Huskies hound No. 17 Huskers
HOLIDAY BOWL
Jake Locker bounced back from an injury and scored on a 25-yard run in the third quarter, and tailback Chris Polk ran for 177 yards and a score to help the Washington Huskies to a 19-7 win over the listless No. 17 Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Holiday Bowl on Thursday night at San Diego.
The Huskies (7-6) avenged a 56-21 loss to the Huskers (10-4) in Seattle on Sept. 18. The Cornhuskers piled up 533 yards of total offense in that game, including 383 rushing.
While Washington was a winner in its first bowl game since 2002, the Huskers came out flat in their second straight Holiday Bowl appearance. They were manhandled on both sides of the line and imploded under 12 penalties for 102 yards.
Washington outgained Nebraska 340 yards to 189, including 268 to 91 rushing.
Locker, who passed up the NFL draft last spring to return for his senior season, capped the opening drive of the second half with a 25-yard scoring run to give UW a 17-7 lead. He faked a handoff and then ran right, bouncing off a defender and staying on his feet to score.
Locker ran 13 times for 83 yards. Polk had 34 carries.
PINSTRIPE BOWL
Syracuse 36, Kansas State 34: At New York, Delone Carter ran for 198 yards and two touchdowns, Marcus Sales caught three long TD passes and Syracuse got some help from a celebration penalty on Kansas State at Yankee Stadium.
Adrian Hilburn slipped a tackle and raced to a 30-yard touchdown catch with 1:13 remaining to pull Kansas State within two. Hilburn saluted the crowd behind the visitor's dugout and was flagged 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct, which pushed the 2-point conversion attempt back to the 17-yard line.
Carson Coffman overthrew Aubrey Quarles in the end zone, and when Kansas State (7-6) couldn't come up with the onside kick, Syracuse (8-5) only had to take a knee to win a bowl game for the first time since 2001.
ARMED FORCES BOWL
Army 16, SMU 14: At Dallas, Josh McNary scooped up a fumble and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown and Army held on to beat SMU (7-7), giving the Black Knights their first winning season since 1996.
Army (7-6) had a 16-0 halftime lead on SMU's home field, then ran out the final 4 minutes after Matt Szymanksi was wide left on a 47-yard field goal attempt that would have put the Mustangs ahead.
MUSIC CITY BOWL
North Carolina 30, Tennessee 27, 2OT: At Nashville, Tenn., Casey Barth kicked a 23-yard field goal in the second overtime to send North Carolina past Tennessee in a Music City Bowl that will be remembered much more for the crazy finish of regulation than how it ended.
Barth kicked a 39-yard field goal after officials reviewed what had been the final play of the game and decided to penalize the Tar Heels (8-5) for having "more than 11 men" on the field. The Big Ten officiating crew also announced T.J. Yates had spiked the ball with 1 second left.
That allowed Barth to run out and kick the field goal that tied it at 20.
Tennessee (6-7) was stunned at the sudden switch that cost the Vols an apparent bowl victory to cap Derek Dooley's first season. Tyler Bray threw a 25-yard TD in the first overtime, but Quan Sturdivant picked him off to end the Vols' last chance in the second OT.