Nebraska: 2014 Gator Bowl Champions

JACKSONVILLE (AP) — Tommy Armstrong Jr. connected with Quincy Enunwa for two touchdowns, including a 99-yarder in the third quarter, and Nebraska held on to beat No. 24 Georgia 24-19 in the rain-soaked Gator Bowl on Wednesday.

Playing in their 50th bowl, the Cornhuskers (9-4) ended a four-game losing streak against teams from the Southeastern Conference. The streak included a 45-31 loss to Georgia in the Capital One Bowl last season.

The rematch was much different.

Nebraska did a solid job against running back Todd Gurley, who ran for 125 yards and a touchdown last year. Gurley finished with 86 yards on the ground.

Gurley was more effective in the passing game, catching seven passes for 97 yards and a score. His 25-yard score on the first play of the fourth quarter cut Nebraska's lead to 24-19.

But the Huskers stopped Georgia (8-5) twice on fourth down in the closing minutes. Rantavious Wooten and Arthur Lynch dropped fourth-down passes that ended drives in the red zone.

Those drops were indicative of the entire game for Georgia. The Bulldogs moved inside the 25-yard line seven times, but settled for four field goals.

Despite those, Georgia had a chance late.

Wooten dropped a fourth-and-2 pass at the 10-yard line with 4:42 remaining. Georgia got the ball back with 3:18 to play and marched toward the end zone. But Lynch couldn't haul in a fourth-and-3 pass that would have moved the chains with about 25 seconds remaining.

Nebraska ran out the clock from there.

The Huskers pulled ahead 24-12 late in the third on the longest play in Gator Bowl history.

Armstrong dropped back on a third-and-14 play at the 1 and heaved the ball as far as he could to Enunwa, who was streaking wide open down the left sideline. Georgia cornerback Shaq Wiggins let Enunwa go, but got no safety help deep. Quincy Mauger had a chance to tackle Enunwa, but bounced off him just past midfield.

Enunwa coasted the rest of the way.

Enunwa finished with four receptions for 129 yards. He also broke a school with 12 touchdown receptions, eclipsing the mark of 11 set by Johnny Rodgers in 1971.

Armstrong, filling in for injured starter Taylor Martinez, completed 6 of 14 passes for 163 yards. He also had a 5-yard TD pass to Enunwa in the second quarter.

Ameer Abdullah ran 27 times for 122 yards and a score. It was his 11th 100-yard game of the season.

Nebraska finished with 307 yards, 109 fewer than Georgia.

Turnovers were the difference.

Nebraska turned two of them into two touchdowns. Reggie Davis muffed a punt deep in Georgia territory in the second quarter and Nebraska scored two plays later.

The Huskers also turned Hutson Mason's lone interception into points. Mason overthrew Chris Conley near the sideline. Josh Mitchell picked it off, setting up Abdullah's TD run.

Mason, making his second straight start in place of injured starter Aaron Murray, completed 21 of 39 passes for 320 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.

Texas A&M: 2013 Chick-Fil-A Bowl Champions

Farewell, Johnny. It was wonderful while it lasted.

The 2013 Chick-Fil-A bowl will long be remembered as Heisman winner Johnny Manziel’s final game in college. Years from now, few will remember the details of the Texas A&M comeback to beat an upstart Duke team that played nearly three quarters of flawless football before finally relenting, 52-48, on New Year Eve.

Perhaps even fewer will recall that the key play in the game was turned by the very same A&M defense that allowed Duke to move at will up and down the field all game long.

Never mind all that. For now, breathe in the wonder of Manziel, who threw for 382 yards on 30 of 38 passing, while rushing for another 73 yards and one touchdown. That’s 455 yards of offense and five total touchdowns for those keeping score at home.

It almost wasn’t enough.

Duke scored on its first six possessions and jumped out to a 38-17 halftime lead (the score was 28-3 at one point). Blue Devils quarterback Anthony Boone was phenomenal, throwing for 427 yards on 29 of 43 passing. He was 11 for 11 on third down alone, keeping drives alive time after time. But it wasn’t quite enough.

This was no game for defenses. A combined 1,203 yards and 100 points was belched forth by both offensive attacks.

And yet Tony Hurd’s 55-yard pick six of a Boone pass in the fourth quarter ended up being the difference. Such is college football.

A&M closes the season at 9-4, while Duke finishes its dream season at 10-4.

“I can’t even think about anything other than this game right now,” Manziel said afterward, in response to a reporter who asked whether he would now turn pro. “It’s unreal. I love Texas A&M. I love my teammates. I love ‘em more than anything on the face of this earth.”

Enough to come back for another year?  Stay tuned.

Mississippi State: 2013 Liberty Bowl Champions

MEMPHIS (AP) — Dak Prescott threw three touchdown passes and ran for two more scores and Mississippi State trounced Rice 44-7 on Tuesday in the most one-sided Liberty Bowl victory in the game's 55-year history.

Mississippi State (7-6) wrapped up its fourth straight winning season and prevented Rice (10-4) from winning bowl games in back-to-back years for the first time. By accounting for five touchdowns, Prescott set a Liberty Bowl record.

After falling behind 7-0, the Bulldogs scored touchdowns on four consecutive possessions.

Mississippi State's Jameon Lewis caught nine passes for 220 yards to break the Liberty Bowl receiving record held by Houston's Vincent Marshall, who had 201 yards in a 44-36 loss to South Carolina in 2006. Lewis also set the school single-game record.

Prescott was 17 of 28 for 283 yards and also ran for 78 yards on 14 carries.

Prescott's performance delighted a partisan crowd of 57,846 and capped a triumphant late-season performance amid personal tragedy for the sophomore quarterback, whose mother, Peggy, died of cancer in November.

Prescott came off the bench in the fourth quarter to lead Mississippi State to a 17-10 overtime victory over Ole Miss that made the Bulldogs bowl eligible. He then delivered arguably the finest performance of his career Tuesday on a day when he knew the offense would be resting on his shoulders.

Although Prescott and senior Tyler Russell had shared quarterback duties throughout the regular season, Prescott had the job to himself in the Liberty Bowl while Russell recovered from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder. Prescott responded better than anyone could have reasonably imagined.

Rice took an early lead on Charles Ross' 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter after the Owls recovered a fumble at the Mississippi State 47. The Bulldogs dominated from that point on.

Mississippi State responded to Rice's early score by producing touchdowns on each of its next four possessions to grab a 27-7 halftime lead. Prescott threw touchdown passes to LaDarius Perkins, Malcolm Johnson and Artimus Samuel in the first half. Prescott added two touchdown runs in the third quarter.

Rice's offense simply couldn't keep up that pace.

The Owls had won the Conference USA title - their first outright league championship of any kind since 1957 - by relying on a rushing attack that was ranked 16th among all Football Bowl Subdivision teams. Rice had shown it could run the ball against SEC competition by rushing for 306 yards on 51 carries in a season-opening 52-31 loss to Texas A&M.

Mississippi State stopped that Rice rushing attack in its tracks.

UCLA: 2013 Sun Bowl Champions

EL PASO — That, as the folks in the industry say, is a wrap. UCLA labored, even struggled at times, but in the end the Bruins had a glitzy Hollywood ending for the 2013 season.

Quarterback Brett Hundley dipped and dodged on the field and off, leaving defenders in his wake along with the idea that he just might hop, skip and jump into the NFL draft.

Linebacker Jordan Zumwalt appeared to be auditioning for the lead in the next Incredible Hulk movie. Zumwalt Smash?

Linebacker Myles Jack scored another touchdown, this time while playing defense.

And a 42-12 victory over Virginia Tech on Tuesday in the Hyundai Sun Bowl left the Bruins (10-3) with their first 10-win season since 2005.

The sequel, the Bruins think, could be better.

"To see what we did this year, with 10 victories playing the schedule we had, it's scary to think we can be a lot better next year," Hundley said.

The Bruins announced their 2014 intentions with four touchdowns in the fourth quarter to break open the game after leading 14-7 through three quarters.

Where this will lead is open for interpretation. The consensus among the Bruins was that they were headed in an upward direction. UCLA fans will certainly demand that.

"I think the expectations that matter are our own," UCLA Coach Jim Mora said.

Which are?

"We need to get to a Rose Bowl," Mora said. "We need to get to and win a Rose Bowl."

Others were reaching even higher.

"I don't think there is a bar for us," receiver Devin Lucien said. "We've got to continue what we started this season. The national title is our motivation."

That is certainly part of Hundley's checklist.

"When you think of a legacy, you think about Super Bowls and national championships, Rose Bowls, something where you put your stamp on the program," Hundley said.

Whether this was Hundley's final stamp remains to be seen. A redshirt sophomore, he is eligible to declare for the NFL draft, a decision he will make in the coming days or weeks.

The Bruins could start the season as a top-10 team and go from there . . . if Hundley returns.

"That speaks for itself," Lucien said.

Anyone who says otherwise needs only to look at the statistics sheet from Tuesday. Hundley accounted for 387 of UCLA's 447 yards — 161 rushing and 226 passing — against a defense that ranked in the national top 10 in nearly every category.

Arizona: 2013 Advocare V100 Bowl Champions

Arizona’s bowl game was supposed to be all about the All-American running backs.

That was half true.

Ka’Deem Carey rushed for 169 yards to definitively win the battle of the backs in the Wildcats’ 42-19 romp over Boston College in the AdvoCare V100 Bowl in Shreveport, La., on Tuesday, but the feel-good ending to the season was stuffed with heroes in cardinal and navy.

The offensive MVP award went to quarterback B.J. Denker, freshman Nate Phillips set the record for the bowl game with 193 receiving yards, The Kid’s kid caught the first two touchdown passes of his career, safety Will Parks made the play of the game with a pick-six in the first half … and both lines earned a round of atta-boys, too.

Coach Rich Rodriguez, as he accepted the trophy during the postgame celebration, took the moment to be his own pitchman.

“We think we have a great thing going at the University of Arizona. We’ve got great facilities, a wonderful academic atmosphere, a beautiful campus,” he said.

“And I think if (recruits) get to know my guys, the guys on this team, who wouldn’t want to come play for the University of Arizona right now?”

Rodriguez has now won a bowl game at Arizona the hard way (two touchdowns in the final minute to win the New Mexico Bowl) and the easy way (cruising in the second half against the Eagles), both capping 8-5 seasons that flash a “Ready to Launch” signal for the Wildcats.

“Win or lose, I felt the foundation of our program has been established by the last two senior classes,” Rodriguez said in his postgame interview on 1290-AM (KCUB).

“We think we’re going to keep getting better. Certainly, winning today, and winning how we did, gives us a lot of confidence going into the offseason.”

This is a lot different than the feeling around the program on the night of Nov. 30, when Arizona State throttled the Cats 58-21 and was headed to the Pac-12 championship game. The Sun Devils lost that one, then were upset by Texas Tech in the Holiday Bowl on Monday night.

About 14 hours later, Arizona was walking off with a bowl trophy. Happy New Year, UA fans.

The game-within-the-game was Carey vs. Boston College’s Andre Williams, who won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s best running back and who was fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting.

For much of the first half, the competition fizzled. Carey lost a fumble on his first attempt. Williams couldn’t get his 227 pounds into a higher gear.

Carey eventually had a Ka’Deem Carey kind of day. He got his yards. He scored twice.

Williams … not so much.

He rushed 26 times for 75 yards, finishing 100 yards below his season average, always met at the line of scrimmage by a Wildcat or three. Williams’ longest run was 7 yards.

“I think the biggest key for us, defensively, was trying to tackle to tackle him before he got going through the second level,” Rodriguez said in his postgame press conference.

“We wanted to tackle him early and be really physical. Our guys up front held the point pretty good, and on the back end, we tackled well. We got him on the ground quickly and didn’t let him get the big runs.”

Denker, the quarterback who absolutely nobody wanted out of high school, went out on top, completing 17 of 24 passes for 275 yards and two scores, also rushing for 51 yards and a touchdown. Two of his touchdown tosses went to Trey Griffey, certainly a proud moment for his dad, Ken Griffey Jr., who was shooting photographs from the sideline.

Phillips had his best day as a Wildcat with nine catches for 193 yards, eclipsing the bowl record of 191 set by South Carolina’s Sidney Rice in 2005.

Just about the only nervous moment for Arizona came late in the first half. Boston College trailed 7-6, was dominating time of possession and had recovered Phillips’ muffed punt catch at the UA 40. Three plays later, Parks totally changed momentum, using his film study to diagnose a route, cut off a sideline pass and race 69 yards for a score. He was chosen the game’s defensive MVP.

“When I caught it, I was thinking end zone, end zone, end zone,” Parks said on 1290-AM.

“It was pretty crazy. Once I celebrated, I was like, ‘I just changed the game for us.’ But it was a whole defensive effort.”

The all-around effort propels Arizona into an offseason in which the next big question is whether or not Carey jumps to the NFL. After that, Rodriguez is expected to sign his best class at Arizona. And after that, he’ll have to find a quarterback for 2014.

In the meantime, the Cats will enjoy their bowl victory while, correctly, setting their sights higher in years to come.

“I’m really proud of our football team and my seniors. We enjoyed the week but at the same time, we knew the reason we came down here was to win a football game,” Rodriguez said.

“I think it will help in recruiting a little bit. There’s just a positive vibe surrounding our program.”

1.1.2014

Happy New Year 

from the Bedlam on Baltic Avenue.

Texas Tech: 2013 Holiday Bowl Champions

Just when it looked like No. 14 Arizona State was starting to mount a comeback,Reginald Davis turned the tide. The Texas Tech receiver returned a kickoff 90 yards for a score to give Texas Tech a two-touchdown lead they would never relinquish in a 37-23 victory over the Sun Devils at the National University Holiday Holiday Bowl on Monday night in San Diego.

Texas Tech controlled the game from start-to-finish through the air. As is the Red Raiders' M.O., it was an aerial assault pacing the offense. Quarterback Davis Webb threw for 403 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions.  He completed passes to 10 different receivers, led by Jace Amaro, who hauled in eight passes. Jakeem Grant added two touchdowns.

Arizona State was plagued by missed opportunities. On a first half drive, the Sun Devils had the ball at the one-yard line but failed to punch it in. Kicker Zane Gonzalez proceeded to miss the ensuing field goal. In the fourth quarter, quarterback Taylor Kelly hit wide open receiver Rick Smith with a perfect pass in the end zone, but Smith dropped the ball. It wasn't the Sun Devils' night.

Box Score Hero: Texas Tech quarterback Davis Webb: 403 yards and four touchdowns on 28-of-41 passing.

Texas Tech wide receiver Jace Amaro: eight receptions for 112 yards.

Texas Tech receiver Jakeem Grant: six receptions for 89 yards.Texas

Rankings Ramifications: ASU came into the game ranked No. 14, but they sure didn't play like it. The loss will surely drop them a couple of rungs in the final top-25 poll of the season. And while it was a really impressive performance from the Red Raiders, it likely won't be enough to get them back into the rankings.

But Did They Cover? Arizona State came in as a 17-point favorite. They did not cover.

Oregon: 2013 Alamo Bowl Champions

SAN ANTONIO — Mack Brown's finish at Texas was somehow fitting. The end came mercifully, with his overmatched Texas team beaten soundly – but not embarrassed – by Oregon, 30-7 Alamo Bowl.

A 16-year tenure fizzled in the last few years in large part because of a dearth of good quarterback play. Monday night, it was more of the same – right from the start. On the third play, Case McCoy's pass bounced off a receiver's hands, was intercepted by safety Avery Patterson, who returned it 37 yards for a touchdown.

And although Oregon didn't quite steamroll the Longhorns. the Ducks were in control most of the way from that point. Midway through the fourth quarter, another McCoy interception was returned for a touchdown, stretching the Ducks' lead to 30-7.

Fans wore burnt orange shirts with the message "THANKS MACK." As it played "One Day More" from Les Miserables, the Texas marching band spelled out "MACK BROWN." Even Bevo, the mascot, wore "MACK" on his halter.

New Texas athletic director Steve Patterson, while deflecting questions about his search for Brown's replacement – except to say he wanted a hire by the time recruiting reopens Jan. 15 – praised Brown and said he hoped for a nice ending.

Texas coach Mack Brown congratulates with quarterback Case McCoy (6) after a touchdown during the first half Monday against Oregon at Alamo Dome.(Photo: Soobum Im, USA TODAY Sports)

"Mack's had a great 16-year career here," Patterson said before the game. "He brought a national championship. He's operated with class – no issues in terms of recruiting or academics or ethics. We'd all love to see him go out with a win."

None of it mattered. As 65,918 watched at the Alamodome, Texas fell to 8-5. Since losing to Alabama in the 2010 BCS national championship game, the Longhorns' cumulative record is 30-21 in the last four seasons. Texas is 4-16 in its past 20 games against Top 25 opponents.

Oregon (11-2) wasn't as smooth as it can be. But sophomore quarterback Marcus Mariota appeared to have recovered from a knee injury that hampered him and the Ducks' offense in November. He rushed for 134 yards on 15 carries and was 18 of 26 for 253 yards and a touchdown. In the first half, he accounted for 262 of Oregon's 296 total yards; the Ducks led 20-7.

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.

Navy: 2013 Armed Forces Bowl Champions

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Keenan Reynolds ran for 86 yards with two more touchdowns and Navy won for only the second time its last seven bowl games, beating Middle Tennessee State 24-6 in the Armed Forces Bowl on Monday.

Reynolds had a 3-yard score to cap the opening drive for Navy (9-4) and added a 1-yarder in the fourth quarter. Already with the NCAA record for touchdowns rushing by a quarterback, Reynolds upped his total to 31 to match Colorado State running back Kapri Bibbs, also a sophomore, for the national lead this season.

Middle Tennessee (8-5) was held to a season low in points. The Blue Raidersfinished the regular season with a five-game winning streak, averaging nearly 43 points a game in that stretch -- since a 34-7 loss on Oct. 12 at North Texas, about 40 miles away from the TCU campus where the bowl was played.

The Midshipmen overcame two fumbles by Reynolds, their first turnovers in six games. Both came after Navy got inside the 20 and were recovered by T.T. Barber, though the Blue Raiders failed to convert either into points.

Barber knocked loose one ball after tackling Reynolds, jumping over the quarterback to pounce on it late in the first half. The other came late in the third quarter when the Midshipmen drove from their own 6 to the MTSU 14 after stopping Middle Tennessee short on a fourth-and-2.

Reynolds, who finished the season with 1,346 yards rushing leading the triple option offense, had lost only two fumbles during the regular season.

Navy won its fifth straight.

Down 10-6 at halftime, the Blue Raiders drove to the Navy 7 on the opening drive of the second half. They opted to go for it on fourth down instead of trying a short field goal. But fullback Corey Carmichael managed only a yard before getting taken down by Travis Bridges and George Jamison, who also had an interception.

The Midshipmen never trailed after 10 rushing plays on their opening drive, capped by Reynolds' first touchdown. Nick Sloan made a 32-yard field goal, and DeBrandon Sanders added a 41-yard TD run for Navy, which had 366 yards rushing.

Cody Clark kicked a 43-yard field goal on Middle Tennessee's first drive. He later made a 24-yarder.

There was a scary moment in the final minute before halftime when Middle Tennessee receiver Marcus Henry and Navy cornerback Lonnie Richardson each crumpled to the ground after a hard tackle. Players from both teams quickly motioned to the sideline, and trainers sprinted to the players.

Henry and Richardson were side-by-side on the ground surrounded by their respective teammates and medical personnel. Both eventually sat up, then got up and walked gingerly off the field with help.

Richardson was a second-teamer pressed into extra duty after the ejection of senior safety Wave Ryder for a borderline targeting penalty midway through the second quarter. Ryder appeared to make shoulder-to-shoulder contact on the hit of receiver Tavarres Jefferson at the end of a 22-yard gain, but officials upheld Ryder's ejection after the automatic review of the play.

Kansas State: 2013 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Champions

TEMPE, Ariz. — Kansas State’s 31-14 victory over Michigan on Saturday in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl is the type of game that will be remembered for years to come in Wildcat circles.

It had everything.

For starters, K-State ended an ugly five-game bowl losing streak that dated back to 2002. Players won’t have to answer questions about their poise or toughness the next time they head into the postseason. Proving they could win in this setting was their top priority. But they ended up accomplishing more.

This was also one of the Wildcats’ most dominant efforts of the season, the type of victory that came with style points. Tyler Lockett tied a school record with three touchdown catches, Jake Waters showed off his arm on a national stage and K-State’s defense looked strong from start to finish.

Throw in the fact that that the Wildcats did all that against one of the most storied programs in college football in front of 53,284 at Sun Devil Stadium and they were left with an experience that is hard to beat.

They could see it coming. Perhaps that was the best part.

K-State announced early on that it was serious about winning its first bowl game in a decade. The Wildcats scored first, took a 14-3 lead in the first quarter and held a 21-6 advantage at halftime.

They were firmly in control. And that was a welcome change.

Before Saturday, K-State had never scored more than nine points in the first quarter of a bowl. The Wildcats had also trailed from start to finish in their last two bowl losses. This was the first time they had possessed a lead in the postseason since the 2010 Pinstripe Bowl.

The Wildcats, 8-5, started strong behind three touchdown passes from Waters to Lockett and a defense that held the Wolverines, 7-6, to field goals and punts.

That combination led to confidence, which turned into momentum, and eventually became a victory.

It all started with a textbook K-State touchdown drive. After receiving the opening kickoff, the Wildcats marched 75 yards in 14 plays, converting four third downs and eating up 7 minutes, 48 seconds of clock along the way. The drive was capped the drive by a 6-yard TD catch by Lockett.

Michigan, behind freshman quarterback Shane Morris, looked poised to tie the game on the ensuing drive. The Wolverines completed several short passes and drove into the red zone, but K-State’s defense tightened near the goal line and prevented tight end Devin Funchess from hauling in a jump ball in the end zone. Michigan had to settle for a field goal.

When K-State got the ball back it quickly found the end zone when Waters lofted a pass over coverage into the hands of Lockett for a 29-yard score that gave the Wildcats a 14-3 lead.

Michigan once again threatened to answer with a touchdown of its own, but ended up kicking another field goal. K-State focused its efforts on stuffing the run and dared Morris, who started his first game in place of injured Devin Gardner, to beat it with his arm. Morris was unable to.

When Waters hit Glenn Gronkowski for a 46-yard gain, and then connected with Lockett for an 8-yard touchdown with 4:30 remaining in the second quarter that gave K-State a 21-6 lead, Michigan carried the look of a defeated team.

At halftime, the Wolverines had gained 131 yards, with only 10 coming on the ground, while Lockett was on his way to a monster game. If not for a dropped pass in the end zone from Daniel Sams in the second half, Lockett would have broken numerous K-State bowl receiving records.

In many ways, that play summed up the second half. K-State was continually in position to blow the doors off Michigan, but couldn’t take advantage of scoring opportunities.

A promising drive in the third quarter ended with a missed field goal by Ian Patterson. Another ended with a 22-yard field goal from Patterson.

The way K-State’s defense played, frustrating Morris and forcing Michigan into three-and-outs, those missed opportunities didn’t impact the bottom line.

John Hubert ran 1 yard for a touchdown with 2:25 left for K-State’s final score.

It was a fitting conclusion to a season that started slowly, but became successful. As difficult as it must have been for Bill Snyder to watch the Wildcats lose four of their first six games, his team showed improvement every week.

That was most evident in the postseason.

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.

North Carolina: 2013 Belk Bowl Champions

North Carolina was one of the best teams in the ACC during the second half of the season and carried that momentum into its bowl game. The Tar Heels showed little problem with the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Belk Bowl, defeating Tommy Tuberville's squad 39-17 in Charlotte.

On third-and-goal, Romar Morris burst through the hole and into the end zone to give North Carolina the 7-0 lead. Two drives later, Kareem Martin broke through two Bearcat offensive linemen to bring down Brendon Kay in the end zone for a safety. T.J. Loganreturned the ensuing safety punt 78 yards for a touchdown and the Tar Heels suddenly led 16-0 in the first quarter.

The two teams traded scores in the second quarter -- unfortunately for the Bearcats, they traded a field goal for a touchdown. Tony Miliano's 34-yard field goal put Cincinnati on the board, but Marquise Williams' 3-yard touchdown pass to Jack Tabb four minutes later made the score 23-3.

The Tar Heels started out the third quarter with a bang, as Ryan Switzer returned a sky-high punt 86 yards for his fifth punt return touchdown of the season, tying an NCAA record.

Cincinnati tried to make it a game with two of the next three touchdowns, but were stopped short near the goal-line with about ten minutes left in the game. That allowed North Carolina to run down clock and put the game out of reach.

Box Score Hero: T.J. Logan. The running back carried 15 times for 77 yards while also returning three kicks for 120 yards and a touchdown.

Rankings Ramifications: Neither team was ranked, and neither will be.

But Did They Cover? North Carolina was a 3-point favorite, so they did.

Notre Dame: 2013 Pinstripe Bowl Champions

NEW YORK (AP) — This nicely sums up Tommy Rees' Notre Dame career.

The senior threw for 319 yards and no interceptions in his final college game, leading No. 25 Notre Dame to a 29-16 victory against Rutgers that was far from pretty but ultimately successful — and an offensive lineman won the MVP award.

"I was giving Tommy a hard time," said senior tackle Zack Martin, who took home the award. "I think he got snubbed a little bit."

Rees finished four years of football for the Fighting Irish packed with both memorable and forgettable moments with a solid performance, going 27 for 47. He has been "The Closer," rallying Notre Dame to victories with late drives, and "Turnover Tommy," making crushing mistakes at the most inopportune times during his time in South Bend, Ind.

For his finale, against one of the worst pass defenses in the nation, Rees was mistake free and productive. He missed some throws that could have broken open the game, but, typically, he persevered.

"I'm a Tommy Rees fan for life," coach Brian Kelly said.

Kyle Brindza kicked five field goals for the Fighting Irish (9-4), who finished their follow-up season to last year's run to the national championship game a long way from the BCS — facing a two-touchdown underdog trying to avoid a losing record.

Notre Dame's play was less than inspired — Kelly said about a dozen players were fighting a flu bug — but the win prevented the Irish from finishing with eight victories for the third time in his four seasons.

"A good season that could have been a great season," Kelly said.

Notre Dame's TJ Jones scored on an 8-yard run in the first quarter and Rutgers star Brandon Coleman answered with a 14-yard touchdown catch soon after. Tarean Folston's 3-yard touchdown run with 3:38 in the fourth made it 26-16 and finally gave the Irish a comfortable lead.

On the slick turf at Yankee Stadium, the Pinstripe Bowl turned into a field-goal kicking contest. Brindza was 5 for 6. Kyle Federico made 3 of 3 for the Scarlet Knights (6-7).

The Irish dominated in yards (494-237) and time of possession (38:49) but bogged down in the red zone repeatedly.

"I loved the way we were able to stay calm and stay within our offense and continue to kind of monotonously move the ball down the field," Rees said.

Twice Notre Dame put together double-digit play drives that ended in short field goals for Brindza. A 15-play, 90-yard march that started in the third quarter and ended in the fourth with Brindza's 25-yarder made it 19-13 Notre Dame with 12:46 left.

"I love the fourth quarter," Brindza said. "That's pretty much what a kicker's job is supposed to be."

Brindza's third field goal, a 26-yarder with 6:03 left in the third quarter, gave Notre Dame a 16-13 lead — after the Irish caught a break. Brindza had missed from 36 yards but Rutgers was flagged for running into the kicker to give him a second, easier, try.

"We thought we played good red zone defense and we could make them kick a few field goals and attempt some field goals, maybe we could block one and then win the game in the fourth quarter," Rutgers coach Kyle Flood said. "We were kind of poised to do that."

Notre Dame improved to 17-6-3 at Yankee Stadium, though this ballpark in the Bronx is only a few years old and across the street from where the original House that Ruth built sat for decades.

"It's great to be in New York," Kelly told what was left of bowl record crowd of 47,122 during the postgame trophy ceremony on the field after the Irish had sung the alma mater with the band in right-center field, near the Yankees bullpen.

The Fighting Irish played the first football game in the new stadium back in 2010. Rees, a freshman then, helped the Irish beat Army and got to use Derek Jeter's locker. Called upon to lead the Irish this year after Everett Golson was suspended from school for academic cheating, Rees surpassed 3,000 yards through the air and became one of the most prolific passers in school history, making the most of his limited physical tools.

Senior quarterback Chas Dodd, whose career has been similar to Rees' in terms of ups and downs, finished with 156 yards passing for Rutgers.

"What we saw with their defense was just what we knew we would see," Dodd said. "We had a game plan ready to attack it. We just weren't able to because of our execution."

Washington: 2013 Fight Hunger Bowl Champions

Washington got a glimpse of what next year could look like in the second half of Friday's Fight Hunger Bowl. And it wasn't by choice.

Injuries to both quarterback Keith Price and running back Bishop Sankey -- players who have combined for almost 5,000 yards of total offense this season -- forced the duo out of the game, but the Huskies defense made sure that the offense didn't need to score again in a 31-16 win over BYU.

Sankey, a Doak Walker Award finalist who entered the game with 1,775 yards rushing and had 95 yards and two touchdowns Friday, left the game in the third quarter after suffering an injury to his right hand. While he's a junior, he's requested his draft evaluation from the NFL (and gotten a third-round grade), and is expected to make his decision about turning pro soon. He was replaced by junior Jesse Callier.

Price, a senior, was replaced by freshman Cyler Miles after he took a shot to the ribs on a third quarter run. Price went to the locker room and returned to test himself on some warmup passes on the sideline but wasn't able to come back. Miles, who got extensive playing time against UCLA and Oregon State, finished the game.

After BYU made it a five-point game at halftime, Washington got the ball to start the second half and Price hitAustin Seferian-Jenkins, the Mackey Award winner, for a 16-yard touchdown and a 28-16 lead.

And then the Cougar offense was stifled. While, as to be expected, BYU ran a ton of plays (97), Washington limited quarterback Taysom Hill's chances down the field and sacked him five times.

Washington finishes with it's first nine-win season since 2000, while BYU is 8-5. The quarterback in that 2000 Rose Bowl season was Marques Tuiasosopo, the Huskies' interim coach for Friday night's game after Steve Sarkisian was hired by USC.