The Minnesota Golden Gophers have capped a tumultuous football season with a very satisfying victory.
Shannon Brooks turned a deflected pass into a 13-yard, go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter as the Gophers upset Washington State, 17-12 in the Holiday Bowl at San Diego. Minnesota also frustrated quarterback Luke Falk and held the Cougars to their lowest point total of the season. Falk was picked off by Adekunle Ayinde to set up Rodney Smith’s 9-yard scoring run that put the Gophers ahead 17-6 with 2:06 left.
Falk passed for 264 yards, 86 below his season average.
The Golden Gophers were looking to regroup after threatening to skip this game if 10 teammates suspended following a sexual assault investigation weren’t reinstated. Their boycott lasted less than 36 hours before the players backed down.
Minnesota finishes this season 9-4. The Cougars end up 8-5 following their third straight loss.
Baylor also salvaged what was a difficult season. KD Cannon had 14 receptions for a Cactus Bowl-record 226 yards and two touchdowns as the Bears whipped Boise State, 31-12 in Phoenix. Freshman Zach Smith threw for 375 yards and three scores for Baylor, which snapped a six-game losing streak that followed a 6-0 start.
The bowl win concludes a season in which the Bears dealt with a season-ending injury to quarterback Seth Russell and a sexual assault scandal that cost coach Art Briles his job.
The 10-3 Broncos made trips to the red zone that ended with two field goals, one interception in the end zone and a failed fourth down try.
Checking out the rest of Tuesday’s bowl games.
— Jordan Asberry ran for a 3-yard touchdown on fourth down in overtime to send Army past North Texas 38-31 in the Heart of Dallas Bowl. It was Army’s 46th rushing TD of the season, breaking the school record held by the 1945 national championship team that had two Heisman Trophy winners in the backfield. The Black Knights ran for 480 yards and six TDs in ending the season 8-5.
— John Wolford was 10 of 19 for 183 yards and two touchdowns before leaving with a neck strain in the third quarter of Wake Forest’s 34-26 win over 23rd-ranked Temple in the Military Bowl at Annapolis. Wolford threw an interception on the game’s first series to help the Owls take a 7-0 lead before the Demon Deacons reeled off 31 straight points by halftime. Phillip Walker finished his career by going 28 for 49 for 396 yards and two touchdowns for Temple.
