LIBERTY BOWL

Prescott leads rout in Liberty

Mississippi State’s Kivon Coman (33), Josh Robinson (34) and Michael Hodges celebrate with the Liberty Bowl trophy after defeating Rice 44-7 on Tuesday in Memphis. It was the lopsided outcome in the game’s 55 years.
Mississippi State’s Kivon Coman (33), Josh Robinson (34) and Michael Hodges celebrate with the Liberty Bowl trophy after defeating Rice 44-7 on Tuesday in Memphis. It was the lopsided outcome in the game’s 55 years.

MEMPHIS - Dak Prescott delivered a performance that would have made his mother proud.

Prescott threw three touchdown passes and ran for two more scores Tuesday as Mississippi State trounced Rice 44-7 in the most one-sided Liberty Bowl victory in the game’s 55-year history. The sophomore quarterback delivered arguably the finest performance of his career less than two months after his mother, Peggy, died of cancer.

“It’s really just been about Mississippi State University and this football team comforting me, being there for me and just helping me and making what I would say is the hardest thing in my life easier,” Prescott said.

Mississippi State (7-6) wrapped up its fourth consecutive winning season and prevented Rice (10-4) from winning bowl games in back-to back years for the first time. All of Mississippi State’s losses this season came against teams currently in the top 25: No. 13 Oklahoma State, No. 2 Auburn, No. 16 LSU, No. 9 South Carolina, No. 21 Texas A&M and No. 3 Alabama.

The Bulldogs became bowl eligible by closing the regular season with consecutive overtime victories over Arkansas and Ole Miss. This marks the first time since 1974 that Mississippi State has closed a season with three straight victories.

“They stuck together,” Mississippi State Coach Dan Mullen said. “They battled. They fought. They fought through unbelievable injuries and adversity throughout the year.”

Nobody faced more adversity than Prescott, who set a Liberty Bowl record by accounting for five touchdowns. Prescott was 17 of 28 for 283 yards passing and also ran for 78 yards on 14 carries.

Prescott’s performance delighted a partisan crowd of 57,846 and capped a triumphant late-season performance amid personal tragedy for the sophomore quarterback. Prescott came off the bench in the fourth quarter to lead Mississippi State to a 17-10 overtime victory over Ole Miss last month that earned the Bulldogs a bowl bid.

Although Prescott and senior Tyler Russell had shared quarterback duties throughout the regular season, Prescott had the job to himself in the Liberty Bowl while Russell recovered from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder. Prescott responded better than anyone could have reasonably imagined.

Prescott thanked his teammates, Mississippi State Coach Dan Mullen, university President Mark Keenum and the entire Mississippi State community for sticking with him and helping him persevere.

“It just allows me to go out there and just play football in peace and be at ease,” Prescott said.

Prescott wasn’t Mississippi State’s only star on a night when the Bulldogs out gained Rice 533-145 and scored the game’s final 44 points.

Mississippi State’s Jameon Lewis caught nine passes for220 yards to break the Liberty Bowl receiving record held by Houston’s Vincent Marshall, who had 201 yards in a 44-36 loss to South Carolina in 2006. Lewis also set the school single-game record.

“When he has the ball in his hands, he’s special,” Mullen said.

The Bulldogs also played dominant defense.

Rice had won the Conference USA title - its first outright league championship of any kind since 1957 - by relying on a rushing attack that was ranked 16th among all Football Bowl Subdivision teams. Rice gained only 61 yards rushing - 179 below its season average - on 32 carries against Mississippi State. Charles Ross, who entered the day having rushed for 1,252 yards and 14 touchdowns this season, was held to 28 yards on 10 carries.

SUN BOWL Hundley lifts UCLA

EL PASO, Texas - Brett Hundley shredded Virginia Tech’s fourth-ranked defense in the Sun Bowl.

The UCLA quarterback had 86- and 7-yard touchdown runs and finished with 161 yards on 10 carries in the No. 17 Bruins’ 42-12 victory over the Hokies on Tuesday.

“I guess he can run a little,” UCLA Coach Jim Mora said. “He played well. He was poised.”

Hundley also completed 16 of 29 passes for 226 yards and two scores.

“It was a special game,” Hundley said. “We played well as an offense. We had to make adjustments. When we did, we got things going.”

Hundley and UCLA linebacker Jordan Zumwalt shared MVP honors. Zumwalt had 10 tackles and returned an interception 43 yards to set up a touchdown.

“It’s the best game I’ve ever seen him play,” Mora said about Zumwalt. “He was unbelievable from start to finish.”

The Bruins (10-3) outscored the Hokies (8-5) 28-2 in the fourth quarter.

After Virginia Tech cut it to 14-10 on Michael Branthover’s 22-yard field goal with 3:53 left in the third quarter, UCLA answered with a 12-play, 85-yard drive, capped by Paul Perkins’s 5-yard run early in the fourth.

Hokies backup quarterback Mark Leal then threw a pass under heavy pressure that linebacker Myles Jack intercepted and returned 29 yards for a touchdown that made it 28-10.

“In the second half we blocked things up better,” Mora said. “We got back to doing what we do best. We played with great tempo. We were not as uptight.”

Virginia Tech, which lost starting quarterback Logan Thomas to an injury in the second quarter, got its final points when UCLA punter Sean Covington stepped on the end line for a safety with 9:38 left.

Thomas, Virginia Tech’s career passing leader, left after taking a big hit along the UCLA sideline early in the second quarter. The hit resulted in a 15-yard penalty on the Bruins.

“It was tough to miss time on the field, the worst feeling of my career,” Thomas said. “I would have rather you guys talk bad about me than miss time on the field. We were doing some good things on offense. I thought we were right on the verge of doing some good things.”

ADVOCARE V100 BOWL Arizona whips BC

SHREVEPORT - First year coach Steve Addazio said Boston College has plenty to be proud of after a remarkable turnaround season that included a return to postseason play after a 2-10 record in 2012.

But the way things ended is undeniably disappointing.

Not much went right for the Eagles in a 42-19 loss to Arizona in the Advocare V100 Bowl on Tuesday. Boston College running back Andre Williams, the Doak Walker Award winner and Heisman finalist who came into the game with 2,102 yards rushing, was held to 75 yards and one touchdown in his final collegiate game.

Boston College (7-6) kept things tight early, trailing just 7-6 midway through the second quarter. But Arizona scored two quick touchdowns just before halftime to take a 21-6 lead and the Eagles could never mount another challenge.

“The way we’re built right now, this year, we’re not built to come back from three scores,” Addazio said. “We’ve got to be on schedule, or we start getting into things we don’t do best. It can get out of whack.”

Arizona’s Ka’Deem Carey took a decisive victory in a showdown between two of the nation’s top running backs.

Carey rushed for 169 yards and two touchdowns, getting stronger as the game progressed. B.J. Denker threw for 275 touchdowns and two touchdowns and also rushed for a 14-yard touchdown.

It was another impressive performance for Carey in what might be his final college game. The 5-10, 207-pound junior topped 100 yards rushing for a 16th consecutive game.

Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez had plenty of praise for Carey before sneaking in a plug to campaign for a senior season.

“He’s the hardest runner in the country and I think he’s the best running back in the country,” Rodriguez said before breaking into a grin. “And he’s still got some things to learn. So another year and he’d be just right.”

Boston College (7-6) didn’t score a touchdown until Williams’ 4-yard run early in the fourth quarter. Williams and Carey both earned first team AP All-America honors this season, but the expected duel never materialized.

“The biggest key for us defensively was tackling [Williams] before he had the chance to get going,” Rodriguez said. “We wanted to tackle him early and be physical.”

Carey had plenty of help. Arizona (8-5) had 529 total yards and scored 35 consecutive points to turn a tight 7-6 game in the second quarter into a 42-6 blowout by early in the fourth.

Denker completed 17 of 24 passes while Nate Phillips caught nine passes for 193 yards. Redshirt freshman Trey Griffey - the son of former baseball star Ken Griffey Jr. - caught two touchdown passes, including a 26-yarder just before halftime that gave the Wildcats a 21-6 lead.

Sports, Pages 22 on 01/01/2014

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