Arkansas Rushes Past Missouri

Cedric Cobbs set a school record with his seventh 100-yard rushing game and scored on a 41-yard run to help Arkansas end a three-game bowl losing streak with a 27-14 victory over Missouri in the Independence Bowl Wednesday night in Shreveport, La.

Arkansas’ defense made two key fourth-and-one stops, one of them at the goal line, as the Razorbacks won for only the second time in their last 12 bowl games. In six seasons under Coach Houston Nutt, Arkansas is 2-4 in bowl games.

Chris Balseiro kicked four short field goals -- an Independence Bowl record -- as Arkansas (9-4) rebounded from a 31-point loss to Louisiana State in the regular-season finale. Arkansas’ 300 yards rushing also was an Independence Bowl record.

The Razorbacks probably benefited from a largely pro-Arkansas crowd. That state’s border is only 30 miles away, and there were about twice as many Arkansas supporters as there were for Missouri.

Special teams was a problem area for Missouri (8-5), which lost 41 yards to its own three after a high snap went over punter Brock Harvey’s head -- essentially handing the Razorbacks a touchdown. Arkansas’ Tom Crowder intercepted a pass on a fake field goal by holder and backup quarterback Sonny Riccio on the last play of the first half. Crowder also blocked a punt in the fourth quarter.

Missouri quarterback Brad Smith had 155 yards passing and 96 yards rushing to set the school career total yardage record in his second season with the Tigers. He scored on a five-yard run late in the third quarter.

Zack Abron gained 137 yards in 19 carries for Missouri, making its first bowl appearance in five years and the school’s third in 20 seasons.

Cobbs had 141 yards in 27 carries, the 11th 100-yard game of an injury-plagued career.

He has 460 yards in his last three games, and was named the game’s offensive MVP.

The only time he was touched on his second-quarter scoring run was when he collided with quarterback Matt Jones on the handoff. He ran for 99 yards in the first half to help Arkansas take a 21-7 lead.

Missouri was hurt when it came up empty on consecutive 10-play drives, one at the end of the first half and another at the start of the second half.

Freshmen Keith Jackson Jr. and Jeremy Harrell stoped Abron on fourth-and-one at the Razorback 12 with 1:59 left. Then Lerinezo Robinson intercepted a pass by Smith on fourth-and-goal from the one.

During the regular season, Missouri was 13 of 15 on fourth-and-one. The Tigers also were thwarted on fourth-and-goal from the eight with about five minutes to play.

Auburn 28, Wisconsin 14 -- The Tigers finished the season the way they had hoped to open 2003.

Carnell “Cadillac” Williams and Ronnie Brown scored in the last four minutes, and each finished with two rushing touchdowns, leading the Tigers past the Badgers in the Music City Bowl at Nashville.

Quarterback Jason Campbell had a season-high 67 yards in nine carries, and completed 10 of 22 passes for 138 yards.

The Tigers also had six sacks and forced two turnovers in winning their second straight game and second consecutive bowl game under Coach Tommy Tuberville, who improved his postseason record at Auburn to 2-2.

Not bad for a team that lost its first two games after being ranked sixth in the preseason and survived an embarrassing attempt by the university president at replacing Tuberville.

Auburn (8-5) became the first Southeastern Conference team to win the Music City Bowl, ending an 0-5 run that included four losses to Big East schools and one to a Big Ten team.

The Badgers (7-6), trying to give Coach Barry Alvarez his 100th victory at Wisconsin, dropped to 7-2 in bowls under Alvarez -- primarily because they failed to stop Auburn’s running game.

Auburn rushed for 197 yards and finished with 354 total yards.

The Tigers, who had been ranked sixth nationally on defense, limited Wisconsin to its worst performance this season with 261 total yards.

No. 25 Utah 17, Southern Mississippi 0 -- Morgan Scalley returned a fumble for a touchdown and set up the game’s other touchdown by causing a turnover, leading the Utes (10-2) past the Golden Eagles in the Liberty Bowl at Memphis, Tenn.

The shutout was the first in the Liberty Bowl since 1994, when Illinois beat East Carolina, 30-0.

Scalley clinched the victory by scooping up a fumble after a completed pass and racing 74 yards for a touchdown with 1:36 left.

The Mountain West Conference champions finished the season with consecutive shutouts and tied a school record with 10 victories.

Southern Mississippi (9-4) managed to get deep into Utah territory only once in the second half when Anthony Harris broke free for a 41-yard run to the 18 with about eight minutes left and Utah leading, 7-0.

But the Utes stiffened, and on fourth-and-two from the 10, Dave Revill and Ray Holdcraft combined to sack Micky D’Angelo.

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Boston College 35, Colorado State 21 -- Derrick Knight ran for 122 yards and three touchdowns and Larry Lester caught two scoring passes to lead the Eagles in the San Francisco Bowl at Pacific Bell Park. It was their fourth straight bowl victory.

T.J. Stancil had three interceptions for the Eagles (8-5), who finished their season on a three-game winning streak by shutting down the Rams (7-6) and senior quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt.

Knight clinched the victory with a 27-yard touchdown run with 9:29 left. The Eagles’ school rushing leader finished his career without a loss in a bowl game.

Boston College, the Big East representative in the second edition of this bowl, also won the Aloha, Music City and Motor City bowls during Knight’s career under Coach Tom O’Brien.

Van Pelt played his final college game with a 2 1/2-inch titanium rod in his broken throwing hand. He passed for 163 yards and ran for 65 and a touchdown despite sitting out the first quarter for the Mountain West representative Rams.