Ohio beats Wyoming 30-27 in overtime at Arizona Bowl

Associated PressDec 30, 2022, 9:22 PM EST

Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports

TUCSON, Ariz. — CJ Harris hit Tyler Foster on a 10-yard touchdown pass in overtime, lifting Ohio to a 30-27 win over Wyoming in the Arizona Bowl on Friday.

The Cowboys (7-6) labored offensively after the teams combined for three touchdowns in the first quarter. Andrew Peasley sparked Wyoming’s offense, orchestrating a six-play, 75-yard drive capped by Jordan Vaughn’s 5-yard TD run with 2:08 left in regulation.

The Bobcats (10-4) had time to answer, and Nathanial Vakos kicked a tying 46-yard field goal with 4 seconds left.

Wyoming’s John Hoyland opened overtime with a 29-yard field goal, but Foster pulled down the winning catch over a defender in the back of the end zone.

Ohio had a hard time revving up its passing game against Wyoming’s defense, relying mostly on the ground instead.

Sieh Bangura ran for 138 yards and scored on a 3-yard run. Harris hit Jacoby Jones on a 34-yard score and finished with 184 yards on 20-of-33 passing in his third start since Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Year Kurtis Rourke went down with a season-ending knee injury.

The Arizona Bowl has produced some strange games through the years, and the 2022 version appeared as if it was going to follow suit.

Wyoming, which averages 127 yards passing per game, threw the ball on six of its first nine plays in an opening drive capped by Jordan Vaughn’s 17-yard touchdown run up the middle.

Ohio answered by picking apart Wyoming’s stingy defense, setting up Harris’ TD pass to Jones, who battled Wyoming’s Deron Harrell near the goal line.

Bobcats returner Sam Wiglusz then muffed a punt and Peasley hit Treyton Welch on a 17-yard touchdown pass the next play.

The wild ride smoothed out by the second quarter.

Wyoming all but stopped passing, Ohio struggled to complete passes and the teams traded field goals. Wyoming led 17-11 at halftime.

Ohio got into a brief offensive rhythm in the third quarter, taking an 18-17 lead. Bangura scored on a 3-yard option right after breaking off a 40-yarder midway through the third.

THE TAKEAWAY

Ohio won most of its games this season with an offense that averaged nearly 32 points per game. The Bobcats relied on their defense most of the day before their offense found its form late.

Wyoming labored offensively through most of the second half before Vaughn’s late touchdown. The Cowboys left Ohio with too much time and the defense, the Cowboys’ strength all season, couldn’t come through.

UP NEXT

Wyoming: One of the nation’s youngest teams will have much more experience next season.

Ohio State: The Bobcats hope to have Rourke back and healthy, but may have to replace several defensive players.

Snyder, Buffalo top Georgia Southern 23-21 in Camellia Bowl

Associated PressDec 27, 2022, 10:38 PM EST

Mickey Welsh / Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Buffalo built a lead with Cole Snyder‘s passing and Alex McNulty’s kicking.

The Bulls put the Camellia Bowl away with an unrelenting barrage of fourth-quarter runs by Tajay Ahmed for a 23-21 victory over Georgia Southern on Tuesday.

Snyder passed for 265 yards and Ahmed took over the final quarter with 14 carries.

“This was kind of a small episode of kind of who we’ve been and what our season looked like,” Buffalo coach Maurice Linguist said. “Just tough yards, grind out play after play. And kind of throw a blanket over the scoreboard and just pound the rock, is what we say.”

The Bulls (7-6) chewed up the clock with runs from Ahmed on 11 consecutive plays and one pile-pushing final first down. The former walk-on, who was awarded a scholarship in the spring, finished with 27 carries for 98 yards and a touchdown.

That last first down meant quarterback Kyle Vantrease and Georgia Southern (6-7) couldn’t get the ball back for a final chance against Vantrease’s former team, with whom he spent five years and started 26 games before transferring.

“I’ve always believed great quarterbacks provide hope and every game we walked into he provides hope,” first-year Eagles coach Clay Helton said. “If we got that ball back one more time, you just knew that that hope was there.”

Snyder, a Rutgers transfer, completed 21 of 38 passes, including a 32-yard touchdown to game MVP Justin Marshall to outduel his predecessor.

Quian Williams gained 100 yards on five catches, and Marshall caught 11 passes for 127 yards in what the graduate transfer from Louisville called his best college game. The last catch was Marshall’s biggest, and a replay upheld the on-field call that Marshall’s right foot stayed in bounds.

“We all were talking amongst the offense,” he said. “We looked at it one time and I saw it and said that’s definitely a catch. They’re wasting time reviewing it.”

Vantrease completed 28 of 45 passes for 352 yards and two touchdowns with an interception. Beau Johnson had five catches for 118 yards.

It was Buffalo’s third straight bowl win after going 0-3 in bowls. And the victory came after an 0-3 start this season.

“They wrote us off. They questioned,” Linguist said. “They weren’t sure if we were going to finish, and then here we are at the end. We got a ring. We’re (bowl) champions.”

Buffalo had a cushion thanks to Dylan Powell‘s interception and return across midfield in the fourth quarter. Ahmed then carried nine straight times but was stopped on three runs starting from the 2.

The Bulls had to settle for a 23-14 lead with McNulty’s third field goal of the second half with 8:38 left. That FG was a school record, No. 49 of his career.

Vantrease and Georgia Southern stayed alive with a 13-play, 90-yard drive. On fourth-and-7 from his own territory, Vantrease hit Johnson for a 42-yard gain. Then Jjay McAfee made a grab in the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown with 3:38 left.

Georgia Southern needed only 26 seconds in the second half to wipe out a 14-6 deficit, thanks to a fumble, Vantrease’s 79-yard touchdown pass to Joshua Thompson and a two-point conversion.

“It has been a wonderful ride this season, and I can’t thank our seniors enough for the foundation that they’ve led and laid for this team,” Helton said. “In my opinion, the best is yet to be. Sometimes you fight your guts out and it just doesn’t go your way at the end, and that’s what this team did.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Georgia Southern: Once known for the triple option and loads of runs, Helton implemented a pass-oriented offense. Vantrease broke the Eagles’ bowl record with his 11th completion – on the opening drive of the second quarter.

Buffalo: Held onto the ball for more than 38 minutes in the game, and converted 12 of 19 third-down plays, largely on Snyder passes. The last was a 9-yarder to Marshall on the sideline to keep the final drive going.

SNOWED IN

Buffalo’s band, cheerleaders, and radio crew weren’t able to make the bowl game because flights were canceled out of their city, which saw a massive winter storm and at least 27 storm-related deaths.

Linguist said the team flew out 12 hours earlier than expected.

“If we did not do that, I’m not sure we would have even made it down here in time to play the game,” he said.

UP NEXT

Georgia Southern: Must replace Vantrease and most of the offensive and defensive line starters before opening the 2023 season at home against The Citadel.

Buffalo: Opens the 2023 season at Wisconsin on Sept. 2 with Snyder, safety Marcus Fuqua and tailback Mike Washington expected back.

New Mexico State holds off Bowling Green in Quick Lane Bowl

Associated PressDec 26, 2022, 10:40 PM EST

Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

DETROIT – Diego Pavia threw for 167 yards and two touchdowns, and New Mexico State held off a late rally by Bowling Green to win the Quick Lane Bowl 24-19 on Monday.

The Aggies (7-6) were up 24-7 late in the third quarter, but the Falcons closed the gap in the fourth quarter to make it 24-19 after a field goal, a safety off of a blocked punt and Camden Orth’s 19-yard touchdown pass to Tyrone Broden with 6:27 left.

From there, New Mexico State kept control of the ball for the rest of the game.

New Mexico State coach Jerry Kill, who earned his first victory in six bowl appearances, gave much of the credit for the win to Pavia, who completed 17 of 19 passes, rushed for 65 yards and made three key third-down conversions on the last drive.

“Diego drives me crazy sometimes, but when it comes down to winning, he finds a way to win,” Kill said. “The last couple of runs he made toward the end were flat unbelievable. He just threw his body out there.”

Pavia said the team didn’t panic after Bowling Green scored its final touchdown.

“Really, it was just do your job,” he said. “Whenever anything broke down, it was make a play. So when it comes down to those things I want the ball in my hands. I feel we were successful tonight on it.”

Pavia added that the team was excited to be able to get Kill his first bowl win as a head coach.

“Coach Kill, he’s a winner,” Pavia said. “So for him to have his first one tonight is just crazy. Just because he’s born winning. He doesn’t like to lose.”

Bowling Green (6-7) lost starting quarterback Matt McDonald early in the first quarter when he was hit late by Aggies safety Dylan Early while going out of bounds on a third-down run. He was replaced by Orth, who twice led the Falcons into field-goal range in the first half but Mason Lawler missed both tries.

“I thought Cam went in there and that’s not easy,” Falcons coach Scott Loeffler said. “The whole game plan was built around Matt and I thought he did a great job and particularly in the second half adapting and adjusting.

“No one knows how hard it is to be the backup quarterback. And when you get thrown into the mix like that, we had to adapt and adjust, and we did to give him a chance in the second half.”

The Aggies scored first to make it 7-0 on Pavia’s 15-yard scoring pass to Star Thomas on their first possession of the game. The junior quarterback later added a 2-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter to Eric Marsh.

THE TAKEAWAY

New Mexico State: It’s only the second time in the last 20 seasons that New Mexico State has won at least seven games, the first being 2017 when the Aggies beat Utah State in the Arizona Bowl.

Bowling Green: The Falcons’ defense struggled throughout the season and it carried over into the game. Bowling Green was unable to slow the Aggies’ offense, especially Pavia’s ability to extend plays with his passing and running.

UP NEXT

New Mexico State: After five seasons as an independent, the Aggies join Conference USA. New Mexico State will aim to go to a bowl in back-to-back years for the first time since 1959-60. Their first game next season is Aug. 26, hosting Massachusetts.

Bowling Green: Will be at Liberty on Sept. 2 to start the season. The Falcons will have to replace two key starters in McDonald and defensive end Karl Brooks. McDonald started 29 of Bowling Green’s 30 games since he transferred from Boston College in 2019. Brooks was one of the nation’s leading defensive linemen with 10 sacks and 18 tackles for losses.