Jackson’s big plays help USC win Holiday Bowl
Adoree’ Jackson scored on a 98-yard kickoff return and a 71-yard pass from Cody Kessler, and No. 24 USC blew most of an 18-point, third-quarter lead before beating No. 25 Nebraska 45-42 in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego on Saturday night.
Kessler threw for 321 yards and three touchdowns for USC (9-4), which was playing Nebraska (9-4) in a bowl game for the first time.
USC stuffed De’Mornay Pierson on 4th-and-3 from the USC 31 with 21⁄ 2 minutes left. Nebraska had one final shot but Tommy Armstrong Jr.'s desperation pass as time ran out was knocked down inside the 10.
Armstrong had brought Nebraska back from a 45-27 deficit with a 65-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Westerkamp and a 15-yard keeper and a two-point conversion pass to Kenny Bell.
Armstrong threw for 381 yards and three touchdowns.
USC had 515 yards of total offense and Nebraska finished with 525.
#15 Arizona State 36, Duke 31: Kalen Ballage returned a kickoff 95 yards to set up the winning score as the Sun Devils (10-3) beat the Blue Devils (9-4) in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. ... On the next play, Demario Richard took a shovel pass from Taylor Kelly and bulled his way over the left side and into the end zone. Kelly was stopped on the two-point conversion try. ... Richard had four touchdowns — two rushing and two receiving. ... Duke drove to the Arizona State 14 on its final drive, but Anthony Boone’s 3rdand-10 pass was intercepted by Kweishi Brown in the end zone with 45 seconds left.
Penn State 31, Boston College 30: Christian Hackenberg hit Kyle Carter for a 10-yard touchdown pass in overtime and the Nittany Lions (7-6) kicked the extra point that the Eagles could not (7-6) in the Pinstripe Bowl in New York. ... Tyler Murphy hit David Dudeck for a 21-yard touchdown pass on Boston College’s OT drive,
but Mike Knoll shanked his kick on the extra point attempt.
South Carolina 24, Miami 21: Dylan Thompson threw for 294 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score as the Gamecocks (7-6) defeated the Hurricanes (6-7) in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La. ... Pharoh Cooper was Thompson’s favorite target, catching nine passes for 170 yards, including a spectacular 25-yard grab on the decisive drive late in the fourth quarter. Virginia Tech 33, Cincinnati 17: J.C. Coleman ran for 157 yards and a touchdown, and the Hokies (7-6) harassed and ultimately injured Bearcats quarterback Gunner Kiel while rolling to victory over Cincinnati (9-4) in the Military Bowl in Annapolis, Md. ... ... Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer worked in the upstairs coaching box to avoid the risk of infection during his recovery from throat surgery.