Penn State too much for Memphis in Cotton Bowl
No. 13 Penn State 53, No. 15 Memphis 39: Journey Brown ran for 202 yards with two long touchdowns, Garrett Taylor returned an interception 15 yards for a score after another big play by All-America linebacker Micah Parsons and Penn State (11-2) beat Memphis (12-2) on Saturday in the highest-scoring Cotton Bowl ever.
While Penn State gave up its most points and yards all season against the big-play Group of Five Tigers, Parsons was pulling down quarterback Brady White, who flipped the ball right into the hands of Taylor. That put the Nittany Lions up 45-36 in the final minute of the third quarter.
American Athletic Conference champion Memphis played its first game under coach Ryan Silverfield. The offensive line coach was promoted when Mike Norvell left after four seasons to become Florida State’s coach earlier this month.
White was 32-of-51 passing for 454 yards with two interceptions and no touchdowns. Patrick Taylor Jr. and Kenneth Gainwell both had rushing touchdowns for the Tigers, but the rest of their points came on a Cotton Bowl-record six field goals by Riley Patterson, including a record-long 51-yarder.
The Tigers finished with 542 total yards, but White was sacked a seasonhigh six times and didn’t throw a touchdown for the first time since the season opener. Two of those sacks were by Parsons, who finished with 14 tackles.
Freshman running back Noah Cain added 92 yards and two touchdowns rushing for Penn State, which won for the 30th time in its 50 bowl appearances.
The Nittany Lions had 529 total yards. Brown got his 202 rushing yards on 16 carries, including a tackle-shredding 32yard touchdown early and a 56-yard score when he went up the middle virtually untouched.
No. 14 Notre Dame 33, Iowa State 9: Ian Book threw for 247 yards and one touchdown and Tony Jones Jr. scored on an 84-yard run, helping Notre Dame (11-2) dominate Iowa State (7-6) in the Camping World Bowl in Orlando, Fla.
Book completed 20 of 28 passes without an interception, including a 27-yard TD throw to Chase Claypool as the Fighting Irish wrapped up another doubledigit win year on a six-game winning streak. Claypool had seven receptions for 146 yards and was named game MVP, while Jones finished with 135 yards rushing.
Brock Purdy was 17 of 30 for 222 yards and no interceptions for Iowa State.
However, the sophomore quarterback was unable to get his team into the end zone after throwing for a Cyclones’ single-season record 27 TDs during the regular season. Notre Dame’s defense was superb, forcing two first-quarter fumbles that helped the Irish build a 20-6 halftime lead. Jones scored on Notre Dame’s first play from scrimmage in the third quarter, circling the left end and heading up the sideline in front of the Iowa State bench.
Cornerback Tayvonn Kyle caught up to the 5-foot-11, 224-pound Jones at the Cyclones 10 yard line but was unable to fight off the running back’s stiff arm and was carried into the end zone.
Jafar Armstrong also scored on a 1yard run for the Irish, who got four field goals from Jonathan Doerer.
Connor Assalley kicked field goals of 41, 26 and 42 yards for Iowa State.