Wide receiver Taro Mizuno scored two touchdowns — one on a 98-yard kickoff return and the other on a 31-yard pass from Ikaika Woolsey — to lead the Obic Seagulls to a 29-27 victory over the defending champion IBM BigBlue in the Pearl Bowl final on Monday at Tokyo Dome.
The Seagulls extended their Pearl Bowl record to six titles by winning their first since 2014.
"I've been in good shape since the game against Lixil (in the semifinal on June 4) and I kept that momentum," Mizuno said. "This is just spring and none of the teams in the league have done enough preparation for the fall. But unless you reach a certain level, you can't win in the fall. So this win was important for us.
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