Mich. St. edges Wake Forest
NEW YORK — Mike Panasiuk ripped off his Michigan State helmet and hoisted it in the air, unleashing the hidden part of his scruffy beard that’s normally a no-no at Yankee Stadium. Facial hair is banned for all Yankees, and so, for the Spartans, are the kind of acts of unsportsmanlike conduct that get a big guy like Panasiuk penalized.
The penalty was worth it for the burly Spartans defensive tackle, who rumbled 14 yards on an interception for his first career touchdown. His brother, Jacub, triggered the pick when he swatted the ball at the line. It took a bounce off a fallen player, and into Panasiuk’s hands.
“Shoutout to Mike,” Michigan State’s Kenny Willekes said. “That’s pretty damn cool to score a touchdown at Yankee Stadium.”
Brian Lewerke took it from there in his final game. Lewerke threw for 320 yards and a touchdown and ran for a score in Michigan State’s 27-21 victory over Wake Forest on Friday night in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.
“When you’re a senior and you play your last football game, you want it to be your best,” coach Mark Dantonio said.
Lewerke threw a 10-yard pass to wide receiver Cody White in the third quarter to put the Spartans (7-6) ahead 27-21 and they survived down the stretch to give Dantonio his sixth bowl victory.
“As the game progressed we got more confident, we got stronger,” Dantonio said.
Attitude, sure. But a defense that gave up 250 yards of offense and 21 points to the up-tempo Demon Deacons in the first half pitched a shutout in the second and surrendered just 101 yards.
Panasiuk had the ball in his hands for an early contender for wildest play of the bowl season. Wake Forest’s Jamie Newman failed to get enough lift on an early pass attempt that turned into a bit of a 4-6-3 touchdown on the Yankee
Stadium field. Panasiuk’s measurements look a little like this: height, 6-foot-4; weight, 300 pounds; unkempt beard length, oh, let’s say 4 to 6 inches.
Michigan State got the go-ahead score and not much else, allowing Wake Forest (8-5) chances to win nine games for just the third time in program history.
IOWA 49, USC 24
Ihmir Smith-Marsette scored three touchdowns, including a 98-yard kickoff return in the second quarter, as the Hawkeyes (10-3) routed the Trojans (8-5) in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego. USC quarterback Kedon Slovis threw two touchdown passes, but left with a right arm injury. Backup Matt Fink threw an interception that was returned for a 25-yard touchdown.
NORTH CAROLINA 55 TEMPLE 13
Freshman Sam Howell threw for 294 yards and three touchdowns and caught a scoring pass in North Carolina’s victory over Temple in the Military Bowl.
Howell completed 25 of 34 passes and ran for 53 yards on three carries to help the Tar Heels (7-6) to their first bowl victory since 2013.