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Battle for Florida Ends in 31-31 Tie

NEW YORK -- The Florida State Seminoles scored 28 straight points in the fourth quarter to tie archrival Florida, 31-31 in Tallahassee.


Danny Kannell led the comeback, throwing for 232 yards in the final period and completing 16 of his last 17 passes. After Florida State pulled to 31-30 on Rock Preston's 4-yard TD run with 1:45 left, coach Bobby Bowden went for the tying extra point instead of a possible winning 2-point conversion.


Saturday's showdown ended in a 31-31 tie, but the Sunshine State rivals could meet Jan. 2 in a Sugar Bowl rematch.


It all depends on the outcome of the Southeastern Conference championship game between third-ranked Alabama and No. 6 Florida. If the Gators win, it would set up a rematch against the No. 7 Seminoles in the Sugar Bowl.


Most bowl matchups are already set, but a few were still unsettled Sunday.


Miami's 23-7 win over Boston College virtually guaranteed the fourth-ranked Hurricanes a berth in the Orange Bowl against No. 1 Nebraska.


No. 2 Penn State will play No. 12 Oregon in the Rose Bowl, and Texas Tech is going to the Cotton Bowl, where the Red Raiders will probably play No. 21 Southern Cal.


Notre Dame is expected to play No. 5 Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl.


Other projected matchups: Hall of Fame (Wisconsin versus Duke); Carquest (South Carolina vs West Virginia); Gator (Tennessee vs Virginia Tech or North Carolina State); Citrus (Florida-Alabama loser vs Ohio State); Peach (Mississippi State vs North Carolina State or North Carolina); Independence (Texas Christian vs Virginia); Holiday (Michigan vs Colorado State); Aloha (Kansas State vs Boston College); Las Vegas (Central Michigan vs UNLV); Freedom (Arizona vs Utah); Copper (Oklahoma vs BYU); Sun (Texas vs North Carolina or Virginia Tech); Alamo (Baylor vs Washington State); and Liberty (Illinois vs East Carolina).


In games Saturday:


No. 2 Penn State 59, Michigan State 31. At State College, Pennsylvania, Ki-Jana Carter made a final push for the Heisman Trophy, rushing for 227 yards and five touchdowns as Penn State completed a perfect regular season.


The loss was the last game for Michigan State coach George Perles, who was forced to resign after 12 seasons with the Spartans.


No. 5 Miami 23, Boston College 7. At Miami, the Hurricanes forced four second-half turnovers, including two that led to touchdowns, to beat the Eagles.


No. 17 Southern Cal 17, Notre Dame 17. At Los Angeles, Southern Cal scored a late touchdown after blocking a field goal to salvage the tie, which extended the Trojans' winless streak against Notre Dame to 12.

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