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EDITOR’S
LETTER JASON MARTIN
In my world, there are only three seasons…Football Season, Bowl Season and Recruiting Season. As the weather begins to get chillier and the Holidays are here, that means one thing. It is Bowl Season!!! This is the time of year that you can go all day laying around in your sweats, eating left overs and watching non-stop football while your Aunt Betty gossips about the latest juicy stories in her world. Or perhaps, you have made travel arrangement to head to Miami, Arlington or Atlanta to see your favorite team play. And then there are others that will meet up at their local sports bar to watch several games at the same time. However you watch the games, you have to admit that there is something special about this time of year. The Bowl Season is the one thing that no other sport at any level can match. The pomp and circumstance around bowl games is unmatched. Sure we can all argue that we need a playoff system. We do. But what could get lost is this long standing tradition. This year we are happy to bring you the Southern Football Guide Bowl Preview. We will take a look at some of the history behind each bowl game, the teams and breakdown the matchup for you. Plus, we have a list of NFL prospects for each team that you just might get to watch on Sundays next year. Finally, we would like to invite you to play in our Inaugural Gordo’s Cheese Dip Bowl Blitz. This is your chance to win a Harley Davidson from Stone Mountain Harley for a perfect score. But even if you don’t get them all correct, you still have a chance to win a Flat Screen TV, just for being the best of the best. We hope that you enjoy the Bowl Preview. Drop me a line and let me know what you think? And don’t hesitate to forward on to anyone that might enjoy. Jason Martin GorillaMartin@comcast.net SOUTHERN FOOTBALL GUIDE
“It’s a jungle out there!” Gorilla Marketing, LLC • Marietta, GA 30062 • 770-675-7200 Jason Martin, Partner • Jim Zegers, King of the Jungle Sports Fan Properties - Greg Barckoff Graphic Design: DJ Galbiati Blalock Content Editor: Stephen Black Contributing Writers: Stephen Black, Ryan Caiafa, Sean Conway, Joe Deighton, Ricky Dimon, Brian Jones, Chris Lionetti, Fletcher Proctor, Jay Underwood Photo Credits: Arizona Athletics, University of Toledo Athletics, Jon Barash (BYU), East Carolina Athletics, Boise State Athletics, SMU Athletics, Bowling Green Athletics, Duke Athletics, Baylor Athletics, Virginia Tech Athletics, Oregon State Athletics/Beth Buglione, Vanderbilt Athletics, Georgia Tech Athletics, LSU Athletics, Mississippi State Athletics, Purdue University Athletics Communications, Rob Saye (South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Ole Miss, Alabama), Stanford Athletics, Florida State University Athletics, Texas A&M Athletics
Gildan New Mexico Bowl University Stadium | Albuquerque, NM Dec. 15, 2012 1:00 p.m. EST In its seventh year, the Gildan New Mexico Bowl kicks off the FBS postseason in 2012. The bowl has an amazing amount of character for a bowl with many unique attributes despite it’s short history. The game is played on a college campus at the University of New Mexico. The host school played in the bowl and provided a lopsided 23-0 shutout of Nevada in the 2007 edition. The stadium sits at an elevation of 5,100 feet above sea level meaning in addition to the light air that cold temperatures and snow are possible every year. Another unique feature are the awards given to the winning team as well as the offensive and defensive MVPs. The winners are presented with a hand-painted piece of clay pottery with images of the participating teams and traditional motifs of the Zia Pueblo Native Americans. The MVP awards are traditional leather shields crafted by the Zia Pueblo.
THE MATCHUP
Nevada Wolf Pack Record: 7-4 Head Coach: Chris Ault
Arizona Wildcats Record: 7-5 Head Coach: Rich Rodriguez
Bowl-eligible for the eighth straight season, coach Chris Ault, who is the only active coach to be inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame, will be looking to help the Wolf Pack rebound from last season’s Hawaii Bowl loss to Southern Miss. Despite a defense that tended to struggle at times during the season, allowing opponents to score an average of 33 points per game, the prolific offense contributed to many high-scoring contests. Junior running back Stefphon Jefferson led the attack, leading the team with another 1,000-plus yard season to go along with his team high in touchdowns on the ground. Mobile sophomore quarterback Cody Fajardo was also strong for the Wolf Pack, with over 2,000 yards passing and nearly 1,000 yards rushing, while accounting for 28 touchdowns. A late-season three-game losing streak to conference foes San Diego State, Air Force and Fresno State took the team out of conference title contention but the Pack was able to achieve enough early season success to secure a postseason berth.
The Arizona Wildcats and first-year head coach Rich Rodriquez have taken all the right steps in turning the program around from its disappointing 2011 campaign, which saw them go 4-8, with a 2-7 Pac 12 record. With a 7-5 record, Arizona has become bowl-eligible again since its three straight seasons of eligibility ended in 2011. Its last bowl appearance was a 36-10 loss to Oklahoma State in the 2010 Alamo Bowl. The high-scoring offense is centered on sophomore running-back Ka’Deem Carey, who gained 1,757 rushing yards, which led the nation, and also added 21 touchdowns. Arizona also had great quarterback play from senior Matt Scott, who passed for over 3,000 yards and 24 touchdowns. Sophomore receiver Austin Hill contributed with a 1,000-yard season to go along with nine scores. The team’s defense, however, does have room for improvement, as they allowed 34.3 points per game, which led to several close, high-scoring affairs.
NFL Prospects
NFL Prospects
Stefphon Jefferson RB, Cody Fajardo QB, Albert Rosette LB, Duke Williams DB
Ka’Deem Carey RB, Austin Hill WR, Jake Fischer LB, Jonathan McKnight CB
ARIZONA
NEVADA
The New Mexico Bowl will kick off bowl season featuring two of the premier rushing attacks in all of college football. The defenses will have their hands full trying to stop the run and it could turn into an offensive affair. Stefphon Jefferson leads the seventh-most productive rushing attack in the nation against Arizona, which had marquee wins against USC and Oklahoma State. The Wildcats will counter with Ka’Deem Carey who is the second leading rusher in the country, averaging 146.4 yards per game. Arizona will hold the edge in the passing game, but the heavy rushing attacks should allow for more play-action to create opportunities for both teams. Each team is averaging giving up more than 30 points a game and that shouldn’t change given the ability of each of these offenses.
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Bronco Stadium | Boise, ID Dec. 15, 2012 4:30 p.m. EST From 1997 through 2010 fans knew this game as the Humanitarian Bowl played on the famous (or infamous) blue turf on the campus of Boise State. (Although for three seasons 2004-2006 the game was technically labeled the MPC Bowl). The newest name celebrates the home state and America’s favorite tuber, the Idaho potato. In the first matchup, Cincinnati defeated Utah State 35-19 in front of 16,131 fans. Since then, the game attendance has grown and spikes above 30,000 when the Broncos have made their recent appearances. The game currently has agreements to invite bowl eligible teams from the MAC and the WAC. For seven years, ACC teams travelled out to the Humanitarian Bowl, and surprisingly, that conference has the best record of any team going 5-2. Among the notable MVPs is Boston College’s Matt Ryan in 2005, now starring at quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL.
THE MATCHUP The blue turf will play host to the WAC champion Utah State Aggies and the Rockets from Toledo. Utah State won the conference title and finished with a 10-2 record but have to be feeling that the Ags let some games get away. Their two losses came by a combined five points to Wisconsin and BYU and enter bowl season with a six-game winning streak. Toledo held its own in a tough, underrated Mid-American Conference. The Rockets lost all three games by a touchdown and were competitive until the end. Bernard Reedy is one of the top receivers in the country and adds the explosive element to the Toledo attack. Utah State will have to lock him down and create opportunities of their own using Kerwynn Williams who leads the team in both rushing and receiving and is also its most dynamic player. Up-and-coming sophomore quarterback Chuckie Keeton, who threw for over 3,000 yards this season, also leads the Aggies.
The Rockets have now gone to three straight
bowls after beating Air Force last year in the Military Bowl and losing to Florida International in the 2010 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. Toledo finished
TOLEDO
second in the West Division of the Mid-American Conference after posting an eight-game winning streak at one point this season to help the Rockets to No. 23 in the AP poll. The team also made the BCS Top 25 for the first time in program history. The high mark of the season thus far was a 2923 win over No. 18 Cincinnati on Oct. 20. The defense is anchored by senior linebacker Dan Molls, who has registered 166 tackles this season to lead the country. On offense, Matt Campbell’s squad is paced by junior tailback David Fluellen, whose 132.7 rushing yards per game is the eighth-best mark in the nation.
Utah St. Aggies Record: 10-2 Head Coach: Gary Andersen After compiling its first 10-win season in school history, the Aggies will head to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl for the second straight year. However, this year they do so as an outright conference champion for the first time in 76 years. Other firsts accomplished by the team this season were a 6-0 conference record in WAC play and the school’s first BCS ranking. The Aggies cracked the BCS standings after the season’s final week ranked as the nation’s 24th-best team. On their way to a WAC championship, coach Gary Andersen’s Ags defeated three high-profile opponents in Louisiana Tech, Utah and Wisconsin. Utah State’s stellar season was mainly fueled by the efforts of senior running back Kerwynn Williams, who led the team in rushing and receiving. The senior rushed 200 times for 1,277 yards along with 12 touchdowns and caught 43 passes for 663 yards and five touchdowns. Williams is the career leader in all-purpose yards at Utah State.
NFL Prospects
NFL Prospects
Robert Bell LB, Byron Best CB, T.J. Fatinikun DE
Kerwynn Williams RB
UTAH STATE
Toledo Rockets Record: 9-3 Head Coach: Matt Campbell
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Qualcomm Field | San Diego, CA Dec. 20, 2012 8:00 p.m. EST The San Diego Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl has found a comfortable spot for itself as the kickoff game of the bowl season for the southern California area. The game traditionally features a matchup of teams from the Mountain West and the WAC. (BYU makes its first appearance in the eight-year history of the bowl by filling the spot of a team from the WAC). San Diego State returns for the Aztecs’ second appearance and will bring the home crowd. The Aztecs set the attendance record at 48,049 in a 2010 victory over Navy. Fans should expect plenty of offense. Only once in the history of the contest has a winner not scored at least 30 points. In that 2008 classic, TCU edged Boise State 17-16 to give the Broncos their only loss of the season. The offensive MVP of that game is now the star quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, Andy Dalton.
THE MATCHUP BYU will take its sixth-ranked defense into the Poinsettia Bowl to face off against the 16th-rated rushing attack presented by San Diego State. The Aztecs will hold the homefield advantage over the Cougars whom barely qualified for bowl season with their 7-5 record. San Diego State is riding high with its best season in recent memory and it ended the season with a seven-game win streak that included a win over then No. 17 Boise State. With this meeting, a rivalry will be rekindled that has not been seen since BYU left the Mountain West Conference to become an Independent. This game also marks the reunion of Bronco Mendenhall and his mentor Rocky Long. The game will be won in the trenches and BYU’s defensive line will need to find a way to stop San Diego State’s workhorse back, Adam Muema, to keep their offense in the game.
It was an up-and-down season for BYU, but
the Cougars did have one of the best defenses in the country in 2012. The defense allowed over 20 points just once all season (21 vs. Utah). Kyle Van Noy led the team with 11.5 sacks with 18.5 tackles for loss. Danie Sorensen had three interceptions to
BYU
spark the secondary. The offense was led by wide receiver Cody Hoffman, who had 90 catches for 1,134 yards and 11 touchdowns. Hoffman was one of the most consistent receivers in the nation, as he had seven games with at least 100 yards receiving. Hoffman saved the best for last when he had 12 catches for 182 yards and five touchdowns in a 50-14 win over New Mexico State in the season finale. The Cougars will play against San Diego State in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.
NFL Prospects Cody Hoffman WR, Ezekiel Ansah DE, Braden Brown T
San Diego State Aztecs Record: 9-3 Head Coach: Rocky Long The Aztecs will be making their third-straight bowl appearance after a decade-long drought that was finally ended with the team’s victory over Navy in the 2010 Poinsettia Bowl. The co-champions of the Mountain West Conference got off to a rocky start this season, as they began with a 2-3 record. After SDSU’s loss to conference co-champion Fresno State, the Aztecs began rolling, winning seven straight, including a 21-19 victory at Boise State, to close out the regular season and finish at 9-3 along with clinching their share of the conference title. Sophomore running-back Adam Muema has been the brightest spot in the team’s offense, with 1,355 rushing yards and a team-high 16 touchdowns. Prior to injury, senior quarterback Ryan Katz had been on his way to a strong season, but sophomore Adam Dingwell has filled in nicely for him, helping the team continue its winning streak to end the season. The team looks to rebound from a close loss in last year’s New Orleans Bowl, where they were beaten 32-30 by Louisiana-Lafayette.
NFL Prospects Adam Muema RB, Nat Berhe DB, Jake Fely LB, Ryan Katz QB
SAN DIEGO STATE
BYU Cougars Record: 7-5 Head Coach: Bronco Mendenhall
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl Tropicana Field | St. Petersburg, FL Dec. 21, 2012 7:30 p.m. EST The Beef O’Brady’s Bowl is the perfect example of business creating an opportunity for a community and the sports fans of the area. The bowl was created as the brainchild of ESPN subsidiary, ESPN Regional entertainment (ERT). ERT knew that fans in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area were football crazy and quickly formed a partnership. The result is an annual matchup of teams from the Big East and Conference USA that provides philanthropy as well as high-quality college football. The most exciting game in the short history of the game came in 2010, when Louisville scored twice in the game’s final minutes to comeback and defeat Southern Miss 31-28. Charitable events woven into the bowl’s festivities include a visit to All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, an Art Contest for students in Pinellas County elementary and middle schools, the Mike Alstott Family Foundation and a free football camp for kids.
THE MATCHUP
Central Florida Knights Record: 9-4 Head Coach: George O’Leary
Ball State Cardinals Record: 9-3 Head Coach: Pete Lembo
UCF came up just short of winning Conference USA against Tulsa, losing in overtime 33-27. It was another good year for head coach George O’Leary’s Knights, as they earned a bowl berth for the third time in four seasons. The season started slowly for Central Florida with the team losing two of the first four games but as conference play started, things started to get on track. The Knights reeled off six straight wins to put a stranglehold on the C-USA’s East division. Senior running back Latavius Murray sparked UCF midway through the season with a string of four 100-yard game performances. Murray finished the regular season with 1,035 yards and 14 touchdowns. Quarterback Blake Bortles completed 62.6 percent of his passes for 2,787 yards and 22 touchdowns. He threw just seven interceptions in 366 attempts. The Knights accepted a bid to play in the Beef O’Brady’s Bowl in St. Petersburg against Ball State on Dec. 21.
The Ball State offense seemed to find a nice balance in 2012 with 2,751 rushing yards and 3,085 passing yards. The team averaged 257 passing yards per game and 214 rushing yards per game, good enough to score on average 35 points per contest. Keith Wenning was effective under center, passing for 2,878 yards and 22 touchdowns. His favorite targets included Willie Snead and Jamill Smith. Snead led the team with 82 receptions for 1,070 yards and seven touchdowns. Smith brought in 69 catches for 706 yards and six scores. He was also very active in the return game. On the ground, Jahwan Edwards toted the ball 218 times for 1,336 yards and 14 scores. Defensively, Jonathan Newsome proved he could get after the quarterback, ringing up 8.5 sacks. Linebacker Travis Freeman led the team with 119 tackles. This will be Ball State’s first bowl game since the 2008 GMAC Bowl when the program fell to Tulsa 45-13. Ball State’s all-time bowl record is 0-6-1.
NFL Prospects
NFL Prospects
Latavius Murray RB, Ray Shipman OLB
Travis Freeman ILB
BALL STATE
UCF
After falling in overtime to Tulsa in the Conference USA championship game, Central Florida will have to gather themselves to take on the streaking Cardinals from Ball State. Ball State has won six straight and is riding into this game with confidence. Central Florida will be looking for its second bowl win and Ball State is still seeking its first. It will be important for both running backs to get going early, because when each runs the ball well, their respective offenses flourish. On paper, Central Florida has the advantage on the defensive side of the ball, but Ball State has found ways to win all year so it should be intriguing to see if the Cardinals’ defense will be able to slow down the Knights’ offense enough to stay in the game. The winner of this game will improve to 10 wins making this season a success for the coaching staff and their players.
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Mercedes-Benz Superdome | New Orleans, LA Dec. 22, 2012 12:00 p.m. EST Played on the same field as the National Football League’s New Orleans Saints, the New Orleans Bowl has been played since 2002 near the French Quarter. While it is dubbed the New Orleans Bowl, the game was played outside of the city - in Lafayette - in 2005 due to the substantial damage from Hurricane Katrina. After that game, the bowl received a sponsorship, that holds true to this day, from freight company R + L Carriers. The bowl game features bowl eligible teams from Conference USA and the Sun Belt conference. Due to the Sun Belt recently receiving extra bowl bids, the New Orleans Bowl has the right to the conference’s second-best team. The Sun Belt has six wins in the bowl’s history to Conference USA’s four wins. Interestingly enough, the Sun Belt owns all but two of the bowl’s offensive records.
THE MATCHUP The Louisiana Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns will get a chance to defend their New Orleans Bowl trophy against the East Carolina Pirates in the 2012 edition of the bowl. The defending champions of the New Orleans bowl received their bowl berth after an eight win season and second place finish in the Sun Belt. East Carolina enters the game with the same amount of wins as their opponent and opposes the Cajuns as the bowl’s Conference USA representative. East Carolina is currently riding a three-game winning streak, during which the Pirates are scoring an average of 47 points per game. Sophomore receiver Justin Hardy provides the offensive spark for the Pirates. The sophomore caught 83 passes for 1,046 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Ragin’ Cajuns come in with just as much momentum as East Carolina because of their own three game winning streak to end the season.
The Pirates got off to a 3-3 start, but finished
EAST CAROLINA
by winning five of their final six games to reach a bowl game for the sixth time in the last seven seasons. East Carolina beat Marshall 65-59 in double overtime in one of the best games in college football this year. ECU quarterback Shane Carden tossed three touchdowns to go along with 439 yards in the thrilling win. Carden led the offense with 2,838 yards passing and 21 touchdowns. The ground game was led by Vintavious Cooper, who rushed for 1,030 yards and seven touchdowns in 2012. The Pirates used their power running game to control the time of possession battle all season. The team also converted points on 45-of-49 trips into the opponent’s red zone. East Carolina will face off against Louisiana-Lafayette in the R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl on Dec. 22.
NFL Prospects Vintavious Cooper RB, Justin Jones TE
Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns Record: 8-4 Head Coach: Mark Hudspeth For the second straight year under coach Mark Hudspeth, the Ragin’ Cajuns won eight games in the regular season. They finished their Sun Belt conference schedule with six wins, placing them in a three-way tie for second place. Their two conference losses came in the month of October to North Texas and conference champion, Arkansas State. After the loss to Arkansas State, the Cajuns scored nearly 40 points a game against conference foes. Though it does not show in its record, it must be noted that Louisiana-Lafayette went toeto-toe with the highly-ranked Florida Gators for four quarters. The Cajuns fell a touchdown short of the victory, but gave the Gators a run for their money. The story for the Ragin’ Cajuns this season was their quarterback, sophomore Terrance Broadway. The sophomore threw for 2,526 yards along with 16 touchdowns. He also was the team’s second-leading rusher, rushing for 661 yards and eight touchdowns. Their dual-threat quarterback is the primary reason Louisiana-Lafayette scored nearly 35 points a game in 2012.
NFL Prospects Melvin White CB
LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE
East Carolina Pirates Record: 8-4 Head Coach: Ruffin McNeal
MAACO Bowl Las Vegas Bowl Sam Boyd Stadium | Las Vegas, NV Dec. 22, 2012 3:30 p.m. EST For a game that was conceived to fill hotels rooms in tourist-reliant Las Vegas, the MAACO Las Vegas Bowl has become one of the country’s finest regional bowls, selling out five of the last six years. In the inaugural game played on Dec. 18, 1992, pitting representatives from the Big West and Mid-American conferences, Bowling Green edged Nevada 35-34. Beginning with the 2001 game, teams from the Mountain West and Pac-12 conferences have signed on to send conference representatives from to Las Vegas creating a renewable regional rivalry. The game has become a showcase for future NFL stars. Former MVPs include Steven Jackson (Oregon State, 2003), Austin Collie (BYU, 2007) and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie phenom Doug Martin (Boise State, 2011). Sam Boyd Stadium, originally the Las Vegas Silver Bowl, has also hosted world-class music artists including George Strait, U2, Paul McCartney, the Grateful Dead and the Dave Matthews Band.
THE MATCHUP
Washington Huskies Record: 7-5 Head Coach: Steve Sarkisian
Boise State Broncos Record: 9-2 Head Coach: Chris Petersen
While the Huskies won seven games for the second straight year under coach Steve Sarkisian, the 2012 season can be seen as an improvement as the defense appeared stouter and the team defeated two top-10 foes in Pac-12 rivals, Stanford and Oregon State. The improvement on defense was evident in the number of points the Huskies gave up. The team gave up an average of 35.9 points per game last season compared to 23.8 points per game this season. However, the offense took a step backwards as its defensive brethren took a step forward. Junior quarterback Keith Price completed 62 percent of his passes this season for 2,486 yards and 18 touchdowns, each lower than his numbers for a year ago. The bright spot for the Washington Huskies on offense in 2012 was sophomore tight end Austin Sefarian-Jenkins. The sophomore was Price’s favorite target, catching 63 passes for 791 yards and six touchdowns.
Though not the BCS mainstay that they had been throughout the past few seasons, the Broncos still have the talent to compete with some of the nation’s top programs. Despite falling on the road to Michigan State in its season opener, Boise State has still had a solid 2012 campaign, led by junior quarterback Joe Southwick, who has passed for over 2,200 yards and 15 touchdowns. Senior running-back D.J. Harper has also powered the rushing attack, with 935 yards and 14 scores. Even by not winning in the fashion that they had become used to, the Broncos still found ways to get timely wins and find themselves bowl-eligible for the 11th consecutive season. Normally known for its high-powered offense, it was the defense that had become the story, as it allowed just 14.4 points per game, good enough for the fifth-best points allowed total in FBS. Chris Petersen will be looking for his fourth straight bowl victory as head coach of the team.
NFL Prospects
D.J. Harper RB, Joe Southwick QB, J.C. Percy LB, Demarcus Lawrence DE
Desmond Trufant CB, Keith Price QB
NFL Prospects
BOISE STATE
WASHINGTON
The Las Vegas Bowl features a perennial BCS buster in Boise State and up-and-coming Washington, led by coach Steve Sarkisian. These two West Coast teams will be meeting for just the second time, the first occurred in 2007 with Washington coming out on top. They will also open the 2013 season, with the loser of this game looking for revenge. This will be Boise State’s third straight year in the Las Vegas Bowl. They won here last year 54-24 over Arizona State and look to make it three straight wins in Sin City. Boise State’s defense will need to contain Washington’s quarterback, Keith Price, in order to control to tempo of the game. This will alleviate some of the pressure on the young offense. Washington will try and score early and often to force Boise State into a shoot out. With Sarkisian’s seat feeling a little warm, his players will be playing for more than just the win.
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Aloha Stadium | Honolulu, HI Dec. 24, 2012 8:00 p.m. EST Played on Christmas Eve in beautiful Honolulu since 2002, the Hawaii Bowl features a bout between a bowl-eligible Conference USA team and a bowl-eligible Pac-12 team. The bowl also previously featured teams from the WAC and Mountain West conferences. The first year a Conference USA team played in the bowl game was 2005, and it was also the first bowl appearance for Conference USA member, Central Florida. When Conference USA does not have a bowl-eligible team, the board of directors has often chosen an at-large team. For example in 2008, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish made an appearance in the game. The hometown Hawaii Warriors have made six appearances in the Hawaii Bowl, the most in the bowl’s history, and have a 3-3 record in those games. Hawaii’s Timmy Chang is the only player in the bowl’s history to have won two MVP awards.
THE MATCHUP
Fresno State Bulldogs Record: 9-3 Head Coach: Tim DeRuyter
SMU Mustangs Record: 6-6 Head Coach: June Jones
After claiming a share of the Mountain West conference title, first-year head Ccoach Tim DeRuyter and his Fresno State Bulldogs have their sights set on snapping their three-game bowl losing streak. The Bulldogs’ last bowl appearance came in the 2010 Humanitarian Bowl, where they were defeated by Northern Illinois 40-17. The offensive attack that averaged just over 40 points per game is a pass-heavy unit, led by junior quarterback Derek Carr, who threw for 3,742 yards and 36 touchdowns, with only five interceptions. Carr’s favorite target, Davante Adams, was the beneficiary of many of those touchdowns, as he caught 13 of them to go along with his 1,168 receiving yards. Robbie Rouse became a workhorse on the ground for the Bulldogs, with 269 carries for 1,468 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. On the defensive end, the secondary has been amongst the team’s strongest assets, with Philip Thomas and Derron Smith combining for 14 interceptions.
The Mustangs rebounded from a rough non-conference schedule that included Baylor, Texas A&M and TCU to go 5-3 in Conference USA play with a second-place finish in the West Division. June Jones’ offense managed to outscore the opposition with a strong passing attack and some quality efforts from the running game. Garrett Gilbert, who transferred in from Texas, appeared in 12 games at quarterback, completing 53.1 percent of his passes for 2,720 yards and 14 touchdowns. The running game featured Zach Line, who led the team with 1,207 rushing yards and 12 scores. Line was also active in the passing game, hauling in 32 receptions for an additional 231 yards. Darius Johnson made 61 catches while appearing in just 10 games. Jeremy Johnson led the team with 67 catches. Defensively, the secondary made the most of opportunities presented, picking off 19 passes and returning six for scores. Kenneth Acker had three interceptions, returning one for a touchdown. The team also returned three fumbles for touchdowns.
NFL Prospects Derek Carr QB, Davante Adams WR, Philip Thomas S, Andy Jennings NT, Robbie Rouse RB
NFL Prospects Margus Hunt DE, Zach Line RB, Garrett Gilbert QB
SMU
FRESNO STATE
The 2012 edition of the Hawaii Bowl features the Fresno State Bulldogs and the SMU Mustangs. The bowl often chooses the second best team from Conference USA and either the Hawaii Warriors or the Mountain West’s third best team. A berth to the Hawaii bowl is a return to the past for SMU coach June Jones, whom coached the Warriors for nine seasons. This year’s berth is the fourth in a row for the Mustangs, who finished with a record of 6-6. Fresno State enters the Hawaii Bowl on a five game winning streak as the nation’s 12th best scoring and passing offense. The Bulldogs scored an average of 40 points a game during the regular season. A big reason for their offensive prowess was junior quarterback Derek Carr, who threw for 3742 yards and 36 touchdowns.
Little Caesars Pizza Bowl Ford Field | Detroit, MI Dec. 26, 2012 7:30 p.m. EST Formerly known as the Motor City Bowl, the Little Caesars Bowl has been around since 1997. It plays host to a bowl-eligible MAC (Mid-American Conference) team as well as a team from the Big Ten. Due to a deal with the Big Ten conference negotiated by Michigan’s governor, Rick Snyder, the bowl will receive the fifth-best team from the conference until 2014. If the Big Ten does not have a eligible team, the Little Caesars Bowl will select an eligible team from the Sun Belt conference. The Detroit-based bowl pays its participating teams $750,000. Little Caesars Bowl MVP alumni include former New York Jets quarterback Chad Pennington, current Carolina Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams and current Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton. The Marshall Thundering Herd have made the most appearances in Little Caesar’s bowl history with five, four of those being victories.
THE MATCHUP
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Record: 7-5 Head Coach: Willie Taggart
Central Michigan Chippewas Record: 6-6 Head Coach: Dan Enos
For the second season in a row under third year head coach Willie Taggart, the Hilltoppers posted a 7-5 record during the regular season. Western Kentucky finished in the middle of the pack in regards to the Sun Belt conference, but was able to pull the upset against the Kentucky Wildcats. The Hilltoppers’ 32-31 upset victory of the Wildcats came in overtime, thanks to a halfback pass from Antonio Andrews to quarterback Kawuan Jakes for a two-point conversion in the overtime period. A week prior to defeating Kentucky, Western Kentucky suffered its most lopsided loss, a 35-0 rout by the Alabama Crimson Tide. However, there was a bright spot. Senior defensive end Quanterus Smith sacked Alabama’s quarterback three times. The senior finished the regular season with 12.5 sacks and 18.5 tackles for a loss. On offense, Andrews provided most of the fireworks. The junior rushed for 1,609 yards and 11 touchdowns. At the quarterback position, Jakes posted career highs in nearly category with a line of 2,289 yards and 21 touchdowns.
The Chippewas of Central Michigan boast a rich history of coaches and Dan Enos is surely the next great young mind to pass through Mount Pleasant. At his offensive disposal, he has running back Zurlon Tipton and quarterback Ryan Radcliff. This season Tipton rushed for 115.9 yards per game with 19 scores. His 229 carries led the team and were fifth-most in the MAC. If he is able to rush for his season average in the bowl game, he would move into fourth place in CMU history for rushing yards in a single season. He is one score away from tying Brian Pruitt for most rushing scores in a season. Radcliff passed for nearly 3,000 yards with 20 touchdowns. He averaged 242 yards per game through the air. He was able to better his completion percentage from one year ago. This bowl game with be the program’s first since the 2010 GMAC Bowl and the seventh in Chippewas history.
NFL Prospects Quanterus Smith DE, Andrew Jackson LB
NFL Prospects Eric Fisher OT, Jahleel Addae S, Jake Olson OT
CENTRAL MICHIGAN
WESTERN KENTUCKY
This year’s Little Caesars Bowl features the Central Michigan Chippewas and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. The Chippewas almost did not receive a bowl bid but thanks to Louisiana Tech’s decline of a bowl offer and Northern Illinois going to the Orange Bowl, the MAC was given another bowl berth. Central Michigan carries more momentum into the game than its opponent as it is in the midst of a three game winning streak. The Hilltoppers closed their season with a win but finished the month of November 1-3. Western Kentucky’s biggest asset is running back Antonio Andrews, who rushed for 1,609 yards and 11 touchdowns in the regular season. The driving force behind Central Michigan’s six win season has been senior quarterback Ryan Radcliff. Though not quite efficient as he was in the 2011 season, the senior threw for 2,905 yards and 20 touchdowns.
www.jcb.com
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Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman Bowl RFK Stadium | Washington, DC Dec. 27, 2012 3:00 p.m. EST Northrop Grumman sponsors the Military Bowl, which once again takes place from Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington D.C. The bowl game first occurred in 2008 in a matchup that saw Wake Forest defeat Navy 29-19 behind an MVP performance from Demon Deacons quarterback Riley Skinner. This season marks the third year that Northrop Grumman holds the sponsorship of the bowl, taking over from EagleBank in 2010. Currently, the Military Bowl features teams from the ACC and Conference USA, with Army, Navy and Air Force eligible to compete if they qualify. In the 2011 game, Toledo edged Air Force 42-41 in a shootout in which Toledo wide receiver Bernard Reedy took home most valuable player honors. Reedy caught four passes for 126 yards and three touchdowns from quarterback Terrence Owens. By clinching bowl-eligibility, Army has already claimed a spot in the 2012 Military Bowl, with a date against a qualifying ACC school on the horizon.
THE MATCHUP
The Miltary Bowl features a matchup between two conference runners-up with the WAC’s San Jose State Spartans taking on the MAC’s Bowling Green Falcons. The 10-2 Spartans passing attack, led by junior quarterback David Fales and his 3,798 yards and 31 touchdowns, guided the offense to an average of 35.3 points per game. The team also got a boost from senior running-back De’Leon Eskridge, who rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and 10 scores. The Spartans’ potent offense meets a Bowling Green defense that surrendered just 15.8 points per game, good enough for ninth in the nation. Though struggling on offense at times, the Falcons did receive solid quarterback play from junior Matt Schilz, who passed for over 2,400 yards and 14 touchdowns. With both teams capable of dominating on their respective strengths, the key will be Bowling Green’s ability to contain Fales. The Falcons’ passing defense allowed an average of 173 yards per game and just nine touchdowns this season.
Entering the season with a combined record of 8-29 over the past three seasons, Mike MacIntyre’s Spartans won 10 games and had it not been for an early season loss to Utah State, they would be the 2012 champions of the WAC. The 10-2 season earned the school its first ranking in the BCS standings, coming in No. 25 after the season’s final week. The success of the Spartans’ 2012 season can be tied to its 11th-ranked passing attack, averaging 327.5 yards per game, and the nation’s 25th-ranked scoring defense, allowing 25 points a game on average. San Jose State was led by quarterback David Fales, who completed 72 percent of his passes for 3,798 yards and 31 touchdowns this season. Fales’ completion percentage is the best in the country while his yardage and touchdowns both set San Jose State single-season records. Wide receiver Noel Grigsby and tight end Ryan Otten were Fales’ favorite targets, racking up 1,173 and 706 yards, respectively. The duo also combined for 13 touchdowns.
NFL Prospects Travis Johnson DE, Ryan Otten TE
Bowling Green Falcons Record: 8-4 Head Coach: Dave Clawson
Things looked promising in the opening game
of the season for Bowling Green. The Falcons gave Florida all they could handle and pushed the Gators before losing 27-14 in Gainesville. After dropping to 1-3, head coach Dave Clawson’s crew looked like they were headed for another losing campaign. But, Bowling Green turned it on and finished with seven wins in their last eight games. Running back Anthon Samuel led the team in rushing with 966 yards and 10 touchdowns. Samuel had a huge game at Ohio, as he rushed for 181 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-14 win. Chris Gallon led all Falcons receivers with 647 yards and six scores. Matt Schilz passed for 14 scores on the season. The Falcons earned a bowl berth for the first time since 2009 and they will go up against No. 24 San Jose State in the Military Bowl in Washington.
NFL Prospects Chris Jones DT, Cameron Truss CB, Dwayne Woods ILB, Brian Schmiedebusch P
BOWLING GREEN
SAN JOSE STATE
San Jose St. Spartans Record: 10-2 Head Coach: Mike MacIntyre
Belk Bowl Bank of America Stadium | Charlotte, NC Dec. 27, 2012 6:30 p.m. EST One of the nation’s newest bowls, the Belk Bowl was founded in 2002 as a bowl to be played in Charlotte, but under a different name. The bowl was originally dubbed the Continental Tire Bowl but would change to the Meineke Car Care Bowl in 2005. In 2010, Charlotte-based department store Belk bought the rights to the Bowl on a three-year deal. The game features the ACC’s fifth-ranked team and a member of the Big East. The Belk Bowl will select a Big East team until 2013 according to the current agreement. The ACC has seven wins in the Belk Bowl’s 11-year history. Some of its Most Valuable Player’s include now Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub, Detroit Lions linebacker Stephen Tulloch, and St. Louis Rams linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar. Both Boston College and Virginia have two MVP trophies from the game, the most of any school in Belk Bowl history.
THE MATCHUP
Cincinnati Bearcats Record: 8-3 Head Coach: Butch Jones
Duke Blue Devils Record: 6-6 Head Coach: David Cutcliffe
Cincinnati has enjoyed another solid season and has a chance to post 10 wins for a second straight time. Still, the Bearcats have to be thinking, “what could have been?” Their three losses have come by a combined 16 points, including one in overtime and none by more than a touchdown. However, those setbacks have also come to the wrong opponents if Cincinnati had designs of winning the Big East. It succumbed to co-champions Louisville (on the road in OT) and Rutgers (10-3 at home). Not surprisingly, the stats suggest that the Bearcats could and should be even better than their 8-3 mark. They are first in conference in rushing (211.4 yards per game) and second in both scoring offense and scoring defense. George Winn has carried 205 times for 1,134 yards and 11 touchdowns. Munchie Legaux is a dual-threat quarterback but he must limit his mistakes. Six of his nine interceptions have come in the last three games. Senior linebacker Greg Blair leads a solid, bend-but-don’t break defense. Fourteen different Bearcats have recorded a sack this season.
Except for a watershed moment against North Carolina, Duke has been manhandled by every single decent team it has played this season, but does it matter? No. This is a breakthrough season for the Blue Devils, who are bowl eligible for the first time since 1994. The longstanding laughingstock of the ACC started its 2012 campaign with a 5-1 record before snagging its all-important sixth win with a 33-30 upset of UNC on Oct. 20. Although the Devils have lost five in a row, dropping to 6-6, they had already done enough to go bowling. Head coach David Cutcliffe has changed the football culture at Duke and it has really begun to pay off in his fifth season. Cutcliffe has also managed to snag some solid recruits who are now the stars of this current squad. Three-year starting quarterback Sean Renfree is in the midst of by far his best season, having thrown for 18 touchdowns compared to just eight interceptions. Jela Duncan and Josh Snead are prolific running backs, while Conner Vernon (75 catches, 955 yards, seven touchdowns) is an NFL prospect at receiver.
NFL Prospects Greg Blair LB, Travis Kelce TE, George Winn RB
NFL Prospects Kenny Anunike DE, Jordon Byas S, Walt Canty S, Sean Renfree QB, Conner Vernon WR
DUKE
CINCINNATI
The 2012 Belk Bowl, a game pit between the Big East and ACC, will feature two foes that have never made an appearance in the game, the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Duke Blue Devils. Cincinnati reaches the bowl with a 9-3 record, along with a share of the Big East title. The 2012 bowl appearance marks the first postseason appearance for the Blue Devils since the 1994 season. Duke won six games this season, just enough to claim bowl-eligibility. The Bearcats pose a stiff challenge for the Blue Devils, as they own the nation’s 12th best scoring defense that allows an average of 17. 2 points per game. Duke will ask senior Sean Renfree to put forth his best effort against the Co-champion of the Big East. Cincinnati currently boasts a 7-6 record in bowl games.
Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl Qualcomm Stadium | San Diego, CA Dec. 27, 2012 9:45 p.m. EST Founded in 1978, the Holiday Bowl is a bowl that has undergone a number of changes since its inception. Until 1997, the Holiday Bowl played host to the champion of the WAC and an at-large opponent. After the 1997 season, the WAC severed its ties with the bowl. It now plays host to the Pac-12’s thirdplace team and the Big 12’s fifth-place team. Though the teams that play in the Holiday Bowl have changed over the years, the home of the post-Christmas bowl has remained the same since 1978. The game is played at Qualcomm Stadium, home of the National Football League’s San Diego Chargers. The San Diego-based bowl features a payout of roughly $2 million, one of the largest payouts for a non-BCS bowl. The bowl has been sponsored by Bridgepoint Education since 2010 and is officially called the Bridgepoint Education Bowl.
THE MATCHUP
Baylor Bears Record: 7-5 Head Coach: Art Briles
UCLA Bruins Record: 9-4 Head Coach: Jim Mora Jr.
While Baylor did not enjoy equal success at the beginning of the post-Robert Griffin III era this fall, it clearly was no fault of the offense, or the quarterback. Through 11 games senior Nick Florence threw for 3,825 yards with 30 touchdowns and rushed for an additional 460 yards and eight more scores and led the FBS in total offense. Senior wide receiver Terrance Williams averaged a whopping 19 yards per catch on 89 receptions for 1,693 yards and 12 touchdowns through his first 11 games. Baylor was also successful on the ground with three running backs totaling over 430 yards through 11 games. The backs were led by junior Glasco Martin’s 739 yards and 11 touchdowns. Baylor scored 50 or more points five times including a combined 113 points in losses (to West Virginia and Texas). The Bears’ defense was not as prolific, ranking second to last or last in just about every major defensive team category in the Big 12, including last in total defense (509.7 yards per game).
Coming off a 6-8 season in 2011, the Bruins surprised the Pac-12 by winning nine games and the South Division. UCLA held its own against top competition this season with a 3-1 record against ranked teams, including a win over the preseason No. 1 USC Trojans. The one ranked team that the school fell to was the Stanford Cardinal, whom they faced twice and lost to in the Pac-12 championship. Unlike most ranked teams, the Bruins were led by a freshman quarterback in Brett Hundley and his 26 passing touchdowns. He also threw for 3,234 yards. While Hundley posted good numbers, senior running back Johnathan Franklin was the star of the Bruins’ offense. Franklin rushed 249 times for 1,506 yards and 11 touchdowns in what was a spectacular senior season. On defense, junior outside linebacker Anthony Barr made his presence felt with 18.5 tackles for a loss, 11.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles.
NFL Prospects Nick Florence QB, Terrance Williams WR, Lanear Smapson WR, Ivory Wade C, Ahmad Dixon SS
NFL Prospects Jeff Baca OG, Anthony Barr LB, Johnathan Franklin RB
UCLA
BAYLOR
The 2012 Holiday Bowl will be a historic one. The California-based bowl will play host to the first ever matchup of the UCLA Bruins and the Baylor Bears. Always featuring a matchup between the Pac-12’s third best team and the Big 12’s fifth best team, neither team has ever faced off against the other. UCLA finished the season 9-4 with consecutive losses to the Stanford Cardinal, had they beaten Stanford in the season’s last week they would have found themselves in the Rose Bowl. At the midpoint of the season, it seemed as if the Baylor Bears would not become a bowl-eligible team but rattled off three consecutive victories to finish the season with a 7-5 mark. Though only compiling seven wins in 2012, the Bears have an impressive resume with victories over Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. They currently own the nation’s fourth best scoring offense.
AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl Independence Stadium | Shreveport, LA Dec. 28, 2012 2:00 p.m. EST Started in 1976, the Independence Bowl is the 11th oldest bowl in the country. Normally, the conferences that would play in the game would be the Big 12 and the SEC. That stopped in 2009 when the Independence Bowl decided to feature a team from the ACC and the Mountain West conference. This year, the SEC will replace the Mountain West will be replaced by the SEC, and that makes it third bowl where the ACC and SEC play against each other with the other two being the Music City Bowl and the Chickfil-A Bowl. One of the most memorable games came in 2000 when Texas A&M took on Mississippi State and a snowstorm hit right before kickoff. In last year’s game, Missouri took out North Carolina 41-24 and quarterback James Franklin was named MVP. Current NFL players have played in the Independence Bowl like Eli Manning, Geno Atkins and Takeo Spikes.
THE MATCHUP
Ohio Bobcats Record: 8-4 Head Coach: Frank Solich
Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks Record: 8-4 Head Coach: Todd Berry
It looked like Ohio might be on their way to an at-large BCS bid when they started the season 7-0. A 10-point win at Penn State was a statement to the rest of the Mid-American Conference that Ohio was for real this season. Junior running back Beau Blankenship ran for 1,500 yards and 11 touchdowns to lead Ohio in rushing. Blankenship had a huge game against UMass with 43 carries for 269 yards and two touchdowns in a 37-34 victory. He was one of six Bobcats to be named to the 2012 Mid-American Conference All-League team. Matt Weller, Eric Herman, Skyler Allen, Alphonso Lewis and Neal Huynh joined him. Quarterback Tyler Tettleton threw for 2,513 yards and 16 touchdowns, while throwing only three interceptions this season. The Bobcats earned a bowl berth for the fourth straight season and will face Louisiana-Monroe in the AdvoCare 1000 Independence Bowl.
In their third season under head coach Todd Berry, the Warhawks posted an 8-4 record, their largest win total since the 1993 season. The Warhawks were the talk of college football in the month of September thanks to their victory over then eighth-ranked Arkansas and near victories over the Auburn Tigers and Baylor Bears. Louisiana-Monroe also stayed competitive in the Sun Belt conference, as it fell one win short of clinching the conference title. The Warhawks finished 6-2 in the conference, good for a threeway tie for second place. The upset victory of Arkansas was fueled by junior quarterback Kolton Browning. In his third year as starter, Browning posted career highs in passing yards, completion percentage and touchdowns with a line of 2,830, 64.8 percent, and 27, respectively. The junior also was the Warhawks’ leading rusher with 441 yards and seven touchdowns. Junior Jyruss Edwards was the team’s second-leading rusher, finishing with 438 yards.
NFL Prospects
NFL Prospects
Beau Blankenship RB, Travis Carrie CB
None
LOUISIANA-MONROE
OHIO
The state of Louisiana is happy that UL-Monroe will not have to travel far for its bowl game as the Warhawks will go down the road to Shreveport to face the Ohio Bobcats in the Independence Bowl. The Warhawks finished with an 8-4 record and tied for second place in the Sun Belt Conference which makes it their best season since joining the FBS in 1994. They are led by quarterback Kolton Browning who has thrown for 2,830 yards and 27 touchdowns. Browning also leads the team in rushing with 441 yards and seven touchdowns. The Bobcats started the season 7-0 and even cracked the Top 25. But stumbled towards the end of the season and finished with an 8-4 record including a 4-4 record in the MAC. Quarterback Tyler Tettleton leads the Bobcats as he threw for 2,513 yards and 16 touchdowns. Tettleton doesn’t make a lot of mistakes as he threw only three interceptions this season.
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Russell Athletic Bowl Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium | Orlando, FL Dec. 28, 2012 5:30 p.m. EST Formerly the Champs Sports Bowl, the Russell Athletic Bowl makes its debut in 2012 from the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, FL. The game itself began in 1990 and was held in Miami Gardens at the current home of the Miami Hurricanes, Sun Life Stadium, until 2001, when it moved to Orlando. The game features teams from the ACC and Big East conferences with Notre Dame being able to represent the Big East as well. The 2011 matchup was between the aforementioned Notre Dame and Florida State, with the Seminoles edging the Fighting Irish behind 249 passing yards and two touchdowns from quarterback EJ Manuel. Seminoles receiver Rashad Green was named the game’s most valuable player, with 99 receiving yards and a touchdown catch from Manuel. North Carolina State has appeared in the bowl five times, more than any other program, and has a 3-2 record in those appearances.
THE MATCHUP
Rutgers Scarlet Knights Record: 9-3 Head Coach: Kyle Flood
Virginia Tech Hokies Record: 6-6 Head Coach: Frank Beamer
Rutgers didn’t miss a beat despite losing longtime head coach Greg Schiano to the NFL’s Tampa Bay Bucs. The Scarlet Knights hope the trend of winning bowl games also continues. They won five in a row under Schiano, including a 27-13 defeat of Iowa in last season’s Pinstripe Bowl. Still, Rutgers will finish its 2012 campaign with a bitter taste in its mouth no matter the ultimate outcome. Kyle Flood’s squad had two chances to wrap up the Big East title and secure a BCS berth. Instead, it lost at Pittsburgh and then fell at home to Louisville to see its record suddenly drop from 9-1 to 9-3. What went wrong for the Scarlet Knights down the stretch? Their offense, which had been relatively prolific through nine games, simply could not finish. They scored only 10 points against Cincinnati, six against Pittsburgh, and 17 against Louisville. Those are their three lowest outputs of the season. The defense did all it could, finishing first in the conference in scoring defense and second in both rushing and total defense. Do-it-all senior linebacker Khaseem Greene has 115 tackles (10 for loss), 5.5 sacks, two interceptions and six forced fumbles.
Before the season began, Virginia Tech was well inside the Top 25 and thought to be a serious contender for the ACC title. As the regular season wrapped up in late November, the Hokies were struggling mightily just to become bowl eligible. Trouble began with a 35-17 loss at Pittsburgh in their third game and it reached a crescendo in the form of a disastrous six-game stretch from the end of September through the first two weeks of November. Tech went 1-5, beat nobody other than Duke, fell to Cincinnati at home, and got crushed by Miami, 30-12. Beamer’s squad scrambled to book a bowl trip with a two-game winning streak at the expense of Boston College and Virginia, reaching the necessary 6-6 mark. Junior quarterback Logan Thomas might as well be the entire offense. He has thrown 17 touchdowns (but has 14 interceptions) while also leading the team in rushes and rushing yards. Senior wideouts Marcus Davis and Corey Fuller are big targets who have hauled in five scores apiece. The offense is decent but not good enough to make up for arguably coordinator Bud Foster’s worst defense ever.
NFL Prospects
Marcus Davis WR, Antone Exum CB, Corey Fuller WR, Derrick Hopkins, DT, Bruce Taylor LB, Logan Thomas QB, Jack Tyler LB
Brandon Coleman WR, Khaseem Greene LB, Mark Harrison WR, Logan Ryan CB
NFL Prospects
VIRGINIA TECH
RUTGERS
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights, who were runners-up in the Big East conference title game, will take on the Virginia Tech Hokies out of the Atlantic Coast Conference in the Russell Athletic Bowl. Rutgers, who finished with a record of 9-3, will look to their fourth-ranked defense, which gave up just 14.3 points per game, to help them shut down the Hokies’ offense, led by mobile quarterback Logan Thomas. This game could come down to a game of defenses as neither offense was able to score with much consistency throughout the season. The Scarlet Knights’ defense was anchored by Khaseem Greene, who led the team with 125 tackles, along with 5.5 sacks and two interceptions. The Hokies’ Thomas will have to find ways to not only get past Greene, but to avoid making erratic decisions, which led to him throwing 14 interceptions. If the offensive line is able to create space for Thomas, they may be able to complete against a tough defensive matchup.
Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas Reliant Stadium | Houston, TX Dec. 28, 2012 9:00 p.m. EST Reliant Stadium in Houston, home of the NFL’s Houston Texans, once again plays host to the Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl. The game features a matchup between teams from the Big 12 and Big Ten conferences. The bowl’s inception was in 2006, when the bowl replaced the now-defunct Houston Bowl. This is the first year that the bowl will be known as the Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl. Last season’s game saw Texas A&M, in its final game as a member of the Big 12 conference, defeat Northwestern 33-22 behind 329 passing yards and a touchdown from current Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Several current NFL stars have competed in the Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl and have also taken home the game’s MVP honors, including Baltimore Ravens’ running-back Ray Rice, who played for Rutgers and Cincinnati Bengals’ quarterback Andy Dalton, who led TCU to victory.
THE MATCHUP The Minnesota Golden Gophers of the Big Ten take on the Big 12’s Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl. Despite starting out 4-0, Minnesota struggled in conference play and finished the season at 6-6 after a 2-6 Big 12 record. Injuries and struggles at the quarterback position led to three players receiving snaps under center for Minnesota, with Max Shortell and Philip Nelson taking the bulk of the snaps in an effort to stabilize the position. The Gophers are expected to ride the hot hand in the bowl game. Texas Tech enters the game with one of the most potent passing games in the nation, led by senior Seth Doege who had nearly 4,000 passing yards and 38 touchdowns. Doege will be looking for his two favorite receiving targets, Eric Ward and Darrin Moore, who combined for 24 touchdowns and just shy of 1,000 yards each.
The Gophers continued to improve in year two of head coach Jerry Kill’s tenure. The Gophers were 3-9 in 2011, and as long their coach stays healthy, fans can look toward continued improvement. (Kill, who has been diagnosed with epilepsy, suffered two strokes this season). The team’s improvements are most notable on the defensive side of the ball. Senior defensive end D.L. Wilhite was named second-team All-Big 10 by the media thanks to his 8.5 sacks, a mark that tied him for second in the conference. Junior Ra’shede Hageman had a monster year from the defensive tackle spot with five sacks. All the pressure up front helped cornerback Michael Carter intercept two passes and lead the team with 12 break-ups. On offense, the Gophers are young but will use bowl prep time to keep improving. Sophomore running back Donnell Kirkwood led the Gophers with 849 rushing yards. Freshman quarterback Phillip Nelson began seeing playing time around mid-season and with six touchdowns in his first three games, he should only improve with experience.
NFL Prospects D.L. Wilhite DE, Ra’shede Hageman DT
Texas Tech Red Raiders Record: 7-5 Head Coach: Tommy Tuberville
After going 4-0 to start the season, Texas
Tech went 3-5 the rest of the way including losing four of their last five games. The Red Raiders had one of the best passing offenses in the country, averaging 360 yards per game. Quarterback Seth Doege was the reason the Red Raiders could air it out constantly as he threw for 3,076 yards and 26 touchdowns in his nine conference games. Doege’s go-to guys were receivers Darrin Moore and Eric Ward who both had over 800 receiving yards and a combined 18 touchdowns catches. Defensively, the Red Raiders did not scare anyone because they gave up over 400 yards per game. However, defensive back Cody Davis has been a playmaker for the Red Raiders as he led the team in tackles (91) and interceptions (3). Safety D.J. Johnson also had a strong year with 76 tackles two tackles for losses and one interception.
NFL Prospects None
TEXAS TECH
MINNESOTA
Minnesota Gophers Record: 6-6 Head Coach: Jerry Kill
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Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl Amon G. Carter Stadium | Fort Worth, TX Dec. 29, 2012 11:45 a.m. EST Amon G. Carter Stadium, home of the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs, once again plays host to the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl after a two-year hiatus in which the bowl was hosted at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on the campus of Southern Methodist University. Bell Helicopter has been the sponsor of the bowl since 2006. The game features teams from the Mountain West and Conference USA conferences, but Division I independent schools Army and Navy are both eligible should either conference not be able to provide a bowl-eligible team. Air Force has appeared in the bowl four times, more than any other team. Last year’s matchup saw the BYU Cougars outlast the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes 24-21, with BYU wide receiver Cody Hoffman taking the Offensive Most Valuable Player honors. Hoffman caught eight passes for 122 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winning score with just 11 seconds to play.
THE MATCHUP
Rice Owls Record: 6-6 Head Coach: David Bailiff
Air Force Falcons Record: 6-6 Head Coach: Troy Calhoun
The Owls had a remarkable turnaround of their season by winning their last four games to become bowl eligible for the second time in coach David Bailiff’s sixth season. Rice was 0-4 in conference play before evening its record by beating Southern Miss, Tulane, SMU and UTEP in succession. Bailiff’s squad owns a balanced offense that averages 31.8 points per game. However, the defense is allowing 31.3 points per game. QB Taylor McHargue leads the offense with 2,178 yards passing and 628 rushing. McHargue has accounted for 22 total touchdowns, 11 through the air and on the ground. RB Charles Ross heads the Owls in rushing yards with 743. Wide receiver Jordan Taylor was the team’s most prolific receiver with 673 yards on 48 grabs while Sam McGuffie had 49 catches for 523 yards and five scores. Vance McDonald had 35 catches for 433 yards. This season’s berth in the Bell Helicopters Armed Forces Bowl is Rice’s 10th all time and its third since 1961.
With a 6-6 record, the Falcons were able to secure bowl eligibility for the sixth consecutive season. In last season’s Military Bowl, they fell to Toledo in a shootout 42-41. After hovering around .500 for much of the season, Air Force did just enough to stay in the conference title hunt, before ultimately coming up short with a loss to Fresno State in the regular season finale. The triple-option style offense, led by senior Connor Dietz, balanced well between the pass and run, which is atypical of that style of offense but was able to average 28.5 points per game. Dietz passed for 1,127 yards and eight touchdowns while also gaining 658 yards on the ground and five rushing scores. The rushing attack features several prominent pieces, led by senior Cody Getz, who rushed for over 1,200 yards and nine touchdowns. Senior Wes Cobb, utilized as a goal-line back, contributed with eight scores, while sophomore Jon Lee, who looks to be an integral part to the team’s future, added 543 yards and four touchdowns.
NFL Prospects
NFL Prospects
Vance McDonald TE, Sam McGuffie WR, Luke Willson TE
Austin Niklas LB, Cody Getz RB, Alex Means LB, Christian Spears DB
AIR FORCE
RICE
The Armed Forces Bowl features a matchup between two 6-6 teams as the Rice Owls take on the Air Force Falcons. Rice finished third in Conference USA and was able to recover from a 2-6 start to the season and win its final four games to become bowl-eligible. The Owls had three players carry the ball more than 100 times for over 500 rushing yards in their run-heavy offense en route to an average of 31 points per game. Rice will have to contend with the Air Force triple-option rushing attack, which is led by senior running-back Cody Getz. Getz rushed for 1,213 yards and nine touchdowns to help guide the Falcons to their 6-6 record in the tough Mountain West Conference. Falcons’ senior quarterback Connor Dietz was effective as a dual-threat quarterback, totaling 1,700 rushing and passing yards to go along with 13 touchdowns. The Owls, who gave up 192.8 rushing yards per game, will need to find a way to slow down the Falcons’ second-ranked rushing offense, which averaged more than 300 yards per game on the ground.
New Era Pinstripe Bowl Yankee Stadium | Bronx, NY Dec. 29, 2012 3:15 p.m. EST The New Era Pinstripe Bowl is one of the more interesting games because it is played at Yankee Stadium. Most bowl games are played in warm locations in California and Florida, but not this one. This is a game that was initiated by the late owner of the New York Yankees, George Steinbrenner. Along with the help of New York mayor Michael Bloomberg back in 2009 made this game a possibility. Some of the names of the game that were proposed before the Pinstripe Bowl were the “Jeter Bowl”, the “Gotham Bowl” and the “Yankees Bowl”. The Yankees are the first Major League Baseball team to sponsor a college football bowl game. The inaugural game in 2010 was won by Syracuse, as the Orange defeated Kansas State 36-34. The game usually features the No. 4 team from the Big East and the No. 7 team from the Big 12.
THE MATCHUP
West Virginia Mountaineers Record: 7-5 Head Coach: Dana Holgorsen
Syracuse Orange Record: 7-5 Head Coach: Doug Marrone
At one point, West Virginia was one of the hottest teams in football, and a large part of that was the play of QB Geno Smith. But the offense cooled down once the Mountaineers got deeper into conference play and, as a result of that, they have lost five of their last six games. But the ‘Neers are still a dangerous team because Smith is a guy that can sling it all over the field and he does it with accuracy, completing 70 percent of his passes. Smith has also thrown for over 3,200 yards and 37 touchdowns. The problem for West Virginia is they have trouble stopping opponents from scoring. The Mountaineers surrender 40 points per game, which almost makes them the worst scoring defense in the country. Their weakness on defense is in the passing game as they have only notched eight interceptions. Joseph Karl is the leader on defense, tallying 88 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss.
The Orange have been up and down in their four seasons under head coach Doug Marrone. This year, they regained some momentum after a disastrous 2011 campaign in which a 1-6 Big East record left them 5-7 overall and out of the bowl picture. Syracuse could have let this season spiral out of control in similar fashion, as it opened by losing two in a row, three of its first four, and four of its first six. The team, however, bounced back to go 5-1 over its last six—a stretch that included a 45-26 thrashing of Louisville, which will be the conference’s BCS representative. Most of Syracuse’s success in 2012 has come thanks to an offense that ranks first in the Big East in total offense (473.4 yards per game). Senior quarterback Ryan Nassib leads the conference with room to spare in passing yards (3,619) and he has 24 touchdowns compared to just nine interceptions. Alec Lemon has more than 1,000 receiving yards and the attack is balanced by running backs Jerome Smith (1,019 yards) and Prince-Tyson Gulley (seven touchdowns). The Orange are sixth out of eight Big East teams in both total defense and scoring defense.
NFL Prospects
NFL Prospects
WR Tavon Austin, WR Stedman Bailey, QB Geno Smith
Alec Lemon WR, Ryan Nassib QB, Brandon Sharpe DE, Shamarko Thomas S
SYRACUSE
WEST VIRGINIA
The Syracuse Orange will have a decided home-field advantage in their home state of New York in the Pinstripe Bowl. The matchup pairs two former Big East rivals against each other. The Mountaineers struggled against one of the toughest schedules in the nation in their first year of Big 12 play. West Virginia started the year as one of the top teams in the top 25, but fell off quickly following five straight conference losses midway through the season. Quarterback Geno Smith was the Heisman favorite after four games and finished with 4,004 yards and 40 touchdowns for the Mountaineers. The Orange also struggled against a tough schedule that pitted them against the likes of USC and Northwestern. Syracuse recovered from a slow start though, to finish the season with three straight wins. Quarterback Ryan Nassib, who passed for 3,619 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2012, leads Syracuse.
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Sun Life Stadium | San Francisco, CA Dec. 29, 2012 4:00 p.m. EST The home of the San Francisco Giants, AT&T Park is the location for the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl and has served in that capacity since 2002. The game has been called the San Francisco Bowl (2002-03) and the Emerald Bowl (2004-2009). Playing in a baseball stadium makes for some interesting and sometimes confusing moments in a college football game. The benches for each team are set up on the same sideline along what is usually the outfield during baseball season. Some recent MVPs from this game include Eric Weddle, Utah (2005), Jahvid Best, California (2008) and most recently Nathan Scheelhaase of Illinois last year. The conferences that have been included in this game are the ACC, MAC, WAC and Pac-12. Kraft Foods has sponsored the game since 2010.
THE MATCHUP
Navy Midshipmen Record: 8-4 Head Coach: Ken Niumatalolo
Arizona State Sun Devils Record: 7-5 Head Coach: Todd Graham
Every year the only thing that matters to Navy is beating Army. Lately, that has been a certainty, as the Midshipmen won their 11th straight game over their historical rival. Freshman quarterback Keenan Reynolds broke through for a eight-yard touchdown run to put Navy on top and earn the team’s 13th Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy. The win was icing on the cake of another winning season for Navy. The Midshipmen earned a bowl berth with seven wins in 2012. Navy will face Arizona State in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco. It is somewhat surprising that Navy is in a bowl game after starting the year 1-3. The low-point of the season was a dismal 12-0 defeat at the hands of San Jose State. However, the Midshipmen got it together and won seven of their final eight games. Although they did not have a 1,000-yard rusher, a strong offensive line led Navy to the nation’s sixth-best rushing attack in 2012.
The Sun Devils snapped a three-year bowl drought with a berth in the Las Vegas Bowl in 2011, which resulted in a 52-34 loss to Boise State. Firstyear head coach Todd Graham has brought the team back to bowl-eligibility with a 7-5 mark in 2012, including a 5-4 conference record, which culminated with the Devils’ remarkable come-from-behind victory over rival Arizona in the regular season finale. If not for a four-game losing streak, the Sun Devils may have found themselves in a more prestigious bowl after starting 5-1. The offense utilizes a fair mixture of the pass and run, as sophomore quarterback Taylor Kelly had himself a strong season under center, with over 2,700 passing yards and 25 touchdowns. The Sun Devils had four players tally at least 400 rushing yards, with junior Marion Grice leading the way with 520 rushing yards, as well as over 400 receiving yards, and a combined 17 scores. Defensively, Arizona State allowed 24.0 points per game, with senior linebacker Brandon Magee contributing 104 tackles and Carl Bradford and Will Sutton combining for 21 sacks.
NFL Prospects
Brandon Magee LB, Carl Bradford LB, Will Sutton DT, Marion Grice RB
Beau Haworth G, Josh Cabral G
NFL Prospects
ARIZONA STATE
NAVY
Arizona State started the 2012 season by winning five of its first six games, but finished by losing four of its last six games. However, the Sun Devils did defeat their in-state rival Arizona 41-34 in the final game. Quarterback Taylor Kelly will lead the Sun Devils’ passing attack against Navy. Kelly threw 25 touchdowns this year. Navy returns to a bowl game after failing to gain a spot last year. The Midshipmen have a tough defense led by linebacker Keegan Wetzel. Wetzel led the team in sacks with 6.5 on a defense that was the sixth best against the rush in the nation. This will be the first ever match-up between these two teams. Arizona State will be playing in their 26th bowl game, while Navy is making their 18th bowl appearance and ninth in the past 10 seasons.
Gourmet pub food,18 beers on tap, wine by the glass, and plenty of patio seating!
1132 Canton St • Roswell, GA 30075 • (770) 641-6641 w w w. s l a t e t a b l e a n d t a p . c o m
Valero Alamo Bowl Alamodome | San Antonio, TX Dec. 29, 2012 6:45 p.m. EST The Alamo Bowl is played after Christmas and it features the top teams from the Big 12 and the Pac-12. Formed in 1993, the Alamo Bowl was a game that gave an automatic invite to the now defunct Southwest Conference. But there were only two teams in that conference that were bowl eligible and both of those teams were committed to other bowls, so the invite went to Iowa and their opponent was against California in the very first Alamo Bowl. The most attended Alamo Bowl was back in 2007 when Penn State took on Texas A&M and a crowd of 66,166 made their way to the Alamodome. Last year, fans got a treat when Baylor defeated Washington 67-56. Not only was that the most points scored in the Alamo Bowl, it was also the first time the Alamo Bowl featured a Heisman winner in Baylor’s Robert Griffin III.
THE MATCHUP
Texas Longhorns Record: 8-3 Head Coach: Mack Brown
Oregon State Beavers Record: 8-3 Head Coach: Mike Riley
The Texas Longhorns stared the 2012 season strong, winning their first four games of the year including road wins against Ole Miss and Oklahoma State. But they have also suffered tough losses to West Virginia, Texas and TCU, and that has set the Longhorns back this season. The Longhorns are not the high-powered offense fans are used to seeing as they only score 32 points per game. Quarterback David Ash has done a solid job under center this season with 17 touchdowns passes and nearly 2,500 yards. But don’t be surprised if Case McCoy is the starter when the Longhorns play their bowl game because the coaches want to see if he is the right guy for the future of the program. On defense, Alex Okafor is one of the premier pass rushers in the conference and he’s the reason the Longhorns have one of the better pass defenses in the league. The Longhorns are also led by LB Steve Edmond who led the team with nearly 100 tackles.
The Beavers are bowl-eligible for the first time since 2009, when they were beaten 44-20 by BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl. Playing in a conference that is loaded talent, along with a non-conference schedule that included a win against Wisconsin, OSU was able to ride strong quarterback play from sophomore Sean Mannion and junior Cody Vaz to a 6-0 start. Despite losses on the road at Stanford and against Oregon the Beavers certainly have the talent to compete with the nation’s elite programs outside of the Pac-12. Mannion and Vaz combined to pass for over 3,000 yards and over 20 touchdowns, with Vaz being the more accurate of the duo, throwing just one interception. The Beavers also had a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in sophomore Brandin Cooks and senior Markus Wheaton. As a team, the offense averaged 29.0 points per game, but it was the defense that kept games low-scoring, surrendering 21.3 points per contest.
NFL Prospects
NFL Prospects
DE Alex Okafor, WR Mike Davis, K Anthony Fera, OL Mason Walters, Jackson Jeffcoat
Markus Wheaton WR, Brandin Cooks WR, Scott Crichton DE, Michael Doctor LB
OREGON STATE
TEXAS
This year’s Alamo Bowl will feature Texas and Oregon State. This will be the third time the teams have faced each other with the first being in 1980 and the second being in 1987, both wins by to the Longhorns. Led by head coach Mack Brown, the Longhorns finished the regular season with an 8-4 (6-3 Big 12) record and are coming off a blowout loss to Fiesta Bowl-bound Kansas State. The one key storyline to watch for the Longhorns is who will start at quarterback. David Ash did not play in the season finale because of an injury, so Case McCoy took over and played well, throwing for 314 yards. As for Oregon State, they went 9-3 (6-3 Pac-12) and they have one of the most explosive offenses in the country. But they also have one of the best defensive linemen in the country, as DE Scott Crichton racked up 42 tackles and nine sacks this year.
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Sun Devil Stadium | Tempe, AZ Dec. 29, 2012 10:15 p.m. EST Formerly the Insight Bowl, the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl has been a mainstay in the state of Arizona, shuffling from three different venues since the game’s inception in 1989. Sun Devil Stadium, home of the Arizona State Sun Devils is the current home of the game, but Bank One Ball Park and Arizona Stadium have also played hosts. This year is the first time that Buffalo Wild Wings has the naming rights to the bowl after Insight Enterprises held the sponsorship from 1996 to 2011. Weiser Lock and Domino’s Pizza have also been previous sponsors of the game. Currently, the bowl game features annual matchups between teams from the Big 10 and the Big 12. Last season’s game saw Oklahoma knock off Iowa 31-14. Oklahoma running back Blake Bell took home Offensive Most Valuable Player honors, leading the way with three rushing touchdowns, while Jamell Fleming was named defensive MVP of the game.
THE MATCHUP
TCU Horned Frogs Record: 7-5 Head Coach: Gary Patterson
Michigan State Spartans Record: 6-6 Head Coach: Mark Dantonio
TCU’s first year in the Big 12 conference was not great, but it wasn’t bad either. The Horned Frogs had quality wins against Baylor, Texas and West Virginia, but also had some disappointing losses. Defense has always been the strength of the Horned Frogs and this year it was no different thanks in large part to players like Devonte Fields and DB Jason Verrett, Fields has notched nine sacks this season while Verrett has intercepted six passes. There is not a standout player on offense, but running backs B.J. Catalon and Matthew Tucker are as reliable as they come Catalon has gained over 500 rushing yards this year while Tucker leads the team with five touchdowns to go along with his 500 rushing yards. QB Trevone Boykin has shown improvement each game and could have a big day when the Horned Frogs play their bowl game.
The loss of three-time captain and the man who rewrote the records for a quarterback in Lansing, Kirk Cousins, to the NFL proved to be a huge obstacle for the Spartans. Five of the six losses on the season were by four points or less. (The other loss came against Notre Dame). Bruising junior running back Le’Veon Bell was the brightest star on the offense rushing for 1,648 yards and 11 touchdowns. Junior quarterback Andrew Maxwell put up respectable numbers (2,578 yards and 13 touchdowns) but the offense only averaged 20.3 points per game. On the other hand, the defense allowed only 16.3 points per game, good enough to lead the Big 10. Opponents struggled to run the ball, averaging less than 100 yards per game. Junior defensive ends Will Gholston and linebacker Max Bullough each finished with 12 tackles for loss. In the secondary, senior Johnny Adams and junior Darqueze Dennard each intercepted three passes. This season will mark the fifth straight bowl appearance for Michigan State and the sixth in seven seasons under Dantonio.
NFL Prospects
NFL Prospects
WR Josh Boyce, OL Blaize Flotz, OL Stansly Maponga, QB Casey Pachall
Le’Veon Bell RB, Will Gholston, DE, Dion Sims TE, Johnny Adams CB
MICHIGAN STATE
TCU
The Big Ten meets the Big 12 as the Michigan State Spartans take on the Texas Christian Horned Frogs in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. The Spartans finished the regular season at 6-6, but struggled to maintain any offensive consistency and relied heavily on a defense that allowed 16 points per game, good for 10th in the nation. Junior running-back Le’Veon Bell led the run-heavy offensive attack as he rushed for 1,648 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Spartans take on a TCU squad that finished 7-5, with a 4-5 conference record in its first season in the Big 12. Typically known for a high-powered offense, the Horned Frogs were forced to adapt defensively in order to compete in the highly-competitive Big 12 and fortunately they had success, holding opponents to 23 points per game. The team relies heavily on the passing game and rode freshman quarterback Trevone Boykin, who replaced the suspended Casey Pachall, to a strong passing season with 1,853 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl LP Field | Nashville, TN Dec. 31, 2012 12:00 p.m. EST The Music City Bowl started in 1998 and it was created to simulate a positive impact on the Nashville and surrounding communities. When the bowl was originally formed the tie-in conferences were the Big East and the SEC. Then the Music City Bowl was able to secure the Big Ten when the Big East did not renew their contract. Now the tie-in conferences for this bowl are the ACC and the SEC, and it has led to some really interesting games over the years as there have been plenty of upsets. Back in 2006, Kentucky was a 10-point underdog against Clemson, but the Wildcats won 28-20. In 2002, Minnesota was a touchdown underdog against Arkansas, but the Golden Gophers won by two touchdowns. Mississippi State and Wake Forest played in last year’s game and the Bulldogs came away with a 23-17 win. It was the fifth bowl win in a row for the Bulldogs, and second win in two seasons.
THE MATCHUP
North Carolina State Wolfpack Record: 7-5 Head Coach: Dana Bible (interim)
Vanderbilt Commodores Record: 8-4 Head Coach: James Franklin
When you are the head coach of an ACC team not named Florida State, you generally don’t get fired during the same season in which you beat the Seminoles. That, however, was the fate of Tom O’Brien. N.C. State stunned FSU 17-16 on Oct. 6, but O’Brien’s squad compiled a mediocre 7-5 record and suffered losses to Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia. This is the end of the road for O’Brien after six seasons in Raleigh. Offensive coordinator Dana Bible will take over for the team’s bowl game. Bible inherits a pass-happy group that can play defense at times but more often than not relies on a consistent offense. Senior signal-caller Mike Glennon has passed for 3,648 yards and 40 touchdowns while primarily focusing on targets Quintin Payton, Tobais Palmer and Bryan Underwood. The Wolfpack defense is inconsistent but known to make big plays. It is tied for the ACC lead with 16 interceptions, mainly thanks to defensive backs David Amerson, Earl Wolff, and Brandan Bishop.
NFL Prospects
James Franklin preached all offseason that this Vanderbilt team wouldn’t be like Commodores teams of years past. He may have been on to something. After dropping three of their first four games, including two to SEC East opponents, Vanderbilt went to Missouri and pulled out a big win for Franklin’s cause. The team then won six straight to end the season with eight wins, the most since the program won eight games in 1982. Since Vanderbilt joined the SEC in 1932, the Commodores had only won eight games four previous times before this year. QB Jordan Rodgers finished the year with 2,431 yards and 13 touchdowns while Zac Stacy rushed for 1,034 yards. Franklin’s defensive standouts included S Kenny Ladler (80 tackles), S Javon Marshall (80 tackles) and LB Chase Garnham (six sacks). Andre Hal and Trey Wilson each picked off a pair of passes out of the defensive secondary. Vanderbilt beat in-state rival Tennessee for the second time since 1982.
David Amerson CB, Brandan Bishop S, Darryl Cato-Bishop DE, Rickey Dowdy LB, Mike Glennon QB, Quintin Payton WR, Earl Wolff S
Wesley Johnson OL, Archibald Barnes OLB, Zac Stacy RB, Jordan Matthews WR
NFL Prospects
VANDERBILT
NC STATE
Vanderbilt and North Carolina State face off in the Music City Bowl which takes place in the Commodores’ hometown of Nashville on New Year’s Eve. This is the first time in school history that Vanderbilt has gone to back-to-back bowl games. Their eight wins this year are the most in 30 years and their five conference wins are the most since 1935. One of their reasons for their success is running back Zac Stacy who has rushed for more than 1,000 yards for the second consecutive year. And the wide receiver combo of Jordan Matthews and Chris Boyd tallied over 2,000 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. N.C. State will have a new look to them as offensive coordinator Dana Bible takes over as head coach since the program fired Tom O’Brien at the end of the regular season. The Wolfpack had a big win against ACC champion Florida State, but disappointing losses to Tennessee, Miami and Virginia led to a 7-5 record.
Hyundai Sun Bowl Sun Bowl Stadium | El Paso, TX Dec. 31, 2012 2:00 p.m. EST The oldest non-BCS bowl game, the Sun Bowl, has been held every season since 1935. It is the second oldest bowl overall (tied with the Orange Bowl and the Sugar Bowl), trailing only—of course—the Rose Bowl. Previously contracted with Big 12, the Big East, and the Big Ten (plus an agreement with Notre Dame), the Sun Bowl currently has ties with the ACC and the Pac-12. It has the fourth pick from those two conferences this year. The 2010 clash pitted two legendary programs—Miami (FL) and Notre Dame—against each other and last season’s tilt between Georgia Tech and Utah was the first overtime game in the history of the Sun Bowl (Utah prevailed 30-27). It is currently held on UTEP’s campus and the host school is the all-time leader in Sun Bowl wins with five. UTEP is second in Sun Bowl appearances behind Texas Tech, which is 1-8 in nine trips.
THE MATCHUP
USC Trojans Record: 7-5 Head Coach: Lane Kiffin
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Record: 6-7 Head Coach: Paul Johnson
In their first season off of probation, the Trojans were expected to do great things such as winning the national championship and having a Heisman Trophy-worthy quarterback. However, as seen in their 7-5 record, that was not the case in 2012. The train first went off the tracks for USC with a loss to the Stanford Cardinal, but losses to Pac-12 rivals Arizona, Oregon and UCLA kept them from clinching a spot in the conference championship. Though they will not play in a BCS bowl, the Trojans will still play in a bowl game in their first year of postseason eligibility following their probation. The bright spot this season for USC was sophomore receiver Marqise Lee, who caught 112 passes for 1,680 yards and 14 touchdowns. Lee posted eight 100-yard receiving games with his greatest performance being a 16-catch, 345-yard day against Arizona. His quarterback, Matt Barkley, threw for another 3,000 yards and 30-plus touchdowns this season, but doubled his interception total from last season.
Perhaps never before in the history of college football has a team endured such a disappointing season and still ended up playing for its conference championship. Georgia Tech has six losses, including three in the ACC, but snagged the Coastal Division title with fellow 5-3 teams Miami and North Carolina ineligible due to sanctions. The Yellow Jackets also suffered home setbacks to Middle Tennessee (a shocking 49-28 decision) and BYU, 41-17. Before getting blown out by in-state rival Georgia, the Jackets at least enjoyed a minor hot streak with three consecutive conference victories at Maryland, at North Carolina and vs. Duke—all of which came by 18 points or more. Using Johnson’s triple-option attack, the Jackets are third in the nation in rushing at 323.3 yards per game. Orwin Smith, when healthy, and Robert Godhigh form a dynamic duo in the backfield. A rotation of quarterbacks Tevin Washington and Vad Lee has worked relatively well over the last three games, although Tech’s passing game is once again little more than non-existent. While the defense can stop almost nobody, Georgia Tech remains capable of winning shootouts.
NFL Prospects
Jeremiah Attaochu LB, Isaiah Johnson S, Orwin Smith RB, Rod Sweeting CB, Omoregie Uzzi OG, Brandon Watts LB
Matt Barkley QB, T.J. McDonald FS, Robert Woods WR
NFL Prospects
GEORGIA TECH
USC
When this season began, it’s safe to say that then-No. 1 Southern California (or any team, for that matter) did not expect to be facing an opponent with a losing record in a bowl game. That, however, is the Trojans’ plight after unexpectedly losing five games—including four of their last five. Still, four-year starting quarterback Matt Barkley is expected to be back for the Sun Bowl and he has a good chance of ending his career with a win. Georgia Tech, the second team in the modern bowl era to snag a postseason spot despite a losing record, owns a porous defense that has done nothing to suggest it can contain the Barkley-to-Marqise Lee connection. The Yellow Jackets are riding a seven-game bowl losing streak and are 0-4 under Paul Johnson, in part because opponents have a month to prepare their defenses for Tech’s potent triple-option offense. This game promises to be high on points and short on punts.
AutoZone Liberty Bowl Liberty Bowl Stadium | Memphis, TN Dec. 31, 2012 3:30 p.m. EST If a team from Conference USA wins the conference and is not at BCS buster, then they get an automatic bid to the Liberty Bowl, and that has been an agreement with the two parties since 1996. The Liberty Bowl is one of the oldest bowls in the country as it started in 1959. Since then, the Liberty has featured legendary players including Doug Flutie, Bo Jackson, Terry Baker and Ernie Davis. Kellen Winslow and Lawrence Taylor have played in the Liberty Bowl and coaches like Lou Holtz, Bear Bryant, Tom Osborne and current head coach Steve Spurrier manned the sidelines in the Memphis classic. Some of the teams that have been to the Liberty Bowl frequently are Ole Miss, Louisville, Air Force, Alabama and Arkansas as they have each made the trip to Memphis four times. In last year’s game, Big East co-champion Cincinnati took on Vanderbilt and the Bearcats won 31-24.
THE MATCHUP
Iowa State Cyclones Record: 6-6 Head Coach: Paul Rhodes
Tulsa Golden Hurricane Record: 10-3 Head Coach: Bill Blankenship
The Iowa State Cyclones were able to handle their non-conference games with ease, but once they got into conference play it was tough sledding for Paul Rhodes and company. The offense for the Cyclones was one reason they only won three games in the conference as they only averaged 25 points per game. Quarterback Steele Jantz started eight games for the Cyclones and threw over 1,500 yards and 13 touchdowns. The rushing offense for the Cyclones never got going. Not one player had more than two rushing touchdowns and they only rushed for 1,853 yards which is near the bottom of the Big 12. The defense for the Cyclones was the team’s strength as they surrendered 25 points per game, which is the second-best mark in the Big 12. Linebacker A.J. Klein was a big reason for the Cyclones’ success on defense, recording 98 tackles, one sack and one interception. DB Jacques Washington was also a key member of the Cyclones defense as he recorded 83 tackles and one interception.
The Golden Hurricane will finish the 2012 season just like they started it; with a game against Iowa State. Tulsa lost that game back on Sept. 1, but will look to avenge that defeat in the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 31. Bill Blankenship guided Tulsa to the program’s first Conference USA championship since 2005 with a win in the championship game over Central Florida, 33-27. Junior quarterback Cody Green was steady all season for Tulsa; throwing for 2,499 yards and 17 touchdowns. The game that stood out the most for Green this season came against SMU. Green completed 36 of 64 passes for 413 yards and three touchdowns in the 35-27 loss. The junior also ran for a season-high 51 yards in that game. Running backs Trey Watts and Ja’Terian Douglas led the 11th-ranked rushing attack in the nation this year. The duo combined for nearly 2,000 yards rushing. The most important score of the season came in overtime of the Conference USA title game. After a winning touchdown was taken off the board due to instant replay, halfback Alex Singleton plunged into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown to beat Central Florida. Singleton led the team with 21 touchdowns in 2012.
NFL Prospects
Alex Singleton RB, Trey Watts RB, Ja’Terian Douglas RB, Keyarris Garrett WR
P Kirby Kamp, LB A.J. Klein, LB Jake Knott
NFL Prospects
TULSA
IOWA STATE
Tulsa is the Conference USA champions and they will look to end their season on a high note as they face Iowa State in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis. The Golden Hurricanes love to run the ball as they are the 11th-best rushing attack in the country. Running back Trey Watts has been a key reason why the Golden Hurricanes ran for 240 yards per game, rushing for 959 yards and three touchdowns. His teammate, Ja’Terian Douglas is no slouch either when it comes to the run game as he rushed for 857 yards and seven touchdowns. The Cyclones finished the season 6-6, but one of their wins came against the Golden Hurricanes in the season opener. They are led by wide receiver Josh Lenz who has caught 29 passes for 430 yards and six yards. The guy that has been throwing to Lenz has been Steele Jantz who has thrown for 1,562 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Chick-fil-A Bowl Georgia Dome | Atlanta, GA Dec. 31, 2012 7:30 p.m. EST The Chick-fil-A Bowl is the most prestigious of the three bowls (along with the Music City Bowl and the Independence Bowl) that have tieins with the ACC and the SEC. It has the first pick of ACC teams after the Orange Bowl and it owns the fifth pick for SEC teams. Every year dating back to 1993, the Chick-fil-A Bowl (formerly known as the Peach Bowl), has featured an ACC-SEC matchup. The conferences have split those 20 games at 10 wins apiece, although the SEC has won five of the last seven—including Auburn’s 43-24 romp over Virginia on New Year’s Eve in 2011. The Georgia Dome, which has hosted the proceedings since 1992, enjoyed 13 straight sellouts through the 2009 installment. A 2006 showdown between Georgia and Virginia Tech still owns the stadium attendance record of 75,406.
THE MATCHUP
LSU Tigers Record: 10-2 Head Coach: Les Miles
Clemson Tigers Record: 10-2 Head Coach: Dabo Swinney
The Bayou Bengals entered the season with great expectations that took an early ding after the suspension of DB Tyrann Mathieu. QB Zach Mettenberger played well early but couldn’t muster much in a 14-6 loss to Florida. The running game, sparked by Jeremy Hill, Russell Shepard, Michael Ford, Spencer Ware and J.C. Copeland, provided a lift in wins over No. 3 South Carolina and No. 20 Texas A&M, but a strong performance by Mettenberger (298 passing yards, one touchdown) against No. 1 Alabama was undone by several unsuccessful gambles by Les Miles. The LSU receiving corps is extremely dangerous for opposing defenses, led by Odell Beckham, Kadron Boone and Jarvis Landry. Defensively, Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery form one of the most talented sets of defensive ends in the nation with Kevin Minter and Lamin Barrow in the middle. Eric Reid has stepped his game up in Mathieu’s absence.
It was a typical regular season for Clemson, which outscored a ton of opponents due to superior athleticism, put itself in BCS bowl discussion, but failed to challenge for a national title by losing its two biggest games. The Tigers opened their conference slate by dropping a road showdown to Florida State and they wrapped up their 2012 campaign by falling at home to in-state rival South Carolina. Clemson scored at least 37 points in every conference game and put up 56 against Duke and 62 against N.C. State. The offensive outburst did not come as a surprise. Tajh Boyd, Andre Ellington, DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins were established forces coming in and they did not disappoint (except for Watkins to a minor extent). Boyd has nine rushing touchdowns and 34 passing scores, including 16 to Hopkins, three to Watkins and eight to tight end Brandon Ford. Ellington has 1,031 yards and eight touchdowns on 201 carries. Linebackers Jonathan Willard and Spencer Shuey anchor a solid but unspectacular defense that has generally performed well aside from hiccups against Florida State and N.C. State.
NFL Prospects Barkevious Mingo DE, Sam Montgomery DE, Kevin Minter LB, Spencer Ware RB, Eric Reid S
NFL Prospects Tajh Boyd QB, Xavier Brewer CB, Andre Ellington RB, Brandon Ford TE, DeAndre Hopkins WR, Spencer Shuey LB, Sammy Watkins WR, Jonathan Willard LB
CLEMSON
LSU
Several non-BCS bowls appear far more interesting on the surface than their BCS counterparts, and the Chick-fil-A is certainly one of those. This is a classic offense-defense matchup, with LSU allowing a mere 16.9 points per game despite playing in the powerful SEC. The Tigers’ key to this showdown will be putting pressure on Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd, likely with Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery. When Boyd has time to throw, he has home-run potential on just about every play with receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins. The Tigers, who feature a balanced attack with running back Andre Ellington, have scored at least 38 points in their last nine victories. This has all the makings of a great one, because one team has to lose and it takes quite a lot for either one of these teams to do so. Clemson has lost only to Florida State and South Carolina, while LSU’s setbacks have come against Florida and Alabama.
TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl Everbank Field | Jacksonville, FL Jan. 1, 2013 12:00 p.m. EST For the last 67 years, the Gator Bowl has entertained college football fans on New Year’s Day. The event started in 1946 when Charles Hilty, Ray McCarthy Maurice Cheery and W.C. Ivey put up $10,000 to underwrite the first game which was held at Fairfield Stadium in Jacksonville. Since then, the event has grown tremendously and it also featured one of the most memorable incidents in college football history. In the 1978, Ohio State was playing Clemson and Buckeyes head coach Woody Hayes got into an physical altercation with Clemson nose guard Charlie Bauman and was fired the next day. Other than that, no other physical incidents have happened at the Gator Bowl, but players such as Dan Marino, Peyton Manning, Thurman Thomas and Larry Csonka have been a part of the classic. In last year’s contest, Florida took on Ohio State and the Gators came away with a 24-17 win.
THE MATCHUP
Mississippi State Bulldogs Record: 8-4 Head Coach: Dan Mullen
Northwestern Wildcats Record: 9-3 Head Coach: Pat Fitzgerald
A season that started with such promise was undone by four losses over the Bulldogs’ final five games, including a loss to in-state rival Ole Miss. Mississippi State started the year on fire, reeling off seven straight wins including wins over SEC foes Auburn, Kentucky and Tennessee, only to suffer blowouts at the hands of Alabama, Texas A&M, LSU and Ole Miss. RB LaDarius Perkins rushed for 970 yards and eight scores in 11 games as the Bulldogs totaled 1,688 yards for the season. QB Tyler Russell seemed to grasp Dan Mullen’s offense, racking up 2,791 yards through the air with 22 touchdowns, 12 going to WR Chad Bumphis. On the other side of the ball, DB Darius Slay picked off five passes while DB Johnthan Banks snagged four interceptions. Up front, DL Denico Autry and DL Preston Smith did a nice job of finding their way into the opponent’s backfield.
Head coach Pat Fitzgerald’s Wildcats are heading bowling for the fifth consecutive time, a first in the program’s history. Northwestern also earned the American Football Coaches Association’s 2012 Academic Achievement Award (along with co-winner Stanford). The next hurdle for Fitzgerald will be winning his first bowl game. He’s 0-4 in six years in Evansville. The offense found a star in running back in junior Venric Mark this fall. Mark ran for less than 200 yards combined in 2010 and 2011 but totaled 1,310 yards and 11 touchdowns with a whopping 6.2 yards per carry as a first-year starter. Guard Brian Mulroe and tackle Patrick Ward anchored the line that paved the way for Mark. Junior kicker Jeff Budzien was Fitzgerald’s other key offensive weapon making all 17 of his field goal attempts from inside 50 yards and was perfect on all 46 extra point attempts. Junior defensive end Tyler Scott emerged as a playmaker for the defense. Scott made seven sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss and forced three fumbles for the Wildcats.
NFL Prospects Johnthan Banks DB, Josh Boyd DT, Gabe Jackson OG, LaDarius Perkins RB, Cameron Lawrence OLB
NFL Prospects Brian Mulroe OG, Patrick Ward OT
NORTHWESTERN
MISSISSIPPI STATE
Northwestern and Mississippi State will do battle in the Gator Bowl on New Year’s Day. The Bulldogs of Miss State will look to end their season on a strong note after winning their first seven games of the year, but then lost four of their next five games. After starting the season 7-0, the Bulldogs were ranked No. 11 in the BCS. But after a blowout loss to Alabama, things went south for Miss State in a hurry. The Bulldogs will look to finish the year with nine wins for the second time in four years. The Wildcats already have nine wins this season and their 9-3 record is the best under seven-year head coach Pat Fitzgerald. Their ground attack is one of the best in the country as running back Venric Mark rushed for over 1,300 yards and 11 touchdowns. Quarterback Kain Colter can also get some yards on the ground, rushing for 820 yards and eight scores.
Heart of Dallas Bowl Cotton Bowl Stadium | Dallas, TX Jan. 1, 2013 12:00 p.m. EST This is one of the youngest bowls on the schedule. Formerly known as the Ticket City Bowl, it has been in existence since 2011. The Cotton Bowl is one of the legendary sites in all of football and has served as the host for the first two games and will again this season. This year the bowl changed its name and sponsor to the Heart of Dallas Bowl presented by Plains Capital Bank. The inaugural game took place in 2011 between Texas Tech and Northwestern. The Red Raiders took a 24-6 halftime lead, but the Wildcats stormed back to get to within one score before falling 45-38. The Heart of Dallas Bowl has the privilege of being one of the first games to kick off on New Year’s Day. The payout for this game is $1.2 million.
THE MATCHUP
Purdue Boilermakers Record: 6-6 Head Coach: Patrick Higgins
Oklahoma State Cowboys Record: 7-5 Head Coach: Mike Gundy
Wide receiver coach Patrick Higgins takes over as the interim coach for the Boilermakers’ bowl game. The departed Danny Hope led the squad to a 6-6 record making it bowl eligible for the second year in a row, but was dismissed after Purdue defeated Indiana to end the regular season. The Boilermakers lost five straight conference games in October and early November before winning their final three games. The Purdue passing offense ranked third in the Big 10 thanks to a tandem quarterback efforts by a pair of seniors. Robert Marve (a transfer from the University of Miami) and Caleb TerBush combined for 2,672 yards and 25 touchdowns. Senior running back Akeem Shavers was effective (1,094 yards and nine scores rushing and receiving combined) but saw limited touches during the mid-season losing streak. The defense is led by senior tackle Kawann Short, a consensus all-Big 10 pick and probable early round draft pick in next spring’s NFL draft. Short racked up 14.5 tackles for loss tied for third in the conference.
After a very successful 2011 season where the Cowboys were a few computer points away from playing in the national championship game, this has not been kind to Oklahoma State as they suffered several disappointing losses. One of the reasons for their struggles is the inconsistency at quarterback. Clint Chelf, Wes Lunt and J.W. Walsh have all seen a significant amount of action this season and all done a solid job. Lunt and Walsh were injured early in the year, so Chelf was forced into action and threw seven touchdowns in five games. Thankfully, the Cowboys have a reliable running back in Joseph Randle who has rushed for over 1,100 yards and 13 touchdowns. Kicker Quinn Sharp has missed only five field goals in 27 attempts and was recently named to the AFCA All-America team. Defensively, the Cowboys are led by linebacker Shaun Lewis who has over 50 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss.
NFL Prospects
CB Broderick Brown, CB Justin Gilbert, LB Caleb Lavey, RB Joseph Randle, K/P Quinn Sharp
Kawann Short DT, Josh Johnson CB, Ricardo Allen CB
NFL Prospects
OKLAHOMA STATE
PURDUE
Do not get this game confused with the location; this is the Heart of Dallas Bowl, not the Cotton Bowl. Oklahoma State limps into postseason play after dropping its last two games to Oklahoma and Baylor. Purdue should feel lucky to be playing on New Year’s Day after its season in which Purdue was 3-6 after nine games. The Boilermakers won three straight games, including a 56-35 win over archrival Indiana to make it to Dallas. Purdue relies on a two-quarterback system between Caleb TerBush and Robert Marve. The duo combined for over 2,500 yards and 25 touchdowns this year. The Cowboys feature a strong run game, led by junior Joseph Randle. Randle ran for 1,351 yards and 14 touchdowns to lead tate in rushing in 2012. If Purdue wants to win, its defense will have to stop Randle. That might be a tall order for the Boilermakers, who rank 60th in the nation in rush defense.
Outback Bowl Raymond James Stadium | Tampa, FL Jan. 1, 2013 1:00 p.m. EST Since 1996, the Outback Bowl has matched up teams from the Big Ten with opponents from the SEC. The results have not disappointed, with thriller after hard-hitting thriller contested between the two sides. Two of the last three installments have ended in overtime. Auburn edged Northwestern 38-35 on New Year’s Day in 2010 and Michigan State outlasted Georgia 33-30 in triple overtime last season. Georgia also needed extra time in 2000, when it survived Drew Brees and Purdue 28-25. The Outback Bowl, which was established in 1986 and had ties with the ACC instead of the SEC for much of its first nine years, has been hosted by Raymond James Stadium—home of the Tampa Bay Bucs—since the stadium’s construction in 1999. It has the third selection among Big Ten teams this season and it will land either the third or fourth team from the SEC.
THE MATCHUP
South Carolina Gamecocks Record: 10-2 Head Coach: Steve Spurrier
Michigan Wolverines Record: 8-4 Head Coach: Brady Hoke
The Gamecocks climbed as high as No. 3 this season before dropping two straight conference games to fall out of the SEC East picture. After the insult of two straight losses, the injury of RB Marcus Lattimore wrecked whatever remaining positive feelings generated by a 6-0 start. QB Connor Shaw did manage a fine season, passing for 1,732 yards and 15 scores while running for an additional 339 yards and three scores. WR Bruce Ellington proved to be his favorite target, hauling in 38 receptions for 564 yards. Ace Sanders also proved to be a big-threat with 36 receptions for 439 yards and seven scores. The Gamecocks’ defense featured a pair of lethal bookends in DE Devin Taylor and DE Jadeveon Clowney. The two combined for 16 sacks as Clowney posted an astounding 21.5 tackles for loss and Taylor accounted for eight. LB Shaq Wilson also proved his worth by leading the team with 77 tackles.
This season may well be remembered as a year that was very good, but not great by Michigan standards. Hoke’s team lost only to a pair of ranked teams, Nebraska (a participant in the inaugural Big 10 championship game) and undefeated but bowl ineligible Ohio State, as well as national title game participants Alabama and Notre Dame. Senior quarterback Dennard Robinson suffered a wrist injury that made offense predictable. Because of Robinson’s injury, junior Devin Gardner transitioned from wide receiver to quarterback. Gardner finished the year with eight touchdowns passing and four interceptions in limited duty behind center. Despite the injury, Robinson notched his third consecutive season of 1,000 yards rushing. Junior tackle Taylor Lewan was a consensus Big 10 first-teamer but may be headed for the 2013 NFL draft. The emotional leader for the defense – which ended the season in the top fifth of the FBS in scoring – was strong safety Jordan Kovacs, a former walk-on. Redshirt sophomore Jake Ryan emerged as a playmaker at linebacker with 14.5 tackles for loss this fall.
NFL Prospects Devin Taylor DE, Ace Sanders WR, D.J. Swearinger S, DeVonte Holloman OLB, Shaq Wilson ILB
NFL Prospects Dennard Robinson QB/WR, Taylor Lewan OT, Patrick Omameh OG, Craig Roh DE
MICHIGAN
SOUTH CAROLINA
Both Michigan and South Carolina are missing key pieces to their offenses, but the Outback Bowl won’t mind. The two teams are still playing well, represent quality football programs, come with rabid fan bases, and are expected to combine for what could be one of the best games of the 2012-13 bowl season. The question is if Michigan’s revamped offense (Fitzgerald Toussaint is out, electrifying former quarterback Denard Robinson is at running back, and Devin Gardner is under center) can continue to succeed against the speed of an SEC defense. Gardner has 15 total touchdowns in four games. South Carolina is giving up just 17.4 points per game, 13th fewest in the FBS. On the other side of the ball, the Wolverines will have to be ready for two Gamecock quarterbacks—Connor Shaw and Dylan Thompson. Shaw has more experience, but Thompson led the team to a win over in-state rival Clemson.
Capital One Bowl Citrus Bowl Stadium | Orlando, FL Jan. 1, 2013 1:00 p.m. EST The Capital One Bowl (formerly known as the Tangerine Bowl and then the Citrus Bowl until 2003), is the fourth oldest non-BCS bowl game, younger than only the Sun Bowl, the Cotton Bowl and the Gator Bowl. It has matched teams from the Big Ten and SEC every year since 1993. The CapOne has the second pick from each conference this season, which should make for one of the most highly-anticipated games of the bowl season. Previously, the game had ties with the ACC. The 1990 Citrus Bowl had National Championship implications, with Georgia Tech crushing Nebraska 45-21 and snagging a share of the title with Colorado. Relatively recent MVPs of this game include Peyton Manning (1997), Fred Taylor (1998), Plaxico Burress (2000), Ronnie Brown (2003) and Matthew Stafford (2009). Last season, the two competing teams received $4,250,000 payouts, third highest for any non-BCS bowl game.
THE MATCHUP
Georgia Bulldogs Record: 11-2 Head Coach: Mark Richt
Nebraska Cornhuskers Record: 10-3 Head Coach: Bo Pelini
Any discussion of the 2012 Georgia Bulldogs must begin with the defense. All-Americans Jarvis Jones and Bacarri Rambo lead a unit that is loaded with NFL talent. Jones has somehow managed to top his 2011 effort while Rambo seemingly comes up with at least one turnover each game. Alec Ogletree, Christian Robinson, Sanders Commings, John Jenkins and Amarlo Herrera are also all over the field for defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. Offensively, Aaron Murray is setting all sorts of records for the Bulldogs while freshman running backs Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall complement each other’s styles in the rushing attack. Murray has topped the 3,000-yard mark over his first three years in Athens, and his 89 passing touchdowns are the most in UGA history. Gurley, meanwhile, became just the second Georgia true freshman to rush for 1,000 yards. His 14 rushing touchdowns were the most since Knowshon Moreno’s 16 in 2008. Georgia features what may be the most NFL draft picks of any bowl team.
Head coach Bo Pelini is one of the most highly-regarded defensive minds in college football, but this year the Cornhuskers advanced to Big 10 championship game thanks to an overpowering offense. Nebraska led the conference in total offense, rushing offense and passing efficiency thanks to skill position players like senior quarterback Taylor Martinez, sophomore running back Ameer Abdullah and sophomore wide receiver Kenny Bell. Going into the Big 10 championship, Martinez had already thrown for 2,483 yards including 21 touchdowns and rushed for 833 yards with eight scores. Abdullah added over 1,000 yards rushing and eight scores on the ground. Bell caught 44 passes for almost 800 yards and also scored eight times. Ten times the Cornhuskers scored more 28 or more points. The defense, stocked with NFL caliber talent, specialized in pressuring the quarterback, amassing 29 sacks. Senior defensive end Eric Martin led the unit with eight sacks and 14.5 tackles for losses. Senior free safety Damion Stafford enjoyed the pass rush in front of him. Stafford racked up four interceptions and returned one for a touchdown. Nebraska will play in its fifth bowl in Pelini’s fifth year leading the program.
NFL Prospects Shawn Williams, SS; Jarvis Jones, OLB; Alec Ogletree, ILB; Bacarri Rambo, FS; Tavarres King, WR; John Jenkins, NT; Aaron Murray, QB; Kwame Geathers, NT; Cornelius Washington, OLB; Branden Smith, CB
NFL Prospects Will Compton LB, Ben Cotton TE, Sean Fischer LB, Eric Martin DE, Cameron Meredith DE, Damion Stafford S, Baker Steinkuhler DT
NEBRASKA
GEORGIA
This is a bounce-back game, with both teams coming off losses in their respective conference championships. Recovering, however, may be even tougher for Georgia. It was five yards away from the BCS National Championship and now it is not even in a BCS game of any kind, following its 32-28 loss to Alabama. Nebraska hardly showed up in its bid for the Big Ten title, as Wisconsin destroyed the Cornhuskers 70-31. In the Huskers’ three losses this season, they have given up 36 points at UCLA, 63 points at Ohio State and 70 to Wisconsin. Like Georgia’s in-state rival Georgia Tech (a team the Bulldogs dominated 42-10 on Nov. 24), Nebraska’s best defense is its offense. Bo Pelini’s squad keeps its defense off the field by running the football and it ranks eighth in the FBS by averaging 254.5 rushing yards per game. John Jenkins, Jarvis Jones and the UGA defense is looking for redemption after getting shredded by Alabama’s ground game.
Rose Bowl Game Rose Bowl Stadium | Pasadena, CA Jan. 1, 2013 5:00 p.m. EST Nicknamed the “Granddaddy of them all,” the Rose Bowl has been in existence since 1902 and traditionally matches up the champion of the Big 10 with the champion of the Pac-12. Annually, more than 94,392 people cram into Pasadena’s stadium, and in 1973, over 106,000 watched as USC bumped off Ohio State. Last year, Oregon defeated Wisconsin 45-38 as a new record was set with 83 points scored in regulation. The greatest game in Rose Bowl history has to be the 2006 game when Vince Young led Texas past USC to claim the BCS title in a game that has been voted the greatest college football contest of all time. Miami pounded Nebraska back in 2002 for the BCS title. USC holds the most Rose Bowl appearances with 32, winning 24 of those games. UCLA, which plays its home games at the Rose Bowl, has appeared in 12 Rose Bowl games.
THE MATCHUP
Wisconsin Badgers Record: 8-5 Head Coach: Barry Alvarez (interim)
Stanford Cardinal Record: 11-2 Head Coach: David Shaw
Despite five losses and four in the Big 10, the conference champions earned their second straight trip to the Big 10 championship game (Wisconsin defeated Michigan State 43-29 last year in Indianapolis) due to the post-season bans placed on the Ohio State and Penn State programs. The team’s losses can be misleading, though. Its first two came by a field goal each and their last three (including one each to Ohio State and Penn State) were all overtime games. The offense employed three starting quarterbacks throughout the season and relies heavily on senior All-American running back Montee Ball. The 2011 Heisman Trophy finalist rushed for 1,528 yards and 18 touchdowns in his senior campaign. Ball now holds the all-time touchdown record in FBS history with 79. The defense is especially stingy. It gave up just 307.9 yards per game (second in the conference) and only 18.1 points per game. Linebacker Mike Taylor was the heart and soul of the unit with 115 tackles including 14.5 for negative yardage. Former head coach Brett Bielema led the Badgers to bowl games in each of his seven seasons in Madison before bolting to Arkansas.
Despite the loss of Andrew Luck to the NFL, the Cardinal have found new ways outside of the passing attack to win football games. If not for an early-season loss at Washington, Stanford very well could have found itself in the national title hunt. The Cardinal’s only other loss was to the nation’s top team, Notre Dame, which came in overtime. Not known particularly for a strong offensive attack, the Cardinal defense allowed 16.9 points per game, including just 71.3 rushing yards. Linebacker Trent Murphy was an integral part to the team’s success on the defensive end, with a team-high 9.5 sacks. Safety Ed Reynolds added five interceptions, with three of them being returned for touchdowns. On the offensive side of the ball, senior running back Stepfan Taylor carried the ball for over 1,400 yards and found the end zone 11 times. The Cardinal will be looking to make their third-straight BCS bowl appearance, coming off an overtime loss to Oklahoma State in last season’s Fiesta Bowl. They did, however, find success in the 2010 Orange Bowl, with a 4012 rout of Virginia Tech.
NFL Prospects Montee Ball RB, Ricky Wagner OT, Mike Taylor LB
NFL Prospects Trent Murphy LB, Ed Reynolds S, Stepfan Taylor RB, Chase Thomas LB, Shayne Skov LB
STANFORD
WISCONSIN
The Wisconsin Badgers finished just 4-4 in Big Ten play, but former coach Bret Bielema took advantage of a strange season to whip Nebraska 70-31 in the Big Ten title game to become the first five-loss team to play in the Rose Bowl. This will be Wisconsin’s third straight Rose Bowl, but the formula will be the same as the Badgers will look to pound the ball on the ground. Montee Ball, Melvin Gordon and James White are all threats to run the ball. Ball recently became the FBS all-time leader for touchdowns with 82. Gordon rushed for 216 yards in the Big Ten title game and White scored four times in the contest. Stanford will make a third straight appearance in a BCS bowl game, but the program’s first Rose Bowl appearance since 1999, when Wisconsin won 17-9. Stanford won the Pac-12 title with a victory over UCLA in the championship game. The Cardinal finished the regular season 11-2 with Stepfan Taylor proving to be one of the nation’s top running backs.
Discover Orange Bowl Sun Life Stadium | Miami, FL Jan. 1, 2013 8:30 p.m. EST Last year’s Orange Bowl rewrote the record books as West Virginia destroyed Clemson 70-33, setting a new Orange Bowl record for most points scored by a single team. Recently the ACC champion has appeared in the Orange Bowl unless playing in the BCS National Championship, but Oklahoma and Nebraska have appeared in the most Orange Bowls, with 18 and 17 appearances, respectively. The Orange Bowl hosted the 2005 championship game, since vacated by USC after the Trojans whipped the Sooners. Oklahoma did manage to win a BCS title under Bob Stoops on Jan. 3, 2001, a 13-2 win over Florida State. The most memorable Orange Bowl is perhaps the 1984 game when Nebraska head coach Tom Osborne elected to attempt a two-point conversion with less than one minute to play and his No. 1 Cornhuskers down one point. Miami knocked the pass away for the 31-30 win.
THE MATCHUP
Northern Illinois Huskies Record: 12-1 Head Coach: Rod Carey
Florida State Seminoles Record: 11-2 Head Coach: Jimbo Fisher
The Huskies were one point away from an undefeated season. That loss came against Big Ten foe Iowa, 18-17, in the season opener. Since then, Northern Illinois could make a case for being the nation’s hottest team. The Huskies won 12 straight games to earn an Orange Bowl berth for the first time in school history. Northern Illinois had big wins over Kansas midway through the season and Kent State to win the MAC championship. Quarterback Jordan Lynch got some Heisman consideration after leading the Huskies with 2,962 yards passing and 1,771 yards rushing. Lynch also passed and ran for 43 total touchdowns in 2012. Some said that Northern Illinois does not belong in a BCS bowl game but looking at the statistics proves otherwise. The Huskies ranked ninth in rushing and scoring and 18th in points allowed nationally. Northern Illinois finished the regular season ranked 15th in the BCS standings and proved to many they belong in the Orange Bowl against Florida State.
Florida State and Clemson are by far the two best teams in the ACC this season. Unfortunately, that is not saying a lot. The Seminoles earned the tiebreaker for the Atlantic Division title thanks to their 49-37 win over the Tigers on Sept. 22. They were in the national championship picture at 5-0 before suffering a stunning 17-16 loss to N.C. State. It ended up not costing Florida State quite as much since it also lost at home to rival Florida on Nov. 24. This is a typical FSU squad; it has shown flashes of brilliance but has also been wildly inconsistent. A big reason for that is senior quarterback E.J. Manuel. He has passed for 22 touchdowns, but has been picked off nine times. Against Clemson he had 380 yards through the air, 102 on the ground and two passing touchdowns without an interception. Against Florida he threw three picks compared to just one score. Speedy running back Chris Thompson went down with a torn ACL in the eighth game, but Devonta Freeman has filled in admirably. Florida State’s defense has once again been stellar. The unit is giving up 15.1 points per game, seventh best in the nation.
NFL Prospects Jordan Lynch QB, Martel Moore WR, Rashaan Melvin CB, Sean Progar DE
NFL Prospects Cornellius Carradine DE, Christian Jones LB, E.J. Manuel QB, Rodney Smith WR, Telvin Smith LB, Chris Thompson RB, Bjoern Werner DE
FLORIDA STATE
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
The Florida State Seminoles won 11 games in 2012 and captured the ACC Championship with a victory over Georgia Tech. E.J. Manuel was electric this season, passing for over 3,100 yards with 22 touchdowns, but Florida State’s return to the top of the ACC was really made possible by a lethal rushing attack. Three players rushed for more than 580 yards with Chris Thompson leading the way with 687. Devonta Freeman carried the ball 97 times for 630 yards and James Wilder Jr. led the team in carries while racking up 583 yards. On the other side, the Huskies of Northern Illinois also like to run the ball, but it is typically Jordan Lynch doing the heavy lifting. Lynch has toted the ball 271 times this season for 1,771 yards and 19 touchdowns. The quarterback has also racked up 2,962 yards through the air with 24 scores. Martel Moore has 71 catches this season for 1,054 yards and 12 scores, so FSU will want to take him away and force Lynch to be just a runner.
Allstate Sugar Bowl Louisiana Superdome | New Orleans, LA Jan. 2, 2013 8:30 p.m. EST The 2013 Allstate Sugar Bowl should once again be an incredible matchup, just as the last few editions have been in New Orleans. Last year, Michigan edged Virginia Tech 23-20, and on Jan. 4, 2011, Ohio State slipped by Arkansas in the final game Jim Tressell would coach at Ohio State. Over the years the Superdome, which has hosted the Sugar Bowl since 1975 and can hold up to 76,468 fans, has hosted great games such as West Virginia holding off a furious Georgia rally in 2006 and LSU beating Oklahoma in 2004 for the BCS title, Nick Saban’s first. Back on Jan. 4, 2000, Florida State capped an undefeated year by knocking off Michael Vick’s Virginia Tech Hokies. Tulane beat Temple 20-14 in the first Sugar Bowl back in 1935. Alabama and LSU have each appeared in 13 Sugar Bowls, and Georgia is next with nine appearances.
THE MATCHUP
Louisville Cardinals Record: 10-2 Head Coach: Charlie Strong
Florida Gators Record: 11-1 Head Coach: Will Muschamp
Head coach Charlie Strong, previously best known for being one of Urban Meyer’s top assistants at Florida (and the only one retained after Ron Zook was fired) is now three for three in taking Louisville to bowl games. This postseason, though, will be a significant upgrade following appearances in the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl (beat Southern Miss) and Belk Bowl (lost to N.C. State). The Cardinals will go to a BCS game as champions of the Big East after upending Rutgers 20-17 in the regular-season finale. This Louisville squad is trying to single-handedly dispel the notion that teams win football games by running the football and stopping the run. It doesn’t do either one in overly impressive fashion (although both Jeremy Wright and Senorise Perry have more than 700 rushing yards apiece). But it is second in the conference in passing offense (first in total offense) and No. 1 defensively against the pass. Sophomore quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has 3,189 yards, 23 touchdowns, and only six interceptions. DeVante Parker has 683 receiving yards and eight scores. An outstanding secondary is led by cornerback Adrian Bushell and safety Calvin Pryor.
The Florida Gators wrapped up the regular season on the outside of the SEC championship game looking in at Alabama and Georgia. Florida had the tougher schedule, but Florida’s lone loss came to SEC East champion Georgia in a game where Florida could not break the plane of the goal line for a touchdown. The Gators beat ranked opponents Texas A&M, LSU, South Carolina and Florida State to put together an impressive season. QB Jeff Driskel seized the starting job early on in the 2012 campaign but missed time with an injury. RB Mike Gillislee made life easier for both Driskel and backup Jacoby Brissett, as did TE Jordan Reed and WR Frankie Hammond. The offensive line played well for most of the year with senior Xavier Nixon leading the way. Defensively, the line was tough to run against all season long with Sharrif Floyd, Omar Hunter and Dominique Easley wreaking havoc. Opponents rushed for just 97 yards per game against Florida. LB Jelani Jenkins and Jon Bostic were playmakers, as was DB Matt Elam from the second level.
NFL Prospects Teddy Bridgewater QB, Preston Brown LB, Adrian Bushell CB, Calvin Pryor S
NFL Prospects Jon Bostic LB, Dominique Easley DL, Sharrif Floyd DL, Matt Elam DB, Caleb Sturgis K, Omar Hunter DL
FLORIDA
LOUISVILLE
Some in the Florida Gator Nation believe Will Muschamp’s team should have been playing in the BCS Championship game, but the Gators will have to settle for a Sugar Bowl berth after finishing the season with an 11-1 record, including a loss to the Georgia Bulldogs. Florida can hang its hat on having beaten Texas A&M early in the year, as well as LSU and South Carolina. The Gators then tore apart Florida State to end the season as one of the nation’s hottest teams. Now Louisville sits ready to face Florida with Teddy Bridgewater under center for Charlie Strong. The sophomore quarterback helped Louisville pass for 3,583 yards en route to a 10-2 record and the Big East conference title. Bridgewater tossed 25 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. Louisville started the season 9-0 before losing to Syracuse and Connecticut. The team wrapped up the Big East title with a win over Rutgers.
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl University of Phoenix Stadium | Glendale, AZ Jan. 3, 2013 8:30 p.m. EST The Fiesta Bowl has been played since 1971 when Arizona State faced Florida State in a battle of top-20 teams. Since joining the BCS, the Fiesta Bowl has seen some of its most exciting games play out on the big stage. Ohio State pulled a huge upset over Miami in double-overtime on Jan. 3, 2003 for the BCS title. Two years later, Urban Meyer’s Utah Utes polished off an unbeaten season before Meyer left for Florida. The wildest Fiesta Bowl was saved for 2007, when Boise State beat Oklahoma 43-42 with a series of trick plays culminating with a proposal that announced the Broncos’ arrival into the mainstream. Penn State, Ohio State, Nebraska and Arizona State have each played in six Fiesta Bowls, and this will be the seventh Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium, which holds 78,600.
THE MATCHUP
Oregon Ducks Record: 11-1 Head Coach: Chip Kelly
Kansas State Wildcats Record: 11-1 Head Coach: Bill Snyder
Despite a late-season loss to Stanford that dropped the Ducks out of the national title picture, Oregon is on track to appear in another BCS bowl with a strong 11-1 record. Chip Kelly’s team averaged more than 50 points per game during the season, which was good enough for second in the nation. Kenjon Barner, the highly-touted senior running back, had yet another strong season on the ground, with 1,624 yards and 21 touchdowns, both of which were in the top-five amongst running backs nationwide. Another bright spot for Oregon was the emergence of freshman quarterback Marcus Mariota, who threw for over 2,500 yards and 30 touchdowns, with only six interceptions. He also rushed for nearly 700 yards and added six scores on the ground to help spark the nation’s fifth-leading rushing attack. The Ducks have played in three consecutive BCS bowls, including a 45-38 win over Wisconsin in last season’s Rose Bowl.
Kansas State may not be in the national title picture anymore, but they still accomplished a lot this season. The Wildcats won double-digit games for the second consecutive year and their quarterback, Collin Klein, is a legitimate Heisman candidate. Klein’s dual-threat ability was the reason the Wildcats won its first 10 games of the season and at one point were ranked in the as high as No. 1 in the country. But the Wildcats also have running back John Hubert who is second in the conference in rushing yards. Both Kelin and Hubert will look to do a lot of damage during the bowl season. On defense, DL Meshak Williams is the Wildcats pass rusher, with eight sacks this season. Williams along with DL Adam Davis make up one of the better defensive lines in the Big 12. Safety Ty Zimmerman has emerged as one of the best safeties in the conference and has also become a leader for the Wildcats on defense.
NFL Prospects
QB Colin Klein, LB Arthur Brown, WR Chris Harper, CB Nigel Malone, FS Ty Zimmerman FS
Kenjon Barner RB, Michael Clay LB, Marcus Mariota QB, Taylor Hart DT
NFL Prospects
KANSAS STATE
OREGON
Folks across the country will tune to the Fiesta Bowl as perhaps the most-watched game other than the national championship game. With just weeks remaining in the regular season, many people assumed this matchup would be for the title, but a pair of shocking losses on the same night sent both of these teams to Glendale instead of Miami. Oregon will look to burn down the field once again with Marcus Mariota under center. He passed for 2,511 yards this year and 30 touchdowns. Chip Kelly’s team also has playmakers Kenjon Barner and De’Anthony Thomas ready to catch, run and score at will. Kansas State is more of a one-man band with Collin Klein doing it all for the Wildcats. The quarterback should pass the 2,500-yard passing mark early on in the contest and Klein could also break the 1,000-yard rushing mark with another typical Klein performance. RB John Hubert is another weapon for Bill Snyder.
AT&T Cotton Bowl Cowboys Stadium | Arlington, TX Jan. 4, 2013 8:00 p.m. EST Outside of the BCS, it doesn’t get much more prestigious than the Cotton Bowl. Having been established in 1936, it is the second oldest non-BCS bowl. Currently, it boasts the biggest payout among non-BCS games—with $6,750,000 going to each of its participants. The Cotton Bowl has featured a Big 12 competitor every year since 1991 and the opponent has been an SEC school every season since 1999. The SEC has dominated the game in recent times, having won four in a row and eight of the last nine. Interestingly, the last Big 12 team to prevail was Missouri, which now plays its football in none other than the SEC. This season’s Cotton Bowl has the second pick from the Big 12, with that team going up against either the third or fourth team from the SEC. Previously held at the historic Cotton Bowl facility in Dallas, the game was moved to the new Cowboys Stadium in 2010.
THE MATCHUP
Texas A&M Record: 10-2 Head Coach Kevin Sumlin
Oklahoma Sooners Record: 10-2 Head Coach: Bob Stoops
What a year it was for the Aggies. Their inaugural year in the SEC was capitalized by a shocking upset win at No. 1 Alabama. Texas A&M surprised almost everyone with its 10-win season under new coach Kevin Sumlin. A 20-17 loss in the season-opener to Florida and a 24-19 loss to LSU midseason derailed what was a solid campaign by the Ags. To top it all off, freshman QB Johnny Manziel won the Heisman Trophy, becoming the first freshman to ever bring home the award. Manziel was the story of the season for A&M as the Kerrville product passed for 3,419 yards and 24 scores while also rushing for an astounding 1,181 yards and 19 touchdowns. The combined yardage eclipsed former SEC stars and Heisman winners Tim Tebow and Cam Newton. Aside from Manziel’s ample production, RBs Ben Malena and Christine Michael also ran the ball well, for 752 ad 417 yards, respectively. WR Mike Evans led the team in receiving, with 75 catches for 1,022 yards and seven touchdowns while senior Ryan Swope had 809 yards and seven touchdowns. The 10 wins for the Ags are their most since winning 11 games in 1998.
Oklahoma comes into the bowl season as a team that could have done a lot more in the regular season. At one point, the Sooners were ranked in the Top 10 in the country and had a chance to compete for the national title. But losses to Kansas State and Notre Dame kept the Sooners out of the title picture and now have to end the season with a strong performance in the bowl game. One player that wants to go out with a bang is quarterback Landry Jones, who is the all-time Big 12 leader in passing yards. Jones was a huge reason the Sooners averaged 44 points per game, which led the Big 12. But another reason the Sooners had a solid season was the pass defense was the best in the Big 12. Defensive backs Javon Harris and Aaron Colvin racked up a combined nine interceptions through the first 11 games and they were a reason the Sooners only allowed less than 10 passing touchdowns this season.
NFL Prospects Johnny Manziel QB, Uzomah Nwachukwu WR, Dustin Harris CB, Luke Joeckel OL, Damontre Moore DE
NFL Prospects QB Landry Jones, OT Lane Johnson, WR Kenny Stills, DB Tony Jefferson
OKLAHOMA
TEXAS A&M
Oklahoma has several problems, but its own resume isn’t one. The Sooners have 10 wins and their only two losses have come to BCSbound Kansas State and Notre Dame. However, they were the odd men out when Northern Illinois (which lost to Iowa), finished in the top 16 of the final BCS standings and ahead of champions from both the Big East and Big Ten. Thus, Oklahoma is relegated to the Cotton Bowl and has another big problem on its hands: Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel. The freshman phenom has accounted for 43 total touchdowns and he has led the Aggies to five straight wins (including an upset of Alabama) and a 10-1 record in their last 11 outings. They are averaging 44.8 points per game, third best in the FBS. With Oklahoma having also won five in a row, Cowboys Stadium is hosting a matchup that is more intriguing than that of multiple BCS bowls.
BBVA Compass Bowl Legion Field | Birmingham, AL Jan. 5, 2013 1:00 p.m. EST Formerly known as the Birmingham Bowl (2006) and the PapaJohns. com Bowl (‘06-’10), the BBVA Compass Bowl is a matchup between the Big East and the SEC. The Pittsburgh Panthers have made it to this game the past two seasons and again this year, winning one and losing one. The Big East conference has had a team win five of the six games played since 2006. The game was originally scheduled to feature a team from Conference USA, but in 2010 and 2011 got a big boost by taking a team from the powerful SEC. However, both Kentucky and South Carolina lost those games. Joining the Godaddy.com Bowl, it is one of two games to take place in the state of Alabama just before the BCS National Championship Game. The payout for the BBVA Compass Bowl is $900,000.
THE MATCHUP
Pittsburgh Panthers Record: 6-6 Head Coach: Paul Chryst
Ole Miss Rebels Record: 6-6 Head Coach: Hugh Freeze
The Panthers are appearing in their fifth straight bowl game after an up-and-down trek that culminated with two straight wins to end the regular season. A excruciating overtime loss at Notre Dame defines Pitts’s season. The Panthers led 20-6 in the fourth quarter only to watch the Irish battle back to force overtime. A missed field goal extended the game and allowed Notre Dame to complete its improbable comeback. A QB, Tito Sunseri has a sensational year throwing for 3,103 yards and 19 touchdowns against only two interceptions. The Panthers are led on the ground by Ray Graham, who rushed for 1,042 yards and 11 scores. Mike Shanahan leads Pitt in receiving with 926 yards and five touchdowns. Pitt is playing in its third consecutive Compass Bowl and is 1-1 in the game. The Panthers are 12-16 all time in bowls and have lost five of their last seven.
The Rebels earned a huge win over Mississippi State in the regular season finale in a game that means a lot in the Magnolia State. Not only did Ole Miss become bowl eligible with the win, the Rebels also ended a three-game losing streak to their hated rivals. Hugh Freeze’s squad not sets its sights on the Compass Bowl in which the Rebs will face Pittsburgh. Ole Miss was led this season by Qb Bo Wallace, who threw for 2,843 yards and 19 touchdowns and also ran for 363 yards. Jeff Scott led the rushing attack with 828 yards, while Wallace led the team with eight rushing scores. Wideout Donte Moncrief was Wallace’s favorite target, catching 60 balls for 948 yards and 10 scores. While State was unquestionably the Rebels’ biggest win, Ole Miss had a couple respectable sowings in losses. The 37-14 loss at Alabama was close for much of the game and a near-miss against Texas A&M looks impressive in retrospect.
NFL Prospects Ray Graham RB, Tino Sunseri QB, Mike Shanahan WR, Chris Jacobson OL, Ryan Turnley C, Jared Holley FS
NFL Prospects Randall Mackey, RB
OLE MISS
PITTSBURGH
Both of these teams had to fight their way into a bowl berth, so Pitt and Ole Miss will battle for a winning record. The Rebels have a bit of a home-field advantage at Legion Field in Birmingham, as a big contingent of fans from Pittsburgh is not expected. The high point of this season for the Panthers was taking top-ranked Notre Dame to triple overtime in South Bend. Tino Sunseri has led Pittsburgh this year by throwing for 3,103 yards and 19 touchdowns against just two interceptions. Ole Miss will feature sophomore wide receiver Donte Moncrief, who could become a star in this game. Moncrief led the Rebels with 948 yards and 10 touchdowns this year. This is the first bowl appearance for Mississippi since 2009 when the Rebels reached the Cotton Bowl. Pitt is in the Compass Bowl for the third straight year.
GoDaddy.com Bowl Ladd-Peebles Stadium | Mobile, AL Jan. 6, 2013 9:00 p.m. EST This game has become traditionally one of the last bowls played before the BCS National Championship game. The Godaddy.com Bowl was known as the Mobile Alabama Bowl from 1999-2000 and then the GMAC Bowl from 2001-2010. Although sometimes dismissed as a bowl with lackluster matchups, many games over the years have produced memorable finishes. Back in 2010, Central Michigan and Troy produced a real classic. CMU trailed 31-19 before coming back to take the lead with just over a minute to go. Troy kicked a field goal to send it into overtime where the Chippewas won in the second overtime, 44-41. Quarterback Dan Lefevour of Central Michigan won the MVP award. Other notable MVPs from this game are LaDainian Tomlinson, TCU (2000); Byron Leftwich, Marshall (2001,02) and Ben Roethlisberger, Miami (OH) (2003). Conference tie-ins have included the MAC, Conference USA, Sun Belt and ACC.
THE MATCHUP
Kent State Golden Flashes Record: 11-2 Head Coach: Darrell Hazell
Arkansas St. Red Wolves Record: 9-3 Head Coach: John Thompson (Interim)
Kent State was ranked as high as 17th in the BCS standings this year and they came within one win of earning a trip to the Orange Bowl, as they lost to Northern Illinois in the MAC championship game. Head coach Darrell Hazell turned a successful season into a job upgrade. Hazell took the job at Purdue, but will still coach the Golden Flashes when they face Arkansas State in the Godaddy.com Bowl. The running game was one of the best in the nation this year with an average of 228 yards on the ground. Running backs Dri Archer and Trayion Durham both eclipsed 1,200 yards rushing in 2012. Archer was named a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award. The team began the year 11-1 before falling in double-overtime in the MAC Championship game, quite a change from 2011 when the team started 1-6. Kent State still is ranked 25th in the BCS standings, but what a difference another win would have made.
In their first year under former Auburn Tigers offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, the Red Wolves won nine games and their second straight Sun Belt conference title. Malzahn, known as a no-huddle offense guru, had the Red Wolves ranked among the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top 25 teams in scoring offense as well as rushing yards per game. Malzahn accepted the Auburn head coaching position and John Thompson will serve as interim coach for the bowl game. Arkansas State proved to be a team that started slow in 2012 as their three losses came in the seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first month. Since the calendar turned to October, the Red Wolves are 7-0 and are averaging 41 points scored per game. Explosive Arkansas State was led by senior quarterback Ryan Aplin, who threw 23 touchdown passes this season to break the previous school record of 21. The senior also rushed for six touchdowns this season. Another player who starred on offense for the Red Wolves was junior running back David Oku. The junior rushed 225 times for 1,024 yards while scoring 15 touchdowns.
NFL Prospects Dri Archer RB, Brian Winters OT, Tyshon Gooden WR
NFL Prospects None
ARKANSAS STATE
KENT STATE
Two dynamic offenses come into this game with coaching changes on the horizon. John Thompson will coach the Red Wolves after head coach Gus Malzahn left Arkansas State and returned to Auburn. Darrell Hazell will continue to coach the Golden Flashes through the bowl game, but will also be recruiting for Purdue during his preparation to coach there. Kent State is led by running back Dri Archer, who rushed for 1,352 yards and scored 19 total touchdowns in 2012. Senior quarterback Ryan Aplin is the headliner for Arkansas State, as he threw for 3,129 yards and 23 touchdowns this season. Kent State nearly earned a bid for the Orange Bowl, but lost in double overtime to Northern Illinois in the MAC championship game. Arkansas State comes into Mobile as two-time defending champions of the Sun Belt Conference after defeating Middle Tennessee 45-0 in the championship game.
BCS National Championship Sun Life Stadium | Miami, FL Jan. 7, 2013 8:30 p.m. EST The BCS National Championship Game returns to Miami for the first time since Tim Tebow led the Florida Gators past the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners on Jan. 8, 2009. Tebow was named the offensive MVP while Carlos Dunlap earned defensive honors. Sun Life Stadium, which held 78,468 fans for the 2009 game, has been the home of the Miami Dolphins since 1987 and also has hosted the Orange Bowl since 1996. This year’s BCS National Championship Game will see the SEC attempt to win its seventh straight national championship and ninth BCS title overall. Meanwhile, Notre Dame will be making just its fourth ever appearance in a BCS bowl, having lost all three prior games during the BCS era. This will be just the fourth time the BCS crystal football is handed out in Miami, though the 2004 champion USC Trojans later vacated their win from January 2005.
THE MATCHUP
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Record: 12-0 Head Coach: Brian Kelly
Alabama Crimson Tide Record: 11-1 Head Coach: Nick Saban
For the first time since 1988, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have a chance to win a national title. Notre Dame finished the regular season undefeated for the first time since that magical year and will face Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game as their reward. Led by Heisman finalist Manti Te’o, the Irish were one of the best defensive units in the country this year. Notre Dame held its opponents to a nation-leading 10.3 points per game. Every national championship team needs a little luck and Notre Dame got that in a triple overtime win over Pittsburgh midway through the season. With the game on the line, the Panthers lined up to kick a game-winning field goal, but missed to keep the game going. The Irish capitalized on the mistake and went on to win 29-26. Notre Dame claimed No. 1 the week before facing rival USC and went on to beat the Trojans 22-13 in Los Angeles to claim a spot in the title game.
The Alabama Crimson Tide have won two of the last three BCS national championships and Nick Saban seems to have the program in a position to challenge for more over the next few seasons. Saban’s ability to recruit the nation’s best talent is matched only by his reputation as a “big game” coachwho is considered by many to be the best coach of the modern era. Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon form one of the nation’s top one-two punch at tailback, and the two run behind the SEC’s best offensive line, headlined by Barrett Jones. Quarterback A.J. McCarron had just two interceptions through the team’s first 12 games, and he proved capable of winning the big one the last two times the Tide has faced LSU. Defensively, Saban and coordinator Kirby Smart employ the 3-4 attack, spearpointed by DE Adrian Hubbard. DB Robert Lester has also proven to be a ballhawk.
NFL Prospects Manti Te’o ILB, Tyler Eifert TE, Cierre Wood RB, Louis Nix III DL, Mike Golic, Jr OL
NFL Prospects Nico Johnson LB, Barrett Jones OL, Robert Lester DB, C.J. Mosley LB, D.J. Fluker OL, Eddie Lacy RB
ALABAMA
NOTRE DAME
The Alabama Crimson Tide will be seeking a second straight BCS national title and a third in four years for head coach Nick Saban. Alabama survived Georgia in the SEC Championship game to earn the right to head down to Miami for a shot at the crystal football as the best one-loss team in America. Notre Dame, meanwhile is undefeated and looks poised to lean on a defense led by Manti Te’o. If Notre Dame is to truly wake up the echoes, Brian Kelly’s Fighting Irish must stop Tide running backs Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon. Notre Dame typically surrenders just 97 yards per game on the ground while Alabama averages more than 224 rushing yards per game. Alabama may want to consider having quarterback A.J. McCarron go to the air and improve upon his 214 yards per game average. Notre Dame gives up around 194 passing yards.
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