Blocked FG allows BYU to escape
Eathyn Manumaleuna blocked a field goal as time expired to give No. 19 BYU a 17-16 victory over UCLA on Saturday night in the Las Vegas Bowl in Las Vegas.
Kai Forbath made field goals of 52 and 50 yards to keep the Bruins in it and UCLA drove almost the length of the field in the final two minutes to line up Forbath for the potential winner. But Manumaleuna got his hand on the kick and the Cougars got their first win over the Bruins since Steve Young was the quarterback.
Max Hall threw for 2 touchdowns and the Cougars (11-2) closed the season with their 10th straight win despite getting shut out in the second half and having their lowest offensive output of the year.
BYU managed just 265 yards against the Bruins (6-7), who were playing for interim coach and defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker.
The Bruins forced 2 turnovers, pressured Hall all game and nearly pulled off the upset with their fourth-string quarterback.
Walk-on McLeod Bethel-Thompson drove the Bruins from their own 2 in the final two minutes, completing an 36-yard pass to Logan Paulsen on third-and-8 with 30 seconds left to give UCLA a chance at finishing with a winning record.
It didn't quite happen. Forbath's kick was low enough for Manumaleuna to get a piece of it and keep the ball from getting through the uprights.
Cincinnati 31, So. Miss 21: Ben Mauk and No. 20 Cincinnati spoiled Jeff Bower's farewell.
Mauk passed for 334 yards and 4 touchdowns, and DeAngelo Smith intercepted 3 passes, leading the Bearcats to a victory over Southern Miss (7-6) and its outgoing coach in the Papajohns.com Bowl in Birmingham, Ala.
The victory gave Cincinnati (10-3) its second 10-win season and first since 1951, while virtually assuring a spot in the final rankings for the first time.
Mauk completed 30 of 52 passes and overcame 3 interceptions to become only the third Bearcats player to have a 3,000-yard passing season.
It was the final game for Bower after 17 seasons at his alma mater, a stay that ranks behind only that of Joe Paterno, Bobby Bowden and Frank Beamer among current coaches. Bower was forced to resign after a disappointing regular season, leading to the hiring of Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Larry Fedora.
New Mexico 23, Nevada 0: Paul Baker ran for 167 yards in his first start, and Donovan Porterie threw for career-high 354 yards and 2 touchdowns to help New Mexico beat Nevada in the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque, N.M.
The Lobos (9-4) ended a 46-year skid without a postseason victory.
It was New Mexico's first bowl victory since beating Western Michigan 28-12 in the 1961 Aviation Bowl at Dayton, Ohio.
The Wolf Pack (6-7) hadn't gone scoreless since losing 10-0 to Weber State on Sept. 27, 1980, a span of 329 games -- the longest current streak in college football and the second longest in history.