SAN DIEGO — After a few days of turmoil and perhaps more to come, the Minnesota Golden Gophers played lights-out in shutting down Luke Falk and the Washington State Cougars to win the Holiday Bowl.
Shannon Brooks caught a tipped pass from Mitch Leidner for a 13-yard, go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter and Minnesota, mired in controversy after 10 players were suspended after a sexual assault investigation, won 17-12 on Tuesday night.
The Golden Gophers (9-4) were looking to regroup after backing down from a threat to skip this game if their teammates suspended after the investigation weren’t reinstated. Their boycott lasted less than 36 hours, with university leadership never blinking. The players backed down amid pressure from many who read details of the allegations.
“I don’t think it’s a matter of anybody not wanting to be here. It’s just a matter of wishing our brothers could be here with us as well,” Leidner said. “I love this team, these coaches. You couldn’t ask for a better way to go out. I’m just really proud of these guys.”
Brooks’ TD catch was one of the few exciting plays in an otherwise pedestrian edition of what traditionally has been one of the country’s most exciting bowl games.
WSU cornerback Marcellus Pippins reached up with his right hand and deflected Leidner’s pass in the end zone but it went right to Brooks for the TD and a 10-6 lead. That capped an 84-yard, 10-play drive on Minnesota’s first possession of the second half.
The Gophers had to face Falk and WSU’s normally high-powered Air Raid offense without starting defensive backs KiAnte Hardin and Antoine Winfield Jr., and key backup Antonio Shenault, who were among the suspended players.
Their replacements stepped up.
“You’ve got to go off practice, and those kids practiced awfully well,” coach Tracy Claeys said. “They did a tremendous job. All of them played their tails off. When you get in those situations and you’re missing people, it all goes back to that the next person’s got to step up and you ask them to do things, they’re going to do it. Nobody’s going to be successful if you ask them to do things you’re not very good at.”
WSU (8-5) ended on a three-game losing streak and was held to its lowest point total of the season. The Cougars had scored more than 50 points four times this season, a school record.
The Golden Gophers frustrated Falk most of the game, holding him to 264 yards — 86 below his average — on 30-of-51 passing. Falk didn’t crack 200 yards until the final minutes, when he led a drive capped by an 8-yard TD pass to Kyle Sweet. After three tries due to Minnesota penalties, the conversion attempt failed. Minnesota then recovered an onside kick.
Falk came in having completed 71 percent of his passes in throwing for 4,204 yards and 37 touchdowns. The Cougars were ranked second in the nation in passing.
Falk was intercepted by Adekunle Ayinde on fourth down with 3:05 left. That set up Rodney Smith’s 9-yard TD run with 2:06 left for a 17-6 lead.
“I don’t think we played well offensively at all,” coach Mike Leach said. “We never got any rhythm. We were frantic. You can say we were rusty and had some time off, whatever it is. We tried to make things happen and then when it didn’t happen, we got frantic. We unraveled. We were pouting on the sidelines.”
WSU lead 6-3 after a lackluster first half that included just three field goals.
The Cougars crossed the 50 just twice, getting field goals of 26 and 41 yards by Erik Powell.
Powell’s second field goal was set up when Nnamdi Oguayo hit Leidner and forced a fumble that Isaac Dotson recovered at the Golden Gophers’ 38.
Minnesota got a 43-yard field goal by Emmit Carpenter in the second quarter.
TAKEAWAY
Minnesota: The Golden Gophers had only 110 yards of total offense in the first half before finally coming alive in the second half. Smith gained 74 yards on 17 carries. He came in averaging 90 yards.
Washington State: The Air Raid offense was a no-show. After Powell kicked a field goal to cap WSU’s first drive, the Cougars went three-and-out on their next four possessions. The Cougars had to settle for Powell’s 41-yard field goal at the end of the first half after Falk’s pass to Tavares Martin Jr. to the 1 was overturned after review.
UP NEXT
Minnesota: Tensions remain between the school administration and the team after the threat to skip this game.
Washington State: Leach said Monday that Falk would return for his senior season rather than declaring for the NFL draft. However, asked about it after the game, Falk said: “I’m not focused on that at all. All my focus has been on the team, and that’s irrelevant at this point.” Asked if he was still contemplating his decision, Falk said: “Next question.”
Wake wins
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Wake Forest attached a positive ending to a season marred by scandal, using a strong performance by quarterback John Wolford to beat heavily favored Temple 34-26 on Tuesday in the Military Bowl.
After throwing an interception on the first series of the game — a turnover Temple used to take a 7-0 lead — Wolford helped the Demon Deacons rattle off 31 straight points before halftime.
Wolford left with a neck strain in the third quarter with the score 31-17. Wake Forest (7-6) then withstood a comeback bid by Temple (10-4) to secure its first bowl victory since 2008.
The Demon Deacons snapped a three-game losing streak and won for only the second time since Oct. 8.
Wolford, a junior, completed 10 of 19 passes for 183 yards and two scores.
Seeking the first 11-win season in school history, Temple came in as an 11-point favorite. A 48-yard pass from Phillip Walker to Adonis Jennings on the Owls’ first offensive play gave them their only lead.
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ARMY 38, NORTH TEXAS 31, OT
DALLAS — Jordan Asberry ran for a 3-yard touchdown on fourth down in overtime, giving Army the win over North Texas in a rematch at the Heart of Dallas Bowl.
Asberry’s score was the sixth rushing touchdown in the game for the Black Knights (8-5) and 46th of the season. That broke the school record held by the 1945 national championship that had two Heisman Trophy winners in the backfield. They rushed for 480 yards.
Ahmad Bradshaw ran for 129 yards and a touchdown for Army while Darnell Woolfolk had 119 yards and two TDs.
North Texas (5-8) had its chance in overtime. But after Alec Morris scrambled for 4 yards and Jeffery Wilson lost 3, consecutive incomplete passes followed. Morris threw for 304 yards and three scores, but his desperation fourth-down throw on the run ended the game.
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BAYLOR 21, BOISE ST. 12
PHOENIX — KD Cannon had 14 catches for a Cactus Bowl-record 226 yards and two touchdowns to help Baylor end a difficult season with a victory.
Baylor (7-6) went into a downward spiral the last half of the season after opening with six straight wins. Quarterback Seth Russell suffered a season-ending ankle injury, the sexual assault scandal that cost coach Art Briles his job continued to linger and the losses piled up, six straight to end the regular season.
The Bears ended on a positive note by revving up their quick-hitting offense again behind freshman quarterback Zach Smith, who threw for 375 yards and three scores.
Boise State (10-3) tried to keep up with the Bears, but struggled in the red zone: two field goals, an interception in the end zone and a failed fourth down try.
Boise State started with single coverage on Cannon and the Bears exploited it throughout the first half. Cannon had eight catches for 182 yards and two TDs by halftime.
