ORLANDO – Down 21-0 in the early going of last night’s Cheez-It Bowl, the Miami Hurricanes played a mostly spirited game for three quarters against the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Led by quarterbacks D’Eriq King and N’Kosi Perry, the 18th-ranked collective scored four combined touchdowns – three passing and one rushing – to close the gap in their attempt to get past the 21st-ranked team in college football. But it was not enough, as the Cowboys (8-3) never trailed in this one to hold off the Hurricanes (8-3) in a 37-34 win on Dec. 29.

King, who has been one of Miami’s best quarterbacks and overall leaders in many years, found tight end Brevin Jordan for a 10-yard passing score to cut the Oklahoma State lead to 21-7 with 14:14 left in the second quarter.

Then after Miami’s defense forced Oklahoma State to try for a field goal – which ultimately was a miss – King led a methodical 14-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in two completions to wide receiver Mike Harley and one to Will Mallory.

Started by a 27-yard run from running back Don Chaney Jr. and continued by a 6-yard run from King and a pass interference call on Oklahoma State for a 15-yard penalty, Miami reached the opponent’s 5-yard line. But it could not get any further, as a 22-yard field goal made by kicker Jose Borregales cut the Oklahoma State lead to 21-10 at the 3:55 mark.

The score would stay that way until early in the third, when Perry completed passes to Jordan and Mallory to get Miami in field goal range. Borregales would go on to hit a 40-yard field goal for cut the lead further to 21-13.

After Miami forced Oklahoma State to punt, the offense’s run game took over. Running back Cam’Ron Harris (six carries, 52 yards, one touchdown) led the way, as he found his way to the end zone on a 42-yard gain to make it 21-19. But Miami’s attempt to tie the game up failed, as it could not come through on a two-point conversion.

This is the closest Miami would get, as it allowed a 26-yard field goal by Oklahoma State kicker Brady Pohl at the 2:57 mark to make the score 24-19. And after Perry lost a fumble to Oklahoma State, the opposition’s quarterback got to work.

Cowboys team leader Spencer Sanders (27-40 passing, 305 yards, four touchdowns) found receiver Dillon Stoner for a 5-yard score at the 14:19 mark of the fourth quarter.

With Pohl’s extra point, Oklahoma State extended its lead to 31-19.

After that, the N’Kosi Perry Rally Show was on.

The backup quarterback led a seven-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Jordan (eight catches, 96 yards, one score) at the 12:03 mark. With an extra point by Borregales, Miami cut Oklahoma State’s lead to 31-26.

But Sanders found a way to keep Miami at bay by leading a seven-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a 16-yard touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver Brennan Pressley (six catches, 118 yards, three touchdowns). The lead was 37-26, which would good enough to keep Miami from completing its comeback bid.

Perry and his team did not go down without a fight, as he methodically led a 10-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Harley (eight catches, 69 yards, one touchdown). The two-point conversion run by Mark Few would go on to be the final score of the game at the 5:39 mark.

Two punts by Oklahoma State, a punt by Miami, and a turnover on downs by Miami ensured the 37-34 final.

“I think we took a positive step tonight, even though we didn’t come out with the W,” said Perry, who completed 19 of 34 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns. “The whole game, the team, was acting like we had the lead the entire game. I think we’re really building something here and it’s going to be really great for us next season.”

Perry stepped in for King, who suffered what appeared to be a knee injury on a play in the second quarter.

“I was ready right away because I was keeping up with every single play of the game and right away when it happened,” Perry said. “I knew I was about to go in, and I was ready.”

King’s high level of leadership came into play even after he could no longer play in the game.

“I was already motivated before the game to the time I got in the game,” Perry said. “When King came back out, he was giving me words of encouragement, “Keep the guys going,” stuff like that. Telling me I’m doing a great job here and there, even if I’m not. Just positive energy and that’s what the whole sideline had all night.”

Miami head coach Manny Diaz reflected on how Perry led the team down the stretch.

“When D’Eriq came on campus, N’Kosi could have gone one or two ways,” Diaz said. “I tell you, his last 12 months on our campus and who he has been in our program has been his best 12 months. And it’s tough. It’s tough to be the backup and you’re waiting for your shot, and you don’t ever know, and so the fact that he got it on a stage like this in a bowl game and what he looked like to me is he looked like a guy that’s played a lot of ball. He’s been in a lot of big situations, and I think the team had confidence in him that we could move the football with him in there and that’s exactly what happened.”

Diaz spoke on the way his team approached last night’s bowl loss.

“We don’t run from this, and I told the football team, look where we were 12 months ago,” Diaz said.

“What you did is you go get to work. You fix what you have to fix, and that sets the tone for the offseason program,” Diaz continued. “And we talk about offseason, we basically told our team they have 24 hours to feel about this, and even though you won’t be back on campus until the end of January, it’s time to get to work…I’m proud of the players for improving our football program from where it was a year ago. I think we were at another level than where we were and there’s another level where we need to climb to next year, and that will be the focus of the offseason program.”

PHOTO CREDITS: Canes Football, Cowboys Football, and Cheez-It Bowl