Orange Bowl belongs to Badgers
Alex Hornibrook threw four touchdown passes, three of them to Danny Davis, and No. 6 Wisconsin capped the winningest season in school history by topping No. 11 Miami 3424 in the Orange Bowl in Miami on Saturday night.
Jonathan Taylor finished his record-setting freshman season with 130 rushing yards on 26 carries for the Badgers (13-1), who rallied from an early 14-3 deficit. Taylor finished the year with an FBS-freshman-record 1,977 yards.
A.J. Taylor also had a scoring catch for Wisconsin — after which he mimicked ripping Miami’s “Turnover Chain” off the neck of teammate Kendric Pryor.
The Badgers dominated time of possession, holding the ball for nearly 40 minutes. Hornibrook completed 23 of 34 passes for 258 yards, going 20 for 25 in the final three quarters.
Travis Homer and Deejay Dallas had rushing scores for Miami (10-3), which was in the Orange Bowl for the 10th time and lost on its home field for the first time in 2017. Lawrence Cager had a touchdown catch for the Hurricanes, while quarterback Malik Rosier was 11 for 26 passing for 203 yards with three interceptions.
Fiesta Bowl
NO. 9 PENN STATE 35, NO. 12 WASHINGTON 28 >>
Trace McSorley threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns, Saquon Barkley ran for two more scores and No. 9 Penn State outlasted No. 12 Washington in Glendale, Ariz.
Penn State (11-2), No. 9 in the final College Football Rankings, had its way with Washington’s vaunted defense early, building a 28-7 lead by the second quarter.
Washington (10-3) woke up from an offensive slumber with two touchdowns and pulled within 35-28 on Myles Gaskins’ 69-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Washington had a shot with a desperation play, but Dante Pettis passed up a chance to step out of bounds to set up another play, and threw a final lateral that was intercepted.
Liberty Bowl
IOWA STATE 21, NO. 19 MEMPHIS 20 >>
Allen Lazard tied a Liberty Bowl record with 10 catches and put Iowa State ahead with a remarkable 5-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter as the Cyclones beat Memphis on the Tigers’ home field.
Iowa State (8-5) held after losing its first fumble this season, just as it appeared on the verge of scoring an insurance touchdown late in the fourth.
TaxSlayer Bowl
NO. 24 MISSISSIPPI STATE 31, LOUISVILLE 27 >>
Freshman Keytaon Thompson, making his first start in place of injured quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, ran for 147 yards and three touchdowns to help Mississippi State (94) beat Louisville (8-5) and 2016 Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson in Jacksonville, Fla.
Jackson completed 13 of 31 passes for 171 yards, with two touchdowns and four interceptions.