Thompson to Ellington 32-yard TD rescues South Carolina

Steve Spurrier's plan to use two quarterbacks in the Outback Bowl worked so well that Dylan Thompson and Connor Shaw both earned game balls.

Shaw began yesterday's 33-28 victory over Michigan in Tampa, Fla., with a 56-yard touchdown pass to Damiere Byrd. Thompson closed it out by throwing a 32-yard TD strike to Bruce Ellington in the final minute to help No. 10 South Carolina (11-2) match the school record for victories in a season.

Thompson replaced Shaw during the winning drive, covering the final 43 yards after Shaw began the march from his own 30 and kept it alive with a 6-yard completion to Ace Sanders on fourth-and-3.

Devin Gardner's third TD pass of the game had given Michigan a 28-27 lead.

Shaw threw for 227 yards and two touchdowns after missing the Gamecocks' regular-season finale with a left foot sprain. Thompson threw for 117 yards and two TDs.

Gardner threw for 214 yards in his fifth start for No. 18 Michigan (8-5) since Denard Robinson injured his right elbow late in the season. Robinson took some snaps at quarterback and even attempted his first passes in a game since Oct. 27, but lined up mostly at running back and rushed for 100 yards on 23 carries.

Ace Sanders caught TD passes of 4 yards from Thompson and 31 yards from Shaw, who completed 18 of 26 passes before limping off on the final drive. The speedy receiver had nine catches for 92 yards and also scored on a 63-yard punt return -- one of four plays of more than 50 yards.

Gardner was 18-for-36, including TD passes of 5 yards to Drew Dileo and 10 and 17 yards to Jeremy Gallon, who had career bests of nine receptions and 145 yards.

Capital One Bowl

Georgia 45, Nebraska 31: Aaron Murray threw five touchdown passes to set a Georgia bowl record, including two in the fourth quarter.

Murray shook off a pair of first-half interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, and passed for 427 yards -- also a Bulldogs' bowl record -- against the nation's top-ranked passing defense.

No. 7 Georgia (12-2) reached 12 wins for the third time in school history.

No. 16 Nebraska (10-4) lost its third consecutive bowl game, and finished the season with two straight woeful defensive performances. The Cornhuskers lost the Big Ten championship game, 70-31.

The Cornhuskers led 24-23 at the half, and 31-23 in the third quarter, but committed two of their three turnovers in the final 30 minutes.

Taylor Martinez had two interceptions (both by Damian Swann) and two touchdown passes for Nebraska and Rex Burkhead rushed 140 yards in his final college game. Martinez was sacked five times, two of them by All-American linebacker Jarvis Jones.

Heart of Dallas Bowl

Oklahoma St. 58, Purdue 14: Clint Chelf threw three of Oklahoma State's five touchdown passes and the Cowboys rolled up 524 yards and forced five Purdue turnovers at the Cotton Bowl.

It was the biggest bowl win for Oklahoma State (8-5) since its coach, Mike Gundy, was the quarterback in a 62-14 rout of Wyoming in the 1988 Holiday Bowl. The Boilermakers finished 6-7.

J.W. Walsh had two touchdown passes for Oklahoma State after replacing Chelf in the third quarter.-- AP