• Hawkeyes deny Saban • Florida State overcomes mistakes Hawkeyes deny Saban ORLANDO, Fla. — Just when it looked as though coach Nick Saban would go out a winner at LSU, the Iowa Hawkeyes came up with a miracle finish.
• Hawkeyes deny Saban
• Florida State overcomes mistakes
Hawkeyes deny Saban
ORLANDO, Fla. — Just when it looked as though coach Nick Saban would go out a winner at LSU, the Iowa Hawkeyes came up with a miracle finish.
Drew Tate threw a 56-yard touchdown pass to Warren Holloway on the final play Saturday, and No. 11 Iowa stunned No. 12 Louisiana State 30-25 in the Capital One Bowl.
Saban, who will become the Miami Dolphins’ coach next week, threw up his arms in frustration and then watched as the entire Iowa team mobbed Holloway in the end zone.
The score capped a wild fourth quarter and spoiled a comeback by the Tigers, who overcame a 12-point deficit with 8 1/2 minutes left.
LSU freshman JaMarcus Russell came off the bench to spark the rally by throwing two touchdown passes. When he hit Skyler Green for a 3-yard score, the Tigers led 25-24 with 46 seconds to go.
After Tate completed two passes, a penalty pushed Iowa back to its 44 with 14 seconds left. Tate wound up and threw long to an open Holloway, who caught the pass in stride at the 10 and dashed to the end zone as time expired.
Florida State overcomes mistakes
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida State overcame mistake after mistake to avoid an unprecedented third straight bowl loss.
Leon Washington ran for 195 yards and Chris Rix crafted two long second-half touchdown drives, leading No. 17 Florida State to a 30-18 victory over West Virginia in the Gator Bowl on Saturday.
Coach Bobby Bowden, facing his former school for the first time since the 1982 Gator Bowl, moved within one bowl win of Joe Paterno’s NCAA record of 19 at Penn State. The Seminoles finished 9-3.
Rix completed five straight passes during a 90-yard drive, capped by his 14-yard TD pass to Craphonso Thorpe late in the third quarter.
Thorpe leaped for the ball over Dee McCann in the right corner of the end zone for a 23-15 lead. It was only Rix’s third TD pass of the season.
Quarterback Rasheed Marshall and West Virginia’s platoon of running backs shredded the nation’s top run defense for 238 yards. Kay-Jay Harris carried 25 times for 134 yards and scored twice.
But the Mountaineers (8-4) failed to find the end zone three times after advancing inside the 20-yard line.
West Virginia has lost 11 of its last 12 bowls games and is 0-5 in the Gator.
