Cowboys rout Arizona; Illinois belts Baylor

Published 2:13 am Thursday, December 30, 2010

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Justin Blackmon caught two touchdown passes, showboating into the end zone to cap a 71-yard strike, and No. 16 Oklahoma State finished its first 11-win season with a 36-10 victory over Arizona in the Alamo Bowl on Wednesday night.

Blackmon, the Biletnikoff Award winner as the nation’s top receiver, set an NCAA record with his 12th straight game with at least 100 yards receiving and a touchdown. The sophomore caught nine passes for 117 yards in perhaps his last college game.

Brandon Weeden was 25 of 41 for 240 yards for Oklahoma State (11-2). It was the final game plan for Cowboys offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, who is leaving to become the coach-in-waiting at West Virginia.

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Oklahoma State, which led the nation in total offense, never trailed and scored at least 33 points for the 11th time this season.

Military Bowl: Maryland 51, East Carolina 20

WASHINGTON (AP) — Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen is heading into unemployment as a winner.

Already the Atlantic Coast Conference coach of the year, already the engineer of the second-biggest regular season turnaround in the country, Friedgen ended his 10-year run at his alma mater with a romp over East Carolina in the Military Bowl.

The Terrapins (9-4) forced four turnovers, Da’Rel Scott ran for 200 yards and D.J. Adams had four short touchdown runs.

New Maryland athletic director Kevin Anderson announced last week that Friedgen was being fired, effective after the bowl game, with the school buying out the final year of the 63-year-old coach’s contract for $2 million.

Friedgen went 75-50 in his decade at Maryland, 5-2 in bowl games.

Dominique Davis completed 35 of 57 passes for 268 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions for East Carolina (6-7), which committed 15 penalties.

Texas Bowl: Illinois 38, Baylor 14

HOUSTON (AP) — Mikel Leshoure ran for 184 yards and three touchdowns as Illinois earned its first bowl victory since 1999, beating Baylor in the Texas Bowl.

The Illini spoiled the Bears’ first bowl appearance in 16 seasons. Both teams finished at 7-6.

Leshoure had a 5-yard TD run in the second quarter, a 13-yard score in the third quarter and another 5-yard touchdown run in the fourth period. The performance gave him the school single-season rushing record with 1,697 yards.

The Illini built a 24-0 lead and Leshoure’s last touchdown put the game out of reach.

Baylor’s Robert Griffin III threw for 306 yards and a touchdown, but his two fumbles in the first half put the Bears behind.

Leshoure was chosen the most valuable player and wore a cowboy hat as he hoisted the trophy above his head after the game while the small but vocal group of Illinois fans cheered.