Hartman shines in likely finale as Wake Forest QB

Sam Hartman completed 23 of 36 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns in what was expected to be his final game with Wake Forest, a 27-17 win over Missouri in the Gasparilla Bowl on Friday night in Tampa, Fla.

The redshirt junior, named game MVP, now will look at entering the NFL draft or the transfer portal.

“To my teammates, everyone past, present, it's been incredible,” Hartman said. “I love you guys.”

Hartman threw his 108th career touchdown pass to set an Atlantic Coast Conference record on a 5-yard strike to Taylor Morin that made it 7-0 in the first quarter. He had been tied with Clemson's Tajh Boyd (2010-13), and ended up with 110 overall.

Hartman came up 33 yards short of joining North Carolina State's Philip Rivers (13,484 from 2000-03) as the only quarterbacks in ACC history to reach 13,000 passing yards.

A.T. Perry had 11 receptions for 116 yards for Wake Forest (8-5)

Brady Cook threw for 215 yards on 29-of-48 passing for Missouri (6-7).

Missouri took its first lead, 17-14, when Cody Schrader scored from 4 yards out with 5:45 remaining in the third.

Wake Forest went ahead 20-17 just 1:16 later when Hartman hooked up with Jahmal Banks for a 48-yard touchdown.

Hartman and Morin then connected for a 16yard touchdown with 2½ minutes to play,

Justice Ellison put the Demon Deacons ahead 14-3 on a 1-yard TD run five minutes into the second quarter. He had 64 yards on 21 attempts.

Cook threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Demariyon Houston to get Missouri within 14-10 2½ minutes before halftime.

Independence Bowl

Clayton Tune connected with Nathaniel Dell for a 12-yard touchdown with 20 seconds remaining, and Houston rallied from a 13-point deficit to beat Louisiana-Lafayette 23-16 in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La. .

The TD pass was Tune's third of the game and 40th of the season, tying him with Western Kentucky's Austin Reed for the most in the nation.

The Cougars (8-5) never led until that late touchdown as Tune heated up amid unseasonably cold temperatures in northwest Louisiana. It was 25 degrees at kickoff, with a wind chill of 12 degrees.

Louisiana-Lafayette (6-7) led 13-0 midway through the second quarter and 16-6 at halftime.

Tune, who finished 19 of 28 for 216 yards, led Houston on a 13-play, 70yard drive to open the second half and hit Dell for a 2-yard touchdown that made it 16-13.

Clinging to a threepoint lead, Louisiana stuffed Houston on fourthand-short at the Ragin' Cajuns 5-yard line midway through the third quarter, but the Cougars eventually tied the game on Kyle Ramsey's 19-yard field goal early in the fourth.

The Cajuns got three field goals in the first half from Kenneth Almendares (42, 42, and 22 yards).

Tune's first touchdown toss was a 33-yarder to KeSean Carter in the second quarter.