The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bowden’s late TD pass lifts Kentucky past Va. Tech 37-30
Lynn Bowden Jr. ran for 223 yards on 34 carries, then tossed a 13-yard touchdown pass to Josh Ali with 15 seconds left as Kentucky rallied behind its remarkable receiver-turned-quarterback to beat Virginia Tech 37-30 on Tuesday in the Belk Bowl in Charlotte.
Bowden ran for two touchdowns before leading an 18-play, 85-yard game-winning drive that took more than eight minutes off the clock. It ended with Ali getting open down the middle of the end zone. Bowden, who took over as Kentucky’s quarterback after five games because of injuries, passed for 73 yards on 12 attempts.
The Wildcats (8-5) added a final TD as time expired when Jordan Wright returned a failed lateral attempt by the Hokies 28 yards for a touchdown.
Hendon Hooker threw for 110 yards and two TDs, and Deshawn McClease ran for 126 yards and a score to lead the Hokies (8-5).
SUN BOWL: Willie Harts returned an interception 25 yards for a fourth-quarter TD to lead Arizona State to a 20-14 victory over Florida State in El Paso, Texas. Harts, a freshman cornerback, halted a 14-0 surge by Florida State (6-7) and helped the Sun Devils (8-5) hang on for their fourth Sun Bowl win, despite not scoring an offensive touchdown.
James Blackman threw a 91-yard TD pass, the longest pass play in Sun Bowl history, to Tamorrion Terry to give Florida State its first lead, 14-9, in the third quarter.
Cristian Zendejas kicked a Sun Bowl record-tying four field goals for Arizona State, including a 34-yarder in the fourth quarter to cut the FSU lead to 14-12. Then Blackman’s fourth interception of the game was returned by Harts to put the Sun Devils ahead for good with 10:06 left in the fourth.
Jayden Daniels was 12-for-28 passing for 198 yards to lead the Sun Devils. He also ran for 36 yards and a 2-point conversion.
The first half was a comedy of errors for both offenses as the defenses stepped up in the absence of star rushers. Eno Benjamin of Arizona State and Cam Akers of Florida State. Both sat out to protect their NFL draft stock.
LIBERTY BOWL: Bijan Nichols kicked a 23-yard field goal with two seconds remaining, and No. 23 Navy capitalized on a fourth-down gamble in the final minute to beat Kansas State 20-17 in Memphis, Tenn.
A Navy team with the nation’s top rushing attack set up the winning score by completing a halfback option pass with less than 30 seconds left. The Midshipmen snapped the ball on fourth-and-3 from the Kansas State 46. QB Malcolm Perry pitched to C.J. Williams, and he threw downfield to Chance Warren for a 41-yard gain.
Perry, who rushed for 213 yards, spiked the ball with 5 seconds left to set up Nichols’ field goal. Nichols had missed a 38-yarder earlier in the fourth quarter.
Navy (11-2) tied a program record for wins and will finish a season in the AP Top 25 for just the third time in the past 56 years. Perry had 28 carries and a TD pass. He ran for 2,017 yards this season to set a Football Bowl Subdivision record for yards rushing by quarterback.