Purdue beats Western Michigan in Pizza Bowl

Purdue quarterback Caleb TerBush took the final snap, sprinted to the sideline, and handed the football to coach Danny Hope.

Perhaps empowered by getting a contract extension recently, Hope made the gutsy decision to go for two onside kicks in the first half, and both gambles paid off for the Boilermakers in a 37-32 win over Western Michigan (7-6) on Tuesday night in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in Detroit.

Raheem Mostert returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown, third-string running back Reggie Pegram scored the first two TDs of his career, and Carson Wiggs made two field goals to give the Boilermakers a 27-15 lead at halftime.

Purdue (7-6) had another 12-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Big Ten team had to hold on for the win against the Mid-American Conference squad.

N.C. State 31, Louisville 24 - Mike Glennon threw for 264 yards and three touchdowns and David Amerson returned an interception 65 yards for a TD as North Carolina State won the Belk Bowl in Charlotte, N.C.

T.J. Graham had seven catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns, including a 65-yard score on a catch-and-run, as the Wolfpack (8-5) overcame special-teams blunders to hold off a late charge by the Cardinals (7-6).

Amerson had two more interceptions to give him 13 for the season, the most in the country, while setting an Atlantic Coast Conference record.

South Carolina head football coach Steve Spurrier said he has officially put Lorenzo Ward in charge of defense.

The announcement came a week after former defensive leader Ellis Johnson left to take over the Southern Miss football program.