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Top 5 individual performances from bowl season

By Alexander Zorn

Dec 29, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; MVP LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) and head coach Les Miles talks to a reporter after defeating the Texas Tech Red Raiders at NRG Stadium. LSU won 56 to 27. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 29, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; MVP LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) and head coach Les Miles talks to a reporter after defeating the Texas Tech Red Raiders at NRG Stadium. LSU won 56 to 27. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 29, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Baylor Bears running back Johnny Jefferson (5) breaks free and runs the ball 80 yards for a touchdown as North Carolina Tar Heels cornerback M.J. Stewart (6) dives to stop him during the second half of a football game at Florida Citrus Bowl. Baylor won 49-38. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 29, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Baylor Bears running back Johnny Jefferson (5) breaks free and runs the ball 80 yards for a touchdown as North Carolina Tar Heels cornerback M.J. Stewart (6) dives to stop him during the second half of a football game at Florida Citrus Bowl. Baylor won 49-38. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Baylor RB Johnny Jefferson – 23 carries for 299 yards 3 TDs

For a Baylor offense that at one point was putting up over 60 points per game, bowl season came at the wrong time with third-string quarterback Chris Johnson getting the start.

The team finished with 756 total yards, only 111 yards through the air, without its top two quarterbacks (Seth Russell and Jarrett Stidham), top running back (Shock Linwood, 1329 rushing yards in 12 games), and top wide receiver Corey Coleman (20 TDs in 12 games) as 5-foot-10 back Johnny Jefferson became the team’s unlikely hero.

From the very first drive Jefferson was off and running, rushing for 90 yards on seven carries in the first quarter alone as a Tar Heels team that got run over by Clemson the week prior suffered more of the same in the Russell Athletic Bowl.

Baylor nearly had three players rush for over 100 yards, but it was with the speedster Jefferson where most of the damage was done.

Baylor may have broken the record for most rush yards in a Bowl game against North Carolina, but the Bears don’t win without Jefferson’s 13.0 yards per carry average.

Next: No. 3

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