Cowboys’ defense seals win
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Taylor Cornelius tied a Liberty Bowl record with four touchdown passes and Kolby Peel made a critical fourth-down stop with 1:01 left as Oklahoma State edged No. 24 Missouri 38-33.
Missouri (8-5) faced fourth-and-1 when quarterback Drew Lock attempted a rush around the right end. Peel made an ankle tackle that stopped Lock short of the first-down marker.
That allowed Oklahoma State (7-6) to hang on to win a game it had led 35-19 heading into the fourth quarter. The Cowboys snapped Missouri's four-game winning streak.
“(It was) like a lot of games that we play in our conference,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said. “As I said on the press conference a few days ago, Missouri would fit right in. It ended up being somewhat of a shootout, and the defense made a play at the end.”
NORTHWESTERN 31 UTAH 20
The Wildcats converted three turnovers into 21 points in a dizzying nineminute stretch in the pouring rain in the third quarter of the Holiday Bowl, including Jared McGee's 82-yard fumble return for a touchdown, to stun the No. 20 Utes.
The Wildcats (9-5) scored 28 points in the third quarter to win their third straight bowl game under coach Pat Fitzgerald.
Senior Clayton Thorson became the all-time leading passer for Northwestern, going 21-of-30 for 241 yards for 10,731 career yards. He broke Brett Basanez's school record of 10,580.
OREGON 7, MICHIGAN ST. 6
Justin Herbert shook off a sluggish day and threw a touchdown pass to Dillon Mitchell in the fourth quarter, and the Ducks held on after the Spartans botched a fake field goal attempt for a victory in the Redbox Bowl.
Herbert passed for 166 yards and extended his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass to 28 on a day when the Ducks' offense mostly sputtered.
Oregon (9-4) crossed midfield only three times and couldn't get into the end zone until Herbert found Mitchell in the right front of the end zone for a 28-yard touchdown.
STANFORD 14 PITTSBURGH 13
Cameron Scarlett scored on a 1-yard run and recovered a fumble in the end zone for a second score to lead the Cardinal to a victory against the Panthers in the Sun Bowl.
Stanford (9-4) finished on a four-game winning streak, much the same way they did two years ago when they won the Sun Bowl for a seasonending six-game streak.
Pittsburgh (7-7) lost their fourth straight bowl game and sixth in the past seven after falling to playoff championship finalist Clemson in the ACC title game.
CINCINNATI 35 VIRGINIA TECH 31
Michael Warren ran for a career-high 166 yards and scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:29 left in a soggy Military Bowl to carry the Bearcats past the Hokies, ending their run of 25 consecutive winning seasons.
A tight game that featured more than 900 yards in offense and seven lead changes wasn't decided until Warren busted up the middle for his second touchdown to cap a 64-yard drive directed by backup quarterback Hayden Moore.
The victory gave Cincinnati (11-2) its third 11win season in the 131-year history of the program.