Wolford’s big day leads Demon Deacons to win
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson called it a fitting ending to senior quarterback John Wolford’s adversity-filled career, one in which nothing seemed to come easy.
Wolford — a fouryear starter who battled through two difficult, sackfilled 3-9 seasons to begin his career — threw for 400 yards and four touchdowns to help Wake Forest beat Texas A&M 55-52 Friday in the Belk Bowl.
“If you write the movie script, as soon as he walks out that door, there’s a girl that falls in love with him and he gets married and lives happily ever after,” Clawson said. “It’s a storybook ending. You can’t make this stuff up.”
Clawson said Wolford, who was named the game’s MVP, deserves every accolade he receives given how he helped put the Demon Deacons (8-5) back on the map with toughness and tenacity. Friday’s game wrapped up Wake Forest’s second straight season with a bowl win and its first eight-win season since 2008. The Demon Deacons won seven games last season.
“Two years ago, there weren’t a lot of big John Wolford fans,” Clawson said. “For him to go out and ignore the critics and believe in himself is really a testament to his character and the type of person he is.”
For Texas A&M (7-6), the future belongs to Jimbo Fisher, with the former Florida State coach truly taking over now. Interim coach Jeff Banks led the Aggies on Friday.
The teams combined for 1,260 yards and 107 points, tied for the fourth-highest scoring game in college bowl history. The all-time record is the 2011 GMAC Bowl in which Marshall and East Carolina combined for 125 points.
Running back Matt Colburn ran for 150 yards and provided the go-ahead score with 2:18 left in the game.
Wake Forest’s defense stopped the Aggies on downs on their final drive to seal the win, which was no easy task considering Texas A&M’s potent offense. Aggies quarterback Nick Starkel threw for a Belk Bowl-record 499 yards and four touchdowns — three of those to NFL-ready wide receiver Christian Kirk, who caught 13 passes for 189 yards.
› No. 20 Northwestern 24, Kentucky 23
NASHVILLE — Justin Jackson ran for 157 yards and two touchdowns as Northwestern as won the battle of Wildcats in a Music City Bowl that might be remembered more for injuries, ejections and a crazy finish.
Both starting quarterbacks left in the first half with injuries, though Kentucky’s Stephen Johnson returned early in the third quarter. Kentucky lost running back Benny Snell Jr. to an ejection for contact with an official early in the second quarter, and Northwestern lost leading tackler and linebacker Paddy Fisher before halftime when he was ejected for targeting.
Northwestern (10-3) still finished off back-toback bowl wins in consecutive years for the first time in program history.
Kentucky (7-6) had a chance to win after Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald tried to convert his fifth fourth down of the game only to turn it over for the fourth time on downs — this time at his own 39 with 2:31 left.
Johnson ran for his second touchdown of the second half with 37 seconds left. Kentucky coach Mark Stoops went for the 2-point conversion rather than play for overtime, but Johnson couldn’t connect with Tavin Richardson on the pass. That cost Kentucky a chance at its best season since 2007 and sealed a second straight bowl loss.
› North Carolina State 52, Arizona State 31
EL PASO, Texas — Nyheim Hines had three 5-yard touchdown runs to help the Wolfpack win the Sun Bowl.
Hines finished with 72 yards on 16 carries as N.C. State (9-4) played in its fourth consecutive bowl game and sixth in seven years under coach David Doeren.
Reggie Gallaspy added 79 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries for the Wolfpack, Ryan Finley completed 24 of 29 passes for 318 yards and a score, and Stephen Louis had three catches for 115 yards.
Arizona State (7-6) played its final game under fired coach Todd Graham, with former NFL coach Herm Edwards taking over the program.
› New Mexico State 26, Utah State 20, OT
TUCSON, Ariz. — Larry Rose III scored on a 21-yard run in overtime as New Mexico State won in its first bowl game in 57 years at the Arizona Bowl.
Utah State (6-7) had the ball first in overtime, and Dominik Eberle hit the right upright on a 29-yard field goal attempt, sending a groan through the Utah State crowd. Eberle made 16 of 18 field goals during the regular season but missed three Friday.
New Mexico State (7-6) ran two plays in overtime, with Jones bursting through a hole on the left side of the line to send the Aggies and their fans rushing onto the Arizona Stadium field. Jones finished with 142 yards on 16 carries.
› No. 13 TCU 39, No. 15 Stanford 37
SAN ANTONIO — Kenny Hill passed for two touchdowns, ran for another and even caught one as the Horned Frogs rallied from a big early deficit to win the Alamo Bowl late Thursday night.
Cole Bunce’s 33-yard field goal with just more than minutes to play won it for the Horned Frogs (113), who trailed 21-3 before storming back behind big plays from Hill and a 76-yard punt return from Desmon White.
Stanford (9-5) running back Bryce Love, a Heisman Trophy finalist, rushed for 145 yards and had a 69-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. K.J. Costello had three touchdown passes to J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, with the last one giving Stanford a 37-36 lead before Hill drove TCU to Bunce’s game-winning kick.
› No. 18 Michigan State 42, No. 21 Washington State 17
SAN DIEGO — Brian Lewerke passed for 213 yards and three touchdowns, and LJ Scott added 110 rushing yards and two scores as the Spartans took advantage of starting quarterback Luke Falk’s absence to rout the Cougars in the Holiday Bowl late Thursday night.
Lewerke also rushed for 73 yards for Michigan State (10-3), which rebounded from a dismal 3-9 record last year to reach double-digit wins for the eighth time in program history.
Redshirt sophomore Tyler Hilinski was 39-of-50 passing for 272 yards with two and one interception for Washington State (9-4).