SAN ANTONIO — Justin Blackmon caught two touchdown passes, including a 71-yard strike, and No. 16 Oklahoma State finished its first 11-win season with a 36-10 victory over Arizona in the Alamo Bowl on Wednesday night.
Blackmon, the Biletnikoff Award winner as the nation’s top receiver, set an NCAA record with his 12th consecutive game with at least 100 yards receiving and a touchdown.
The sophomore caught nine passes for 117 yards in perhaps his last college game. He is already projected as a high NFL draft pick.
QB Brandon Weeden was 25-of-41 for 244 yards for Oklahoma State (11-2). It was the final game plan for Cowboys offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, who is leaving to become the coach-in-waiting at West Virginia.
Arizona (7-6) ended the year with five straight losses.
Illinois 38, Baylor 14
HOUSTON — Mikel Leshoure ran for 184 yards and three touchdowns Wednesday night, helping the Illini earn its first postseason victory since 1999 with a rout in the Texas Bowl.
The Big Ten’s Illini spoiled the Bears’ first bowl appearance in 16 seasons. Both teams finished 7-6.
Leshoure had a 5-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, a 13-yard TD in the third quarter and another 5-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. The performance gave him the school single-season rushing record with 1,697 yards.
The Illini built a 24-0 lead, and Leshoure’s last touchdown put the game out of reach.
Baylor’s Robert Griffin III threw for 306 yards and a touchdown, but his two fumbles in the first half put the Big 12’s Bears behind.
Maryland 51, E. Carolina 20
WASHINGTON — Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen ended his 10-year run at his alma mater with a pounding of East Carolina in the Military Bowl.
Maryland forced four turnovers and Da’Rel Scott ran for 200 yards.
New athletic director Kevin Anderson announced last week that Friedgen was being fired, effective after the bowl game, with Maryland buying out the final year of the 63-year-old’s contract.
Scott had second-half touchdown runs of 61 and 91 yards on back-to-back offensive plays and posted the school’s first 200-yard rushing game since 2003. D.J. Adams had four short touchdown runs for the Terrapins (9-4).
