The Iowa Hawkeyes lost a yard on the last play of the Outback Bowl, pushing their final rushing total to minus 15 yards, and didn’t mind a bit.
They ran the play from victory formation.
Safety Jake Gervase’s interception in the end zone helped preserve a late lead, and a ball-hawking defense compensated for a sputtering offense as Iowa beat No. 18 Mississippi State 27-22 on Tuesday.
Gervase also batted down an errant fourth-down pass to end the Bulldogs’ final drive at the Iowa 32 with 25 seconds left. Two earlier Mississippi State threats in the fourth quarter led to only three points.
The Hawkeyes totaled just 199 yards, with 75 coming on a touchdown pass from Nathan Stanley to Nick Easley, but they converted three takeaways into 17 points.
The Hawkeyes won despite losing 27 inches per rush. Their three running backs totaled 4 yards in 15 carries.
“We had a hard time blocking their front,” coach Kirk Ferentz said. “Defense really bailed us out.”
Iowa (9-4) earned its biggest postseason victory since an Orange Bowl win over Georgia Tech to cap the 2009 season. Mississippi State (8-5) lost to a team outside the top 15 for the first time.
Trailing 24-19, the Bulldogs had a first down at the Iowa 1 early in the fourth quarter, but three quarterback draws lost 2 yards and they settled for a field goal.
They were again on the verge of taking the lead with nine minutes left, but receiver Stephen Guidry bobbled a tipped pass in the end zone, and Gervase snatched it away.
“Sometimes you get lucky,” Gervase said.
The Hawkeyes then drove 50 yards for a field goal, the game’s final score.
“Bowl games are a lot like early season games, where turnovers and penalties really factor in,” Ferentz said. “If you aren’t on top of that part of your game because you haven’t played in a while, it can be a really tough thing. Obviously it helped us today being a little bit more opportunistic.”
Iowa had no penalties, while Mississippi State was penalized 90 yards, including a holding call that negated a 51-yard completion.
“Too many missed opportunities, too many penalties,” Bulldogs coach Joe Moorhead said. “Can’t turn the ball, can’t give up explosive plays, can’t have penalties take scores off the board. We didn’t do enough to earn the right to win.”
Mississippi State receiver Osirus Mitchell put it another way.
“We definitely beat ourselves,” he said. “They weren’t better than us.”
A takeaway helped Iowa score two touchdowns in 97 seconds for a 17-6 lead – especially impressive against a team that allowed only 12 TDs during the regular season.
Mississippi State rallied with two touchdowns in 18 seconds to go up 19-17. Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald gave the Bulldogs the advantage on a nifty 33-yard touchdown run , his 100th career score rushing or passing.
But on their next possession, Fitzgerald’s tipped pass was intercepted by defensive lineman Chauncey Golston. Stanley then scrambled to convert a fourth and 1, and on the next play he hit Easley with an 8-yard score to put Iowa ahead to stay, 24-19.
MAKING THE ADJUSTMENT
Easley had a career-high 104 yards receiving on eight catches and was chosen the most valuable player. He nearly ran out from under his helmet on his long touchdown.
“I had a little bit of a malfunction with my helmet strap – a little piece broke the play before,” he said. “As I was running, it started coming off a little bit. Thankfully I was able to pull it back on and continue to run.”
Easley and Gervase played their final game as seniors who walked on.
“It’s how we’re built,” Ferentz said.
TAKEAWAYS
Iowa will likely finish in the Top 25 for only the second time in the past nine seasons. Ferentz concluded his 20th season at Iowa and improved to 152-101, including 8-8 in bowl games.
FIESTA BOWL
GLENDALE, Ariz. – Joe Burrow shook off a vicious early hit to throw for 394 yards and four touchdowns, helping the Tigers end the Knights’ 25-game winning streak.
LSU (10-3, No. 11 CFP) started its first Fiesta Bowl without several key players on defense and fell into an early 11-point hole against the high-scoring Knights (12-1, No. 8 CFP).
The Tigers clawed back behind Burrow and a defensive front that made life difficult for UCF quarterback Darriel Mack Jr.
Burrow was slow getting up after being blindsided by 313-pound defensive lineman Joey Connors on an interception return for a touchdown in the first quarter. LSU’s junior quarterback returned to the game and picked apart UCF’s secondary, hitting 21 of 34 of passes, including two touchdowns to Justin Jefferson.
LSU sacked Mack five times and made him rush numerous throws, holding the nation’s third-best offense to 250 total yards – 295 below its average – while spoiling the Knights’ bid for a second-straight self-proclaimed national title.
Taj McGowan scored on a 2-yard run and the Knights converted a 2-point conversion to pull UCF to within 40-32. After LSU recovered the onside kick, the Knights’ last-ditch attempt ended on a tipped interception.
UCF declared itself national champions after finishing as the only undefeated FBS team a year ago. The Knights earned another shot at an undefeated season by staging a massive rally to beat Memphis in the American Athletic Conference title game.
Just like last year, UCF was on the outside looking in when the CFP final four was announced, adding to the boulder-sized chip on its shoulder and only a self-awarded national title in its reach.
The Speedy Knights got the Fiesta Bowl off to a fast start, going up 14-3 on Joe McCrae’s 25-yard TD run and Brandon Moore’s 93-yard interception return.
The Tigers roared back behind Burrow and their disruptive defensive front.
Burrow shook off the big hit on the pick six, finding Jefferson on a pair of scoring passes and a 49-yard TD to Derrick Dillon.
UCF sputtered offensively after its opening drive, but Mack hit Gabriel Davis on a 32-yard pass to pull UCF to within 24-21 at halftime.
Burrow opened the second half with a 32-yard TD pass to Ja’Marr Chase, and Cole Tracy hit three field goals to put LSU up 40-24. Tracy’s final kick, the 97th of his career, broke the NCAA all-division record and sent LSU to its first 10-win season since 2013.
ROSE BOWL
PASADENA, Calif. – Dwayne Haskins passed for 251 yards and three touchdowns, and Urban Meyer finished his coaching career at Ohio State with a 28-23 victory after the Buckeyes held off Washington’s thrilling fourth-quarter comeback in the 105th Rose Bowl.
Parris Campbell, Johnnie Dixon and Rashod Berry caught TD passes in the first half for the fifth-ranked Buckeyes (13-1), who took a 25-point lead into the fourth.
But Myles Gaskin threw a touchdown pass and rushed for two more scores for the No. 9 Huskies (10-4), scoring from 2 yards out with 42 seconds left.
The Buckeyes intercepted Jake Browning’s pass on the 2-point conversion attempt and then recovered the Huskies’ onside kick to wrap up the final game of Meyer’s seven-year tenure.
“I’m a very blessed man,” Meyer said. “I’m blessed because of my family, (but) this team, this year, I love this group as much as any I’ve ever had.”
The 54-year-old coach is walking away after going 83-9 at Ohio State with one national championship, three Big Ten titles and this Rose Bowl victory, the Buckeyes’ eighth overall in the Granddaddy of Them All.
Meyer cited his health last month in his decision to step down. A cyst in Meyer’s brain causes severe headaches that are even worse in a high-stress job.
After this nail-biting finish in Pasadena, it’s easy to see why anyone might need a break from the madness of college football.
And after Southern California’s epic win over Penn State and Georgia’s double-overtime thriller over Oklahoma over the past two years in Pasadena, the Rose Bowl got another matchup full of late-game fireworks.
Browning passed for 313 yards and Gaskin rushed for 121 in the final game of the four-year starters’ landmark careers at Washington, which has lost three straight New Year’s Six bowl games.
But after three poor offensive quarters, the Pac-12 champions made it awfully interesting late. The Huskies racked up 266 yards of offense in the fourth, but they had fallen too far behind in their first Rose Bowl game appearance in 18 years.
Coach Chris Petersen dropped to 1-4 in bowls during his otherwise remarkable tenure at Washington, including consecutive defeats in the Peach, Fiesta and Rose.
This game could be Haskins’ farewell to Ohio State as well, if the sophomore goes pro. The Heisman Trophy finalist threw his 50th TD pass of the season in the first half while picking away at the vaunted Washington secondary minus injured Taylor Rapp, the second-team All-American safety.
Berry caught a 1-yard TD pass just 14 seconds before halftime, putting the Buckeyes up 21-3.
Gaskin became the fourth running back in NCAA history with four 1,200-yard seasons during the third quarter, but Ohio State increased its lead with J.K. Dobbins’ TD run.
The Huskies finally scored their first offensive touchdown since the Apple Cup when Gaskin threw a TD pass to Drew Sample with 12:17 to play.
Meyer says his first Rose Bowl is the final game in his three-decade collegiate coaching career. After starting out as a graduate assistant at Ohio State in the 1980s, he has been a head coach since 2001, achieving huge success at Bowling Green, Utah and Florida before his stellar run in Columbus.
After this big finish in Pasadena, Meyer formally turns over the Ohio State program to Ryan Day, his 39-year-old co-offensive coordinator. These Buckeyes are Meyer’s eighth team to finish with one loss or fewer in his 17 seasons as a head coach.
Although Meyer’s final season began with an embarrassing three-game suspension over his mismanagement of domestic abuse accusations against former assistant Zach Smith, Day filled in capably during his absence. Meyer then propelled the Buckeyes to another largely dominant regular season, even without star defensive lineman Nick Bosa – although they missed out on the playoff thanks to one blowout loss to Purdue.
CITRUS BOWL
ORLANDO, Fla. – Benny Snell Jr. ran for 144 yards and two touchdowns to become Kentucky’s career rushing leader and help the 16th-ranked Wildcats wrap up their best season in more than four decades with a victory the 13th-ranked Nittany Lions.
Snell scored on runs of 2 and 12 yards in the second half, then carried for a couple of crucial first downs to help Kentucky (10-3) run out the clock after Penn State’s Trace McSorley trimmed a 27-7 deficit to three points despite playing with a foot injury.
McSorley threw for 246 yards and two touchdowns, and the Nittany Lions’ career passing and wins leader also rushed for a team-high 75 yards on 19 attempts.
Lynn Bowden Jr. scored on a 58-yard punt return for Kentucky, and Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year Josh Allen had three of the Wildcats’ six sacks.
Penn State (9-4) trailed 27-7 entering the fourth quarter, but McSorley’s wasn’t finished. His 1-yard TD run capped a 75-yard drive, and he followed with an 18-yard TD pass to Pat Friermuth to cut Kentucky’s lead to six.
The Nittany Lions marched to the Kentucky 14 on their next possession to pull to within 27-24 with 4:12 left.
Thanks to Snell, a junior who already has declared for the NFL draft, McSorley didn’t get the ball back until just one second was left on the clock.
Kentucky finished with its first 10-win season since 1977, when the Wildcats went 10-1.
Snell broke Sonny Collins’ career rushing record on his 12-yard TD run that made it 27-7 late in the third quarter. Collins rushed for 3,835 yards from 1972-75.
Monday’s Games
LIBERTY BOWL
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Taylor Cornelius tied a Liberty Bowl record with four touchdown passes and Kolby Peel made a critical fourth-down stop with 1:01 left as Oklahoma State edged No. 24 Missouri 38-33 in the Liberty Bowl on Monday.
Missouri (8-5) faced fourth-and-1 when quarterback Drew Lock attempted a keeper around the right end. Peel made an ankle tackle that stopped Lock short of the first-down marker.
That allowed Oklahoma State (7-6) to hang on to win a game it had led 35-19 heading into the fourth quarter. The Cowboys snapped Missouri’s four-game winning streak.
Cornelius, a fifth-year senior and former walk-on, went 26 of 44 with four touchdown passes and two interceptions by Cam Hilton that sparked Missouri’s comeback try. Both interceptions led to Missouri touchdowns.
Missouri’s Larry Rountree III ran for 204 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown. Missouri’s Johnathon Johnson had nine catches for 185 yards, including an 86-yard score. Lock was 23 of 38 for 373 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Chuba Hubbard rushed for 145 yards and a touchdown for Oklahoma State. Tyron Johnson had seven catches for 141 yards and two touchdowns.
HOLIDAY BOWL
SAN DIEGO – Northwestern converted three Utah turnovers into 21 points in a dizzying nine-minute stretch in the pouring rain in the third quarter of the Holiday Bowl, including Jared McGee’s 82-yard fumble return for a touchdown, to stun the 20th-ranked Utes.
The Wildcats (9-5) scored 28 points in the third quarter to win their third straight bowl game under coach Pat Fitzgerald. The Green Bay Packers reportedly want to interview Fitzpatrick for their head coaching job.
Senior Clayton Thorson became the all-time leading passer for Northwestern, going 21 of 30 for 241 yards for 10,731 career yards. He broke Brett Basanez’s school record of 10,580. Thorson threw for two touchdowns and was intercepted once in making his 53rd straight start for the Wildcats, the most by a quarterback in Big Ten history. He is the program’s all-time winningest quarterback at 36-17. He was replaced after taking a hard shot midway through the fourth quarter.
Utah (9-5) cruised to a 20-3 halftime lead behind redshirt freshman quarterback Jason Shelley before it all fell apart in the third quarter. Shelley had two interceptions and a fumble.
Shelley was making his fourth start in place of Tyler Huntley, who broke his collarbone against Arizona State on Nov. 3.
GATOR BOWL
n No. 21 Texas A&M 53, North Carolina State 13
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Trayveon Williams ran for 236 yards and three touchdowns, smashing a 30-year-old school record and carrying No. 21 Texas A&M past North Carolina State.
The Aggies ended 2018 with a four-game winning streak and broke a three-game postseason skid.
It capped an impressive inaugural season for coach Jimbo Fisher in Aggieland.
Williams had 61 yards rushing in the first half and then got rolling in the third quarter. He carried five times for 82 yards on one drive, including a 17-yard touchdown run. He topped that with a 93-yard scoring run on Texas A&M’s ensuing drive.
Kellen Mond completed 14 of 26 passes for 140 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. Mond also ran five times for 85 yards and a score. Kendrick Rogers made a leaping, 6-yard catch in the back of the end zone to help Mond.
Ryan Finley, a senior playing his final game, completed 19 of 32 passes for 139 yards. He threw a touchdown passes and two interceptions.
SUN BOWL
EL PASO, Texas – Cameron Scarlett scored on a 1-yard run and recovered a fumble in the end zone for a second score to lead Stanford past Pittsburgh.
The Cardinal (9-4) finished on a four-game winning streak, much the same way they did two years ago when Stanford won the Sun Bowl for a season-ending six-game streak.
The Panthers (7-7) lost their fourth straight bowl game and sixth in the past seven after falling to playoff championship finalist Clemson in the ACC title game.
Pitt, which had a 10-7 halftime lead and was up 13-7 early in the fourth quarter, was led by tailback Darrin Hall, who had 16 carries for 123 yards and a score.
Stanford’s offense, which had struggled all day, finally got going in the fourth quarter.
Scarlett had 91 yards on 21 carries in place of tailback Bryce Love, who decided to skip the bowl game to rehab an ankle injury ahead of the NFL draft. Love was the second Stanford back to do that in the past three Sun Bowls.
REDBOX BOWL
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Justin Herbert shook off a sluggish day and threw a touchdown pass to Dillon Mitchell in the fourth quarter, and Oregon held on after Michigan State botched a field goal attempt.
Herbert passed for 166 yards and extended his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass to 28 on a day when the Ducks’ offense mostly sputtered.
Oregon (9-4) crossed midfield only three times and couldn’t get into the end zone until Herbert found Mitchell in the right front of the end zone for a 28-yard touchdown. The Ducks’ defense held up from there but got some help from Michigan State’s special teams.
Spartans quarterback Brian Lewerke completed 22 of 40 passes for 172 yards with one interception. It’s the third time in four games that Michigan State (7-6) has failed to score a touchdown.
Running back LJ Scott ran for 84 yards on 24 carries, ending his injury-riddled season with the Spartans on a high note after being limited to five games. The senior running back declined to redshirt this year and declared for the NFL draft in early December.
Matt Goghlin kicked a pair of 34-yard field goals but he also missed one from 50.
It was Oregon’s first bowl victory since beating Florida State in the 2015 Rose Bowl.
MILITARY BOWL
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Michael Warren ran for a career-high 166 yards and scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:29 left in a soggy Military Bowl as Cincinnati ended Virginia Tech’s run of 25 consecutive winning seasons.
A tight game that featured more than 900 yards in offense and seven lead changes wasn’t decided until Warren busted up the middle for his second touchdown to cap a 64-yard drive directed by backup quarterback Hayden Moore.
Moore, a senior who made 12 starts last year, took over for injured starter Desmond Ridder in the first quarter and completed 11 of 25 passes for 120 yards. He had previously thrown only 26 passes in 2018.
The victory gave Cincinnati (11-2) its third 11-win season in the 131-year history of the program.
Playing in a bowl game for the 26th successive year – the longest current run in the nation – Virginia Tech needed a victory to avoid its first losing season since 1992. Ryan Willis threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score, but it wasn’t enough for the Hokies (6-7).
