ANAHEIM, Calif. — Top-ranked Florida State and No. 2 Auburn have arrived in southern California for the BCS championship game. ADVERTISING ANAHEIM, Calif. — Top-ranked Florida State and No. 2 Auburn have arrived in southern California for the BCS championship
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Top-ranked Florida State and No. 2 Auburn have arrived in southern California for the BCS championship game.
The crystal football coaches’ trophy that will go to the winner Monday night at the Rose Bowl was waiting for the teams at an arrival news conference at the ESPNZone in Downtown Disney.
Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher said: “This is the ultimate goal that we want to get to.”
The Seminoles were delayed about two hours leaving Tallahassee, Fla., waiting for a pilot. And before they left, they made some news. Florida State announced Fisher had signed a new contract that runs through the 2018 season.
“We’re blessed that we got that out of the way so we can focus on winning a national championship,” Fisher said at the news conference.
Texas reportedly had interest in Fisher replacing coach Mack Brown.
“I think that there’s a sense of relief that’s it’s done but anytime you’re one of the top coaches in the country and there’s a top program that’s open, you’re going to be on the list because that institution, Texas, can go and get basically anybody they want,” Florida State athletic director Stan Wilcox said. “But I know Jimbo, he’s a Seminole. He wants to be with Florida State and we want him to be with Florida State.”
Fisher and Wilcox said the terms of the deal, which were not released, were agreed upon about three weeks ago.
Fisher’s previous deal ran through 2015 and paid $2.75 million annually. The new deal reportedly pays him about $4.1 million per season.
SUN BOWL
No. 17 UCLA 42, Virginia Tech 12
EL PASO, Texas — Brett Hundley threw two touchdown passes and ran for two more scores to help UCLA rout Virginia Tech.
The UCLA quarterback had 86- and 7-yard touchdown runs and finished with 161 yards on 10 carries. Hundley also completed 16 of 29 passes for 226 yards and two scores.
Hundley and UCLA linebacker Jordan Zumwalt shared MVP honors. Zumwalt had 10 tackles and returned an interception 43 yards to set up a touchdown.
The Bruins (10-3) outscored the Hokies (8-5) 28-2 in the fourth quarter.
After Virginia Tech cut it to 14-10 on Michael Branthover’s 22-yard field goal with 3:53 left in the third quarter, UCLA answered with a 12-play, 85-yard drive, capped by Paul Perkins’ 5-yard run early in the fourth.
Hokies backup quarterback Mark Leal then threw a pass under heavy pressure that linebacker Myles Jack intercepted and returned 29 yards for a touchdown that made it 28-10.
CHICK-FIL-A BOWL
No. 20 Texas A&M 52, No. 22 Duke 48
ATLANTA — Johnny Manziel threw four touchdown passes, and Toney Hurd Jr. returned an interception 55 yards for the go-ahead touchdown in Texas A&M’s victory.
Manziel, playing in what might be his final college game, completed 30 of 38 passes for 382 yards and ran for 73 yards and a touchdown. Hurd’s interception return gave the Aggies (9-4) their first lead with 3:33 remaining.
Duke (10-4) led 38-17 at halftime and 41-31 entering the fourth quarter. The Blue Devils couldn’t hold off the comeback and are still looking for their first bowl win since beating Arkansas 7-6 in the 1961 Cotton Bowl.
Hurd stepped in front of receiver Johnell Barnes for the interception, the first turnover for either team. Texas A&M linebacker Nate Askew ended Duke’s next possession with another interception.
ADVOCARE V100 BOWL
Arizona 42, Boston College 19
SHREVEPORT, La. — B.J. Denker threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns, Ka’Deem Carey rushed for 169 yards and two touchdowns and Arizona had an easy time against Boston College in the Advocare V100 Bowl.
Arizona (8-5) never trailed, leading 21-6 by halftime and 42-6 early in the fourth quarter. Carey had his 16th straight game with at least 100 yards rushing while Denker added a 14-yard touchdown run.
The game was billed as a matchup between two of the nation’s top running backs — Arizona’s Carey and Boston College’s Andre Williams. But the duel between AP All-America first team selections was one-sided.
Williams, who won the Doak Walker Award over Carey, was held to 75 yards rushing and a touchdown. Boston College (7-6) didn’t score a touchdown until Williams’ 4-yard run early in the fourth quarter.
Arizona’s Nate Phillips caught nine passes for 193 yards while redshirt freshman Trey Griffey — the son of former baseball star Ken Griffey Jr. — caught two touchdown passes.
LIBERTY BOWL
Mississippi State 44, Rice 7
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Dak Prescott threw three touchdown passes and ran for two more scores and Mississippi State trounced Rice in the most one-sided Liberty Bowl victory in the game’s 55-year history.
Mississippi State (7-6) wrapped up its fourth straight winning season and prevented Rice (10-4) from winning bowl games in back-to-back years for the first time.
Prescott accounted for five touchdowns to set a Liberty Bowl record. He was 17 of 28 for 283 yards and ran for 78 yards on 14 carries.
Mississippi State’s Jameon Lewis caught nine passes for 220 yards to break the Liberty Bowl receiving record of 201 set by Houston’s Vincent Marshall against South Carolina in 2006. Lewis also set the school single-game record.
By wire sources
