Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Tennessee Volunteers Match Player Stats On Dec 30, 2016

The Sports Xchange
Dec 30, 2016

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Joshua Dobbs closed his career with a bang.

Accounting for 409 total yards and four touchdowns Friday, the senior quarterback led No. 21 Tennessee to a 38-24 win over Nebraska in the Music City Bowl at sold-out Nissan Stadium.

Dobbs completed 23 of 38 passes for 291 yards and a touchdown while adding 119 yards and three more scores on 11 attempts. His total yardage was just short of the bowl record of 453, set last year by Louisville's Lamar Jackson.

Dobbs' biggest play came after the Cornhuskers (9-4) cut their game-long deficit to 31-24 with 10:02 remaining on a 9-yard touchdown run by quarterback Ryker Fyfe. Following his 11-yard run that converted a third-and-3, Dobbs hit Josh Malone in stride down the middle of the field for the game-clinching 59-yard scoring strike with 8:45 left.

The Volunteers (9-4) improved to 3-0 in bowl games under coach Butch Jones, all against Big Ten foes. Malone finished with 120 yards on five catches, while defensive end Derek Barnett applied heavy pressure all game with five tackles, four quarterback hurries and his 33rd career sack to break Reggie White's school record.

Fyfe, who got the start in place of the injured Tommy Armstrong, Jr., connected on 17 of 36 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns.

After a scoreless first quarter, Tennessee exploded for 21 points in the second. John Kelly started it with a 28-yard touchdown run with 13:20 left in the half, followed by a 10-yard scoring jaunt by Dobbs.

Fyfe found Brandon Reilly with a 38-yard touchdown pass at the 1:36 mark to pull Nebraska within 14-7, but Dobbs scored on a 2-yard run with 9 seconds left in the half.

Aaron Medley converted a 46-yard field goal with 5:52 left in the third quarter to make it 24-7, but Reilly made a leaping catch on Fyfe's 9-yard touchdown pass with 3:26 remaining to draw the Cornhuskers closer.

Dobbs' 3-yard scoring run on the fourth quarter's second play made it 31-14. Drew Brown booted a 45-yard field goal for Nebraska with 12:06 left, and a Volunteers' fumble on the ensuing kickoff return led to Fyfe's rushing touchdown.

However, Dobbs made sure the Cornhuskers' comeback bid got no closer.

NOTES: Nebraska RB Terrell Newby, who rushed for a team-high 864 yards this year, left in the first half with an undisclosed injury and didn't return. Prior to the injury, Newby gained just 15 yards on nine carries. ... Tennessee's Josh Dobbs became the third QB in SEC history with 15-plus passing TDs and 10-plus rushing TDs in consecutive years, joining Tim Tebow and Dak Prescott. ... This is the third time the programs have played - all in bowl games. The Cornhuskers won the first two.