Matt Cilley / AP

Maryland quarterback Chris Turner (10) throws a pass against Nevada during the first half of the Humanitarian Bowl.

“He realized that the game could’ve been taken from him at any moment, so he played like every play was his last out there,” Smith said about Scott’s effort. “You could see it in his eyes.”

The wild nature and offensive firepower of this bowl game would have made hometown Boise State proud.

While Scott and Oquendo watched from the sideline in the first half, their backups and Turner did more than keep up with a Nevada offense that was averaging 510.6 yards and 37.8 points per game.

Turner hit third-string Adrian Cannon for a 59-yard TD on Maryland’s opening drive, and found Oquendo’s backup, Ronnie Tyler, for a 14-yard score late in the first half to give Maryland a 28-14 lead at the break. Smith added a 99-yard kickoff return and Scott’s backup, Morgan Green, added a 53-yard scoring run in the first half.

It was the type of rally Friedgen was hoping to see when he disciplined his stars.

“You saw some guys play that probably wouldn’t have been playing and they made some plays that made us a better football team,” he said.

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