Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
College bowl roundup,
Cedrick Wilson caught 10 passes for 221 yards and a touchdown, Kekaula Kaniho returned an interception 53 yards for a score and No. 25 Boise State beat Oregon 38-28 in the Las Vegas Bowl on Saturday.
Brett Rypien threw for 362 yards and two touchdown passes — with two interceptions — to help the Broncos (11-3) break a three-game losing streak against Power 5 opposition. Ryan Wolpin rushed for two touchdowns.
Troy Dye and Tyree Robinson each scored a defensive touchdown, and Justin Herbert was 26 of 36 passing for 233 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Ducks (7-6) in new head coach Mario Cristobal’s debut.
Boise State forced four turnovers in the first half, taking a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on Wolpin’s 1-yard touchdown run and Rypien’s 26-yard scoring pass to Wilson. Haden Hoggarth added a 39-yard field goal before an offbalance Herbert heaved a pass toward the sideline that was easily picked off and run back by Kaniho, who also had a strip-sack.
Herd earn win
Marshall held off a late Colorado State rally, earning a 31-28 win over Colorado State in the New Mexico Bowl.
Thundering Herd coach Doc Holliday improved to 5-0 in bowl games.
Marshall (8-5) receiver Tyre Brady earned offensive MVP honors after hauling in six passes for 165 yards and a touchdown. Herd defensive lineman Channing Hames was named the defensive MVP, helping the line hound Colorado State (7-6) quarterback Nick Stevens all game.
Trojans roll
When Troy quarterback Brandon Silvers glanced around the Superdome, his eyes would stop on the name of Archie Manning, who has become one of his mentors, or on spots in the stands where he’s sat during games he attended as a fan.
During his next visit, he’ll be able to look at spots on the field where he threw four touchdown passes, as well as the end zone where he ran for a short score, to help the Trojans beat North Texas 50-30 in the New Orleans Bowl on Saturday.
“Just being on that field today is going to be one of my great memories for a long time,” Silvers said.
Silvers, a former counselor at the Manning’s football camp, threw for 305 yards, completing 24 of 31 passes. The Orange Beach, Alabama, native was intercepted once on a deep throw, but that hardly mattered in a game controlled by Troy’s defense, which produced five North Texas turnovers.
“Our ability to get pressure on quarterback was probably the difference,” said Troy coach Neal Brown, who has presided over 21 victories in the past two seasons.
Josh Anderson, filling in for injured starter Jordan Chunn, rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns for Troy (11-2).
Two of Silvers’ TD passes went to Damion Willis, whom Silvers targeted more than usual because of an early injury to receiver Deondre Douglas. Willis had 136 yards on a New Orleans Bowlrecord-tying 11 catches.
“I hated that Deandre went down, but like coach said, you can’t flinch,” Willis said. “I didn’t flinch today.”
Mason Fine passed for 303 yards and three touchdowns for North Texas (9-5), but was intercepted twice and fumbled twice. He finished with Mean Green single-season records of 4,052 yards and 31 TDs passing.
“Their font seven— that defensive line — gave me fits all day,” Fine said. “We never got in a rhythm. We never got comfortable.”
“Just being on that field today is going to be one of my great memories for a long time.” Troy quarterback Brandon Silvers