Rattler, Nix Shine as National Team Knocks Off American Team in Senior Bowl, 16-7

MOBILE, Ala. — The 75th edition of the Senior Bowl took place at Hancock Whitney Stadium between the National and American teams, where a slugfest ended in a National team 16-7 victory on Saturday.

Led in a come from behind victory by Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, Nix found Minnesota tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford on a two-yard touchdown when Nix took a bootleg out of the pocket and threw across his body to find Spann-Ford in the front of the end zone. That capped off a seven-play, 55-yard drive that tied the game up in the first quarter. Nix did not return to the game after the drive and finished four of five with 21 yards and the touchdown.

He matched South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler, who put the American team up early with a 29-yard rifle into the endzone to find Georgia receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint on a dime outside the numbers. Rattler finished the day efficient, going four for four with 65 yards and the touchdown on his lone drive in the game.

From there, the rest of the game was a slugfest. Without Senior Bowl star Michael Penix playing after he pulled out of the game, the National team turned to Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman for the rest of the game. But Hartman did not impress, completing just seven passes on 25 attempts for 69 yards. He led the team to three field goals with help from Rice wide receiver Luke McCaffrey, who finished with two receptions for 28 yards. The running backs became the star of the team, with South Dakota State’s Isaiah Davis, Troy’s Kimani Vidal, and Hartman himself combining for 82 yards. National team kicker Joshua Karty finished three of four, hitting field goals from 20, 37 and 52 while missing from 32.

Louisville cornerback Jarvis Brownlee picked Hartman off to stamp his strong Senior Bowl week. He would not play the rest of the game after picking Hartman off in National team territory after they had driven 45 yards on seven plays while taking nearly five minutes off the clock.

But the National team quarterbacks did little to help their cause. Meanwhile, the running game stalled. TCU running back Emani Bailey shined in the game, rushing for ten carries for 53 yards while hauling in four receptions for 34 yards. Missouri running back Cody Schraeder contributed four grabs for 45 yards, but the run game averaged just 2.9 yards per carry, while the passing game put up 205 yards while throwing two interceptions.

Both interceptions were charged to Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton. While going for the end zone, Oregon safety Evan Williams undercut the ball and picked it off. Later, with a chance to go for the lead, Milton threw another errant pass deep down the field, with Washington State cornerback Chau Smith-Wade intercepting the ball and returning it 83 yards to the team’s one. But the American team could not punch the ball into the end zone, taking a 16-7 lead by the end of the game. Smith-Wade would intercept Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt to close out the game.

Florida State’s Braden Fiske stood out for the National team, racking up five pressures, 1.5 tackles for loss, and half a sack while creating havoc in the run game.

From here, most of these prospects will head to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis starting on February 29th, where they will be hosted for medical evaluations, interviews, and athletic testing.