016 Russell Athletic Bowl Champions

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Miami fans asked Brad Kaaya to end the school's 10-year bowl-victory drought, and he delivered.

Now they have another request.

"One more year! One more year!" they chanted at Kaaya on Wednesday night, after he threw four touchdown passes to help Miami top No. 14 West Virginia 31-14 in the Russell Athletic Bowl.

And it's easy to see why they're clamoring for the school's most prolific quarterback to return.

Kaaya completed 24 of 34 passes for 282 yards for Miami (9-4) -- and went 18 for 19 in one dazzling stretch, the lone incompletion in that span being a drop. The four TDs tied both a Miami bowl record and Kaaya's collegiate best.

"I've got some soul-searching to do," said Kaaya, who already was Miami's career leader in passing yards and took over the No. 1 spots in attempts and completions on Wednesday.

"Regardless of if I'm here or not next season, I think this team is headed to greatness," Kaaya added. "I think there's a lot of good things going on and a lot of progress has been made, so I think this team will be good regardless of what happens over the next few days."

Skyler Howard passed for 134 yards and ran for a touchdown for West Virginia (10-3), which fell to 3-17 against Miami. Kennedy McKoy also had a touchdown run for the Mountaineers, who committed 11 penalties and allowed four sacks.

West Virginia came in averaging more than 500 yards per game. Miami held the Mountaineers to 229.

"That's the best defense we faced all year," West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen said.

Miami's offense wasn't bad, either.

The Hurricanes had lost six straight bowl games, and punted on their first six possessions Wednesday. But Kaaya finally got rolling, and Miami soon had total control.

Kaaya connected with Ahmmon Richards, Malcolm Lewis and Braxton Berrios for touchdowns in the final 6:30 of the first half to get Miami rolling, and found David Njoku for another touchdown on the first possession of the second half.

"They were ready to play," Holgorsen said. "This meant a lot to them. ... Outcoached us, outplayed us on all three sides."

THE TAKEAWAY

West Virginia: The Mountaineers fell short of tying a school record for wins in a season. There have been five teams in West Virginia's 125 years of football to win 11 games. ... West Virginia fell to 2-10 in bowl games played in Florida. ... It was the first time the Mountaineers and Hurricanes played since 2003, when both were in the Big East.

Miami: Freshman linebacker Michael Pinckney was ejected for targeting with 10:55 left in the third quarter, and per NCAA rule will have to sit out the first half of next season's opener. ... Not only did Miami punt on its first six possessions, but it went three-and-out on the first five of those.

NJOKU GONE

Njoku announced after the game that he's skipping his final two seasons of eligibility and entering the NFL Draft, after being told that he is potentially a first-round pick.

"It's kind of bittersweet, leaving my team a couple years early," Njoku said.

The redshirt sophomore caught eight touchdown passes this season.

BOWL STREAK

Among the 109 teams that won bowl games since Miami's last postseason victory in 2006: The other Miami (Ohio), Old Dominion (which didn't even have football in 2006), and all six of the other FBS teams from the state of Florida -- Florida, Florida State, Central Florida, South Florida, Florida Atlantic and Florida International.

ORLOSKY REFLECTS

West Virginia center Tyler Orlosky, one of the best at his position in the country this season, said he will look back on this season with pride.

"To be able to go out with 10 wins says a lot. ... We may not have won today, but we won the season in my opinion," Orlosky said.

LEWIS' CAREER


Lewis wrapped up his Miami career in a most memorable way. His TD catch in the second quarter was his first in a 35-game span for Miami, and was the third scoring grab of his career. The bowl game was Lewis' 50th and final game as a Hurricane, making him the 11th to play so many at Miami. His freshman season in 2012 ended after four games when he endured a badly broken ankle at Georgia Tech, so he was able to get a fifth year of eligibility.

UP NEXT

West Virginia: The Mountaineers ended this season against an ACC opponent, and start next season with one. West Virginia plays Virginia Tech at FedExField on Sept. 2.

Miami: The Hurricanes' Week 1 opponent for next season hasn't been announced, one of many things to be sorted out in the coming weeks.

Baylor Bears: 2015 Russell Athletic Bowl Champions

Baylor-North Carolina was exactly what anyone who tuned into ESPN at 5:30 ET on Monday night expected to see: Two high-powered offenses racing up and down the field with little resistance and rattling the scoreboard. The Bears and Tar Heels combined for 12 touchdowns, 1,243 yards of total offense and 87 points. In the end, Baylor pulled out a 49-38 win in one of the most entertaining bowls of this postseason.

But if this game lived up to its billing as a high-scoring, defense-optional thrill ride, it also added another data point to Art Briles’ sterling coaching résumé. The Bears repeatedly gashed North Carolina’s defense even though they were missing their leading rusher (Shock Linwood), top two quarterbacks (Seth Russell and Jarret Stidham) and Biletnikoff Award-winning wide receiver (Corey Coleman). Without those dangerous playmakers at his disposal, Briles effectively used the Russell Athletic Bowl as a testing lab. The Tar Heels had no answers for Baylor’s direct snaps. Four Bears completed passes, and five combined for 645 rushing yards—including 333 in the first half, the fourth most by a Football Bowl Subdivision team in 2015, according to ESPN Stats and Information. The total (645) broke the bowl record, previously set by Nebraska (524) in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl.

So dominant was Baylor’s running game that the RAB saw fit to razz the Philadelphia Eagles over social media shortly after the team fired head coach Chip Kelly. Here’s Bears running back Johnny Jefferson dashing up the middle for an 11-yard touchdown in the second quarter. The sophomore finished with 299 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries (13.0 YPC).

There’s a perception that Baylor’s offense is a plug-and-play system that can rotate players in and out without missing a step. Tuesday’s win will reinforce that perception, but for Briles, this was less a preservation of the status quo with different personnel than a tactical adaptation to accommodate a thinned group of playmakers. Baylor ran the ball 84 times, 31.5 more than its season average (52.50), and threw it 18 times, 12.9 fewer than its season average (30.9). The process changed, but the ultimate result did not: The Bears eclipsed their season scoring average by one point. In essence, Briles orchestrated another pyrotechnics show with a less-than-ideal set of materials. That said, don’t expect to see this gameplan when Baylor is fully healthy next season.

Granted, North Carolina’s defense isn’t great, but under first year coordinator Gene Chizik it improved from 99th in Football Outsiders defensive S&P + last season to 65th this season, and from 119th to 33rd in points allowed per game.

A win in a third-tier bowl game probably isn’t what Baylor had in mind when it opened 2015 ranked fourth in the Associated Press poll and ripped off eight consecutive wins. Had the Bears not lost Russell and Stidham to injury, perhaps they’d be in Miami Gardens playing for the national title instead of Big 12 counterpart Oklahoma. But the Bears’ strong showing against a North Carolina team that would have had a case for a College Football Playoff berth had it knocked off Clemson in the ACC championship game can help allay the disappointment. Baylor outgunned one of the nation’s top squads using reserves in key spots and will enter the off-season on a positive note, with renewed confidence that Briles’ system can succeed without its best players.

Clemson: 2014 Russell Athletic Bowl Champions

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Clemson quarterback Cole Stoudt has had several moments during the 2014 season he tried hard to forget.

The senior ended his career with a performance worth savoring.

Stoudt threw for three touchdowns and ran for another, and 17th-ranked Clemson routed Oklahoma 40-6 in the Russell Athletic Bowl on Monday.

"It all comes down to who makes the big plays, and we made the most this game," Stoudt said. "We really didn't hit the brakes at all."

The Tigers (10-3) reached double-digit victories for the fourth consecutive season. Clemson was 10-4 in 2011, 11-2 in 2012 and 11-2 in 2013.

"It was our night tonight. We knew it would be a tough challenge, but we were ready," Tigers coach Dabo Swinney said.

Oklahoma (8-5) had five turnovers, including three interceptions by sophomore quarterbackTrevor Knight.

Stoudt began the season as the Tigers' starting quarterback, before struggles cost him the job to freshman standout Deshaun Watson.

Injuries to Watson gave Stoudt several opportunities to regain the spot, but he never was able to put together the kind of outing that gave the coaching staff lasting confidence.

The ultimate low point came in November when Watson was lost to a knee injury in the first quarter of the Tigers' matchup at Georgia Tech. Stoudt came in to replace him but threw three interceptions in a 28-6 loss that ended Clemson's six-game win streak.

Stoudt was a different presence against the Sooners on Monday, completing 26 of 36 attempts for a season-high 319 yards. He was sacked four times, but Clemson never turned the ball over.

"I wouldn't say this was redemption," Stoudt said. "This was my last game. I was prepared to do my best. I wanted to be the best I could be and just enjoy the last game, and that is what we did."

As good as Stoudt was, the Tigers' defense was equally impressive.

The Tigers, which came in ranked No. 1 in the nation in total defense, held the Sooners' offense to just 275 yards.

With most of the Oklahoma section of the announced crowd of 40,071 already gone from Citrus Bowl Stadium, Swinney pulled the senior starters from his defense early in the fourth quarter.

It wasn't until then that the Sooners finally were able to score their first touchdown with just less than seven minutes to play.

Sooners coach Bob Stoops shied away from assigning blame but acknowledged Oklahoma's lofty yearly standards aren't being met.

"You can't play one-handed," Stoops said. "I thought overall we did a really nice job of running the football, but the lack of execution in the passing game was a major factor as well.

"We had our chances. We had our shots, but we didn't make anything happen."

After the loss, Sooners All-Big 12 linebacker Eric Striker said he would return for his senior season.

"I don't want to go out like this," Striker said. "I'll be back at OU because I'm a winner."

Clemson was efficient in all phases but also was the beneficiary of three early Sooners turnovers in building a 27-0 halftime lead. A 47-yard interception return for a touchdown by Ben Boulwarewas part of a 17-point first quarter.

Stoudt completed his first six passes and finished the half with a pair of touchdown throws -- a 65-yarder to Artavis Scott and a 26-yarder to Mike Williams.

Tigers' kicker Ammon Lakip also did his part to deepen the hole for Oklahoma, connecting on a pair of field goals, including a career-long kick from 49 yards in the second quarter.

The Sooners were out of sync on both sides of the ball during the opening 30 minutes.

Knight was just 5-for-14, with a pair of interceptions. Samaje Perine rushed for 62 yards but also had a fumble inside the Tigers' 25 that ended the Sooners' best drive late in the second quarter.

Stoops said changes were possible at quarterback and elsewhere.

"It's fair to say quarterback position is open," he said. "With guys we have coming in and inconsistency we have overall. But every position is open come spring time. I'm not going to sit here and create a problem, but of course there will be competition."

Trailing 20-0, Oklahoma's defense nearly grabbed a bit of momentum when defensive endCharles Tapper appeared to tip, intercept and return Stoudt's pass for a touchdown. But the play was called back for offside.

Stoudt then promptly hooked up with Williams for the Tigers' final scoring play of the half.

The Associated Press and ESPN.com's Jake Trotter contributed to this report.

Louisville: 2013 Russell Athletic Bowl Champions

If the Russell Athletic Bowl proves to be Teddy Bridgewater's final collegiate performance, then he could not have picked a finer way to go out, returning to his home state of Florida and leading the Louisville Cardinals to an easy 36-9 win.

It did not start out as a blowout, though. Indeed, when Bridgewater was tackled in the end zone by Deon Bush for a safety just five minutes into the game, it looked like the Hurricanes were ready to wreck some havoc in their return to bowl season.

Turns out, they only had a light drizzle in store.

Bridgewater shook off that initial gaffe to put up yet another fantastically efficient performance -- the kind that have become so commonplace in his career.

After those first two Miami points, it was all Cardinals the rest of the way. Louisville scored 22 consecutive points to close the half, thanks to three John Wallace field goals from 36, 43 and 42 yards, and then a pair of Bridgewater touchdown passes.

The safety and a Wallace missed extra point proved to be the only Louisville mistakes in the first two quarters, and as fantastic as Bridgewater was in the first half, the Cardinals' defense was just as good. In just 30 minutes of action, they sacked Hurricanes quarterback Stephen Morris three times, pressured him on at least four occasions, forced Miami into an 0-for-7 on third downs, held them to 82 total yards and picked up a Morris fumble for good measure.

Coming out of the half, Bridgewater continued to pound away at the Hurricanes, scoring with a touchdown pass to Senorise Perry and again on a one-yard run on fourth-and-goal. That pushed the lead up to 36-2, and although Miami cut into things a bit on a short touchdown from Gus Edwards, it was merely window dressing.

The Cardinals ended up as Russell Athletic Bowl champions, picking up a 12th win.

Afterward, Bridgewater was asked about his intentions in regards to the NFL draft, and appeared to tip his hand a bit, although he made sure to mention his decision was not final yet.

Box Score Hero: Who else? It had to be Bridgewater, who threw for a career high 447 yards and three touchdowns. He added one more on the ground.

Rankings Ramifications: Louisville may see a slight rankings bump at the end of bowl season, depending on how things shake out with other teams.

But Did They Cover? The Cardinals were anywhere from 5.5- to 6-point favorites at kickoff, up from 3 when the line opened. They covered easily.