SPORTS: OKLAHOMA STATE DENIES VIRGINIA TECH IN 30-21 BOWL VICTORY,
ORLANDO, Fla.—Mason Rudolph threw for 351 ya rd s and a pair of touchdowns, James Washington b e c am e Oklahoma State’s career receiving yards leader and the 17th-ranked Cowboys beat No. 22 Virginia Tech 30-21 in the Camping World Bowl on Thursday night.
Washington caught five passes for 126 yards, giving him 4,472 for his career and passing Rashaun Woods for the school mark. Justice Hill ran for 120 yards and another score for the Cowboys (10-3), who have won 10 games in each of the last three seasons—another Oklahoma State first.
Josh Jackson ran for two scores and threw for another for the Hokies (9-4), including a rush that got Virginia Tech within 27-21 with 5:40 remaining. Deshawn McClease ran for 124 yards, a Virginia Tech season-best, but the Hokies were hurt by two turnovers in Oklahoma State territory.
Hill came through with perhaps the play of the night. Facing a third-and-11 with 3:30
left, Hill took a handoff, went left, waited for a lane to open— and broke loose for a 31-yard gain down to the Hokies’ 18. Matt Ammendola’s 38-yard field goal with 2:34 left put the Cowboys up by nine, essentially sealing the outcome.
Virginia Tech actually outgained the high-octane Cowboys, 518 yards to 492.
Oklahoma State led 13-7 at the half, benefiting from a pair of big missed opportunities by the Hokies.
Up 7-3, Virginia Tech started its second drive at its own 9. The Hokies kept the ball for 10 minutes, ran 18 plays, got all the way to the Cowboys’ 1—and came up empty, fumbling the ball away on a handoff.
And on the ensuing Virginia Tech possession after the Cowboys took a 13-7 lead late in the half, Jackson had a wideopen Henri Murphy down the middle for what would have been an easy 54-yard score that could have put the Hokies back on top. But the pass was overthrown, and the Hokies trailed the rest of the way.