TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — DJ Lagway shrugged off a couple of first-half turnovers and threw for 305 yards and a touchdown to lead Florida to a sloppy, but dominating 33-8 victory over Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl on Friday.
Trey Smack kicked a Gasparilla Bowl-record four field goals for the Gators (8-5), who also got a late TD run from walk-on running back Anthony Rubio, son of U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, to finish the season on a four-game win streak.
Tulane (9-5), which played without starting quarterback Darian Mensah, was outgained 529 yards to 194 and didn’t score until Ty Thompson threw a TD pass in the final minute.
A true freshman who sparked Florida’s turnaround from a 3-3 start to the season, Lagway finished 22-of-35 passing with two interceptions that contributed to the Gators only leading 6-0 at halftime. Late in the game, Lagway mishandled a snap on fourth-and-1 only to have running back KD Daniels scoop up the ball and run 25 yards for a touchdown.
Rubio entered in the fourth quarter. With 449-pound defensive lineman Desmond Watson lined up in the backfield behind him, he ran for 8 yards on his first carry and eventually finished a nine-play drive with a 9-yard run that increased Florida’s lead to 33-0.
CURE BOWL
OHIO 30, JACKSONVILLE STATE 27
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Parker Navarro ran for three touchdowns and passed for a fourth in the first half and Ohio held off Jacksonville State in the Cure Bowl, the only bowl game featuring two conference champions.
The Mid-American Conference champion Bobcats (11-3), who won their seventh-straight game to set a school record for wins and won their sixth-straight bowl game, led 27-7 at halftime. Navarro scored on runs of 24, 8 and 7 yards before tossing an 11-yard pass to Anthony Tyus III.
The Conference USA Gamecocks (9-5) hit the upright on a field goal attempt in the second quarter and had a turnover in the red zone in the third quarter.
Despite being kept out of the end zone in the second half, Ohio chewed up more than 7 1/2 minutes for a field goal that made it 30-14. Tre Stewart then capped two long drives with short touchdown runs but the Gamecocks failed on a two-point conversion after the first TD.
Navarro finished 19-of-28 passing for 227 yards and an interception and kept the ball 14 times for 119 yards. Tyus ran for 123 yards on 26 attempts and Coleman Owen had 111 yards on 11 receptions.
Jacksonville State’s Tyler Huff was 21 of 33 for 363 yards with an interception and a 75-yard touchdown to Cam Vaughn, who had 10 catches for 181 yards. Jarod Bowie had four catches for 107.
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