Wolford’s 4 TD passes propel Wake Forest

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson called it a fitting ending to senior quarterback John Wolford’s adversity-filled career — one where nothing seemed to come easy.

The four-year starter who battled through two difficult sack-filled 3-9 seasons to begin his career, threw for 400 yards and four touchdowns to help Wake Forest beat Texas A&M 55-52 in the Belk Bowl on Friday.

“If you write the movie script, as soon as he walks out that door there’s a girl that falls in love with him and he gets married and lives happily ever after,” Clawson said. “It’s a storybook ending. You can’t make this stuff up.”

Clawson said Wolford, who was named the game’s Most Valuable Player, deserves every accolade he receives given how he helped put the Wake Forest program back on the map with toughness and tenacity.

It was Wake Forest’s second straight bowl season with a bowl win and its first eight-win season since 2008. The Demon Deacons won seven games last season.

For Texas A&M (7-6), the future now belongs to Jimbo Fisher , who will coach next season. Interim coach Jeff Banks coached the team Friday.

The teams combined for 1,260 yards and 107 points, tied for the fourth-highest scoring game in college bowl history. The all-time record is the 2011 GMAC Bowl where Marshall and East Carolina combined for 125 points.

Running back Matt Colburn ran for 150 yards and provided the go-ahead score with 2:18 left in the game.

Wake Forest’s defense stopped the Aggies on downs on their final drive to seal the win, which was no easy task considering Texas A&M’s potent offense.

Aggies quarterback Nick Starkel threw for a Belk Bowl-record 499 yards and four touchdowns — three of those to NFL-ready wide receiver Christian Kirk, who caught 13 passes for 189 yards.

MUSIC CITY BOWL: Justin Jackson ran for 157 yards and two touchdowns, and No. 20 Northwestern held off Kentucky 24-23 in a game that might be remembered more for injuries, ejections and a wild finish.

Both starting quarterbacks left in the first half with injuries, though Kentucky’s Stephen Johnson returned early in the third quarter. Kentucky lost running back Benny Snell Jr. to an ejection for contact with an official early in the second quarter, and Northwestern lost leading tackler and linebacker Paddy Fisher before halftime when he was ejected for targeting.

Northwestern (10-4) still finished off back-to-back bowl wins in consecutive years for the first time in program history, and the Wildcats notched their second 10-win season in three years under coach Pat Fitzgerald. The senior class also won its 27th game for the best stretch in more than a decade.

Kentucky (7-6) still had a chance to win after Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald tried to convert his fifth fourth down of the game only to turn it over for the fourth time on downs — this time at his own 39 with 2:31 left.

Johnson ran for his second TD of the second half with 37 seconds left. Kentucky coach Mark Stoops went for the 2-point conversion rather than play for overtime. Johnson couldn’t connect with Tavin Richardson on the pass. That cost Kentucky a chance at its best season since 2007 and a second straight bowl loss.

With quarterback Clayton Thorson knocked out early in the second with an injured right knee , Northwestern outran Kentucky 333-65. Safety Kyle Quiero provided the winning margin taking Northwestern’s second interception 26 yards for a TD with 7:49 left.

SUN BOWL: Nyheim Hines had three 5-yard touchdown runs to help North Carolina State beat Arizona State 52-31.

Hines finished with 72 yards on 16 carries for North Carolina State (9-4). The Wolfpack played in their fourth consecutive bowl game and sixth in seven years under coach David Doeren.

Reggie Gallaspy added 79 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries for the Wolfpack, Ryan Finley completed 24 of 29 passes for 318 yards and a score, and Stephen Louis had three catches for 115 yards.

Arizona State (7-6) played its final game under fired coach Todd Graham, with former NFL coach Herm Edwards taking over the program.

Manny Wilkins was 25 of 40 for 352 yards and three touchdowns for the Sun Devils. He also threw three interceptions. Arizona State won its previous three Sun Bowl appearances — in 1997, 2004 and 2014.

North Carolina State played without standout defensive end Bradley Chubb. Chubb, a projected top-10 pick in the NFL draft. The school announced a few hours before the game that he wouldn’t play.

It marked the second year in a row that the biggest star at the game didn’t play. Last year, Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey skipped the game.