STILLWATER – It was one of the more exciting finishes to a Senior Bowl we’ve seen in some time as the American team, with Oklahoma State defenders Nick Martin, Collin Oliver and Trey Rucker, beat the National Team, with Poke running back, Ollie Gordon II, in walk-off fashion, 22-19.
Multiple Cowboys made plays on Saturday, with one of the main highlights, no surprise here, coming from Ollie.
With just under 10 minutes left in the first quarter, Ollie Gordon II received a backwards pass and connected with Iowa State’s Jayden Higgins on a halfback double-pass for a 39-yard touchdown. It was a heave for sure. Maybe, Gordon’s best pass on that type of play as Oklahoma State ran it with him several times including an interception he threw in the 2023 Bedlam finale. The play officially covered 32-yards but the throw was actually close to 40-yards.
Gordon also had several good runs, two on the first offensive series and then he had two more late in the first half after a turnover, the fumble recovered by his teammate Collin Oliver.
With less than two minutes left in the first half, with the game tied 8-8, Collin Oliver recovered a fumble forced by Arkansas DE, Landon Jackson.
The official stats had still not been published, one of the few hiccups with the Senior Bowl, which otherwise is a good operation. We do know that both safety Trey Rucker and linebacker Nick Martin had multiple tackles. Rucker appeared to be a favorite of the National coaching staff.
In the end it was the American team and a Big 12 rival that captured the hearts of everybody watching. On the final play of the game, Memphis QB Seth Henigan hit TCU WR Jack Bech for the game-winning touchdown to give the American Team a 22-19 victory -- one of the most dramatic and emotional Senior Bowl finishes we'll ever see.
For Bech -- who was named MVP of the game -- the moment clearly weighed heavily. Bech's brother, Tiger, was tragically killed in the New Orleans terror attack one month ago. Every Senior Bowl player wore a decal on their helmets this week in his memory.
Earlier in the game, first half, Bech had “Mossed” Rucker on a play down the middle that set up the first American touchdown. Rucker truly could not have covered Bech better on the play, sometimes you have to give the other guys credit and Bech gets a lot for his performance today.
That said, I think all of the Cowboys in Mobile helped themselves some, nobody really hurt themselves.
