SAN DIEGO — Northern Illinois won the coin toss and deferred, giving Boise State the ball first.

The Poinsettia Bowl was just beginning yet it was essentially over.

Jeremy McNichols scored three touchdowns, the first one 58 seconds into the game, and finished with 189 total yards Wednesday as Boise State downed Northern Illinois, 55-7.

The Broncos (9-4) took the opening kickoff and moved 75 yards in three plays for the fastest TD in the school’s bowl history. After completions of 7 and 39 yards by Brett Rypien, McNichols ran 29 yards for a touchdown just 58 seconds in against the Huskies (8-6).

“It was huge. We always start fast,” McNichols said. “Even in practice, we come out fast and run a paced offense. That first touchdown, we practiced it all week and we hit it exactly like we were supposed to.”

GODADDY BOWL

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GEORGIA SOUTHERN 58, BOWLING GREEN 27: Favian Upshaw ran for 199 yards and four touchdowns to help Georgia Southern (9-4) beat Bowling Green (10-4) at Mobile, Alabama.

Georgia Southern won the first bowl game in school history in the first year it was eligible to go to the postseason. The program transitioned to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2014.

The Eagles won thanks to their running game. They had 452 yards rushing to top their nation-best season average of 355.6 yards.

Bowling Green led 27-23 at halftime, but Georgia Southern scored the final 35 points.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

(3) OKLAHOMA 84, HAWAII 81: Buddy Hield had 27 points and nine rebounds as Oklahoma (10-0) escaped with a victory against Hawaii (8-2) at Honolulu.

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The Sooners got a career-high 17 points from Khadeem Lattin and 14 from Isaiah Cousins.

Hield was 7 of 16 from the field, including 5 of 9 from 3-point range, and made all six of his free-throw attempts. He had 18 points at halftime.

Roderick Bobbitt scored a career-high 32 points and had six assists for the Rainbow Warriors, who had their four-game winning streak snapped. It was their first loss on their home court this season.

(16) LOUISVILLE 98, UTAH VALLEY 68: Trey Lewis scored 21 points and Louisville (11-1)used a hot shooting start to coast past visiting Utah Valley (5-8).

Louisville made 18 of its first 24 shots and shot 69 percent from the field in the first half (20 of 29) to blow past Utah Valley, one night after an out-of-sync showing in beating Missouri-Kansas City.

Konner Frey led Utah Valley with 17 points and Marcel Davis scored 15. Seven Cardinals scored at least eight points.

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The Cardinals finished 31 of 56 (55 percent) from the field and hit nine 3s. Utah Valley shot 40 percent.

(23) BAYLOR 85, NEW MEXICO STATE 70: Taurean Prince scored a career-high 34 points, Lester Medford had 10 points and 12 assists, and Baylor (9-2)beat New Mexico State (7-6) at Waco, Texas.

Prince was 13 of 19 from the field, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range, and led the Bears with six rebounds in their 32nd consecutive nonconference home win.

Ishmail Wainwright scored a career-high 14 points and Al Freeman added 10 for Baylor.

Pascal Siakam had 26 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Aggies, who were facing their first nationally ranked opponent of the season.


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