Garrett Nussmeier leads American team to 17-9 win over National in frigid conditions at the Panini Senior Bowl
The American team secured a hard-fought 17-9 victory over the National in the coldest Panini Senior Bowl in at least 40 years. The game was played in the windswept Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile on Saturday, with temperatures in the mid-30s and a wind chill factor in the low 20s at kickoff.
LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier was the star of the show, leading both of the first-quarter touchdown drives. He ran for one score and threw a two-point pass after the other, going 5-for-8 passing for 57 yards with an interception in just the first three series. Nussmeier credited the offensive line for their strong performance, saying, 'We were able to maul some guys off the line of scrimmage and get the run game going early.'
The American team took control early, driving 68 yards for a touchdown on the opening kickoff, facing little resistance. Nussmeier completed passes of 11 and 12 yards, then executed a read option fake before keeping for a 3-yard touchdown. After a failed two-point conversion, the American led 6-0 at the 8:09 mark of the first quarter.
The National team struggled early, fumbling on its second play from scrimmage, setting up the American at the 50-yard line. Running backs J'Mari Taylor of Virginia and Jaydn Ott of Oklahoma combined for runs of 14 and 24 yards, leading to a 5-yard run by Ott for a touchdown. Nussmeier then found wide receiver Malachi Fields of Notre Dame in the back of the end zone for two points, making the score 14-0 with 4:03 left in the first quarter.
The National team had trouble getting anything going in the first half, managing just 43 yards of total offense. American team kicker Will Ferrin of BYU booted a 40-yard field goal with 3:02 left in the half, making the score 17-0 at the break.
The National team scored all the points in the second half, getting on the board with a 52-yard field goal by Drew Stevens of Iowa at the 9:11 mark of the fourth quarter. Quarterback Cole Payton of North Dakota State led a 67-yard scoring drive in the final four minutes, with running back Kejon Owens scoring from a yard out with 1:30 to play. Payton failed on a two-point run, leaving the score at 17-9.
Payton earned National team player of the game honors, completing five of 10 passes for 72 yards and rushing for 22 yards. Receiver Donaven McCulley of Michigan, added to the game on Friday, led all receivers with four catches for 50 yards.
Quarterback Diego Pavia had a solid game for the National team, going 10-for-13 passing for 76 yards but not doing much as a runner. However, he did have a forced fumble and a tackle for loss during a first-quarter play that included two fumbles by the American defense.
The American team ran for 128 yards, with Kaelon Black of Indiana contributing 45 yards on eight carries, Jaydn Ott adding 42 yards on eight carries, and J'Mari Taylor gaining 41 yards on three attempts.
Defensive standouts for the National team included defensive ends Nadame Tucker of Western Michigan (two sacks, three tackles for loss, forced fumble) and Vincent Anthony of Kentucky (sack, forced fumble, two fumble recoveries). Defensive back Deshon Singleton of Nebraska had an interception.
Defensive ends LT Overton of Alabama, Keyon Crawford of Auburn, and Quintayvious Hutchins of Boston College (a former Bessemer City standout) each had sacks for the American team, while Hutchins had three tackles for loss. Northwestern cornerback Fred Davis added an interception, while defensive end Zion Young of Missouri had two tackles and a fumble recovery to earn American team player of the game honors.
The American team's win was their second straight in the Senior Bowl, though the National team leads 4-2 since game organizers scrapped the traditional North vs. South format ahead of the 2021 contest.
