Cheez-It snacks are delicious.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys and Miami Hurricanes may have opposite opinions on the snack after the Cheez-It Bowl played in Orlando, Florida.
Cowboys’ first 15 plays were all passes to start the game. It was a theme led by quarterback Spencer Sanders.
Sanders threw for 305 yards and four touchdowns, and the Cowboys upset No. 18 Miami for a 37-34 victory in the Cheez-It Bowl on Tuesday. Sanders also led the Cowboys with 45 yards rushing and was named Most Valuable Player.
“This game is really actually played with 22 people. You’ve got 11 people on offense and 11 people on defense, and you’ve got special teams, too. The credit goes to them, too. There is no MVP,” Sanders said. “Have you watched how our defense played this year? If you haven’t watched or seen that, you would know that’s a big reason why we’re here.”
Cowboys came out slinging and surprised the Hurricanes a 21-0 lead. Their touchdowns were converted on the first three drives of the game. Sanders threw TD passes of 30 and 32 yards to Brennan Presley.
“The defense stopped them when we needed to stop them, and we scored when we needed to score, and all I’m doing is listening to my coach and like I said just doing the little things, and I’m glad I could get Brennen Presley the ball, got him his three touchdowns, Dillon got his touchdowns,” Sanders added. “But everybody got touches today, I feel like. I was actually really excited we could spread the ball to everybody and spread the love.”
Presley had one rushing touchdown all season. He finished the game with six catches for 118 yards and three touchdown receptions.
Hurricanes found themselves in a severe deficit, and it became worse when star quarterback D’Eriq King was hurt. King left with a right knee injury with 4:06 remaining in the first half. Hurricanes coach Manny Diaz said he would be evaluated Wednesday.
“We don’t run from this; we go to work, we fix what we have to fix, that sets the tone for the offseason program,” Hurricanes head coach Manny Diaz said. “We told our team they have 24 hours to feel bad about this, even though you won’t be back on campus until the end of January. It is time to get to work.”
King made a vital announcement Saturday leading up to the game to return to play quarterback for his sixth season. King hurt the same knee when he was a junior at Houston. He was helped off the field but returned to cheer his teammates in crutches as they fell short of the comeback win.
“He cares so much for his teammates and our football team, and that’s who he is every day in our facility and in the locker room,” Diaz added. “He loves these guys he plays with, and I know it hurt him to not be out there with him, but he was going to do anything could he to help encourage the ones that were.”
N’Kosi Perry rallied the Hurricanes and showed flashes of his talent that made him a starter at one point for Miami. Perry threw for 228 yards and two touchdowns. King had incompletions on six of his last nine passes, and his 6-yard pass to Michael Redding III was not enough to convert a fourth-and-9 with under two minutes remaining.
“I think we took a positive step tonight, even though we didn’t come out with the W. The whole game, the team, was acting like we had the lead the entire game,” Perry said. “I think we’re really building something here, and it’s going to be really great for us next season.”
Hurricanes are now 1-10 in the last 11 bowl games. And has lost five consecutive bowl games.
Cowboys have won four of its past five bowl games.
The beat goes on.
Oklahoma State is expected to improve on offense practically, with Spencer returning at quarterback when it opens next season against Missouri State.
Miami has their fingers crossed King’s injury isn’t severe enough to keep him out of spring practice because the Hurricanes open next season against Alabama in Atlanta.
Photo/Cheezitbowl/twitter
