Rutgers 40, North Carolina 21: Freshmen Josh Hicks (202 yards) and Robert Martin (100) combined to score three touchdowns on the ground as the Scarlet Knights ran over the Tar Heels at the Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit.

Gary Nova threw for 184 yards and two scores and Andre Patton led the receiving corps with 67 yards and a touchdown as Rutgers (8-5) built a 23-0 lead in the first half and never looked back. Defensive back Lorenzo Waters recovered two fumbles and blocked a field goal attempt to highlight the Scarlet Knights’ defense.

Marquise Williams passed for 198 yards and a touchdown and added 51 yards and a score on the ground as North Carolina (6-7) dropped to 2-5 in its last seven bowl appearances. Mitch Trubisky came on in the fourth quarter and threw a TD pass as a late comeback attempt by the Tar Heels came up well short.

Nova guided a five-play, 75-yard drive off the opening kickoff and gave Rutgers the early lead with a 34-yard TD pass to Patton. The Scarlet Knights stopped North Carolina on a fake field-goal attempt and turned that into a 21-yard TD run by Hicks before Martin cashed in the first fumble recovery with an 8-yard score with 9:08 left in the half.

The Tar Heels finally got on the board when Williams capped the opening drive of the third quarter with a 1-yard burst, but Nova responded with a 34-yard TD pass to Andrew Turzilli and Martin’s 28-yard scoring run on the second play of the fourth quarter made it 37-7. Williams’ 7-yard TD to Jacob Tabb cut it to 40-14 with 6:45 left and Trubisky threw for another touchdown less than two minutes later, but North Carolina was stopped on fourth down after recovering its second straight onside kick and Rutgers ran out the clock.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Tar Heels WR Quinshad Davis was carted off the field with an air cast on his leg after being injured with 2:47 left. … The 23-point margin was the largest halftime lead in Rutgers bowl history. … Hicks and Martin, who recorded season-high totals, gave the Scarlet Knights two rushers with at least 100 yards in the same game for the first time since Ray Rice and Brian Leonard in 2006.