Music City Bowl: Lamar Jackson’s 4 TD’s lead Louisville past Texas A&M
Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson had a historic performance in the Music City Bowl in leading his team to a win over Kevin Sumlin’s Texas A&M Aggies.
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The talk entering the Music City Bowl was the quarterbacks for Texas A&M. Rather the quarterbacks who aren’t there for A&M after the transfers of former starters Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray. The left Jake Hubenak to make the start, but to star the game the best player on the field was Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Louisville’s freshman quarterback became the third quarterback in FBS history to have 200 yards passing and rushing a bowl game, joining Johnny Manziel who did it in the 2012 Cotton Bowl and Vince Young who did it in the 2005 Rose Bowl.
Jackson was on fire in the first quarter with a touchdown run and touchdown pass 10 minutes into the game to take an early 13-0 lead.
Texas A&M got on the board with a nine-yard touchdown run from Tra Carson to make it a 13-7 game, but on the ensuing possession Jackson raced for a 61-yard touchdown to cap an explosive first quarter.
Texas A&M got a touchdown from Ricky Seals-Jones to make it a one-score game at halftime, but the Aggies went scoreless in the third quarter while Jackson threw his second touchdown of the game, a 17-yard connection to Keith Towbridge with 3:01 left in the third.
But the Aggies had a chance to steal the game as Hubenak heated up in the fourth quarter and got them within six points after a 29-yard touchdown to Christian Kirk with 4:54 left. The defense forced a Louisville punt and the offense got a chance to steal a win.
Hubenak got Texas A&M to the LOU 24 but the fourth-down pass was incomplete in the end zone and the Cardinals took over with 1:30 remaining. Texas A&M had two timeouts but couldn’t get a third down stop when Jackson ran for four yards on a 3rd and 2 and the game was over.
Jackson did it all and showed the potential that could make him a player in line for a breakout season in 2016 and make Louisville a team to watch in the ACC.
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Louisville ends the year 8-5 with the win while Texas A&M suffers their first loss in four tries under Sumlin and ends the year 8-5 for the second straight year.
Louisville ends the year 8-5 with the win while Texas A&M suffers their first loss in four tries under Sumlin and ends the year 8-5 for the second straight year.