MOBILE – The North squad took the field first, with Carson Wentz at the helm. He completed his first pass, but Shaun Davis immediately blew up the play after three yards and the game was underway. After two straight rushes from Kenneth Dixon, the North was forced to punt.
The South took the field for the first time with 12:34 in the first, under the direction of Jake Coker. He quickly stuck the ball in the gut of Alabama teammate Kenyan Drake for six quick yards to get the South roster off on the right foot. The next play pushed the South back 10 yards, but on second and 20, Coker and Drake hooked up for an 11-yard pass play. The third down pass was incomplete and the South was forced to punt.
Wentz looked good on the North’s second possession, throwing the ball efficiently and picking up a quick first down, but two consecutive dropped passes forced another North punt and put the ball back in the hands of the 2016 National Championship-winning quarterback, Jake Coker.
Faced with a third and eight, Coker picked up the first down with an eight-yard scramble, the first time the chains moved for the South on the day. Two plays later, DeAndre Washington took a pitch from Coker and rumbled 11 yards for another first down. Two plays after, Arron Green sprinted 25 yards to the right front corner of the end zone for the touchdown. The South ran eight plays for 56 yards for the game’s first score. Ross Martin nailed the PAT to put the South on top 7-0 with nine minutes left to play in the first.
The North was again forced to punt on their third possession thanks in part to a third down pass that was broken up by Alabama’s Cyrus Jones. He then received the punt and set the South up first and 10 at the 44 yard line. However, the South was only able to move the ball two yards before they were forced to punt the ball back to the North. Braxton Miller took the punt and returned it two yards to the 20 and that is where the North would set up shop for their fourth possession.
To no one’s surprise, another Alabama player came up big in defense; this time it was Jarron Reed. He hit Wentz after a three-yard scramble that left the North with a third and long that they didn’t convert. The North elected to go for it on fourth and three, but Wentz’s pass to Miller was incomplete, turning the ball over on downs at their own 27.
Coker completed the first down for five yards, but the second play saw Coker on his back via a sack by Vernon Butler. He fumbled the ball, but it was recovered by teammate Evan Boehm. This put the South in a hole, but they came away with points as BYU’s Martin split the uprights on a 48-yard field goal to give the South the 10-0 advantage with 20 seconds left to play in the first.
Wentz got it going on the North’s fifth possession, connecting with tight end Nick Vannett for 29 yards. He was sacked on the next play, fumbling the football, but it was recovered by his teammates to keep possession as the time expired in the first, but, as per Senior Bowl rules, the possession changes after each quarter. After one, the South led 10-0.
Dak Prescott started the second quarter for the South and went right to work, marching the South 25 yards down the field in less than 1:30, all the way to midfield, but the drive stalled and the South was forced to punt.
Kevin Hogan got things going for the North in the second. He led his squad on their first sustained drive of the game, thanks in part to a 26-yard strike to the big target Vannett. After converting on a fourth and one, he was sacked for the second time on the drive, this time losing nine. This stalled the drive and forced a 36-yard field goal attempt by Ka’imi Fairbairn. He put it through the uprights and the North was on the board but trailed 10-3 with 2:56 left in the half.
Prescott showed off his legs in the early stages of the South’s sixth drive, setting up a third and one thanks to a seven-yard scamper. DeAndre Washington picked up the first and more with a burst of speed to the left side of the line to the tune of 15 yards. On the next play, Prescott hit Jay Lee for 19 down to the South 37. He hit him again on the very next play for 11. He went to him for the third time in a row but it fell incomplete. He hit Roberts for 14 on the next play to set up first and 10 from the 12. He kept the ball on the next play for seven yards setting up third and three from the seven. He then hit Paul McRoberts for a five-yard touchdown. Martin hit the PAT to put the South up 17-3 with 22 seconds left in the half. Prescott led the South 80 yards on 10 plays culminating in a five-yard TD pass. This effectively ended the half with the South on top 17-3.
After a punt from the North to open the second half, Brandon Allen led the South methodically down the field to the 22. Martin then booted the 40-yard field goal to put the South up 20-3 with 9:26 left to play.
Cody Kessler got his shot to shine in the second half and he made the most of it. He led the North down into the red zone and looked to cross the goal line to get the North back in the game. On fourth and five, the North squad elected to go for it and Kessler hit Ed Eagen for eight yards to set up first and goal from the South’s four yard line. Three plays later, Kessler kept it himself for a one yard QB keeper for the North’s first touchdown on the day. The PAT from Fairbairn was good and the North closed the gap to 20-10 with 1:53 left in the third.
The North caught somewhat of a break in the closing seconds of the third quarter when KJ Dillon blocked a 33-yard field goal attempt by Martin. Joe Schobert scooped up the ball at the South 33 and looked as if he was going to score, but Jerrell Adams caught him from behind after 73 yards, bringing him down five yards from the goal line with six seconds left on the clock. The North failed to score before time ran out, and per Senior Bowl rules, the two teams flipped the end of the field and possessions.
The South started their drive from their own 25 with Jacoby Brissett under center. He started the drive by completing back-to-back passes, a five-yard gainer to Charone Peake and a 25-yard strike to Adams. From here, the South squad methodically moved the ball down the field, down to the North three yard line. Three straight rushes by Alabama’s Kenyan Drake led to a touchdown, putting the South up by 17 and effectively ending the game. Jeff Driskell of the North facilitated the last points of the game as he hit Aaron Burtbridge with a 29-yard TD pass as time expired to close the gap on the scoreboard.
The winner of the 2016 Reese’s Senior Bowl was the South squad by the final score of 27-16. Dak Prescott of Mississippi State won the Most Outstanding Player Award by going 7-10 with 69 yards and a touchdown. He also carried the ball three times for 14 yards. The South’s MVP was Shawn Oakman of Baylor with two big sacks for a total loss of 13 yards. The North MVP was Darian Thompson of Boise State who had five total tackles and two broken up pass attempts.
