Bowl Capsules

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Adoree' Jackson scored on a 98-yard kickoff return and a 71-yard pass from Cody Kessler, and No. 24 Southern California blew most of an 18-point, third-quarter lead before beating No. 25 Nebraska 45-42 in the Holiday Bowl on Saturday night.

Kessler threw for 321 yards and three touchdowns for USC (9-4), which was playing Nebraska (9-4) in a bowl game for the first time.

USC stuffed De'Mornay Pierson on fourth-and-3 from the USC 31 with 2 1/2 minutes left. Nebraska had one final shot but Tommy Armstrong Jr.'s desperation pass as time ran out was knocked down inside the 10.

Armstrong had brought Nebraska back from a 45-27 deficit with a 65-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Westerkamp and a 15-yard keeper and a 2-point conversion pass to Kenny Bell.

Armstrong threw for 381 yards and three TDs.

USC had 515 yards of total offense and Nebraska finished with 525.

PINSTRIPE BOWL

PENN STATE 31, BOSTON COLLEGE 30, OT

NEW YORK (AP) — Christian Hackenberg threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Carter in overtime and Penn State kicked the extra point that Boston College could not, lifting the Nittany Lions past the Eagles in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.

The Nittany Lions (7-6) played in a bowl game for the first time since January 2012 after the NCAA lifted the most severe sanctions levied against the program in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.

Penn State's Sam Ficken used retired New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter's locker and some of his clutch postseason play appeared to rub off on the kicker. He sent it to overtime with a 45-yard field goal with 20 seconds left in regulation and won it with his extra point.

Tyler Murphy hit David Dudeck with a 21-yard touchdown pass on Boston College's drive to open overtime. Mike Knoll shanked the extra point for the Eagles (7-6) and that was the opening Penn State needed to complete its comeback from a 21-7 deficit late in the third quarter.

SUN BOWL

NO. 15 ARIZONA STATE 36, DUKE 31

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — Kalen Ballage returned a kickoff 96 yards to set up the winning score Arizona State's victory over Duke in the Sun Bowl.

Ballage's big return came after Duke (9-4) took a 31-30 lead on receiver Jamison Crowder's 12-yard touchdown pass to Isaac Blakeney with 5:03 left.

On the kickoff, Ballage took the ball near the goal line and went straight up the right hash for about 15 yards before picking up a block and cutting to his right. He was pushed out of bounds at the 4.

On the next play, Demario Richard took a shovel pass from Taylor Kelly and bulled his way over the left side and into the end zone. Kelly was stopped on the 2-point conversion try.

Duke drove to 14 on its final drive, but Anthony Boone's third-and-10 pass was intercepted by Kweishi Brown in the end zone with 45 seconds left.

Richard had four touchdowns for Arizona State (10-3) to tie the Sun Bowl record with 24 points.

INDEPENDENCE BOWL

SOUTH CAROLINA 24, MIAMI 21

SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — Dylan Thompson threw for 294 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score in South Carolina's victory over Miami in the Independence Bowl.

Pharoh Cooper was Thompson's favorite target, catching nine passes for 170 yards, including a spectacular 25-yard grab on the decisive drive late in the fourth quarter.

Thompson completed 22 of 34 passes.

South Carolina (7-6) has won a school-record four straight bowl games. Miami (6-7) ended the season on a four-game losing streak and hasn't won in the postseason since 2006.

Miami's Duke Johnson ran for 132 yards and caught five passes for 51 yards, but his costly fumble with a little more than 5 minutes remaining set up South Carolina's winning drive.

Miami's Brad Kaaya threw for 236 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

MILITARY BOWL

VIRGINIA TECH 33, CINCINNATI 17

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — J.C. Coleman ran for 157 yards and a touchdown, and Virginia Tech harassed and ultimately injured Cincinnati quarterback Gunner Kiel in the Military Bowl.

Virginia Tech (7-6) knocked Kiel out of the game in the third quarter during a play that virtually assured the Hokies a 22nd consecutive winning season.

Deon Clarke sacked Kiel and forced a fumble at the Cincinnati 43. Nigel Williams picked up the ball and fumbled at the 12, where Greg Stroman scooped it up and took it into the end zone for a 27-10 lead.

Kiel remained down for several minutes and was helped off the field and taken to the locker room. The 6-foot-4 sophomore did not return, and without him Cincinnati (9-4) had little chance to mount a comeback.

Kiel finished 14 for 26 for 244 yards.

Michael Brewer went 14 for 24 for 94 yards and a touchdown for the Hokies. Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer worked in the upstairs coaching box to avoid the risk of infection during his recovery from throat surgery.