Down 24, Hokies score 35
It’s never easy to replace an icon.
One way to do that is to create your own legacy, something first-year Coach Justin Fuente is doing at Virginia Tech after taking over for Frank Beamer.
Jerod Evans threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two scores and No. 22 Virginia Tech pulled off an epic comeback — the largest in the school’s 124year history — by erasing a 24-point halftime deficit to beat Arkansas, 35-24, on Thursday night in the Belk Bowl in Charlotte, N.C.
“It’s a fantastic honor,” Fuente said. “And I think it speaks to our guys — the character and toughness and what it means to play for Virginia Tech. They love Virginia Tech.”
Along with that memorable feat, Fuente also won 10 games this season — something no other Hokies coach accomplished in his first season.
After being limited to 180 yards in the first half, the Hokies (10-4) took advantage of three interceptions thrown by Razorbacks quarterback Austin Allen and scored touchdowns on five of their first seven possessions of the second half to rattle off 35 unanswered points.
Evans scored on a fouryard run and threw touchdown passes to Sam Rogers and Chris Cunningham to cut the deficit to 24-21 in the third quarter. Travon McMillan put the Hokies ahead with 12 minutes 3 seconds left in the game when he scored on a six-yard run. Evans sealed the win with an eight-yard touchdown run.
Virginia Tech came in averaging 35 points, but the Razorbacks (7-6) set the tone early by turning Evans’ fumble and interception into 10 points to take a 24-0 halftime lead.
Arkansas senior tight end Jeremy Sprinkle was suspended from the game after police accused him of shoplifting from the department store that sponsors the game. Sprinkle faces charges of shoplifting by concealment at the Belk department store. Players were given a $450 gift card to spend.
No. 12 Oklahoma State 38, No. 10 Colorado 8: Mason Rudolph passed for 314 yards and three touchdowns and the Cowboys (10-3) routed the Buffaloes (10-4) in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio for their fifth 10-win season in seven years.
James Washington caught nine passes for 171 yards and a touchdown before leaving in the third quarter with an apparent hand injury.
Colorado’s best season in more than a decade ended with a thud: consecutive losses in the Pac-12 title game and the program’s first bowl appearance since 2007.
Sefo Liufau passed for 195 yards and ran for a touchdown for the Buffaloes, but was sidelined for part of the second and third quarters after limping off after a sack.
South Florida 46, South Carolina 39 (OT): Quinton Flowers ran for three touchdowns and threw for two more to lead the Bulls (11-2) to an ovetime victory over the Gamecocks (6-7) in the Birmingham Bowl in Alabama.
South Florida squandered a 39-21 lead in the second half, but recovered to set a school record for victories in a season. Flowers threw a 25-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime, finding Elkanah Dillon in the end zone.
South Carolina’s overtime drive ended after Jake Bentley was sacked by Mike Love on fourth down. Bentley fumbled and Khalid McGee recovered to end the game.
Flowers completed 23 of 32 passes for 261 yards and ran for 105 yards on 21 carries.
The Bulls controlled the game for most of the afternoon, but the Gamecocks rallied to tie it at 39 with 1:11 remaining on A.J. Turner's one-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion.
Bentley completed 32 of 43 passes for 390 yards, with three touchdowns.