Northern Iowa: 2015-16 Missouri Valley Men's basketball Champions

ST. LOUIS -- Wes Washpun was given the chance to send Northern Iowa to the NCAA Tournament. He had to wait a second before he knew he had done it.

Washpun hit a jumper from the top of the key that bounced high off the back of the rim and fell in at the buzzer to give the Panthers a 56-54 victory over Evansville on Sunday in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship game.

Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobson had a timeout but didn't call it. Instead letting Washpun decide the game He stood alone, dribbling the ball until he started for the basket, made a crossover move, clearing just enough space for the straight-on jumper.

"That's what he allowed me to take so that's what I had to take," Washpun said of the defense. "Not a better feeling in the world."

The Panthers led by as many as 17 points before giving up the lead in the final minutes.

"We gave up the momentum and then we had to find a way to win," Jacobson said. "A lot of times, that doesn't happen. Usually, you don't beat them."

Washpun, named the tournament MVP, made two big shots in the final minute, also scoring from the key to put Northern Iowa up by two with 50 seconds to go.

D.J. Balentine's reverse layup tied it with 24.9 seconds remaining on Evansville's third scoring chance in the same possession. Then Northern Iowa held it for the final shot.

Washpun had 18 points, five rebounds and three assists for Northern Iowa (22-12), following up a 20-point effort in an overtime victory over top seed Wichita State in the semifinals. Klint Carlson added 17 points for the Panthers, who repeated as champion.

They dispatched Evansville (25-9) for the third time this season -- by a total of seven points.

Famous Northern Iowa alum Kurt Warner gave the team motivational support via texts.

"He just kept telling us to live in the moment," said Jeremy Morgan, who added 14 points and four blocks.

Balentine had 20 points and Jaylon Brown added 18 for Evansville, which hasn't made it to the NCAA Tournament since 1999. The conference tourney winner gets an automatic bid and Wichita State could get an at-large bid.

Northern Iowa has won the tournament four of the last eight years, and enters the NCAA Tournament having won 12 of 13 games.

"Coach Jacobson told us it's harder to do what we did this year, when you go through a little bit of a rut and pick yourself back up," Washpun said of the Panthers who started 2-6 in conference play.

The Panthers twice led by 17 points, late in the first half and in the opening minute after the break when Morgan's 3-pointer made it 35-18.

Brown and Balentine had big second halves for Evansville, scoring 16 and 15 points. Evansville twice led by a point in the closing minutes.

"We just played a lot harder, we had better rhythm and I just thought we played faster," coach Marty Simmons said. "Those are all things we certainly wanted to do in the first half. No excuses."

Northern Iowa led 32-18 at halftime, the second-fewest points scored in the first half by Evansville this season. The Purple Aces mustered just 16 in the first half at Northern Iowa in the regular season finale.

A 21-4 run capped by five points from Carlson gave Northern Iowa a 26-9 lead.

Carlson had 13 points in the half and Balentine, the leading active scorer in the NCAA, was held without a point for more than 17 minutes.

TIP-INS

Teams in the title game grabbed all the all-tournament spots, with Carlson and Morgan also representing Northern Iowa and Evansville represented by Balentine and Brown.

NORTHERN IOWA: Carlson averages 6.6 points but was 8 for 12 from the field and added five rebounds. Morgan was 4 for 5 from 3-point range.

EVANSVILLE: The Purple Aces shot 23 percent in the first half, 50 percent in the second half. Egidiju Mockevicius had 18 rebounds.

UP NEXT

Jacobson was so relieved to win that he had no immediate reaction when asked what seed Northern Iowa deserves. "No. Are you crazy?" he said. Evansville, which won the CIT last year, could land in the NIT.

"I'm sure it will be anxious," Simmons said. "There's nothing easy for us."

Tennessee Volunteers: 2016 Outback Bowl Champions

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Joshua Dobbs threw for 166 yards and ran for two touchdowns Friday, helping Tennessee cap its best season in eight years with a 45-6 rout of No. 12 Northwestern in the Outback Bowl.
  
Dobbs scored on runs 14 and 18 yards, while Jalen Hurd ran for 130 yards and one TD for the Volunteers (9-4), who finished with at least nine wins for the first time since 2007.
  
Northwestern (10-3) sputtered offensively and was unable to keep up with the stronger, faster Vols defensively in falling short on a bid to finish with a school-record 11 victories.
  
Dobbs completed 14 of 25 passes. The dual-threat quarterback ran 12 times for 48 yards, including a highlight-reel burst around right end in which he dove for his second TD after picking up a bobbled snap and tight-roping his way up the sideline to make it 31-6 early in the fourth quarter.
   

Villanova: 2014-15 Big East Men's Basketball Champions

NEW YORK -- Josh Hart had 15 points in his latest brilliant performance off the bench, and top-seeded Villanova turned the Big East championship game into a Saturday night blowout by beating Xavier 69-52 for its second tournament title.

Looking to lock up a No. 1 seed in the NCAAs, the fourth-ranked Wildcats (32-2) made an impressive statement much to the delight of a pro-Villanova crowd at Madison Square Garden.

After squeezing past Providence 63-61 with the help of a questionable call in Friday night's semifinals, Villanova had no such trouble against the sixth-seeded Musketeers (21-13).

Dylan Ennis scored 16 points and Darrun Hilliard had 12, sending the Wildcats into the NCAA Tournament on a 15-game winning streak. They'll find out Sunday if the selection committee rewards them with one of the four top seeds.

Texas Southern: 2014-15 SWAC Men's Basketball Champions

By technical knockout, Texas Southern wins the SWAC.

Before the tournament's championship game is even played.

Texas Southern will play Southern on Saturday night in the SWAC title game, but APR sanctions on Southern's program include an NCAA Tournament ban. That means this final SWAC game is for none of the marbles.

So even if Southern won, it'd be a loss. Texas Southern will be repping the league in theNCAA Tournament, meaning Mike Davis will be back in the Big Dance yet again.

This is an unusual way to get to an auto bid, but with the NCAA putting stricter guidelines on programs graduating players, cumulative grades and grad rates are keeping some schools out of contention each year.

So Texas Southern essentially clinched its bid on Friday when it beat Prairie View A&M 90-77 and Southern moved on to the championship game with a 68-66 win over Alabama A&M.

This isn't a typical SWAC team, either. Texas Southern won at Michigan State (71-64 in overtime!) and won at Kansas State (58-56) this season. The league had gone nearly two decades between road wins in a power confernece game, and then Davis' club went out and got two of them. Remarkable.

When the SWAC title game is played out and finished, we'll update our story here with how the game played out.

Player to Watch: Madarious Gibbs. Texas Southern's senior point guard is a do-it-all kind of player, leading the team in scoring (14.2 PPG) in addition to putting up 4.3 assists and 3.4 boards. He also plays the most minutes on the team and isn't prone to fouling. Since Texas Southern has already taken out two major-conference teams this season -- on the road! -- they know what they're getting from their best player in big spots.

The Vitals:

• Record: 21-12 overall, 16-2 in the SWAC
• Most recent tournament appearance: 2014 (lost to Cal Poly in the First Four as a No. 16 seed)
• Jerry Palm predicts: 15 seed
• RPI: 126
• KenPom ranking: 206
• Sagarin ranking: 204
• Best wins: at Michigan State, at Kansas State.
• Notable stat: 1. That is Texas Southern's non-conference strength of schedule, according to KenPom.com. No matter what team the Tigers draw, they won't be startled or overwhelmed in the scouting session. TSU has played Indiana, Baylor, Gonzaga, Michigan State and SMU this season, in addition to Tennessee, Kansas State and Auburn.
• Closing quip: This is Mike Davis' seventh trip to the NCAA Tournament in 15 years of being a coach, but in one of those years, his first at Texas Southern, the team wasn't eligible for the postseason. So for a guy who was at Indiana, and then UAB, and now Texas Southern, batting .500 on Big Dance showings is pretty remarkable. In a way, he's always been underappreciated; he took over for Bobby Knight at a tumultuous time at Indiana. And that team went to the national title game in 2002. Now he's thriving in the obscurity of the SWAC, with a winning percentage above .600 in his career and a 53-41 record in three seasons with the Tigers.

HOUSTON -- Deverell Biggs stepped in after Malcolm Riley was injured on a flagrant foul and made two free throws with 27 seconds left, Madarious Gibbs added another and Texas Southern beat Southern 62-58 on Saturday in the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game.

Riley was unable to shoot about being fouled by Trelun Banks, who was ejected.

Riley led the Tigers with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman forward Jared Sam had 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Jaguars.

Texas Southern (22-12) had already clinched its bid to the NCAA Tournament with a 90-77 win over Prairie View A&M in Friday's semifinal game, because Southern (18-17) was ineligible for the NCAAs for failing to meet APR requirements.

Tre Lynch missed a 3-pointer with 2.9 seconds to go that would have given Southern the lead.

Wyoming: 2014-15 Mountain West Men's Basketball Champions

LAS VEGAS -- Josh Adams hit a big 3-pointer with a minute left and Wyoming earned its first trip to the NCAA tournament in 13 years with a 45-43 victory over San Diego State in the Mountain West Conference championship Saturday.

Wyoming (25-9) labored through a physical, defensive-dominated second half, keeping the Aztecs within reach despite going 8:31 without a field goal. The Cowboys made 5 of 22 in the half, but Adams had the biggest one with 1:02 left, a 3-pointer that put Wyoming up 43-41.

San Diego State (26-8) missed two shots and Derek Cooke Jr. hit two free throws to put the Cowboys up four with 7 seconds left.

The Aztecs' Malik Pope scored on a putback with less than a second left, but Wyoming was able to get the ball in cleanly to earn its first conference tournament championship since 1988, as a member of the WAC.

Larry Nance Jr. had 14 points and Adams had 10.

Pope had 13 points and JJ O'Brien added 12 for the Aztecs, who must wait until Selection Sunday to see if they're in the NCAA Tournament.

The Cowboys rode into the Mountain West tournament likely needing to earn the automatic bid after limping to the finish of the regular season.

Wyoming was in decent shape until Nance missed four games due to mononucleosis and lost five of its final eight games as he tried regain his strength.

The Cowboys had won three games since 2006 in the MWC tournament, but edged Utah State in their tournament opener, then upset top-seeded Boise State in overtime in the semifinals.

San Diego State won the two meetings during the regular season, though one of those was when Nance was out.

The Aztecs came out flat in the rematch, missing nine of their first 10 shots as the Cowboys opened the game with a 14-2 run.

Wyoming made 8 of 10 to open, building a 22-13 behind Nance, who had 12 points by halftime.

But for all that went wrong early for the Aztecs, they managed to claw their way back, pulling within 28-25 by halftime.

San Diego State had a repeat start in the second half, missing eight of its first nine shots.

The Aztecs made up for it on defense, forcing the Cowboys to miss their first eight shots before Adams hit a 3-pointer at 11:29. They also did a much better job of keeping Nance in check; Wyoming's leading scorer didn't take his first shot of the second half until the 9-minute mark.

Wyoming's defense was solid, though, allowing the Cowboys to keep San Diego State within reach in the back-and-forth game.

TIP INS

Wyoming: The tournament title was the first in any sport by Wyoming in the Mountain West Conference. ... The Cowboys shot 35 percent.

San Diego State: The Aztecs were in the title game for the sixth time in seven years. ... SDSU went 6 for 24 in the second half and shot 32 percent overall.

UP NEXT

Wyoming plays in the NCAA tournament.

San Diego State has to wait for Selection Sunday to see if it gets a spot in the NCAA tournament.

Wofford: 2014-15 Southern Conference Men's Basketball Champions

ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- Lee Skinner scored 17 points, Eric Garcia added 15, and top-seeded Wofford held off 10th-seeded Furman 67-64 to capture the Southern Conference championship on Monday night and earn its fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament in six seasons.

The Terriers (28-6) ended the Paladins' unlikely run to the championship and won despite Furman shooting 52 percent from the field.

Karl Cochran added 11 points, and Spencer Collins had 10 for the Terriers.

Furman (11-22), the tournament's lowest seed, but pulled off three straight upsets over The Citadel, Chattanooga and Mercer to reach the title game. However, the Paladins didn't quite have enough to complete what would have been a remarkable run to the NCAA Tournament.

Geoff Beane had 15 points on five 3-pointers, and Stephen Croone had 14 to lead the Paladins, who don't have a senior in their rotation.

Tennessee: 2015 TaxSlayer Bowl Champions

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Tennessee coach Butch Jones was soaked from a celebratory sideline dousing. Quarterback Joshua Dobbs carried the Most Valuable Player trophy with him all around EverBank Field. Both of them, as well as the rest of the Volunteers, donned championship hats for the first time in years.

It was tangible proof that the program is headed in the right direction.

Dobbs accounted for three touchdowns, Jalen Hurdran for two scores and Tennessee beat Iowa 45-28 on Friday in the TaxSlayer Bowl for its first postseason victory since the Phillip Fulmer era.

"This is the start of something big that's going on at Tennessee," Dobbs said. "It's momentum that we can carry into the offseason. It's the start of something big, a lot of momentum going into the offseason to get ready for next year."

The Volunteers (7-6) took the momentum early Friday, scoring on their first four possessions and leading 28-0 before Iowa (7-6) managed 70 yards.

Hurd, Dobbs and a bit of trickery helped Tennessee build the big lead.

Hurd broke tackles on nearly every run, capping Tennessee's first possession with a 3-yard score and adding a 29-yard touchdown scamper on the next drive.

Tennessee made it 21-0 late in the first quarter when Dobbs threw a lateral to running backMarlin Lane in the right flat. Lane, a senior from nearby Daytona Beach, turned and hit Vic Wharton in stride down the sideline.

It was a nice send-off for Lane, one of just a handful of Tennessee's seniors.

But the victory, which was Tennessee's first in the postseason since beating Wisconsin in the 2008 Outback Bowl, was more about the future. The Vols won four of their last five games, showing plenty of potential for one of the youngest teams in college football.

"We still have a long way to go, but we're making progress," said Jones, who finished his second season in Knoxville. "We talk about building this program brick by brick, and we built another brick in the foundation today."

Jones also delivered the program's first winning season since 2009. And it's not out of the question for Tennessee to be a trendy pick to contend for the Southeastern Conference's Eastern Division title in 2015.

Hurd and Dobbs could be integral parts.

Hurd, a freshman, had his fourth 100-yard game. He finished with 122 yards -- three shy of his career high -- and totaled the most yards on the ground by a Tennessee player in a bowl game since Travis Henry ran for 180 against Kansas State in the 2001 Cotton Bowl.

"Jalen really set the temperament of the game for us, getting yards after contact, finishing runs and he just had that look in his eye of `give me the ball, coach," Jones said. "He earned every yard that he got today."

Dobbs, a sophomore filling in for injured quarterback Justin Worley, completed 16 of 21 passes for 129 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. He also ran for 76 yards and two scores. His 19-yard scoring pass to Von Pearson in the closing seconds of the first half made it 35-7. It came one play after the duo hooked up for an 11-yard gain on a ball that was tipped by a defender.

It was that kind of day for Iowa, which was looking for its first postseason victory since the 2010 Insight Bowl.

The Hawkeyes missed tackles, made mistakes and looked like they would end up with their worst bowl loss in school history before scoring three times in the fourth quarter.

"They were ready right from the start, and we certainly couldn't match their tempo in the first half," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. "Best execution that we've seen from their football team all season long."

The Volunteers dominated on the field -- and in the stands. Tennessee fans vastly outnumbered Iowa fans, not surprising considering they feel really good about the direction of the program under Jones and hadn't been to a bowl game in several years.

Players kept them entertained, scoring their first six touchdowns in less than 3 1/2 minutes.

"We've learned how to win," Jones said. "Our players expect to win now every time they step on the football field. In anything you do, that's the starting process."

TCU: 2014 Peach Bowl Champions

ATLANTA -- Gary Patterson knew just what to say when asked if TCU's rout of Mississippi was a statement the Horned Frogs should have been in the four-team playoff.

"I don't think I have to say anything," Patterson said.

No need. The Horned Frogs said it all on the field.

Playing like a team motivated by the playoff snub, No. 6 TCU rode three touchdown passes from Trevone Boykin and a dominant defense to a 42-3 rout of No. 9 Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl on Wednesday.

Josh Doctson had two touchdown catches and Aaron Green ran for a score and added a touchdown reception for the Horned Frogs (12-1).

"We showed Atlanta, the crowd and everyone that we deserve to be in the playoffs competing for the national championship," said receiver Kolby Listenbee, who threw a touchdown pass and had a scoring catch.

Added Doctson: "I think people around the nation will be talking about us for a while now."

TCU fans also were thinking of the national championship they can't win.

Late in the third quarter, when the lead was 42-0, TCU fans targeted the No. 1 seed in the playoff when they chanted "We want Bama!"

Ole Miss (9-4) lost four of its last six games. Bo Wallace threw three interceptions, including one caught in the Rebels end zone by defensive end James McFarland for a touchdown.

TCU looked like a championship contender to Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze.

"TCU is a very good team," Freeze said. "They deserved every mention they got this year to be in the hunt for one of the four. ... I'm glad I'm not on that committee to pick the four. They certainly could compete with any of the four in it, there's no question in my mind."

The action was as lopsided as the score. TCU finished with 423 yards and allowed only 129 to Ole Miss. The Rebels were held to 9 yards rushing in the biggest margin of victory in Peach Bowl history.

TCU led 28-0 at halftime.

"The first half was like a straight punch in the mouth," said Ole Miss tight end Evan Engram.

Ole Miss ranked first in the nation with its average of only 13.8 points allowed. Turnovers and TCU's quick-strike offense were too much to overcome.

Wallace completed only 10 of 23 passes for 109 yards with three interceptions.

The Rebels avoided the shutout when Gary Wunderlich kicked a 27-yard field goal with 7:18 remaining.

Boykin also had turnover problems, as he completed 22 of 31 passes for 187 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. He had 10 carries for 65 yards.

There were a combined five turnovers in the first half, including three by TCU. Boykin threw two interceptions and wide receiver David Porter fumbled when trying to pitch to Green on a trick play.

The Rebels, held to four first downs and 59 total yards in the first half, couldn't take advantage of the turnovers.

By contrast, the Horned Frogs turned two Ole Miss turnovers into 14 points. On the Rebels' third snap of the game, a pass from Wallace was picked off by safety Chris Hackett. Two plays later, Listenbee threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Green.

Late in the half, Wallace tried to avoid a safety when pressured in his end zone by tossing the ball away, but McFarland snatched the ball up before it hit the turf for an instant touchdown and a 28-0 lead.

Wallace was sacked five times -- all in the first half.

The rout continued in the third quarter as Boykin threw touchdown passes of 35 yards to Listenbee and 27 yards to Doctson. The scoring catch moved Doctson past Reggie Harrell's team-record total of 1,012 yards receiving in 2003.

The Rebels finally staged an impressive drive late in the third quarter, when they had a first down at the TCU 8. On fourth down from the 7, the shotgun snap went past Wallace, and running back Jordan Wilkins fell on the ball at the 26.

Ole Miss left tackle Laremy Tunsil, an all-SEC first-team selection, was taken off the field in a cart late in the first half with an apparent right leg injury. Some TCU players walked over to offer encouragement to Tunsil as he waited for the cart.

Attendance was 65,706, ending the Peach Bowl's streak of 17 consecutive sellouts.

The bowl is sponsored by Chick-fil-A.

Georgia: 2014 Belk Bowl Champions

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Freshman running back Nick Chubb ran for a Georgia bowl-record 266 yards and two touchdowns as the No. 13 Bulldogs defeated No. 20 Louisville 37-14 in the Belk Bowl on Tuesday night at Bank of America Stadium.
Chubb carried a season-high 33 times, including a 30-yard sprint before his 8-yard touchdown scamper with 2:02 left.
Chubb finished 17 yards shy of Herschel Walker’s single-game school record set against Vanderbilt in 1980.
Georgia starting quarterback Hutson Mason did his damage in the first half in his final appearance for the Bulldogs (10-3).
Chubb’s 82-yard run — a Belk Bowl record — on the first play after a punt pinned the Bulldogs at their 3-yard line set up running back Sony Michel’s 2-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
Mason didn’t play after late in the second quarter because of what school officials referred to as vision issues.
Georgia’s Marshall Morgan kicked three field goals, including a 41-yarder with 5:20 remaining.
Georgia safety Dominick Sanders intercepted two passes. Bulldogs safety Damian Swann picked off a fourth-quarter pass one play after Louisville’s defense made a fourth-down stop.
Georgia also lost safety Quincy Mauger to a second-quarter concussion and receiver Michael Bennett to a third-quarter knee injury.
Louisville (9-4), completing its first season as an Atlantic Coast Conference member, couldn’t crank up enough offense after scoring at least 30 points in its last five regular-season games The Cardinals scored 30 or more points in their last five regular-season games.
Cardinals running back Brandon Radcliff scored on a 6-yard touchdown run in the third quarter on a 10-play drive. Senior receiver DeVante Parker notched eight catches for 120 receiving yards, eclipsing 100 yards for the 10th time in his career.
Georgia, which led 20-7 at halftime, put together a strong second quarter, taking the lead on Morgan’s 41-yard field goal. Chubb’s tackle-breaking, 31-yard touchdown run pushed the lead to 17-7 with 6:40 left in the first half.
Sanders made a 40-yard interception return to set up the Bulldogs at the Louisville 9. This time, Georgia settled for Morgan’s 22-yard field goal with 4:58 remaining.

Georgia got the ball back at the Louisville 31 when punter Ryan Johnson’s fourth-down pass on a fake punt was underthrown. On the next play, Cardinals cornerback Terell Floyd intercepted backup Ramsey’s pass at the Louisville 3.

Earlier, Georgia cashed in on its first possession with a touchdown as receiver Chris Conley caught a 44-yard touchdown strike from Mason. That capped an eight-play, 90-yard drive.

Louisville’s first scoring drive went 84 yards, with the highlight coming on tight end Gerald Christian’s one-handed grab in the back of the end zone of a Kyle Bolin pass. It came on a third-and-goal play from the Georgia 11.

NOTES: This was the first meeting between Georgia and Louisville. … For the first time, there’s a Top 25 matchup in the Belk Bowl’s 13-year history. … It’s a new era for the Belk Bowl by adding the Southeastern Conference providing one of the teams. … Louisville lost to North Carolina State in the 2011 Belk Bowl. … This is Georgia’s 50th bowl game, with its first postseason outing in Charlotte. … This was Georgia’s third ACC opponent of the season, opening by defeating Clemson and closing the regular season with a loss to Georgia Tech. … Both teams posted November victories against Kentucky. … Louisville RB Michael Dyer was removed from the team’s bowl roster because of academic issues. … In days leading to the game, Georgia announced that standout RB Todd Gurley is entering the NFL Draft. He has been out with a knee injury, preventing him from playing in his home state’s bowl.

Arkansas: 2014 Texas Bowl Champions

At SEC Media Days in Birmingham last summer, Arkansas coach Bret Bielema addressed a room of reporters as he previewed the season. “I'll take a minute to talk about last year,” Bielema said. He took a long pause. “That's about all I need to do.”

Nothing really needed to be said about the Razorbacks’ 2013 campaign. InBielema’s first season in Fayetteville, the Hogs lost nine straight games to end the year and finished 3-9. That mark included a 0-8 SEC record. The learning curve appeared steep for Bielema, who left a Wisconsin program fresh off three straight Rose Bowl berths to inherit an SEC bottom-feeder.

On Monday, Arkansas put a bow on a season that put last year’s forgettable campaign behind it. Bielema’s crew embarrassed Texas 31-7 in the Texas Bowl to finish 7-6. One year ago, the Razorbacks looked as far away from SEC contention as any team in the league. Now, the Hogs are bowl champions and on the cusp of returning to relevance.

Arkansas didn’t seem fazed by the common advice not to mess with Texas. In fact, it floored the gas and didn’t let up against the Longhorns. The Hogs jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the second quarter before Texas running back Johnathan Gray fumbled in his own end zone. Arkansas’ Taiwan Johnson hopped on the loose ball to give his team a 17-0 lead with 8:13 until halftime.

Bielema’s defense did a stellar job against Tyrone Swoopes and the Texas offense. The ‘Horns managed a stunning 59 yards of offense on 43 plays (1.37 yards per play). At the beginning of the fourth quarter, coach Charlie Strong’s team had 23 total yards. This is a Texas team that matured as the season progressed –- which points to a positive future under Strong –- but it simply didn’t show up in Houston.

For the Razorbacks, seven wins won’t lead to an SEC title, especially in the SEC West. However, Bielema simply needed to take a step forward with this roster this year. One could argue Arkansas took a few big steps. It earned its first SEC win under Bielema with a 17-0 win over LSU on Nov. 15. The Razorbacks routed Ole Miss 30-0 the next week. They also lost close games to Alabama and Texas A&M. No matter who the Hogs faced, they showed plenty of fight.

Arkansas won’t reach a New Year’s bowl anytime soon if it can’t hang with the SEC West’s big boys. But the program graduated from SEC doormat to conference spoiler in just one season, and there’s no telling what the future holds under Bielema. The Razorbacks can now enjoy some momentum during the offseason, which they didn’t have last year. Next season, that should at least give Bielema something to talk about.

Virginia Tech: 2014 Military Bowl Champions

Once the trophy presentation was over, and the son with the famous last name stood soaking wet from a postgame water bath and the oft-forgotten running back cradled his MVP award, Virginia Tech director of football operations John Ballein got up in front of the entire team and began to read a note written by Hokies Coach Frank Beamer.

The 68-year-old Beamer had just spent Saturday’s Military Bowl wearing a headset in the coaches’ booth, unable to speak loudly or for long stretches as he recovers from throat surgery performed earlier this month. This message, though, ended in familiar fashion — with Frank Beamer gyrating his hips and arms as part of a routine linebacker Deon Clarke later dubbed “The Little Twist.”

“He told the players in the locker room, ‘He may not be able to talk, but he can still dance,’ and went through probably one of his greatest dance routines this year,” Shane Beamer said.

Virginia Tech had plenty of reason to celebrate after storming to a 33-17 win over Cincinnati at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, none more important than salvaging its 22nd straight winning record (7-6) in a season that will ultimately be remembered as disappointing.

But the immediate story lines revolved around Frank Beamer, who had been detached from the program during bowl preparations this month and only arrived in Annapolis on Friday night. He had only missed one other game throughout his 28-year tenure at Virginia Tech – a 30-13 win over Tulane in 1989 when then-associate head coach Billy Hite led the Hokies while Beamer recovered from a heart procedure.

Shane Beamer, the program’s associate head coach since 2011, took over his father’s sideline duties Saturday and the team responded with a throwback performance befitting the program’s “Beamerball” moniker.

“I’ve had many proud moments in my time at Virginia Tech, but this is one of my proudest,” Frank Beamer said in a statement read by Shane. “When you consider the constant adversity we’ve had to endure this season, it’s just rewarding that we believed in one another and continued to fight our way through it.

“I want to personally thank the players and the coaching staff [for] their focus and hard work going into and during this bowl game. I thought we looked like a prepared football team that played with passion.”

Junior tailback J.C. Coleman earned MVP honors, rushing for a season-high 157 yards and one touchdown even after Virginia Tech lost center David Wang and fullback Sam Rogers to injury. He also spearheaded a powerful 75-yard drive to begin the second half, pounding the ball on the ground before a play-action touchdown pass from one yard out to tight end Ryan Malleck.

The tide then turned for good with one of the wackier plays this season.

On Cincinnati’s ensuing drive, Clarke sacked and stripped Bearcats quarterback Gunner Kiel. Sophomore Nigel Williams, a 291-pound defensive tackle, grabbed the loose ball and rumbled down the field before fumbling at the 12-yard line. But defensive back Greg Stroman (Stonewall Jackson) scooped up the ball in full stride and dragged Cincinnati wide receiver Chris Moore into the end zone to give the Hokies a 30-10 lead midway through the third quarter.

“That was a gut puncher,” said Coleman, who had at least 95 rushing yards in the past four games after being relegated to a minor role midway through this campaign.

Kiel, who threw for 233 of his 244 yards in the first half, did not return after that hit due to concussion-like symptoms and Cincinnati (9-4) never recovered. The Bearcats were forced to use Wildcat formations and fourth-string quarterback Michael Colosimo because of an injury to back-up Munchie Legaux and a suspension to third-string signal caller Jarred Evans.

Virginia Tech’s defense gave up more than 300 yards before halftime, including seven plays of more than 15 yards in the first quarter, and allowed 489 yards for the game. But first-half interceptions by cornerbacks Kendall Fuller and Chuck Clark helped stem Cincinnati’s early momentum.

Offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler sat next to Beamer in the coaches’ box and noted his boss was “very into the game,” and made sure to tell Loeffler, “Just make sure we run the ball here,” when Virginia Tech took its commanding third-quarter lead and Kiel left the game.

“There were a few grunts and groans on some plays. I did hear that over the headphones,” Shane Beamer added.

By the time Frank Beamer got to the locker room, though, any concerns took a backseat to the dance moves that have become a comic tradition after every win this year.

“We knew how badly he wanted to be out there,” quarterback Michael Brewer said. “He can’t say much right now, but he shook my hand, gave me a hug and said that he’s proud of me, and that was a special feeling.”

Bowling Green: 2014 Camellia Bowl Champions

The inaugural Raycom Media Camellia Bowl was a knock down, drag out battle that left each team, and literally South Alabama head coach Joey Jones, beaten and battered.

And when South Alabama (6-7) capped off a dramatic, late-game drive with a Terrance Timmons three-yard touchdown run with 1:20 left in the game to take a 28-27 lead, it looked like Bowling Green (8-6), after swallowing body blows for the whole second half, was finally down for the count.

But James Knapke, an early-season replacement for preseason starter Matt Johnson, picked Bowling Green up off the canvas, and 16 seconds later, delivered the final knockout blow to the Jaguars, hitting Roger Lewis for a 78-yard touchdown pass that clinched the Falcons’ 33-28 victory Saturday night at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery.

With his performance, Knapke was named the Camellia Bowl Bart Starr MVP.

“We wanted to be aggressive with that play call,” Knapke said. “Roger (Lewis) was one on one and my job is to just get him the ball. He made the play after that.”

Knapke and the Falcons got off to a blazing start in the teams’ third-straight bowl appearance.

After holding the South Alabama offense to a three-and-out on their first drive of the game, Knapke lead Bowling Green on a seven-play, 65 yard drive, capped by a 44-yard bomb on fourth-and-two to Lewis for the first touchdown of the game.

“We just tried to take advantage of what the defense was doing,” Knapke said. “Roger did a great job of getting open.”

The Falcons struck again one drive later, this time on a 93-yard march. After a 53-yard pass to Gherig Dieter put Bowling Green in the South Alabama red zone, Travis Greene punched the ball in from one yard out to put the Falcons up 14-0.

With just over seven minutes remaining in the first quarter, it seemed as though Knapke and the Bowling Green offense could do no wrong.

But South Alabama finally responded when Kendall Houston took a handoff 44 yards into the end zone, cutting the lead to 14-7. It was Houston’s longest touchdown run of his career.

Bowling Green added two field goals to push the lead to 20-7 before halftime.

At 9:13 of the third quarter, South Alabama quarterback Brandon Bridge ignited the Jaguars’ second-half comeback, scrambling into the end zone from 15 yards out to narrow the Falcons’ lead to 20-14.

“It says that they’re (South Alabama) resilient as hell,” Jones said. “They never backed down and that’s the heart of this team.”

After Travis Greene responded for Bowling Green with a 17-yard touchdown run late in the third, South Alabama kept pace with a DeMarrion Buford-Hughes 18-yard touchdown reception, cutting the lead again to 27-21 before the final two dramatic scores.

Knapke finished Saturday with 368 yards and two touchdowns on 25-of-39 passing.

“What a story,” Bowling Green head coach Dino Babers said. “How he started his very first game, finished up the WKU game… Still win the (MAC) East, still get to the MAC Championship game and then we have a bowl game like this. Who would have ever thunk his name would have been underneath Bart Starr for the MVP of this bowl game in its inaugural year. That’s an OMG right there.”

The Falcons had two receivers tally more than 100 yards receiving. Roger finished with 137 yards receiving and two touchdowns and Dieter finished with 108 yards.

This is the Falcons’ first bowl victory since defeating Memphis in the GMAC Bowl in 2004, coincidentally at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, South Alabama’s home field.

In the loss, South Alabama still made history. The Jaguars became the fastest team in Sun Belt history to become bowl eligible. The Jaguars have been a full member of the FBS for just two years.

It’s a feat the South Alabama seniors hope will set the standard for teams and recruiting classes to come.

“The legacy that we left is just a legacy that is just going to keep on growing,“ Bridge said. “Like Maleki (Harris) said, we left that stepping stone with that first bowl game.”

Bridge completed 20-of-37 passes for a touchdown, but threw two interceptions, including a costly one on the Jaguars’ last drive of the game.

Danny Woodson led South Alabama with 122 yards receiving on six receptions.

Air Force: 2014 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Champions

A turnaround play capped a turnaround season.

Air Force linebacker Spencer Proctor stripped Western Michigan quarterback Zach Terrell on a scramble early in the fourth quarter in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on Saturday. Linebacker Dexter Walker grabbed the loose ball and scampered 60 yards down the sideline for a touchdown -- just as it looked like Air Force was losing control of the game. The Falcons beat the Broncos 38-24.

The victory put a championship topper on a 10-3 season for the Falcons, who were 2-10 last year.

“That touchdown really just turned the game in our favor and that’s all she wrote,” Air Force senior linebacker Jordan Pierce said.

Walker's touchdown came moments after a Western Michigan punt return for a touchdown was negated by a block in the back. The touchdown would have tied the score, pending the point-after.

“It was a block in the back,” Western Michigan coach P.J. Fleck said. “It’s a great return by Daniel Braverman. He didn’t need the block. That guy makes everybody miss anyway. That’s definitely tough, but we could have overcome it.”

The Broncos took possession at their own 47-yard line down 23-17.

Three plays later, the Falcons’ defensive touchdown made it 31-17 with 9:52 to play -- and they cruised the rest of the way.

“That about four-play sequence right there were gigantic plays,” Air Force coach Troy Calhoun said. “… That was the first defensive touchdown we’ve had in, oh, baby — I studied history at the academy, but it’s been a while.”

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SCORING SUMMARY

First quarter

WMU — Andrew Haldeman 25 field goal, 12:45. Key plays: Air Force tailback Devin Rushing fumbled a pitch on the Falcons’ first play. Western Michigan recovered on the Air Force 30-yard line. The Broncos converted one third down but a holding penalty stalled the drive. Drive: 8 plays, 22 yards, 2:08. Western Michigan 3, Air Force 0

AFA — Shayne Davern 1 run (run failed), 5:24. Key plays: Wide receiver Garrett Brown gained 10 yards on a toss play and Western Michigan was flagged for a face mask that negated a sack. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 3:41. Air Force 6, Western Michigan 3

Second quarter

WMU — Corey Davis 47 pass from Zach Terrell (Haldeman kick), 11:26. Key plays: Terrell rolled right and threw to wide receiver Daniel Braverman for 13 yards on third-and-5. The touchdown was on a post route and Davis got behind the entire defense. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:49. Western Michigan 10, Air Force 6

AFA — Davern 55 run (Will Conant kick), 10:12. Key plays: Quarterback Kale Pearson kept left for 14 yards. On the next play, Davern took the dive handoff, broke a tackle and was gone. Drive: 3 plays, 72 yards, 1:14. Air Force 13, Western Michigan 10

AFA — Rushing 1 run (Conant kick), 2:32. Key plays: Rushing gained 7 yards on third-and-6 on a play similar to the touchdown. Davern added an 8-yard gain on a fake punt on fourth-and-2 and Robinette made a 38-yard catch. Drive: 15 plays, 80 yards, 5:59.Air Force 20, Western Michigan 10

Third quarter

AFA — Conant 31 field goal, 6:32. Key plays: Brown made a 14-yard catch to get the Falcons in scoring position. The drive stalled on an incomplete pass in the end zone. Drive: 9 plays, 35 yards, 3:35. Air Force 23, Western Michigan 10

Fourth quarter

WMU — Davis 35 pass from Terrell (Haldeman kick), 13:26. Key plays: Terrell scrambled for 12 yards and drew a late-hit penalty on third down to get the initial first down. He added a couple of 13-yard completions. Drive: 9 plays, 92 yards, 2:00. Air Force 23, Western Michigan 17

AFA — Dexter Walker 60 fumble return (Robinette pass from Pearson), 9:52. Air Force 31, Western Michigan 17

AFA — D.J. Johnson 9 run (Conant kick), 5:20. Key plays: Colton Huntsman broke a 26-yard run to the Western Michigan 9. Johnson broke a couple tackles going into the end zone. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 3:11. Air Force 38, Western Michigan 17

WMU — Davis 51 pass from Terrell (Haldeman kick), 3:16. Key play: Davis made his third catch of the night on a deep ball. Drive: 6 plays, 84 yards, 2:04. Air Force 38, Western Michigan 24

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