Humanitarian Bowl: Maryland 42, Nevada 35
Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen's initial reaction was to put Da'Rel Scott and the six other players who broke curfew on the bus back to the college. Instead, Scott stuck around and helped Maryland run over Nevada. He was an ustoppable running force in the final 20 minutes, carrying 14 times for 174 yards and two final quarter touchdowns. The two scores broke a 28-28 tie and put Maryland ahead for good. Even though Maryland won, Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick set a Humanitarian Bowl record with 370 yards passing.
Texas Bowl: Rice 38, Western Michigan 14
Rice ended more than 50 years of postseason frustration with a near-perfect performance in the Texas Bowl. Chase Clement threw three touchdown passes, ran for another score, and caught a touchdown pass to lead the Owls to a blowout of Western Michigan. Just 15 minutes away from their campus, Rice won their first bowl game since the 1954 Cotton Bowl and reached 10 wins for the first time since 1949. The program has definitely come a long way since the 1-10 season in 2005.
Holiday Bowl: Oregon 42, Oklahoma State 31
Jeremiah Masoli and the Oregon Ducks were a perfect fit for the Holiday Bowl in San Diego. Masoli ran through and over Oklahoma State's defense for three touchdowns and threw for another score as the Ducks won a record-setting Holiday Bowl. Masoli, a junior college transfer, quickly moved up to first string due to injuries. He was recruited because it looked like he would have a good arm, but then he turned out to be a great runner. The touchdown runs included a 41 yard score where Masoli put his shoulder down and ran right through a Cowboy defender. Oklahoma State quarterback Zac Robinson took several huge hits during the game.
Next bowl game: Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Armed Forces Bowl: Houston vs. Air Force, 12:00 PM, ESPN
Sun Bowl: Oregon State vs. Pittsburgh, 2:00 PM, CBS
Music City Bowl: Boston College vs. Vanderbilt, 3:30 PM, ESPN
Insight Bowl: Kansas vs. Minnesota, 6:00 PM, NFL Network
Chick-fil-A Bowl: LSU vs. Georgia Tech, 7:30 PM, ESPN
