TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Massimo Biscardi made a 27-yard game-tying discipline purpose with 4 seconds left, Marcus Banks returned a fumble 60 yards for a landing on the ultimate play of the sport and No. 24 Mississippi State rallied to defeat Illinois 19-10 within the ReliaQuest Bowl on Monday within the Bulldogs’ first sport because the demise of coach Mike Leach.
Banks’ rating got here on Illinois’ fifth down on an entire move after the Preventing Illini bought the ball at their very own 29. There was chaos on the sphere as the sport ended, however order was restored a couple of minutes later.
Will Rogers was 29 of 44 for 261 yards and a landing for Mississippi State (9-Four, No. 22 CFP).
Tommy DeVito accomplished 23 of 34 passes for 253 yards for Illinois (Eight-5).
Reggie Love III rushed for 53 yards on 12 carries for Illinois. Struggling Illini working again Chase Brown, the nation’s second-leading rusher within the common season with 1,643 yards, ready for the NFL draft.
Mississippi State was held and not using a landing till the primary play of the fourth quarter when Rogers related on an eight-yard move to Justin Robinson that tied the sport at 10.
The Bulldogs averaged 32.7 factors within the common season.
Illinois, which entered permitting 12.Three factors and held six opponents to below 10 factors, performed with out defensive backs Devon Witherspoon and Sydney Brown. Each opted out earlier than the NFL draft.
DeVito put Illinois up 7-Zero on a two-yard run with 2:49 left within the second quarter.
Mississippi State answered with a 38-yard discipline purpose by Biscardi with 9 seconds left within the first half.
Illinois went up 10-Three on Caleb Griffin’s 52-yard discipline purpose halfway via the third.
Mississippi State was restricted to 50 yards on its first three possessions, whereas its subsequent two ended with interceptions by Matthew Bailey and Kendall Smith.
Illinois leads the nation with 24 interceptions.
IN HONOR OF MIKE
Among the many tributes to Leach, who died Dec. 12 of issues from a coronary heart situation, was “MIKE” with a pirate brand as a part of the “I” painted between 20 and 30 on a phase of the sphere.
The Mississippi State band chanted “LEACH” earlier than holding a second of silence earlier than the sport.
The Bulldogs had a pirate flag as a substitute of the varsity brand on their helmets. Illinois’ helmet had a brand much like the one painted on the sphere.
Leach’s nickname was “The Pirate”.
IT FOLLOWS
Mississippi State: Opens the 2023 common season on Sept. 2 towards Southeastern Louisiana.
Illinois: Hosts Toledo on Sept. 2.
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