With only the national championship game remaining, The Blue Zone takes a look at how ACC teams fared in postseason play. As a conference, ACC teams combined to go 4-7—the seventh time in the past eight seasons that the conference has finished with a sub-.500 record.
Quick Lane Bowl (Dec. 26): Rutgers 40, North Carolina 26
The first half of the Quick Lane Bowl was all Scarlet Knights, as Rutgers rattled off the first 23 points of the game and kept North Carolina's offense under wraps. Marquise Williams and the Tar Heels woke up after halftime, but the damage had been done. North Carolina lost two fumbles and two Scarlet Knight running backs combined to rush for 302 yards as the ACC's bowl season got off to a rocky start in Detroit.
Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl (Dec. 26): N.C. State 34, Central Florida 27
Playing in what effectively amounted to a home game for the Knights, N.C. State was not intimidated, and jumped all over Central Florida early. Running back Shadrach Thornton threw a touchdown pass to put the Wolfpack ahead, and Matt Dayes added a pair of scores on the ground as N.C. State built up a 34-13 lead. Central Florida scored two late touchdowns to make things interesting, but quarterback Jacoby Brissett and the Wolfpack held on for the win. In the days that followed, though, top receiving threat Bo Hines announced he would transfer to Yale, leaving N.C. State looking to replace the freshman's team-high 616 receiving yards next year.
Military Bowl (Dec. 27): Virginia Tech 33, Cincinnati 17
The Hokies took control of the game on a 12-yard fumble return for a touchdown by
Greg Stroman in the third quarter and didn't look back. Despite giving up 489 yards of total offense to the Bearcats, Virginia Tech didn't allow Cincinnati to cash in on its scoring opportunities. Hokie running back J.C. Coleman rushed for 157 yards and a touchdown as Virginia Tech earned its seventh win to finish above .500.
Hyundai Sun Bowl (Dec. 27): No. 15 Arizona State 36, Duke 31
The Blue Devil bowl drought continues. After taking a 31-30 lead on a trick play touchdown pass by wide receiver Jamison Crowder, Duke watched that lead disappear 18 seconds later, as Sun Devil Kalen Ballage took the ensuing kickoff inside the five yard line, where freshman Demario Richard punched it in for his fourth touchdown of the game.
Duck Commander Independence Bowl (Dec. 27): South Carolina 24, Miami 21
Duke Johnson's last game in a Miami uniform didn't go as planned, as the Hurricane running back racked up 132 yards, but lost a late fumble that enabled South Carolina to hold on. Gamecock wideout Pharoh Cooper made all the big plays, finishing with 170 yards and a 78-yard touchdown reception. South Carolina's defense held Miami to a pair of early field goals after the Hurricanes reached the red zone before Cooper and the Gamecock offense racked up 17 unanswered points.
New Era Pinstripe Bowl (Dec. 27): Penn State 31, Boston College 30
It's going to be a long offseason for Mike Knoll. The Boston College kicker missed the extra point after an Eagle touchdown on the first drive of overtime gave Steve Addazio's team a lead against the Nittany Lions. Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg promptly fired a 10-yard strike to Kyle Carter and kicker Sam Ficken booted the extra point to help the Nittany Lions steal a win at Yankee Stadium.
Russell Athletic Bowl (Dec. 29): No. 17 Clemson 40, Oklahoma 6
The Russell Athletic Bowl was perhaps the ACC's finest moment of the bowl season, as Cole Stoudt—playing in place of injured quarterback Deshaun Watson—led the Tigers to a rout of the Sooners. Oklahoma committed five turnovers against the Clemson defense—including a pick-six—and didn't break through on the scoreboard until late in the fourth quarter. Stoudt threw for 319 yards and three scores and ran for another in the blowout.
Belk Bowl (Dec. 30): No. 13 Georgia 37, No. 21 Louisville 14
Running back Nick Chubb ran wild on the Cardinals in Charlotte, racking up 266 yards and a pair of scores as the Bulldogs cruised, even without the services of Todd Gurley. Louisville quarterback Kyle Bolin finished with 300 yards—120 of which went to star wide receiver DeVante Parker—but a pair of interceptions hurt the Cardinals' comeback efforts.
Orange Bowl (Dec. 31): No. 12 Georgia Tech 49, No. 7 Mississippi State 34
The Bulldogs—like the rest of Georgia Tech's opponents this season—were unable to solve Paul Johnson's triple-option offense. The Yellow Jackets racked up 452 yards on one of the SEC's best defenses, including 121 from quarterback Justin Thomas. Thomas and Synjyn Days—who had 21 carries for 171 yards—scored three rushing touchdowns apiece to spur the Georgia Tech attack. Mississippi State got a Hail Mary touchdown right before halftime on the big arm of quarterback Dak Prescott, but it wouldn't give the Bulldogs enough momentum in the second half, as Georgia Tech scored three straight touchdowns in the third quarter.
Rose Bowl (Jan. 1): No. 2 Oregon 59, No. 3 Florida State 20
The Seminoles squeaked by time after time in the regular season, but they couldn't get away with any mistakes against the Ducks. Five Florida State turnovers doomed Jameis Winston and company as Jimbo Fisher's team saw its 29-game winning streak end in blowout fashion. Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota and Oregon outscored the Seminoles 41-7 after halftime to knock off the defending champs and punch their ticket to the national championship game against Ohio State Jan. 12 in Arlington, Texas.
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (Jan. 2): Houston 35, Pittsburgh 34
The Panthers looked headed for a victory to finish with a winning record, but the Cougars had other ideas. Houston scored 29 points in the fourth quarter to pull of a stunning comeback, exploiting a Pittsburgh defense that had been porous all season. Pittsburgh head coach Paul Chryst left to become the head coach at Wisconsin, and the Panthers brought in Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi to take over the helm, looking to shore up that side of the ball heading into the 2015 season.
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