Michigan defense dominates Tide, 19-13

TAMPA, Fla. — Michigan’s defense sacked Jalen Milroe five times and forced three turnovers by the Alabama quarterback to lead the Wolverines to a 19-13 victory over the 11th-ranked Crimson Tide in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Tuesday.

Dominic Zvada kicked four field goals and Davis Warren threw a first-half touchdown pass to Fredrick Moore for Michigan (8-5), which finished the season on three-game winning streak that included back-to-back upsets of rival Ohio State and Alabama.

Alabama’s season ended with a loss to Michigan for the second year in a row. The Wolverines and the Crimson Tide (9-4, No. 11 CFP) met in a College Football Playoff semifinal at last season’s Rose Bowl, with Michigan winning on the way to capturing the national championship.

Tuesday’s loss ended Alabama’s string of 16 consecutive seasons with double-digit wins.

TEXAS BOWL

LSU 44, BAYLOR 31

HOUSTON — Garrett Nussmeier threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns as LSU beat Baylor in the Texas Bowl.

Nussmeier, who finished 24 of 34, tossed scoring passes of 10 yards and 1 yard to Trey’Dez Green and 41 yards to Chris Hilton Jr. in the first half as LSU (9-4) built a 34-17 halftime lead.

Hilton caught four passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. Aaron Anderson had eight receptions for 91 yards for the Tigers, who finished the season with a three-game winning streak. LSU has won three straight bowl games.

Sawyer Robertson was 30 of 51 for a career-high 445 yards and two touchdowns for the Bears (8-5), who had their six-game winning streak snapped. Dawson Pendergrass rushed for 63 yards and two touchdowns, and Josh Cameron caught eight passes for 111 yards and a TD.

Baylor closed to 34-24 on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Robertson to Ashtyn Hawkins with six minutes left in the third quarter, and after Garmon Randolph intercepted Nussmeier to give the Bears the ball on the LSU 26, Baylor had a chance to cut into the lead further.

However, on 4th-and-1 from the LSU 17, the snap went over Robertson’s head for a loss of 36 yards, and LSU capitalized on the mistake with Josh Williams scoring on a 4-yard touchdown run to start the fourth period.

SUN BOWL

LOUISVILLE 35, WASHINGTON 34

EL PASO, Texas — Harrison Bailey threw for three touchdowns and Caullin Lacy scored twice as Louisville hung on to beat Washington in the Sun Bowl.

Lacy caught a 9-yard TD pass from Bailey in the first quarter and rushed for a score on an 8-yard end around in the fourth that gave Louisville a two-score lead that looked secure after three quarters.

But Washington rallied with scores on its final two possessions in the fourth, including a 1-yard fade from Demond Williams Jr. to Giles Jackson with nine seconds remaining.

Instead of kicking the extra point to tie it, the Huskies went for the win on a 2-point conversion try that failed when Williams’ pass was knocked down in the end zone by linebacker Antonio Watts.

Bailey, who had only played in four games this year for the Cardinals and completed just eight passes for 63 yards, got his first start in place of senior standout Tyler Shough, who opted out of the game to prepare for the NFL Draft.

Washington was led by Williams Jr., a freshman making only his second start, who accounted for five touchdowns. He was 26 of 32 passing for 374 yards and four TDs to go with one interception. He also rushed 20 times for 48 yards and a score.

CITRUS BOWL

NO. 20 ILLINOIS 21, NO. 15 S. CAROLINA 17

ORLANDO, Fla. — Josh McCray scored his second touchdown of the game on a 9-yard run midway through the fourth quarter to give No. 21 Illinois the lead, and the Illini held on to beat No. 14 South Carolina in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on Tuesday.

Illinois’ defense helped seal the win by stopping South Carolina with a little more than three minutes remaining. Gamecocks freshman quarterback JaNorris Sellers threw behind receiver Joshua Simon in the end zone on a fourth-and-four play at the Illinois 7 yard line, giving the ball back to the Illini, who ran out the clock.

McCray sealed the victory with a 60-yard run on a third-and-two play from the 15 yard line as Illinois (10-3) closed out the fifth 10-win season in program history and its first since 2001.

McCray rushed for 114 yards on 13 carries, including a 3-yard TD run in the third quarter. Luke Altmeyer threw for 174 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Hank Beatty caught four passes for 90 yards, and running back Aidan Laughery rushed for 67 yards on 16 carries.

The teams exchanged the lead five times in the game, and neither team led by more than one score. Illinois took its final lead on McCray’s touchdown run with 7:29 remaining.

Sellers completed 24 of 34 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown for the Gamecocks (9-4), who fell short of the fifth 10-win season in program history. He threw a 6-yard TD pass to Simon in the third quarter for his only score.

Oscar Adaway III rushed for 69 yards on 14 carries, including a 36-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter that gave South Carolina a shortlived lead. Adaway made seven catches for an additional 37 yards.