Bowl roundup: Stidham passes Auburn to rout of Purdue

[December 29, 2018]  Jarrett Stidham passed for 373 yards and five touchdowns in his final college game as Auburn overwhelmed Purdue 63-14 in the Music City Bowl on Friday afternoon in Nashville, Tenn.

Stidham, a junior who announced earlier this month that he was leaving school early to enter the NFL draft, completed 15 of 21 passes and threw touchdown passes of 74, 52 and 34 yards to Darius Slayton, 5 yards to Ryan Davis and 66 yards to JaTarvious Whitlow on the third play of the game.

Slayton finished with 160 yards on just the three scoring receptions, and Whitlow added scoring runs of 2 and 1 yards for the Tigers (8-5), who led 56-7 at halftime on their way to setting an SEC record for points scored in a bowl game. Auburn's 56 points represented the highest-scoring half ever in a bowl game.

Rondale Moore ran 7 yards for a touchdown and David Blough ran 22 for another score for the Boilermakers (6-7), who lost four of their last six games after a 49-20 defeat of Ohio State, one of the most surprising upsets of the college season.

No. 13 Washington State 28, No. 24 Iowa State 26

Gardner Minshew threw for 299 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for a score as the Cougars defeated the Cyclones in the Alamo Bowl at San Antonio.

Minshew accounted for all three of the touchdowns in the first half as Washington State (11-2) took a 21-10 lead on their way to a school record for victories in a season. He completed 35 of 49 passes.

Brock Purdy connected on 18 of 27 passes for 315 yards for Iowa State (8-5), but he was intercepted twice. Hakeem Butler had nine catches for 192 yards. Purdy scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 4:02 remaining to pull the Cyclones within 28-26. However, a two-point conversion attempt failed, and the Cougars were able to run out the clock.

Auburn Tigers quarterback Jarrett Stidham (8) after being taken out of the game during the second half against the Purdue Boilermakers in the 2018 Music City Bowl at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

No. 20 Syracuse 34, No. 16 West Virginia 18

Eric Dungey overcame two interceptions to throw for 303 yards and a touchdown, and Abdul Adams ran for two short touchdowns as the Orange pulled away from the Mountaineers for a win in the Camping World Bowl at Orlando, Fla.

Dungey put the Orange (10-3) ahead 24-18 early in the fourth quarter on a 14-yard touchdown pass to Trishton Jackson. That started a run of 17 unanswered points as Syracuse achieved its first 10-win season since 2001.

West Virginia (8-4), playing without quarterback Will Grier, ended the season on a three-game skid and fell to 2-5 in bowls under Dana Holgorsen. Mountaineers sophomore Jack Allison made his first start and finished 17 of 35 for 277 yards. His only interception -- a tipped pass that wound up in the hands of the Orange's Allen Stritzinger -- led to a Syracuse field goal and a 27-18 lead.

--Field Level Media

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