Wake Forest wins a wild one
John Wolford threw for 400 yards and four touchdowns, and Matt Colburn ran for 150 yards and the goahead score in Wake Forest’s 55-52 victory over Texas A&M on Friday in the Belk Bowl at Charlotte, N.C.
The teams combined for 1,260 yards and 107 points, making it one of the highestscoring games in bowl history.
Wolford, a four-year starter, threw all four touchdown passes in the first half for Wake Forest (8-5). Colburn had a one-yard touchdown with 2:18 left in the game to give the Demon Deacons the lead for good.
Wake Forest’s defense stopped the Aggies (7-6) on downs on their final drive to seal the win, which was no easy task considering Texas A&M’s potent offense. Aggies quarterback Nick Starkel threw for a Belk Bowl-record 499 yards and four touchdowns — three of those to wide receiver Christian Kirk, who caught 13 passes for 189 yards.
Scotty Washington had nine catches for 138 yards and a touchdown for the Demon Deacons, while tight end Cam Serigne had nine catches for 112 yards and a score. Tabari Hines had eight receptions for 58 yards and two touchdowns.
Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said he had a feeling it would be a shootout.
“I thought it would be a high scoring game,” Clawson said. “I told our offensive coordinator before the game, ‘Go fast. I don’t know how much it’s going to take. Keep your foot on the gas.’ This game was going to come down to whoever could outscore the other team.”
Sun Bowl
Nyheim Hines had three five-yard touchdown runs to help North Carolina State beat Arizona State 52-31 at El Paso.
Hines finished with 72 yards in 16 carries for North Carolina State (9-4). Reggie Gallaspy added 79 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries for the Wolfpack, Ryan Finley completed 24 of 29 passes for 318 yards and a score, and Stephen Louis had three catches for 115 yards.
Arizona State (7-6) played its final game under fired coach Todd Graham, with former NFL coach Herm Edwards taking over the program.
Music City Bowl
Justin Jackson ran for 157 yards and two touchdowns, and No. 20 Northwestern held off Kentucky 24-23 at Nashville.
Both starting quarterbacks left in the first half with injuries, though Kentucky’s Stephen Johnson returned early in the third quarter. Kentucky lost running back Benny Snell Jr. to an ejection for contact with an official early in the second quarter, and Northwestern lost leading tackler and linebacker Paddy Fisher before halftime when he was ejected for targeting.
Northwestern (10-4) finished off back-to-back bowl wins in consecutive years for the first time, and the Wildcats recorded their second 10-win season in three years under coach Pat Fitzgerald.
Johnson ran for his second touchdown of the second half with 37 seconds left. Kentucky (7-6) coach Mark Stoops went for the twopoint conversion rather than play for overtime, but Johnson couldn’t connect with Tavin Richardson.
Arizona Bowl
Larry Rose III scored on a 21-yard run in overtime and New Mexico State won in its first bowl game in 57 years, beating Utah State 26-20 at Tucson.
Utah State (6-7) had the ball first in overtime and Dominik Eberle hit the right upright on a 29-yard field goal, sending a groan through the Utah State crowd. Eberle made 16 for 18 field goals during the regular season, but missed three in the Arizona Bowl.
New Mexico State (7-6) ran two plays in overtime, with Rose bursting through a hole on the left side of the line to send the Aggies and their fans rushing onto the Arizona Stadium field. Rose finished with 142 yards in 16 carries.
Utah State’s Savon Scarver returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, then New Mexico State’s Jason Huntley took the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a score.