Robert McDuffie-USA TODAY Sports
Running back Frank Gore Jr. sets a number of records in the Lending Tree Bowl
Running back Frank Gore Jr. had a tremendous season for Southern Miss this year. He finished the year with 1,053 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns, along with 19 receptions for 219 yards. All of those numbers represented career-high marks for the RB.
But he took his game to a new level in the Lending Tree Bowl against Rice on Saturday night.
The sophomore running back exploded for 329 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns on just 21 carries, helping the Golden Eagles top Rice by a final score of 38-24.
Gore’s 329 rushing yards were the highest single-game mark of a player this season, topping Pittsburgh’s Israel Abanikanda, who ran for 320 yards and 6 touchdowns in Pittsburgh’s 45-29 win over Virginia Tech back on October 8.
Gore also set the all-time mark for rushing yards in a bowl game, surpassing the effort from Camerun Peoples from 2020, who ran for 319 yards and 5 touchdowns for Appalachian State in their win over North Texas in the 2020 Myrtle Beach Bowl:
The 329 rushing yards from Gore on Saturday night also set a new school record, as Gore surpassed Sam Dejarnette, who ran for 304 yards back in 1982 against Florida State.
Gore got going early in the game, ripping off this 64-yard touchdown run to give the Golden Eagles a 14-0 lead:
Gore’s third touchdown run of the night was masterful. Watch as he weaves his way through the Rice defense, en route to a 55-yard touchdown run:
During the regular season, Gore also completed 5 of 11 passes for 160 yards and 2 scores. So, to add to his record-breaking night, he had to throw a touchdown pass into the mix for good measure:
Not a bad night. Not a bad night at all.
Now that we’ve made it this far, we can admit it.
We feel old now right?
