It seems Y2K travel concerns have kept many normally adventurous fans from hitting the road this bowl season, which is just as well. Less time away from the TV, more games you'll catch.
While you have to be pretty hard-core to get fired up about pre-Christmas bowls, there's plenty to get excited for before the clock turns to '00. How about an expected shootout in the Silverdome between Marshall and BYU, or a battle at the Alamo between Penn State and Texas A&M?
The real fun begins New Year's Day, with the promise of Miami and Georgia Tech lighting up the Gator Bowl for 1,000 yards, Purdue's Drew Brees and Georgia's Quincy Carter locking horns in the Outback and Steve Spurrier tearing his hair out if the Gators don't resurface in Orlando.
As for the big game in New Orleans, most of the country is eager to see whether the pesky Hokies are for real. But true college football fans know they're not only for real but will help make the title game one of the toughest Florida State has taken part in yet.
| Bowl Previews/Recaps |
| Las Vegas Bowl |
| Utah 17, Fresno State 16 |
| Review | Key Stat |
Game Recap
Game Summary
| 331: Rushing yards for Utah, led by RB Mike Anderson. |
| Player of the Game |
| Anderson, RB, Utah. Rushed for 254 yards, a Las Vegas Bowl record, and two touchdowns. |
| Analysis |
| Utah survived two blocked kicks, including one that was returned 75 yards for a touchdown by Fresno State's Payton Williams. Utes K Cletus Truhe overcame his earlier troubles by kicking the go-ahead field goal with 5:03 remaining in the game. The victory was Utah's first in a bowl since a 16-13 win over Arizona in the 1994 Freedom Bowl. |
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| Mobile Bowl |
| TCU (7-4) vs. (20) East Carolina (9-2) |
| Preview | Key Stat |
Dec. 22, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Game Info | 1,530: Difference between TCU's rushing yards gained (2,640) and allowed (1,110). |
| Player to Watch |
| LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, TCU. First chance for most of the country to see their leading rusher (168.1 yards per game, 6.9 per carry). |
| Analysis |
| These two can look forward to an annual rivalry when TCU joins Conference USA in 2001. The Horned Frogs make no secret of their desire to run, though it starts with QB Casey Printers' ability to execute the option. ECU has more overall talent, having beaten the likes of Miami and N.C. State. Look for QB David Garrard to pass more than usual to combat TCU's stingy run defense, though tailback Jamie Wilson is a dangerous weapon as well. |
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| Aloha Bowl |
| Wake Forest (6-5) at Arizona State (6-5) |
| Preview | Key Stat |
Dec. 25, 3:30 p.m. (ABC)
Game Info | 40,419: Difference in enrollment between ASU (44,255 students) and Wake (3,836). |
| Player to Watch |
| Todd Heap, TE, Arizona State. One of nation's top pass-catching tight ends (50 catches for 793 yards) provides ASU a unique option. |
| Analysis |
| It's a battle of two teams that squeaked into the postseason in their final games, Wake by knocking off Georgia Tech and ASU over rival Arizona. The Deacons are a senior-laden bunch that play sound defense, avoid mistakes and go to workhorse RB Morgan Kane (1,161 yards). The Sun Devils need a big game from playmaker J.R. Redmond to take the pressure off fill-in QB John Leonard. |
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| Oahu Bowl |
| Oregon State (7-4) vs. Hawaii (8-4) |
| Preview | Key Stat |
Dec. 25, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Game Info | 8: Improvement in wins from a year ago for Hawaii, tying an NCAA record. |
| Player to Watch |
| Ken Simonton, RB, Oregon State. Buried in the obscurity of the Pacific Northwest, the sophomore has consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. |
| Analysis |
| This one should be a shootout, with both teams playing under ex-NFL coaches (Hawaii's June Jones and Oregon State's Dennis Erickson. ) Hawaii QB Dan Robinson has thrown for almost 4,000 yards, bad news for a suspect Beavers defense. But OSU has a decent QB of its own in the versatile Jonathan Smith, who can take comfort in the fact Hawaii lost both its games against Pac-10 teams (USC and Washington State). |
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| Motor City Bowl |
| BYU (8-3) vs. (11) Marshall (12-0) |
| Preview | Key Stat |
Dec. 27, 2:30 p.m (ESPN)
Game Info | 7,352: Combined passing yardage of Marshall's Chad Pennington and BYU's Kevin Feterik. |
| Player to Watch |
| Luke Staley, RB, BYU. Impressive freshman rushed for 13 TDs but is slowly recovering from knee injury. |
| Analysis |
| Heisman-finalist Pennington was last seen marching Marshall to the winning TD in the MAC championship. He'll face a tougher defense than normal in Rob Morris and the Cougars, though the unit was exploited late in the season by Wyoming and Utah. Marshall has an outstanding defense, but look for veteran bowl coach LaVell Edwards to install some new tricks for Feterik. |
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| Alamo Bowl |
| (13) Penn State (9-3) vs. (18) Texas A&M (8-3) |
| Preview | Key Stat |
Dec. 28, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Game Info | 0: Number of times Penn State has lost four straight games under Joe Paterno. |
| Player to Watch |
| LaVar Arrington, LB, Penn State. Butkus-winning underclassmen and possible No. 1 draft pick likely playing his last game. |
| Analysis |
| Penn State is the more talented team, but that might not matter unless the Nittany Lions have finally gotten over the disastrous end to their season. The offense has struggled all season and needs playmakers Rashard Casey and Chafie Fields to step it up against the "Wrecking Crew." Aggies QB Randy McCown looks for a repeat of his spectacular game against Texas to end the season. |
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| Music City Bowl |
| Syracuse (6-5) at Kentucky (6-5) |
| Preview | Key Stat |
Dec. 29, 5 p.m. (ESPN)
Game Info | 13: Years since Syracuse finished with a non-winning season. |
| Player to Watch |
| Keith Bulluck, LB, Syracuse. Big East's leading tackler (13.5 per game) will be busy defending Dusty Bonner's short-range passes. |
| Analysis |
| Though they have the same record, Syracuse's season is considered a disappointment, Kentucky's a surprise. Wildcats QB Bonner will look for his favorite target, TE James Whalen, one last time, and will also utilize Anthony White out of the backfield. It could be a tough test for 'Cuse's decimated secondary, so the Orange would be wise to control some clock behind RB Dee Brown. |
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| Holiday Bowl |
| (7) Kansas State (10-1) at Washington (7-4) |
| Preview | Key Stat |
Dec. 29, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Game Info | 65.7: Kansas State opponents' pass-efficiency rating, lowest nationally. |
| Player to Watch |
| Marques Tuiasosopo, QB, Washington. Junior has blossomed under Rick Neuheisel but faces a steep rise in defense from the Pac-10. |
| Analysis |
| Neuheisel knows from his Colorado days that the option won't frazzle Mark Simoneau and the K-State defense as it did the Pac-10. Tuiasosopo may have to look downfield more. K-State will look to do just the opposite -- take it right to the UW line behind RB Joe Hall. Also look for return whizzes David Allen (KSU) and Joe Jarzynka (UW) to be factors. |
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| Humanitarian Bowl |
| Louisville (7-4) vs. Boise State (9-3) |
| Preview | Key Stat |
Dec. 30, 3 p.m. (ESPN2)
Game Info | 1,031: Career completions of Louisville's Chris Redman, a I-A record. |
| Player to Watch |
| Frank Moreau, RB, Louisville. Forgotten in Redman's shadow, the senior ran for 1,289 yards and 17 TDs. |
| Analysis |
| For a second straight year, Redman brings his rocket arm to an obscure bowl. Last year he threw for 336 yards in a losing effort against Marshall in the Motor City Bowl. It's impossible to gauge how Boise's defense will hold up based on its minor-league schedule. We do know the Broncos won five straight to close the season, with QB Bart Hendricks throwing 12 TDs to four INTs in those games. |
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| Micronpc.com Bowl |
| Illinois (7-4) vs. Virginia (7-4) |
| Preview | Key Stat |
Dec. 30, 7 p.m. (TBS)
Game Info | +1.18: Illinois' turnover margin, second-best in the country. |
| Player to Watch |
| Thomas Jones, RB, Virginia. Set ACC records with 1,798 rushing and 2,054 all-purpose yards. |
| Analysis |
| Neither team offers a particularly impressive defense, music to the ears of Virginia's Jones and Illinois QB Kurt Kittner, who paced the Illini's turnaround season by throwing 22 TDs to only four interceptions. The Cavs will need to slow down Illinois runners Rocky Harvey and Steve Havard to have a chance of flustering Kittner. UVa has a solid QB of its own in Dan Ellis, but Jones is its bread and butter. |
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| Peach Bowl |
| Clemson (6-5) vs. (15) Mississippi State (9-2) |
| Preview | Key Stat |
Dec. 30, 7:30 p.m.
Game Info | 221.4: Yards per game allowed by the Bulldogs, No. 1 nationally. |
| Player to Watch |
| Keith Adams, LB, Clemson. Monster sophomore was credited with 176 tackles and 16 sacks. |
| Analysis |
| As you can tell, the theme for this game is defense. MSU, which thrives off forcing turnovers and making clutch stops, will try to neutralize muti-threat Clemson QB Woodrow Dantzler. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are used to winning without much spark on offense, but look for just such a thing from backup Matt Wyatt if they fail to move the ball under starting QB Wayne Madkin. |
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| Insight.com Bowl |
| Colorado (6-5) vs. (25) Boston College (8-3) |
| Preview | Key Stat |
Dec. 31, 1:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Game Info | 40.8: Average points scored by Colorado during its current five-bowl winning streak (tied for nation's longest). |
| Player to Watch |
| Jeremy Aldrich, K, Colorado. Needs to avoid a month of brooding over his heartbreaking miss against Nebraska. |
| Analysis |
| B.C.'s defense, led by star DE Chris Hovan and S Pedro Cirino, will have their work cut out against the CU offense, which kicked into gear over the season's last month. Meanwhile, CU defenders Jashon Sykes and Ben Kelly look to make their presence felt against a no-frills B.C. offense engineered by much-improved Tim Hasselbeck. |
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| Sun Bowl |
| (12) Minnesota (8-3) vs. Oregon (8-3) |
| Preview | Key Stat |
Dec. 31, 2:15 p.m. (CBS)
Game Info | 112: Penalties called on Oregon opponents, most in the Pac-10. |
| Player to Watch |
| Reuben Droughns, RB, Oregon. Enters his 16th and final game averaging 130.9 yards for his career. |
| Analysis |
| The teams enter El Paso on a combined eight-game win streak. Minnesota's staunch defense, led by All-American S Tyrone Carter, will try to contain Droughns and put pressure on QB Joey Harrington. That way the Gophers can hog the ball with workhorse RB Thomas Hamner and versatile QB Billy Cockerham, both lethal on the ground. |
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| Liberty Bowl |
| Colorado State (8-3) vs. (16) Southern Miss (8-3) |
| Preview | Key Stat |
Dec. 31, 5 p.m. (ESPN)
Game Info | 38: Combined tackles-for-loss by the Eagles' T.J. Slaughter and Adalius Thomas. |
| Player to Watch |
| Todd Pinkston, WR, Southern Miss. Projected first-round draft pick averages over 20 yards a catch. |
| Analysis |
| Despite playing the likes of Alabama and Nebraska, Southern Miss had the ninth-best rush defense in the country (91.5 yards per game) this season. Thomas, Slaughter and the rest of the Eagles' front seven will pose a unique challenge for Rams workhorse Kevin McDougal. CSU's QB Matt Newton will have to cut down on mistakes, because the Eagles have too many weapons on offense to afford giving them the ball. |
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| Independence Bowl |
| Oklahoma (7-4) vs. Mississippi (7-4) |
| Preview | Key Stat |
Dec. 31, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Game Info | 113-27: Score by which Oklahoma has outscored opponents in the first quarter. |
| Player to Watch |
| Joe Gunn, RB, Mississippi. Sophomore amassed 951 yards and prevents defenses from keying on QB Romaro Miller. |
| Analysis |
| It will be interesting to see how Oklahoma's pass-happy offense fares without its architect, Mike Leach, who left for Texas Tech. Don't expect Sooners QB Josh Heupel to slow down a bit. The Rebels have a surprisingly high-powered offense themselves but will have to make some adjustments to a defense ranked 99 spots higher nationally against the run than the pass. |
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| Cotton Bowl |
| (24) Arkansas (7-4) vs. (14) Texas (9-3) |
| Preview | Key Stat |
Jan. 1, 11 a.m. (FOX)
Game Info | 30: Years since No. 1 Texas' 15-14 defeat of No. 2 Arkansas in the schools' famous "Big Shootout." |
| Player to Watch |
| Kwame Cavil, WR, Texas Don't look now, but a Longhorns receiver caught 100 passes in a season (for 1,188 yards). |
| Analysis |
| Texas' normally explosive offense, led by QB Major Applewhite, should play much better than its six-point output against Nebraska. The key is creating holes for shifty RB Hodges Mitchell. Arkansas also needs to rebound, from a 35-10 loss to LSU, but matters won't be made easier by star WR Anthony Lucas' questionable status following arthroscopic knee surgery. Look for the 'Hogs to utilize freshman RB Cedric Cobbs more. |
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| Outback Bowl |
| (21) Georgia (7-4) vs. (19) Purdue (7-4) |
| Preview | Key Stat |
Jan. 1, 11 a.m. (ESPN)
Game Info | 1: Total-offense ranking of both Georgia in the SEC and Purdue in the Big Ten. |
| Player to Watch |
| Chris Daniels, WR, Purdue. Georgia's secondary is prone to big days from big receivers, nevertheless those who average over 100 yards. |
| Analysis |
| Points will be scored in bundles here. Georgia's defense stopped very few people this year, especially good QBs, of which Purdue's Drew Brees is one. But Georgia also possesses the kind of speed on offense that could burn the Boilers. Look for a big day from 'Dawgs RB Jasper Sanks, who should be able to find holes on a Purdue front seven that also has to worry about QB Quincy Carter on the option. |
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| Gator Bowl |
| (23) Miami (8-4) vs. (17) Georgia Tech (8-3) |
| Preview | Key Stat |
Jan. 1, 12:30 p.m. (NBC)
Game Info | 155-13: Combined margin of Miami's last three games, wins over Rutgers, Syracuse and Temple. |
| Player to Watch |
| Joe Hamilton, QB, Georgia Tech. Last chance to enjoy the Heisman runner-up, who accounts for 344.9 yards per game. |
| Analysis |
| Tech has an umatched receiving duo in Dez White and Kelly Campbell, and Miami's Santana Moss is a big`-time playmaker. Hamilton gives the Jackets a clear edge at QB over late-season Miami fill-in Ken Dorsey, but while the 'Canes can expect to rack up ground yards with Clinton Portis, expect LBs Dan Morgan and Nate Webster to slow down Tech's runners. |
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| Citrus Bowl |
| (9) Michigan State (9-2) vs. (10) Florida (9-3) |
| Preview | Key Stat |
Jan. 1, 1 p.m. (ABC)
Game Info | 152-56: Combined margin of Michigan State's four straight bowl losses. |
| Player to Watch |
| Alex Brown, DE, Florida. Vocally critical of his teammates on offense, the Gators will expect nothing less than a huge game from him now. |
| Struggling Florida receivers Darrell Jackson and Travis Taylor face another grave challenge against Spartan DBs Amp Campbell and Aric Morris, and whoever plays QB for Steve Spurrier can expect to feel heat up front. Don't expect much change from new MSU head man Bobby Williams, who knows a solid ground game will open things up for steady QB Bill Burke. |
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| Rose Bowl |
| (22) Stanford (8-3) vs. (4) Wisconsin (9-2) |
| Preview | Key Stat |
Jan. 1, 4:50 p.m. (ABC)
Game Info | 1,035: Combined yards of offense in last year's Rose Bowl game between the Badgers and UCLA. |
| Player to Watch |
| Troy Walters, WR, Stanford. First true national stage comes in 5-foot-7 All-American's last college game. |
| Analysis |
| Unquestionably, Stanford is a much better team than the one that lost 69-17 to Texas the first week of the season. Yet this game could still be a mismatch. The Cardinal defense ranks a nasty 110th nationally and faces a certain Heisman-winning running back who sprang for 246 yards in this game last year. Furthermore, Walters and the dangerous Stanford passing game will run into by far the best corner coverage they've faced this season in the Badgers' Jamar Fletcher and Mike Echols. |
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| Orange Bowl |
| (5) Alabama (10-2) vs. (8) Michigan (9-2) |
| Preview | Key Stat |
Jan. 1, 8:30 p.m. (ABC)
Game Info | 130: Total rushing yards allowed by Alabama over its last five games. |
| Player to Watch |
| Freddie Milons, WR, Alabama. Speedy playmaker gets used out of the slot and the backfield -- sometimes at quarterback. |
| Analysis |
| Michigan has its work cut out against a defense that's actually gotten tougher since losing several key players to injury in October. If the Tide's run blockade keeps up against Anthony Thomas, it will be up to QB Tom Brady to get dangerous receiver David Terrell into the mix. 'Bama back Shaun Alexander has yet to be completely silenced but faces defenders like Dhani Jones who did a number on Ron Dayne earlier this season. |
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| Fiesta Bowl |
| (6) Tennessee (9-2) vs. (3) Nebraska (11-1) |
| Preview | Key Stat |
Jan. 2, 8 p.m. (ABC)
Game Info | 0: Games this season where Nebraska failed to score 20 points. |
| Player to Watch |
| Deon Grant, S, Tennessee If the Huskers continue with their fumble problem, count on Grant having something to do with it. |
| Analysis |
| Eric Crouch has the Nebraska offense clicking, but he and RB Dan Alexander face the task of running on a Vols defense that gave up three rushing TDs all year. Tennessee has a promising running tandem of its own with a healthy Jamal Lewis rejoining Travis Henry, and they'll both be counted on heavily. Nebraska's defense, led by Mike and Ralph Brown, can be counted on to negate any passing efforts of Tee Martin. |
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| Sugar Bowl |
| (2) Virginia Tech (11-0) vs. (1) Florida State (11-0) |
| Preview | Key Stat |
Jan. 4, 8 p.m. (ABC)
Game Info | 1: Virginia Tech's national ranking in both scoring offense (41.3) and defense (10.6). |
| Player to Watch |
| Peter Warrick, WR, Florida State. Don't expect a repeat of his infamous 7-yard night in last year's title game. |
| Analysis |
| Of all that will be written about this game, it comes down to this: Will Hokies frosh Michael Vick continue to play with the poise of a senior under the brightest spotlight of all? Expect counterpart Chris Weinke, eight years Vick's senior, to survive Corey Moore long enough to manufacture points. (Give Bobby Bowden six weeks to form a game plan and that much you can expect.) Then it will be up to Vick to again pull out the big plays, with help from solid RB Shyrone Stith. |
