Dec. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Rutgers University won college football's Texas Bowl for the first post-season victory in school history, while California and Oklahoma State got bowl wins.

The Scarlet Knights beat Kansas State 37-10 in Houston, as Mike Teel threw for 268 yards with two first-quarter touchdowns to Tim Brown.

California defeated Texas A&M 45-10 in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego and Oklahoma State beat Alabama 34-31 in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana.

In Houston, Ray Rice ran for 170 yards and a score for the Scarlet Knights (11-2), who took a 14-0 lead and later scored the game's final 23 points at Reliant Stadium.

Jeremy Ito kicked three field goals for Rutgers, which is 16th in the Bowl Championship Series rankings and won its first bowl appearance in three tries.

Quintero Frierson returned an interception of a Josh Freeman pass 27 yards for a touchdown on Kansas State's first play of the second half for the Scarlet Knights' other score.

Freeman threw for 124 yards and two interceptions for Kansas State (7-6), which was held to six first downs and 33 rushing yards in its first bowl appearance in three years.

In San Diego, Marshawn Lynch ran for 111 yards and two scores and Justin Forsett rushed for 125 yards and a score for the Golden Bears (10-3), who have won three of their past four bowl appearances.

California, which is 20th in the BCS rankings, trailed 7-0 and 14-10 to the No. 21 Aggies (9-4) before scoring 31 second- half points at Qualcomm Stadium.

Nate Longshore threw for 231 yards with a touchdown and interception, and ran for a score for the Golden Bears.

Kick Lifts Cowboys

In Shreveport, Jason Ricks kicked a 27-yard field goal with 8.9 seconds remaining to overcome a late Alabama rally.

The Cowboys (7-6) took a 31-17 fourth-quarter lead before Alabama tied the score with help from its special teams.

Javier Arenas scored on an 86-yard punt return, cutting the deficit to 31-24 with 10:51 remaining. Following a fumble by Oklahoma State's Grant Jones on the ensuing kickoff, Alabama's left tackle Andre Smith evened the score on a 2-yard run after catching a backward pass from quarterback John Parker Wilson.

The Cowboys put together a 10-play, 75-yard drive before Ricks, after three Crimson Tide timeouts, converted the game- winning kick at Independence Stadium.

Oklahoma State's Dantrell Savage had 19 carries for 112 yards and a rushing score and 41 yards receiving, including a 26-yard catch on the final drive that set up Ricks's game- winner.

Alabama (6-7) was playing in its National Collegiate Athletic Association-record 54th bowl game. The bowl victory was the Cowboys' first since 2002.

Thirty-two bowl games will be played this season, culminating with the Jan. 8 national championship game between top-ranked Ohio State and No. 2 Florida in Glendale, Arizona.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mason Levinson in New York at mlevinson@bloomberg.net; Dan Bollerman in New York at dbollerman@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: December 29, 2006 00:34 EST