North Beats South In 2012 Senior Bowl
Mobile, AL. (Jan. 28)—For the second time in the last three years the North got the better of the South in the nation’s premier senior showcase event.
Playing in front of a sold out Ladd-Peebles Stadium (40,646) crowd under perfect weather conditions, the North broke a 3-3 tie in the second quarter and never looked back—posting a 23-13 victory in the 2012 Senior Bowl, presented by Merrill Lynch Wealth Management.
Cincinnati running back Isaiah Pead was named the game’s Most Valuable Player after totaling 129 all-purpose yards for the North in the victory. “A win caps off the week. You want to go in and practice hard, interview well and meet fans, but going away with a loss – as a competitor – I wouldn’t like that. We’re all out here competing and for the North side to come in and get a win caps off everything,” Pead said.
It was a record-setting day for the reigning BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year. Pead surpassed J.D. Hill of Arizona State as the Senior Bowl’s all-time leader in punt return yardage with 98 on the day. The previous record of 73 had stood since 1971. He also added 31 rushing yards. “I got everything I wanted out of this week. I got good work done at practice and I got a win for this game,” Pead added.
Joining Pead in the post-game awards ceremony was his teammate this week, Utah State linebacker Bobby Wagner.
Wagner was named the Most Outstanding Player on the North after leading the squad with seven total tackles, including one tackle for loss, one interception and one pass breakup. “It’s a pleasure. Just to be out here with everybody and to be looked at as one of the best players on the field, it’s a great thing for a small school guy,” Wagner said.
Despite the North’s victory, the South did enjoy some highlights Saturday as Joe Adams earned Most Outstanding Player of the South squad with 133 receiving yards on eight catches. “It feels good because there are so many great players on the South team and to be chosen as a standout is definitely a blessing only from God,” Adams said.
It was Adams’ fumble however that led to the game’s first points, a 27-yard field goal by Purdue’s Carson Wiggs. The South would answer back to tie the game at 3 on Randy Bullock’s 39-yard field goal with 3:47 to go in the first quarter.
The second quarter belonged to the North as they outscored their opponent 10-3, thanks to an 8-yard scoring strike from Wisconsin’s Russell Wilson to Cal’s Marvin Jones and another Wiggs field goal—this time from 32 yards out.
Bullock added his second field goal of the day in the second quarter too, but the South went into the locker room down 13-6.
Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins continued the North’s offensive success in the second half, hitting Arizona State wide receiver Gerell Robinson over the middle for a 41-yard touchdown to give the North a 20-6 lead.
The South appeared to have life in the early going of the fourth quarter on Arizona quarterback Nick Foles’ 20-yard touchdown toss to his former teammate in Tucson, Juron Criner, but Wiggs’ third field goal of the day—a 28-yarder—was all the North needed to hang on for the win.
The South still leads the all-time series with the North 30-27-3 (this does not include the ’90-’93 games in which an AFC/NFC format was used). The win improved the Minnesota Vikings’ coaching staff to 2-0 all-time in Senior Bowls, while the Washington Redskins fell to 3-4.
The 2013 Senior Bowl is scheduled for Saturday, January 26th in Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
