Washington State outshines Miami in snowy Sun Bowl

The Miami Hurricanes had plenty of chances to steal the Sun Bowl away from the Washington State Cougars, but made critical turnovers that ended up costing them the game.

It was Washington State’s first bowl win in 12 years and stretched Miami’s bowl losing streak to 6.

With a pair of field goals by Erik Powell from 25 and 30 yards, Mike Leach’s team improved to 9-4.

NOTES: Miami interim coach Larry Scott coached the Hurricanes, but his future with the program is uncertain. Yearby rolled right as if on a sweep and pulled up to throw, but the pass slipped out of his hand, going end over end, and was intercepted by Shalom Lunai. Most of us thought 6-6 would be about right for this team before the season, and were nearly inconsolable after dropping the opener. The Miami Hurricanes fell to the Washington State Cougars, 20-14in fitting fashion the day after Christmas.

Stanley Morgan Jr. gave Nebraska the lead for good with a one-handed, 22-yard catch in the third quarter and Imani Cross, Terrell Newby and Andy Janovich all ran for scores for the Cornhuskers. Dumb, I say, stupid, I say, insane to think we were going to win that game as the Huskies proved, winning 45-10. Miami Hurricanes rank at 47 for 32.4 road passing yards where as Washington State Cougars rank at 82 for allowing 28.8 passing yards at home.

With only two players expected to be drafted and few others who should be in the mix as priority free agents, it isn’t a great year for Miami football. “One, two or three plays could’ve made a huge difference”. The WSU offense could not get a first down, and the Hurricanes returned the Cougars punt to the WSU 29-yard-line with plenty of time to score.

The fluke play was, at that point, just Kaaya’s seventh interception in his last 578 attempts.

In the UW game, played in Dallas Saturday, Myles Gaskin broke a third-quarter tie with an 86-yard run and finished with a season-high 181 yards and four touchdowns to help Washington beat Southern Mississippi 44-31 in the Heart of Dallas Bowl.

The Cougars had no problem picking off the pass and that would seal the bowl game for them and Miami’s fate.

But Miami (8-5) fumbled in the red zone with about four and a half minutes left, then threw an interception on a halfback pass with about three minutes left. Falk also had the game-sealing scramble on the Cougars’ final possession that gave them a first down and put them into the victory formation. The city sees an average of six inches a year, and the storm is predicted to bring between three and five inches by the time it ends late Saturday night. Instead of tying the game and having an extra point for the lead, Walton fumbled inside the five and Washington State recovered. Yearby lined up in the wildcat formation and handed the ball off to wide receiver Braxton Berrios (on an end-around) who took it to the house for a 60-yard touchdown, giving the ‘Canes life. In the fourth quarter, a chop block at the 1-yard-line took a touchdown off the board.

The ‘Canes haven’t won a bowl game since 2006 and have now lost their sixth-straight bowl game. Miami has hired former Georgia coach Mark Richt to take over the program after at the conclusion of the holiday bowl.

Just when the team needed him most, Scott hauled in three catches for 59 yards to set Miami up at the five-yard line.