Central Florida topples Auburn to finish 13-0
McKenzie Milton wanted to throw a blanket of 13 wins and no losses over the College Football Playoff.
After Milton and Central Florida capped a perfect season, he suggested it was time to respect the Knights, even if they weren’t invited.
Milton threw two touchdown passes and ran for 116 yards with another touchdown, leading No. 10 UCF to a 34-27 Peach Bowl win over No. 7 Auburn in Atlanta on Monday. Then it was time to boast. “I said on the podium you can go ahead and cancel the playoffs,” Milton said. “I’m not changing my mind.”
UCF (13-0) led 34-20 before having to stop a late comeback by Auburn (10-4). Antwan Collier’s interception in the end zone with 24 seconds remaining clinched the win.
The UCF players launched a joyous postgame celebration, rolling around in confetti on the field while wearing Tshirts that read “Champions.”
The Knights won in their final game with head coach Scott Frost, who stayed with the team through the bowl game after accepting an offer to become the head coach at Nebraska, his alma mater (though he began his college playing career at Stanford). Frost will bring most of his UCF assistants to Nebraska. Outback Bowl: Will Muschamp envisions championships in the Gamecocks’ future.
“We don’t have all the trophies and the tradition and history (that Michigan has), but we have some grit,” the head coach said after South Carolina rallied from a 16point second-half deficit to beat Michigan 26-19 at Tampa, Fla.
Jake Bentley threw for 239 yards and two touchdowns to pace the win, which gave the Gamecocks (9-4) at least nine wins in a season for the seventh time.
Michigan (8-5) finished with its first three-game losing streak under head coach Jim Harbaugh. The Wolverines committed five turnovers after halftime, including an endzone interception that denied them an opportunity to regain the lead with just less than eight minutes to go.
The loss also cost the Big Ten a clean sweep of bowl games involving conference members. The league entered 7-0, looking to go unbeaten in postseason play for the first time since 1998 when it went 5-0. Citrus Bowl: Myles Boykin scored on a 55-yard touchdown pass with 1:28 remaining and No. 14 Notre Dame (10-3) got its first win in a New Year’s Day bowl since 1994 by beating No. 16 LSU 21-17 at Orlando.
Three plays after Jack Gonsoulin’s 17-yard field goal gave the Tigers (9-4) a 17-14 lead with 2:03 remaining, Boykin caught a pass from Ian Book with his right hand at the LSU 33, managed to elude corner Donte Jackson and then broke a tackle attempt by John Battle near the right sideline for the game-winning score.