Frank Beamer Tribute
Duke survived a wild finish at Yankee Stadium for its first bowl victory in 54 years.
Ross Martin kicked a 36-yard field in overtime, and Duke held off Indiana 44-41 on Saturday night in the Pinstripe Bowl in New York.
"Absolutely ecstatic," Martin said. "It couldn"t have happened in a better way, overtime. I think we"re four for four for the most exciting bowl games every year. So it"s finally good to jump around the locker room and celebrate up on stage. That"s incredible for the entire program."
After Martin made his kick on the first possession of the extra period, the Hoosiers" Griffin Oakes missed a 38-yard attempt to hand the Blue Devils (8-5) their first bowl victory since the 1961 Cotton Bowl.
Oakes" try sailed above the right upright and was ruled wide. Oakes protested that it was good, but the kick could not be reviewed and Duke"s players poured onto the field to celebrate.
"The ball went beyond the end line over the top of the upright and when that occurs, the play is not reviewable," crew chief Chris Coyte told a pool reporter.
"I actually thought he made it," Duke running back Shaquille Powell said. "When I saw the team celebrating that"s when the emotions came out. That"s when I got so excited because it"s just a relief when you see something like that.
Indiana finished the season 6-7.
Duke appeared in its fourth straight bowl game, losing the previous three seasons to Cincinnati, Texas A&M and Arizona State.
"We"ve been hearing 1961 since my freshman year," Duke senior center Matt Skura said. "It"s been a goal for a long time. It"s just not senior class that"s been a part of this, it"s the senior classes before me."
"We"ve talked about it a lot," Blue Devils coach David Cutcliffe said. "Because of the four-year streak of playing in bowl games, why wouldn"t you mention it?"
The dramatic finish capped a game that featured 1,203 combined yards and 56 first downs. The teams combined to establish nine offensive records in the six-year history of the game.
Shaun Wilson had 282 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns for the Blue Devils, including a 98-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter.
Before getting hurt in overtime, quarterback Thomas Sirk accounted for 318 yards and three touchdowns. Cuttliffe said he would have not been able to continue if Indiana tied it.
Sirk had a 73-yard touchdown run in the first half and his 5-yard scoring run tied it with 41 seconds left.
After Sirk"s second TD, Oakes missed a 55-yard attempt at the end of regulation.
Sirk was 17 of 37 for 163 yards and a touchdown. He also had 155 yards on the ground.
Indiana"s Nate Sudfeld was 28 for 51 for 389 yards and three touchdowns. Devine Redding filled in for the injured Jordan Howard (knee) and rushed for 227 yards, but it was not enough for the Hoosiers, who have not won a bowl since the 1991 Copper Bowl.
"They made enough plays to win the game," Indiana coach Kevin Wilson said. "We had enough errors."
Duke led 10-0 in the first quarter of what quickly became a back-and-forth game.
Indiana took a 24-20 lead midway through the third when Nick Westbrook caught a 3-yard touchdown pass. But three plays after the Hoosiers" Mitchell Paige fumbled at his 19 on a punt return, Sirk connected with Braxton Deaver for a 10-yard touchdown, giving the Blue Devils a 27-24 lead.
Just over 4 minutes later, Alex Rodriguez the Indiana running back, not the Yankees slugger put the Hoosiers up 31-27 with a 10-yard touchdown run. The lead grew to 34-27 when Oakes kicked a 27-yard field goal with 11:12 left, but Wilson returned the ensuing kickoff to tie it.
Indiana took a 41-34 lead with 4:03 remaining when Sudfeld found Paige wide open in the back of the end zone on second-and-15 for a 25-yard scoring play.
Independence Bowl: Virginia Tech 55, Tulsa 52
Frank Beamer built a powerhouse at Virginia Tech over nearly three decades thanks to a ferocious defense and terrific special teams.
In an unexpected twist, his final game with the Hokies was all about offense.
But the 69-year-old coach wasn"t complaining, only laughing and smiling in the aftermath of Virginia Tech"s 55-52 victory over Tulsa in the Independence Bowl on Saturday night.
"It was different," Beamer said. "But all I know is we won the football game."
Michael Brewer threw for 344 yards, Isaiah Ford had 227 yards receiving and Virginia Tech held off a Tulsa rally in the final minutes to send Beamer out a winner.
The coach announced in November he would retire following the season and the team won three of its last four regular season games to become bowl eligible. He finished with a 238-121-2 record at Virginia Tech over 29 seasons.
Virginia Tech (7-6) was playing in a bowl for the 23rd straight season. The first game of that streak also was in the Independence Bowl in 1993, when the Hokies beat Indiana 45-20.
"The first time I came to Shreveport I left here a happy guy," Beamer said. "The last time I come to Shreveport I"ll leave here a happy guy."
"I may come back to Shreveport just for the h**l of it."
This trip was filled with plenty of offense just like in 1993, but had much more drama.
Tulsa (6-7) rallied from a three-touchdown deficit in the second half to pull to 55-52 with 3:47 left. Virginia Tech"s Dadi L"homme Nicolas ended Tulsa"s final drive with a sack of Dane Evans on fourth down.
The 107 points were the most in Independence Bowl history. Ford"s 227 yards receiving on 12 catches set an Independence Bowl record.
Tulsa"s Evans completed 27 of 44 passes for 374 yards and three touchdowns. D"Angelo Brewer ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns.
A relaxed Beamer strolled onto the field about an hour before the game, smiling and waving to fans as the Hokies went through warmups.
Tulsa jumped out to a 14-7 lead, but Virginia Tech responded with 38 points over the next 19 minutes for the 45-21 advantage.
The Hokies" final touchdown during that stunning run came on a 67-yard punt return by Greg Stroman which was fitting considering the phrase "Beamer Ball" became common during the coach"s long tenure because of Virginia Tech"s reputation for game-changing special teams plays.
Tulsa has had a tough time on defense all season, giving up 38.6 points per game, including 66 in a loss to Memphis on Oct. 23.
But the brutal performance in the first half was bad even by the Golden Hurricane"s standards. Virginia Tech controlled the line of scrimmage gaining 370 total yards in the first two quarters by capitalizing on Tulsa"s missed tackles, blown assignments and shoddy special teams play.
Tulsa scored the final 10 points of the second quarter to pull to 45-31. The 76 combined points easily set the Independence Bowl first-half record.
The Hokies controlled most of the second half, but the Golden Hurricane scored on a 21-yard touchdown from Evans to Josh Atkinson and made the 2-point conversion to pull within 55-45 with 7:35 remaining. A 36-yard touchdown from Evans to Keyarris Garrett with 3:47 left made it 55-52.
But Tulsa"s last gasp drive ended on Nicolas" sack. The 223-pound defensive end broke through the line and enveloped Evans before slamming him to the turf.
"We just ran out of time," Tulsa first-year coach Philip Montgomery said. "If we had a few more ticks on the clock, maybe it changes it a little bit. But I"m proud of our football team."
The win gives Virginia Tech some momentum heading into its coaching transition. The Hokies hired Memphis coach Justin Fuente in late November to replace Beamer.
But on Saturday, it was all about Beamer, who praised his players and Virginia Tech"s administration for sticking with him for 29 seasons and 238 victories.
"I realize how fortunate I"ve been to last this long at Virginia Tech," Beamer said. "All I am is grateful and looking forward to the next step."
Foster Farms Bowl: Nebraska 37, UCLA 29
Tommy Armstrong Jr. threw a touchdown pass and ran for another score to help Nebraska cap a losing season by beating UCLA 37-29 in the Foster Farms Bowl on Saturday night in Santa Clara, Calif.
The Cornhuskers (6-7) scored 30 straight points after falling behind 21-7 early to overpower the Bruins (8-5) and provide a happy ending to coach Mike Riley"s first season.
Stanley Morgan Jr. gave Nebraska the lead for good with a one-handed, 22-yard catch in the third quarter and Imani Cross, Terrell Newby and Andy Janovich all ran for scores for the Cornhuskers.
Armstrong completed 12 of 19 passes for 174 yards and ran for 76 more to lead the way for Nebraska, which had a season high with 326 yards rushing.
Josh Rosen threw for 319 yards and two touchdowns for the Bruins. They ended what had once been a promising season with losses to Southern California and in the bowl game.
Nebraska only got the chance to play in a bowl because there were not enough six-win teams to fill all 80 slots and the Cornhuskers made the most of the opportunity by taking the game over in the third quarter.
After tying the game with two late touchdowns in the second quarter, Nebraska outgained UCLA 196 to 1 in the third quarter behind a dominant running game.
The Cornhuskers gained 151 yards on the ground alone in the third quarter with the run game setting up Morgan"s touchdown catch that made it 27-21 and then leading the way on two more scoring drives that ended in a Drew Brown"s field goal and Armstrong"s 3-yard run in the opening minute of the fourth to make it 37-21.
UCLA responded with a 9-yard TD pass from Rosen to Jordan Payton and a 2-point conversion to get within eight. Ka"imi Fairbairn missed a 46-yard field goal after a botched shotgun snap by the Bruins and Rosen threw an interception in the end zone on fourth down from the 32 with 2:54 to play to end UCLA"s chances at a comeback.
The Bruins broke out to a 21-7 lead when Rosen threw a 60-yard touchdown to Kenneth Walker III and a 26-yarder to Nate Starks. The Other UCLA touchdown came when Paul Perkins ran it in from the 1 a play after Rosen completed a 22-yard pass to Thomas Duarte on fourth-and-1.
Nebraska fought back with back-to-back TD drives to tie it 21 at the half.
Cornhuskers safety Nate Gerry was ejected late in the second quarter for targeting on a swing pass to Perkins. It was the second straight game that Gerry was ejected for targeting.
Sun Bowl: Washington State 20, Miami 14
Luke Falk threw two touchdown passes to lead Washington State to a 20-14 victory over Miami on Saturday in the snowy Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.
Erik Powell added field goals of 30 and 25 yards to help the Cougars (9-4) win a bowl game for the first time since the 2003 Holiday Bowl.
Miami (8-5) lost its sixth consecutive bowl game.
Washington State led 20-7 at the half and looked in total control, limiting Miami to three first downs over the second and third quarters.
The Hurricanes rallied in a blizzard in the fourth. Braxton Berrios" 60-yard end-around run set up Mark Walton" 5-yard scoring run that cut it to 20-14 with 13:10 left.
The Cougars, the top passing team in the nation during the regular season, were shut out in the second half, leaving it to their defense to wrap up the victory.
Miami had a 3-yard touchdown pass from Brad Kaaya to Stacy Coley called back on a penalty with 5:14 to play. Two players later, Washington State"s Marcellus Pippins recovered Walton"s fumble at 5.
After a Cougars punt, the Hurricanes were at the Washington State 28, but an end-over-end halfback pass from Joe Yearby was easily intercepted by Shalom Lunai with 2:58 to play to seal it for Washington State.
Falk, the game"s MVP, was 29 of 53 for 295 yards and no interceptions. He threw touchdown passes of 31 yards to running back Jamal Morrow and 25 yards to receiver Gabe Marks.
The scoring play to Morrow, during which he turned up the right sideline and carried two defenders into the end zone, gave Washington State a 7-0 lead.
Miami tied it at 7 on a 4-yard pass from Brad Kaaya to Coley. The first quarter ended 7-7, but the Cougars ran off 13 straight points in the second.
Kaaya was 17 of 30 for 219 yards with one interception. He appeared to give the Hurricanes a 14-7 lead in the second quarter when he connected in the end zone with receiver Rashawn Scott, but the ball came out of Scott"s hands and was intercepted by Peyton Pelluer.
One of the keys for the Cougars was winning the turnover battle, 3-1. Washington State fumbled in the second quarter, but the defense forced a three-and-out. On the next series, the Cougars used a 14-play drive to get Powell"s first field goal and a 10-7 lead.
Washington State made it 17-7 on Falk"s TD pass to Marks, and Powell made it 20-7.
Heart of Dallas Bowl: Washington 41, Southern Miss 31
Myles Gaskin broke a third-quarter tie with an 86-yard run and finished with a season-high 181 yards and four touchdowns to help Washington beat Southern Mississippi 44-31 on Saturday in the Heart of Dallas Bowl.
The Huskies (7-6) won their last two regular-season games by a combined 97-17 over Oregon State and Washington State to become bowl eligible and then delivered Chris Petersen"s first postseason victory in his two seasons at Washington.
Gaskin"s other scores came on 2- and 1-yard runs in the first quarter and a 13-yarder in the fourth. On the 86-yarder, the freshman took a handoff inside, broke to the left sideline and shook off one final defender at the Southern Miss 35.
Gaskin, the game"s most valuable player, gained 170 yards in the second half on 17 carries after being held to 11 yards on nine rushes in the first half. His previous high was 155 yards against Oregon.
The Golden Eagles (9-5) were seeking their first win over a Power 5 conference team since 2011.
They played without rushing leader Jalen Richard. A Southern Miss official said Richard, one of two Golden Eagles with 1,000 yards rushing this season, was held because of an unspecified injury.
Nick Mullens threw touchdowns passes of 56 and 27 yards by Michael Thomas for the Eagles, and Ito Smith added 1- and 2-yard scoring runs.
The Golden Eagles averaged 519.8 yards during the regular season, including their 45-28 loss to Western Kentucky in the Conference USA championship game. On Saturday, they gained 375. They were held to 22 net rushing yards with Smith, who gained 1,088 during the season, leading the way with 40.
Gaskin"s 86-yard run was the sixth-longest in school history. It came on Washington"s first play from scrimmage after Southern Miss recovered a fumble near midfield to set up Smith"s second touchdown run that tied it at 24.
Tomas set a Southern Miss record with 14 touchdown catches this season.
Receiver Jaydon Mickens scored Washington"s other touchdown on a 29-yard run in the second quarter. Mickens took a handoff on what appeared to be an end around following a fake inside, then cut inside and was virtually untouched. The five-play, 65-yard drive included a 20-yard pass to Mickens that was upheld after a challenge from Southern Miss.
Smith"s 1-yard touchdown plunge through the middle followed a 36-yard catch by Thomas along the left sideline just short of the pylon.
That 80-yard drive was kept alive by punter Tyler Sarrazin"s 22-yard pass to Curtis Mikell on fourth-and-5 at the Golden Eagles 25. In Southern Miss" win at Rice in mid-November, Sarrazin threw for a touchdown off a fake field-goal attempt.
Washington was invited to fill the slot appropriated for the Big 12 Conference, which didn"t have enough bowl-eligible teams.
St.Petersburg Bowl: Marshall 16, UConn 10
Freshman Chase Litton had a helping hand in leading Marshall to a third straight 10-plus win season.
Litton completed 23 of 34 passes for 218 yards and one touchdown as Marshall beat Connecticut 16-10 in the St. Petersburg Bowl on Saturday in St. Petersburg, Fla.
"He"s had some growing pains, but he"ll tell you that," Marshall coach Doc Holliday said of Litton. "He"s not even close to where he"s going to be."
Nick Smith had three field goals for Marshall (10-3), including a 32-yarder with 1:44 left that was part of a 13-play, 80-yard drive that lasted 6:35. The Thundering Herd went 13-1 a year ago and 10-4 in 2013.
"It"s a credit to these guys and to this program and coaching staff," Holliday said. "That"s hard to do. It was one of our goals."
Marshall is 4-0 in bowl games under Holliday, including a 20-10 victory over Florida International in the 2011 St. Petersburg Bowl. The Thundering Herd won the Boca Raton Bowl in 2014 and Military Bowl two years ago.
Holliday is 50-28 at Marshall.
Keion Davis got all of his 73 yards rushing on 10 carries during the Thundering Herd"s final scoring drive.
Bryant Shirreffs completed 10 of 17 passes for 86 yards and gained 75 yards on 19 carries for UConn (6-7), which came up short in a bid to have a winning record for the first time since 2010.
"We just didn"t execute well enough to win the game, and that"s it," UConn coach Bob Diaco said.
UConn stopped Marshall on fourth-and-2 at the 17 on the initial drive of the second half after the Thundering Herd opted to skip a field goal try that could have made it 16-7.
The Thundering Herd also failed to increase a 13-7 lead on their next possession when Smith missed a 43-yard field goal attempt with less than 3 minutes left in the third.
"The defense played their hearts out, and we had every opportunity to win the game and we didn"t," Shirreffs said.
The Huskies got within 13-10 on Bobby Puyol"s 52-yard field goal with 2 seconds left in the third.
Marshall took a 7-0 lead 7 minutes into the game when Litton, who went to high school in nearby Tampa, threw a 16-yard TD pass to Ryan Yurachek. Deandre Reaves" 26-yard punt return set up Marshall at the UConn 20.
Reaves also had nine receptions for 88 yards.
"I was excited to be coming back to the place where I grew up, but I knew the focus was going to be on football and winning the game," Litton said.
Connecticut tied it at 7 late in the first on an 8-yard run by Ron Johnson that completed a 13-play, 75-yard drive.
Marshall responded with a 13-play, 65-yard drive that concluded with Smith"s 21-yard field goal that gave the Thundering Herd a 10-7 advantage 8 minutes before halftime.
Smith made it 13-7 with a 29-yard field goal on the final play of the first half that finished off a 15-play, 85-yard drive.
Marshall was 11 for 17 on third-down conversions, and out-gained UConn 389-213. The Thundering Herd had the ball 34:42, compared to the Huskies 25:18.
UConn, which went 2-10 in its first season under Diaco, won three of its final four games to rebound from a slow start to reach the St. Petersburg Bowl.
Connecticut sophomore cornerback Jamar Summers got his eighth interception of the season, including six in the last five games, early in the fourth.
Associated Press
Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-colleges-football-bowl-game-roundup-spt-20151226-story.html
