The 2017 Reese's Senior Bowl is in the books after a 16-15 win by the South team over the North squad on Saturday in Mobile, Alabama.
The South team, coached by the Cleveland Browns staff, built a 16-3 lead with 6:29 remaining in the third quarter and held off a late rally mounted by the North under the direction of the Chicago Bears staff.
The North scored a touchdown on a 6-yard pass from Pittsburgh's Nate Peterman to East Carolina's Zay Jones with 1:51 to go and opted to go for two. Peterman's attempt on a 2-point conversion drew pressure and resulted in an interception in the end zone by BYU's Harvey Langi.
The South, per rules of the game that only allowed kickoffs to start the first and third quarters, received the ball at its own 25 and was able to run out the clock.
The NFL personnel executives, scouts and coaches will now shift their attention to the NFL Combine.
But first, here are seven takeaways from the 68th annual college all-star game:
1. "Most Valuable Player"
Cal quarterback Davis Webb did not start for the South, but he did make the most of his reps. Webb completed 11 of 16 passes for 165 yards that included a 39-yard touchdown pass to Texas A&M receiver Josh Reynolds.
Webb was named the Senior Bowl's "Most Valuable Player" for his role in leading all three of the South's scoring drives.
Webb locked in with Mississippi State's Fred Ross for a gain of 12 and with Reynolds for completions of 21, 13 and 39 on the first scoring drive. He went to Ross for gains of 15 and 6 during his second series to set up a 37-yard field goal by Memphis kicker Jake Elliott.
The Webb-to-Ross connection came up big again in the third quarter, when Webb erased a loss of 10 on a sack to convert third-and-20 with a dart to Ross for a 27-yard gain.
2. Running strong
After that critical conversion, the South turned to N.C. State running back Matt Dayes for three consecutive runs. Dayes gained 4 and then sprung free for 15 with some nice blocking. The South pulled right guard Eric Smith, a late addition from Virginia, for a block on Simon Fraser linebacker Jordan Herdman.
South Alabama tight end Gerald Everett blocked Temple linebacker Haason Reddick, and UCLA left tackle Conor McDermott (the brother of Vikings long snapper Kevin McDermott) teamed with LSU's Ethan Pocic, who was in at left guard to get strong push at the line of scrimmage. Pocic started the game at center, but also played a considerable amount at left guard.
Dayes followed with a 2-yard touchdown run for a 16-3 lead with 6:29 left in the third quarter. Dayes bounced back nicely from fumbling on his first carry of the game.
The North rushing attack was led by Toledo running back Kareem Hunt, who rushed 14 times for 118 yards that included gains of 12, 20, 43 and 18. Hunt added an 11 yard reception and may have received a few more snaps because Wisconsin's Corey Clement was slow to get up after an 8-yard gain on his first carry of the game. Clement returned and rushed for 3 and 15 yards on separate carries before the North turned to Hunt and Michigan's De'Veon Smith. Hunt was named the "Most Outstanding Player" for the North team.
3. On the O-lines
The offensive lines for both teams seemed to fare better at run blocking than in pass protection.
Because there is such short time to prepare and build chemistry and communication on the offensive line, as well as a preference for creating 1-on-1 matchups for evaluation purposes, the rules do not allow blitzing or stunting.
Defensive linemen were able to create pressures throughout the day.
The North and South generally played their offensive lines in shifts.
North grouping 1 (from left tackle to right tackle):
Bucknell's Julie'n Davenport, Kutztown's Jordan Morgan, West Virginia's Tyler Orlosky, Indiana's Dan Feeney and Western Michigan's Taylor Moton
North grouping 2 (from left tackle to right tackle):
Pittsburgh's Adam Bisnowaty, Temple's Dion Dawkins, Baylor's Kyle Fuller, Michigan's Kyle Kalis and USC's Zach Banner
South grouping 1 (from left tackle to right tackle):
Pittsburgh's Conor McDermott, Miami's Danny Isidora, LSU's Ethan Pocic, Vanderbilt's Will Holden, Mississippi State's Justin Senior
South grouping 2 (from left tackle to right tackle):
Troy's Tony Garcia, Pocic, Kentucky's Jon Toth, Virginia's Eric Smith, Auburn's Robert Leff
The South moved around players more frequently after filling in for injured players throughout the week.
4. Edge rushers delight
The edge rushers for both teams seemed to excel with speed around the edge.
Youngstown State's Derek Rivers pushed Senior into Tennessee quarterback Josh Dobbs, causing a pass attempt to flutter into an interception.
Kansas State's Jordan Willis beat USC's Zach Banner to force a fumble by Iowa's C.J. Beathard and subsequent punt. Willis also forced a fumble by Beathard during a sack to end the first half.
Villanova's Tanoh Kpassagnon forced a fumble by Peterman that was recovered by Auburn's Montravius Adams. Willis was named "Most Outstanding Player" for the South.
5. Repping the smaller schools
Lorenzo Jerome, a safety from Saint Francis (PA) intercepted Dobbs in the first quarter, forced a fumble by Reynolds on a reverse in the second quarter and intercepted Tiffin's Antonio Pipkin in the fourth quarter.
Jones, the former East Carolina Pirate, said he wanted to rep smaller schools and did so throughout the day. He was a difficult matchup who had one near touchdown ruled as out of bounds and another — a 43-yarder from Beathard — wiped off because of a penalty. Jones finished with six catches for 68 yards and a score.
Lamar cornerback Brendan Langley, who had an up-and-down day against Jones, also recorded an interception.
6. A hint at kick coverage?
The rules of the game limited kickoffs to open each half. Earlier in the week, Senior Bowl Executive Director Phil Savage mentioned that the NFL was considering a rule change that the league would like to try.
The kickoff coverage teams stood at the line of scrimmage for both kickoff attempts, rather than lining up behind the 35 to get a running start.
The first kickoff of the day resulted in a 38-yard return by Eastern Washington's Cooper Kupp, who fielded the offering from Elliot 9 yards deep in the end zone.
Arizona State's Zane Gonzalez's kickoff to start the second half resulted in a touchback. Gonzalez also did well on his other plays, kicking field goals of 22, 29 and 39.
7. Line of the day
Mike Mayock, who once again teamed for the NFL Network broadcast of the game, delivered the line of the day.
Banner, who tipped the scales at 361 and measured at 6-foot-8 3/8 inches, collected the football and surged forward, requiring the entire South squad to halt his progress after a modest gain.
"If you ever wondered what 'Andre The Giant' would look like carrying the football, you just got your look," Mayock quipped.
