NCAA 2013-14 BCS Bowls
January 1, 2014
#4 Michigan State 24 vs. #5 Stanford 20 (Rose Bowl-Pasadena, Calif.)
The 100 annual Rose Bowl matched the Pac-12 Champion Stanford Cardinal and the Big Ten Champion Michigan State Spartans. Stanford took a 17-7 lead, but Michigan State would pull within three as quarterback Connor Cook threw a two-yard touchdown pass to fullback Tyler Pendleton with 28 seconds left in the half. With the score tied at 17 in the fourth quarter, Cook threw his second touchdown pass to Tony Lippett from 25-yards out to give the Spartans the lead. Jordan Williamson kicked a field goal with 4:20 left to draw Stanford within four and when the Cardinal forced the Spartans to punt, they got the ball back with a chance to win the game. On fourth and one, Stanford fullback Ryan Hewitt got stopped by Michigan State’s defense and the Spartans ran out the clock to win the game.
Connor Cook completed 22 of 36 passes for 332-yards while Jeremy Langford ran for 84-yards on 23 carries and a touchdown. Kevin Hogan completed 10 of 18 passes for 143-yards while Tyler Gaffney rushed for 91-yards on 24 carries and a touchdown.
#15 Central Florida 52 vs. #6 Baylor 42 (Fiesta Bowl-Glendale, Ariz.)
Knights quarterback Blake Bortles completed 20 of 31 passes for 301-yards and three touchdown passes while rushing for another. Two of his touchdown passes went to wide receiver Rannell Hall, who racked up 113-yards on four receptions. Storm Johnson rushed for 124-yards on 20 carries and scored a trio of touchdowns. Bortles counterpart, Bryce Petty, completed 30 of 47 passes for 356-yards and a pair of touchdown passes while rushing for three more as he accounted for over half of the Bears total yardage in the game. Lache Seastrunk bolstered Baylor’s running game with 117-yards on 17 carries as both teams combined to rack up 56 first downs, 1,106-yards of total offense, and 94 points.
January 2, 2014
#11 Oklahoma 45 vs. #3 Alabama 31 (Sugar Bowl-New Orleans, LA)
The eightieth Sugar Bowl featured two programs that combined to win 22 National Championships and 71 Conference Championships throughout their storied histories. Both Oklahoma and Alabama exemplified the great memories from the great teams and the great players of seasons past on the field in front of the 70,473 fans in attendance at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
Redshirt Freshman Trevor Knight got the start for the Sooners and he completed 32 of 44 passes for 348-yards and four touchdown passes, including two to Jalen Saunders. Lacoltan Bester added a score of his own along with six receptions for 105-yards. A.J. McCarron completed 19 of 30 passes for 387-yards and three touchdown passes, including a 67-yard scoring strike to DeAndrew White, who racked up 139-yards on only three receptions while Amari Cooper caught nine passes for 121-yards. The Tide ran the ball extremely well against Oklahoma as Derrick Henry gained 100-yards on only eight carries while T.J. Yeldon rushed for 72-yards on 17 carries and each scored a touchdown. In a game full of big plays, the Sooners reigned supreme in the end.
January 3, 2014
#13 Missouri 41 vs. #8 Oklahoma State 31 (Cotton Bowl-Dallas, TX)
The Tigers used their running game to bludgeon Oklahoma State’s defense as they registered 256-yards on the ground, including 92-yards and three touchdowns from running back Henry Josey. Missouri gained 462-yards of total offense while the Cowboys gained 548 with most of their yardage coming through the air. Clint Chelf completed 33 of 57 passes for 377-yards and two touchdown passes and he scored another touchdown on the ground. Late in the game, Oklahoma State trailed by three and the offense was driving for a potential score to either tie or take the lead. On the Tigers 23-yard line, Chelf lost the ball following a sack and it was picked up by Shane Ray, who raced 73-yards for the score that decided the outcome in a Texas shootout.
#12 Clemson vs. #7 Ohio State (Orange Bowl-Miami, Fla.)
As was the case all year for Clemson, the Tigers won with Tahj Boyd’s arm. Boyd completed 31 of 40 passes for 378-yards and five touchdown passes, including two to Sammy Watkins, who made 16 catches for 227-yards, both Orange Bowl records. Boyd also ran for 127-yards on 20 carries while scoring another touchdown on the ground. Braxton Miller led the Buckeyes by completing 16 of 24 passes for 234-yards and two touchdown passes and he also ran for two scores. Carlos Hyde rushed for 113-yards on 25 carries and scored a touchdown, but it was not enough for Ohio State to overcome the powerful Tigers in a game where both teams combined for over 1,000-yards of total offense.
