A&M’s Mond earns MVP after throwing two TDs

MOBILE, Ala. — Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond was the Senior Bowl Most Valuable Player but two fellow Southeastern Conference Western Division products made the decisive big play.

Arkansas’ Feleipe Franks threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Mississippi tight end Kenny Yeboah in the fourth quarter to help seal the National team’s 27-24 victory over the American team Saturday.

Mond was the MVP with a huge third quarter when he passed for 141 of his 173 yards and a pair of touchdowns after a slow start.

“It was a great feeling whether it was a simple drop back or making an insane play,” the former Aggies standout said. “Everything was kind of rolling my way. Obviously, kind of shaky at the beginning but it definitely shows a lot of poise to be able to bounce back.”

Mond, A&M’s career passing leader, delivered a pair of touchdown passes in the third quarter to help erase a 13-0 halftime deficit. Mond even converted one two-point play with a run and the other with a pass, following touchdowns of 15 yards to Clemson’s Amari Rodgers and 14 yards to Tennessee’s Josh Palmer.

Franks, a graduate transfer from Florida, set up the all-SEC West scoring connection

with a 29-yard completion to Louisville’s Dez Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick had six catches for 90 yards in the showcase game for senior and graduate NFL prospects, earning offensive player of the game.

North Carolina running back Michael Carter also had a big game. Carter scored on a pile-driving 12yard run late in the third quarter to help the National retake the lead after a Mond-led comeback.

Jamie Newman completed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Trevon Grimes with 49 seconds left for the American team after Franks and Yeboah made it a two-score game. The former Wake Forest quarterback, who transferred to Georgia but opted out before the season, set it up with a 35-yard completion to Bowling Green tight end Quintin Morris.

Tulane defensive lineman Cam Sample was the defensive player of the game. Sample had seven tackles and a share of a sack in a game blending players from Group of Five, small college and Power Five teams.

“We don’t play the Alabama’s or Ohio State’s every week but we’re always hungry,” he said.

The game was played for the first time at South Alabama’s new Hancock Whitney Stadium, with Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores leading the National team and Carolina’s Matt Rhule coaching the American team. It also switched from the traditional North versus South format.

Franks completed 9 of 16 passes for 122 yards. Carter averaged 8.0 yards per carry in his final season with the Tar Heels, and wasn’t far off in the all-star game.

Matthew Hinton / Associated Press Kellen Mond of Texas A&M passes as Northern Iowa’s Spencer Brown hits him at the Senior Bowl.