WATCH: Oregon RB Bucky Irving named Holiday Bowl offensive MVP
Bucky Irving had a night to remember in the Holiday Bowl Wednesday night. The Oregon running back ran for 149 yards and two touchdowns to help the Ducks come back to win 28-27 over North Carolina.
His efforts resulted in offensive MVP honors, and he made sure to credit one specific group for paving the way for his monster performance.
“I want to shout out my offensive line,” Irving told Joel Klatt as he received the award. “Love these guys. They’ve done a great job all year.”
It was quite a way to cap a big year for Irving, who became a key part of the Oregon running game this season. He led the Ducks with 1,055 yards and five touchdowns as they ended the year with a 10-3 record in Dan Lanning’s first season at the helm.
Bo Nix finds Chase Cota for game-winning touchdown in Holiday Bowl, Oregon gets crazy bounce on PAT
Bo Nix had his moment. It was fourth down and 2 at the North Carolina six-yard line with 24 seconds to play in the Holiday Bowl, and he needed to get the ball to the end zone if Oregon wanted a chance at victory.
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That’s when he found Chase Cota, who managed to get the ball across the plane to tie things up 27-27. And when the PAT somehow went off the the left upright and still made its way across the crossbar, it capped a thrilling game-winning drive for Nix.
He led Oregon to the win — the first bowl victory of the Dan Lanning era.
The extra point was another nail-biter, though, as Camden Lewis’ kick hit the upright and — as he looked away in disappointment — it went through. That put the Ducks ahead and, ultimately, proved to be the difference.
North Carolina took a 21-14 lead into halftime and that score held until the fourth quarter when the Tar Heels made a field goal to make it a 24-14 game. After Oregon scored on a six-yard pass from Nix to Troy Franklin, North Carolina made another field goal to make it 27-21 with 2:29 to play. The rest, as they say, is history.