Cardinals deny Wildcats bowl chance
NO. 22 LOUISVILLE 44, KENTUCKY 40
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Brandon Radcliff ran for a 4-yard touchdown with 2:47 remaining and safety Gerod Holliman sealed it with an NCAA record-tying 14th interception with 35 seconds left, helping No. 22 Louisville earn a wild 44-40 victory over Kentucky.
No lead was safe in a back-and-forth game between rivals that got physical before kickoff. Louisville Coach Bobby Petrino, a former Arkansas head coach, grabbed the jacket of Wildcats assistant Daniel Berezowitz during one pregame scuffle.
The game was equally as charged. There were four fourth-quarter lead changes alone. The Cardinals (9-3) ultimately got the last word by driving 81 yards for the game-winning score that capped their fourth and final comeback against the Wildcats (5-7).
Kentucky’s last possession ended with Holliman picking off Patrick Towles and returning it 65 yards to the 2 before Louisville ran out the clock and sparked a celebration.
Louisville senior wide receiver DeVante Parker caught 6 passes for 180 yards and 3 touchdowns from redshirt freshman quarterback Kyle Bolin, a Lexington native who relieved injured freshman Reggie Bonnafon in the second quarter. Bolin completed 21 of 31 passes for 381 yards.
Kentucky freshman tailback Stanley Williams rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns.
NO. 21 CLEMSON 35, SOUTH CAROLINA 17
CLEMSON, S.C. — Artavis Scott had two long touchdown catches, Wayne Gallman ran for 191 yards and No. 21 Clemson ended a five-game losing streak to rival South Carolina with a victory.
The Tigers (9-3) hadn’t beaten the Gamecocks (6-6) since 2008, an unprecedented run of failure that overshadowed their 32-8 record the past three seasons. This time, Clemson showed off a perked-up offense bolstered by the return of freshman starter Deshaun Watson at quarterback.
Watson threw two inside flip passes that Scott turned into touchdowns of 53 and 70 yards. The second one gave the Tigers a 28-10 lead that South Carolina couldn’t overcome.
Watson finished 14 of 19 for 269 yards and 2 rushing touchdowns in his first significant action since he Tigers defeated North Carolina State on Oct. 4.
TENNESSEE 24, VANDERBILT 17
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Joshua Dobbs ran for two touchdowns and 91 yards as Tennessee beat Vanderbilt to become eligible for the Volunteers’ first bowl since 2010.
With the win, the Vols (6-6, 3-5 SEC) also snapped a two-game skid to their in-state rival that had been their longest since 1925-26.
Cameron Sutton returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown for Tennessee. The Volunteers also came up with 3 interceptions and 3 sacks, 2 by Curt Maggitt.
The Commodores (3-8, 0-8) at least avoided losing an eighth league loss by 10 or more points to wrap up Coach Derek Mason’s first season a year after going 9-4. Torren McGaster had two interceptions, and the Commodores sacked Dobbs three times.
Tennessee outgained Vanderbilt 83-12 in offense through the first quarter, then lost freshman running back Jalen Hurd to an upper-body injury. The Commodores finished with a 272-262 edge in total offense.