Rocco Becht scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak on fourth down with 56 seconds left and No. 18 Iowa State edged No. 13 Miami 42-41 on Saturday in the Pop-Tarts Bowl at Orlando, Fla.
Becht also passed for 270 yards and three touchdowns as the Cyclones (11-3) overcame a 10-point deficit in the second half to secure their first 11-win season in school history.
The Hurricanes (10-3), who lost for the third time in four games after starting the season with a 9-0 record, rushed for 308 yards — most in school history in a bowl game. However, they had virtually no passing attack in the second half with backup Emory Williams under center.
Heisman Trophy finalist Cam Ward threw for 190 yards and three touchdowns for Miami. The first TD was the 156th of his career, breaking the Division I (FBS and FCS) record he shared with Houston’s Case Keenum (2007-11) — before sitting out the second half of his last college game.
Williams, who was intercepted on the final play of the game, finished 5-for-14 passing for 26 yards. He was 3-for-8 for 20 yards when the Hurricanes got the ball back one final time at their own 20 with 47 seconds left.
No. 17 BYU 36, No. 23 Colorado 14
The Cougars’ stout defensive effort shut down the Buffaloes’ explosive offense in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio. The Cougars, who had four sacks and two interceptions, held Colorado to just two rushing yards and 210 yards of total offense. The Buffaloes averaged 34.5 points and nearly 400 yards of offense per game entering the Alamo Bowl.
BYU’s Parker Kingston had a 64-yard punt return touchdown. Jake Retzlaff completed 12-of-21 passes for 151 yards and two interceptions. LJ Martin (93 rushing yards) had two touchdowns on the ground and Sione I Moa ran one in for the Cougars (11-2). Evan Johnson and Isaiah Glasker had interceptions.
Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders completed 16-of-23 passes for 208 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter caught four passes for 106 yards and a touchdown. Sav’ell Smalls added a touchdown catch.
No. 22 Army 27, Louisiana Tech 6
Bryson Daily rushed for 127 yards and three touchdowns, setting a single-season FBS record for scores by a quarterback along the way, as the Midshipmen rolled past the Bulldogs in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La.
Hayden Reed carried 20 times for a career-high 114 yards and a touchdown as Army (12-2) rebounded from a crushing 31-13 loss two weeks ago to Navy, in which the Black Knights relinquished the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy.
Army improved to 8-3 all-time in bowl games, and its 12 wins are the most in a season in program history. Daily finished his senior season with 32 touchdowns, which topped the previous mark of 31 by an FBS quarterback, set by Navy’s Keenan Reynolds in 2013.
-Field Level Media
