ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Nick Fitzgerald rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns and Mississippi State held off Miami 17-16 with help from a blocked field goal in the closing seconds of the St. Petersburg Bowl on Monday.
Nelson Adams got a hand on Nick Dowd’s potential game-winning 37-yard field goal that would have helped Miami finish a stunning turnaround from a 0-6 start to the season to a winning record.
Instead, both the Bulldogs (6-7) and RedHawks (6-7) finished with losing marks.
Fitzgerald, who led the Southeastern Conference in total offense, scored on runs of 2 and 44 yards on the way to his eighth 100-yard rushing performance of the season. The redshirt sophomore also completed 13 of 26 passes for 126 yards.