Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
LSU ends ‘champions’ long streak
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Joe Burrow watched the ball land in an opposing player’s hands and immediately gave chase.
Locked in on preventing a pick-six, LSU’s quarterback didn’t see Joey Connors, Central Florida’s 313-pound defensive lineman, bearing down on him.
With a thunderous, blindside collision, Burrow found himself flat on his back, woozy and wondering what happened.
Minutes later, after being helped to his feet, Burrow was back on the field, hitting receivers all over the field.
The nation’s longest winning streak was over. So was a second self-proclaimed national championship.
The LSU Tigers were Fiesta Bowl champions, thanks to their junior quarterback.
Burrow shook off the big early hit to throw for 394 yards and 4 touchdowns, helping No. 11 LSU end No. 8 UCF’s 25-game winning streak with a 40-32 victory in the Fiesta Bowl on Tuesday.
“I didn’t really think about the hit too much after it happened,” said Burrow, who had a cut on his neck from the hit. “It hurt for a second, I got right up and went on to the next play.”
LSU (10-3) started its first Fiesta Bowl without several key players on defense and fell into a 14-3 hole against the high-scoring Knights (12-1).
The Tigers clawed back behind Burrow and a defensive front that made life difficult for UCF quarterback Darriel Mack Jr.
Burrow returned from the blindside hit to pick apart UCF’s secondary, hitting 21 of 34 passes, including two touchdowns to Justin Jefferson.
“It looked like the passing game we wanted,” LSU Coach Ed Orgeron said. “Joe was on the money.”
LSU sacked Mack five times and made him rush numerous throws, holding the nation’s third-best offense to 250 total yards — 295 below its average — while spoiling the Knights’ bid for a second consecutive self-proclaimed national title.
Taj McGowan scored on a 2-yard run and the Knights converted a two-point conversion to pull UCF to within 40-32. The Knights’ last-ditch attempt finished with a tipped interception, ending a run that started after a loss in the 2016 Cure Bowl to Arkansas State University.
“Obviously, everyone in the locker room is really upset,” UCF defensive lineman Mason Colubiale. “We haven’t lost a game since 2016.”
UCF declared itself national champions after finishing as the only undefeated FBS team a year ago. The Knights earned another shot at an undefeated season by staging a big rally to beat Memphis in the American Athletic Conference title game.
But just like last year, UCF was on the outside looking in when the College Football Playoff final four was announced, adding to the boulder-sized chip on its shoulder.
The speedy Knights got the Fiesta Bowl off to a fast start, going up 14-3 on Greg McCrae’s 25-yard TD run and Brandon Moore’s 93-yard interception return.
The Tigers roared back behind Burrow and their disruptive defensive front.
Burrow found Jefferson on a pair of scoring passes, and a 49-yard TD to Derrick Dillon.
UCF sputtered offensively after its opening drive, but Mack hit Gabriel Davis on a 32-yard pass in the closing seconds of the first half to pull UCF to within 24-21.
Burrow opened the second half with a 32-yard TD pass to Ja’Marr Chase, and Cole Tracy hit three field goals to put LSU up 40-24. Tracy’s final kick, the 97th of his career, broke the NCAA all-division record and ended the nation’s fourth-longest winning streak since 2000.