MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -Sylvester Croom and Mississippi State capped a turnaround season built on defense with one of their stingiest efforts.
Anthony Dixon scored on a 1-yard run with 1:54 remaining, Derek Pegues had two interceptions and Mississippi State kept Central Florida’s Kevin Smith from breaking the single-season rushing record in a 10-3 victory at the Liberty Bowl on Saturday.
In a game featuring anemic offenses and few big plays, the Bulldogs (8-5) kept Central Florida (10-4) out of the end zone and held Smith to 119 yards. The junior finished 61 yards shy of Barry Sanders’ single-season record of 2,628 yards set for Oklahoma State in 1988.
It was the lowest scoring Liberty Bowl since Penn State beat Tulane 9-6 in 1979.
Dixon finished with 68 yards and won the game with a dive into the end zone after Kyle Israel threw his third interception.
The Bulldogs held the Knights to 219 yards and forced four turnovers.
It was the kind of game Croom, in his fourth season as coach, and the Bulldogs have played all year as they resurrected a lifeless program that hadn’t won more than three games in six seasons.
Most valuable player Pegues gave Mississippi State two excellent opportunities with interceptions in the first 30 minutes, returning the ball to Central Florida’s 6 and 38. The safety’s first pick set up a 22-yard field goal by Adam Carlson in the second quarter.
Meineke Bowl
Wake Forest 24, UConn 10
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – Behind speedy receiver Kenneth Moore and a swarming defense full of big plays, the Demon Deacons rallied to beat fellow upstart Connecticut.
Often called “Weak Forest” for a long history of ineptitude, Wake Forest (9-3) secured the second-most wins in school history, behind only last year’s improbable 11-3 mark that included an Atlantic Coast Conference title and an Orange Bowl berth.
Wake Forest finished with nine wins in its last 11 games, and reeled off 24 unanswered points after falling behind 10-0 at halftime against the Huskies, who were playing in only their second bowl game.
Moore, a senior playing in his hometown in his final game, caught 11 passes for 112 yards. Riley Skinner completed 29 of 38 passes for 268 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
Micah Andrews put it away with a 9-yard touchdown run with 29 seconds left for Wake Forest.
Tyler Lorenzen was 13-of-26 for 98 yards for the Huskies (9-4). Larry Taylor returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown down in the first quarter for UConn.
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