NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Lamar Jackson put on quite a show for most of the Music City Bowl. Then he had to stand around and watch the Louisville defense polish off his record-setting night.
Jackson ran for a career-high and Music City Bowl-record 226 yards and two touchdowns and threw for two more scores to help Louisville beat Texas A&M 27-21 on Wednesday night.
After Louisville went three-and-out late, the Cardinals’ defense sealed the victory by forcing the Aggies to turn it over on downs with 1:39 remaining.
“We just needed the ball back because I messed up,” Jackson said. “The way they were playing, it was just awesome.”
The freshman, making his first start since Oct. 30, finished with a bowl-record 453 total yards, and set the Louisville career rushing mark before the end of the first quarter in giving the Cardinals a 20-7 lead they never lost. Jackson ran for 126 yards in the first 15 minutes, including a 61-yard scoring run.