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2000-01 bowl breakdowns

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By Marc Lancaster, CNNSI.com

Mobile Las Vegas Oahu Aloha Motor City Gallery Humanitarian Music City MicronPC.com Insight.com Liberty Sun	Peach Holiday Alamo Silicon Independence Cotton Outback Gator Citrus Rose Fiesta Sugar Orange

First, all you die-hards who caught most (if not all) of the 25 bowl games, give yourselves a pat on the back for perseverance. Next, let's let the rest of the country -- slackers! -- in on a little secret: This was one of the best bowl seasons ever.

Yeah, there are too many games, that's obvious. Sure, teams like Arkansas, Virginia and Arizona State probably didn't deserve an extra game. But the bottom line was, except for a select handful of yawners, most of the games really were extremely entertaining.

The entire season got a boost from the opener, Southern Miss' thrilling win over TCU in the Mobile Alabama Bowl. There were some good comebacks and wild finishes, as in the Music City, Micronpc.com, Sun, Peach and Holiday bowls.

Unfortunately for many fans, one of the best days of football came when few were paying attention -- New Year's Eve. Fresno State's breathtaking comeback and boneheaded decision at the end of its Silicon Valley Classic loss to Air Force was something to behold. And Mississippi State's overtime win over Texas A&M in the snow-covered Independence Bowl was one of the year's most memorable sights.

By the time the "major" bowls rolled around on New Year's Day, much of the fun was already finished. The six games on Jan. 1 didn't provide much excitement, with only the Michigan-Auburn game in Orlando in doubt late in the fourth quarter.

The last two bowls had everyone's attention for their national championship implications, and for the most part kept it. Neither went down to the wire, but both were interesting -- if partially in that craning-your-neck-to-look-at-the-car-wreck way.

If nothing else, the bowl season was exciting. The 50 teams scored an average of 27.9 points each in a wide-open two weeks of action. That statistic made the way the Orange Bowl played out even more intriguing.

Now, we have a clear national champion. Better yet, the path to "the only game that matters" was even more entertaining than the grand finale itself.

Bowl Recaps
Mobile Alabama Bowl
Southern Miss 28, (13) TCU 21
Recap	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	118: Rushing yards, on 28 carries, for TCU's LaDainian Tomlinson, his lowest output of the season.
Player of the Game
Rod Davis, LB, Southern Miss. The freshman led USM's spectacular defensive effort with 14 tackles.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
In TCU's first game under new coach Gary Patterson, the Frogs seemed to deviate from what made them so successful all season -- that, of course, being Tomlinson, Tomlinson, Tomlinson. QB Casey Printers often tried to force passes, resulting in two interceptions, one returned to the house by Leo Barnes. The Eagles, meanwhile, persevered three ugly field goal misses by Brant Hannah, and QB Jeff Kelly made a great throw for the 25-yard winning TD to Kenneth Johnson, Kelly's third of the night.
Las Vegas Bowl
UNLV 31, Arkansas 14
Recap	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	476: Total yards for UNLV, compared to just 298 for Arkansas.
Player of the Game
Nate Turner, WR, UNLV. His eight catches for 126 yards included two touchdowns and a couple dazzling bomb hauls.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
Arkansas' defense, the key to its two season-ending wins to become bowl eligible, was no match for UNLV's dynamic offense. Though several long balls from QB Jason Thomas made the most impression, the Rebels also quietly racked up 259 rushing yards on 47 carries. The Razorbacks, meanwhile, got off two first-half touchdowns but failed to move the ball after intermission. QB Robby Hampton was only 18-of-40. The best news of all for John Robinson's crew: Thomas is only a sophomore.
Oahu Bowl
(24) Georgia 37, Virginia 14
Recap	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	13: Streak of consecutive Virginia seven-win seasons snapped with the loss.
Player of the Game
Terrence Edwards, WR, Georgia. Burned the Cavs on the ground, through the air, even as a quarterback, finishing with nearly 200 all-purpose yards.
Breakdown
The Bulldogs controlled the game from start to finish, scoring 24 points in the first 17 minutes, thanks to an offense that finally got on track under QB Cory Philips and the defense's ability to create turnovers. On the other side, Virginia looked utterly lethargic, its only highlight coming on a 58-yard fumble return by Byron Thweatt. In addition to losing the game, UVA lost QB Dan Ellis and RB Antwoine Womack to injuries during the course of the game.
Aloha Bowl
Boston College 31, Arizona State 17
Recap	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	23.2: Average yards per completion for Boston College, compared with 12.9 for ASU.
Player of the Game
Cedric Washington, RB, Boston College. Relegated to No. 2 man most of the season, he stepped up in William Green's absence for 106 yards and two TDs.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
The Sun Devils had hoped to send off departing coach Bruce Snyder with a win, but instead came away with their second straight Aloha drubbing. ASU lost QB Jeff Krohn to injury in the first half and lost the ball five times in the game, including a fumble on the BC 1-yard line. It wasted a 136-yard effort from running back Tom Pace. Meanwhile, Eagles QB Tim Hasselbeck was poised and effective, connecting on 58- and 40-yard touchdown passes to put things out of reach.
Motor City Bowl
Marshall 25, Cincinnati 14
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	25: Combined penalties by both teams, accounting for 190 yards.
Player of the Game
Byron Leftwich, QB, Marshall. Showed his big-play ability early and ended up completing 17 of 30 passes for 221 yards while also running for a TD.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
Marshall slipped right into its comfort zone at the Pontiac Silverdome, as was to be expected. Leftwich hooked up with Darius Watts for a 77-yard TD on the Herd's first drive to set the tone, and Marshall went about its business in winning its third consecutive Motor City Bowl. Deontey Kenner and the Cincy offense never got it together during the game -- unfortunate for them, considering the Bearcats' defense played relatively well.
GalleryFurniture.com Bowl
East Carolina 40, Texas Tech 27
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	13: Years since the last bowl game in Houston, the 1987 Bluebonnet Bowl.
Player of the Game
Keith Stokes, WR, East Carolina. Had 266 all-purpose yards, including a 71-yard punt return TD in the first quarter.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
Texas Tech woke up way too late to save this one. The Pirates had everything going their way from the opening kickoff at the Astrodome, exploding to a 34-0 lead. David Garrard and his crew made the plays they needed to, and with a few quirks helping the Pirate cause, Kliff Kingsbury couldn't do anything to hold off the slaughter. Kingsbury did put up some nice numbers in the second half, but even ECU's defense couldn't give up a lead like that.
Humanitarian Bowl
Boise State 38, UTEP 23
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	5: Sacks of UTEP QB Rocky Perez by Boise State in the first 10 minutes of the third quarter.
Player of the Game
Bart Hendricks, QB, Boise State. The nation's top-rated quarterback didn't disappoint, running for two TDs, throwing for another and catching a TD pass.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
It's a shame the Broncos couldn't have played, say, an upper- to mid-level school from a power conference in their bowl. Departing coach Dirk Koetter (Arizona State) and his team put on quite a show in their second straight bowl win on their home field. Hendricks lived up to his billing and the Broncos never let up, calling a key fake punt in the fourth quarter that helped break the game open. UTEP knew it would have to outscore Boise State to have a chance, and that wasn't about to happen on the unfriendly blue turf.
Music City Bowl
West Virginia 49, Mississippi 38
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	17: Offensive plays for West Virginia in the first half -- five of them for touchdowns.
Player of the Game
Brad Lewis, QB, West Virginia. Gave his team a 40-point lead in the third quarter with his fifth TD pass of the day.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
You got the feeling that the end of West Virginia's infamous eight-game bowl losing streak was ending a bit too easily when the Mountaineers went up 49-9 in the third. Finally, Ole Miss yanked Romaro Miller and made things interesting for West Virginia in Don Nehlen's final game. The Rebels inserted Eli Manning, who promptly threw for three TDs to bring Ole Miss back, but his interception late in the game ended hopes of the biggest comeback in bowl history. Oh well, at least the future looks a little brighter for the Rebels than it did at halftime.
MicronPC.com Bowl
N.C. State 38, Minnesota 30
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	300: Rushing yards on 58 carries for the Gophers in an attempt to control the ball, which they did to no avail.
Player of the Game
Philip Rivers, QB, N.C. State. The kid didn't flinch despite a huge deficit and methodically brought the 'Pack back, competing 24 of 39 passes for 310 yards.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
The Gophers did everything they wanted to do in this one, grabbing a huge early lead and turning it over to the unstoppable Tellis Redmon (42 carries, 246 yards) to run some clock. Then, their defense collapsed. After an ugly start, Rivers pulled himself together to put a fitting cap on his freshman year, finding big-play specialist Koren Robinson (who also took a while to warm up) seven times for 157 yards and a score through the air. Robinson also had a TD run. All in all, it wasn't a bad ending for Chuck Amato's rookie season as a head coach.
Insight.com Bowl
Iowa State 37, Pittsburgh 29
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	1: Bowl victories in Iowa State history after this game.
Player of the Game
Sage Rosenfels, QB, Iowa State. The Cyclones' big gun kept the Panthers off balance, completing 23 of 34 passes for 308 yards and two TDs with no interceptions.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
Pitt flashed its big-play ability right out of the gate, as John Turman found Antonio Bryant for a 72-yard score, but after that it was all Cyclones. Iowa State scored 27 unanswered points behind the arm of Rosenfels to put the game out of reach. The credit goes largely to Iowa State's defense for finding a way to keep Turman under control the rest of the way. It also helped that the Panthers were penalized eight times for 55 yards to ISU's two flags for 10 yards.
Liberty Bowl
(23) Colorado State 22, (22) Louisville 17
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	5: Sacks of Louisville's Dave Ragone by Colorado State, for 50 yards.
Player of the Game
Cecil Sapp, RB, Colorado State. Controlled the clock for the Rams by carrying 36 times for 160 yards and a TD.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
Perhaps the astonishingly frigid weather in Memphis had something to do with it, but this game didn't turn out to be the video game-style shootout many had anticipated. The Rams played a large part in that, eschewing a spotty passing attack to let Sapp bull through the Cardinals' front line at will. Meanwhile, Louisville's Ragone was very accurate most of the day, finishing 24 of 37 for 321 yards without an interception, but he simply couldn't get his team into the end zone. Three fumbles also didn't help the Cardinals' cause.
Sun Bowl
Wisconsin 21, UCLA 20
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	286: Yards out of UCLA's total 397 accumulated by Freddie Mitchell and DeShaun Foster.
Player of the Game
Michael Bennett, RB, Wisconsin. His numbers (16 carries, 84 yards) paled in comparison to many games this year, but he scored the winning TD.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
This game played out in fitting fashion, considering the up-and-down seasons both teams have had. Mitchell had his game and his smack-talking going early, and he put on quite a show (nine catches, 180 yards) as the Bruins built a 20-7 lead. Only problem was, UCLA left Wisconsin just enough daylight to come back, and with its two starting corners sidelined by injury, UCLA was vulnerable. The Badgers plodded their way back into it, taking the lead on Bennett's TD and getting the last laugh when Jamar Fletcher's interception sealed the win.
Peach Bowl
(18) LSU 28, (15) Georgia Tech 14
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	9: Receptions in the second half by LSU's Josh Reed, including a tip-toeing touchdown and a two-point conversion.
Player of the Game
Rohan Davey, QB, LSU. Replaced the woefully ineffective Josh Booty for the second half and merely completed 17 of 25 for 174 yards and 3 TDs.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
You figured the Yellow Jackets had it all on their side -- they came in red-hot, playing a virtual home game against a team that wasn't expected to do much this year. And if LSU had left Booty in the game, it might have been just another Georgia Tech blowout. But alas, Nick Saban pulled the trigger, Davey responded, and the result was a stunningly complete Tiger victory. Oh, and you thought George Godsey and friends wouldn't really miss departed offensive guru Ralph Friedgen all that much? Try again.
Holiday Bowl
(8) Oregon 35, (12) Texas 30
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	420: Total yards by Oregon.
Player of the Game
Joey Harrington, QB, Oregon. Torched the Texas defense in every way by throwing for two touchdowns, running for one and catching another on a halfback pass.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
Did you expect anything other than another wild high-scoring Holiday Bowl? No. 8 Oregon and No. 12 Texas provided another memorable performance in a back-and-forth affair that wasn't decided until a pass from Longhorns quarterback Chris Simms fell incomplete in the end zone as time expired. The final 1:37 typified the contest as Texas recovered a fumble with 1:37 to go while Oregon was trying to run out the clock. Two plays later, the Ducks got the ball back when Rashad Bauman recorded the fourth Oregon interception. The Longhorns got one more shot after the Ducks took an intentional safety with 21 seconds left. Simms drove the Longhorns to the Ducks' 39 but couldn't put the Longhorns into the end zone.
Alamo Bowl
(9) Nebraska 66, (18) Northwestern 17
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	10: Plays of 20 yards or more for Nebraska, including three touchdowns.
Player of the Game
Dan Alexander, RB, Nebraska. Simply unstoppable, carrying 20 times for a bowl-record 240 yards and 2 TDs.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
Coaches will often tell you the team that controls the line of scrimmage controls the game. Look no further than this contest for proof of that. The Huskers simply whipped Northwestern all night long on both sides of the ball, and therein lies the basis for this blowout. Northwestern had no idea what to do with Nebraska's offense, and mostly stood by while the Huskers ran by. On the other side, Damien Anderson got his yards (148), but Zak Kustok was awful (13 of 33, 138 yards), and the Wildcats never got into that high-octane groove they found so many times this year.
Silicon Valley Classic
Air Force 37, Fresno State 34
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	38:06: Time of possession for Air Force.
Player of the Game
Mike Thiessen, QB, Air Force. Passed for 203 yards and two TDs, and was the game's leading rusher with 98 yards and two more scores.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
Apparently, Fresno State just wanted to go home. The Bulldogs were on the verge of the biggest comeback in bowl history, but their inexplicable decision to fake a game-tying field goal attempt in the closing seconds wasted a brilliant rally. Led by the arm of David Carr (22 of 37, 391 yards, 5 TDs), the Bulldogs had rallied from a 34-7 halftime hole. Carr's clock management at the end left plenty to be desired, and perhaps that led to the coaching staff's decision to eschew a shot at overtime. That was a relief to Air Force, which dominated the first half with 319 total yards but didn't do much after the break.
Independence Bowl
Mississippi State 43, Texas A&M 41, OT
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	6: Fumbles by Mississippi State -- but the Bulldogs lost only one of them.
Player of the Game
Dontae Walker, RB, Mississippi State. Rumbled for 144 yards on just 15 carries and scored three touchdowns.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
The year 2000 couldn't have ended in a more bizarre fashion. Playing in an all-out blizzard for much of the game, the two teams still combined for 12 touchdowns -- but the biggest play of the contest was a PAT. The Bulldogs' block and return of Texas A&M's extra point in overtime allowed the ensuing TD run by Wayne Madkin to win the game. The comeback spoiled a breathtaking performance by A&M's Ja'Mar Toombs, who carried 35 times for 193 yards and three touchdowns. In the end, Jackie Sherrill had the last laugh.
Outback Bowl
South Carolina 24, (19) Ohio State 7
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	2.2: Yards per carry for Ohio State's woeful rushing offense.
Player of the Game
Ryan Brewer, RB, South Carolina. Huge day for Ohio native replacing Derek Watson, with more than 200 all-purpose yards and 3 TDs.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
It wasn't obvious which team wanted this one more, was it? The Gamecocks shook off a disappointing end of the regular season in a dream campaign to dominate a clueless Ohio State team. It wasn't surprising that South Carolina's defense shut down the Buckeyes, but the Gamecocks' rushing attack was a pleasant treat. Brewer was a bona fide star, getting some revenge on a team that didn't recruit him out of high school, and the Gamecocks couldn't have been happier about it. A brilliant cap to the season for Lou Holtz and Co.
Cotton Bowl
(11) Kansas State 35, (21) Tennessee 21
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	28.0: Completion percentage for UT's Casey Clausen, who was 7 of 25 passing for 120 yards.
Player of the Game
Jonathan Beasley, QB, Kansas State. Accounted for more total yards than Tennessee's entire team (308 to 298) while throwing for two TDs and rushing for another.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
Tennessee's "D" got plenty of ink going into this one, but Beasley and Quincy Morgan put on a show of their own. The quarterback did it all, including a beautiful pooch punt in the fourth quarter that pinned the Vols on their own 4, and Morgan caught seven balls for 145 yards and two TDs. Travis Henry was the only thing the Vols had going for them, but his 180 yards did them no good with Clausen looking more like a freshman than he has the entire season. This one wasn't as close as the score indicated ... but hey, Tennessee will be pretty darn good next year.
Gator Bowl
(6) Virginia Tech 41, (16) Clemson 20
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	27: Rushing yards for Clemson's running backs.
Player of the Game
Michael Vick, QB, Virginia Tech. Did his usual thing, throwing efficiently (10 of 17, 204 yards) and accounting for two TDs.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
The spotlight was on Vick, and he came through. It wasn't the sophomore's most spectacular game by a long shot, but he and Lee Suggs (3 rushing TDs) had more than enough to run circles around a shell-shocked Clemson team. The Tigers got in a hole early, and lost any hope for a comeback when Travis Zachery broke his foot on a touchdown in the second quarter. That left the entire offensive load on Woody Dantzler, and he did what he could (79 rushing yards, 179 passing yards), but it wasn't nearly enough.
Citrus Bowl
(17) Michigan 31, (20) Auburn 28
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	688: Combined passing yards for Ben Leard (394) and Drew Henson (294) in what was supposed to be a showcase of running backs.
Player of the Game
Anthony Thomas, RB, Michigan. The Train never stopped in his final college game, barreling for 182 yards and two TDs on 32 carries.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
Neither team plays defense as it has been known for in the past, but that helped make this game one of the most entertaining of the bowl season. All of the stars -- Henson, Thomas, David Terrell, Rudi Johnson -- made big plays, and the Wolverines' shaky defense watched Leard put up some big numbers as well. Auburn simply put itself in a no-win position at the end, needing to stop Thomas to get the ball back for a chance to tie. That wasn't about to happen on this day, as the Wolverines' leader had his way.
Rose Bowl
(4) Washington 34, (14) Purdue 24
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	6: Penalties against Purdue in a scoreless first quarter for the Boilermakers.
Player of the Game
Marques Tuiasosopo, QB, Washington. His game isn't always pretty, but he gets it done. Ran for 75 yards and a TD and completed 16 of 22 passes for 138 yards and another TD.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
It looked like the Huskies were about to become victims of their main weapon this season -- the fourth-quarter comeback -- but Purdue's Travis Dorsch, who looks fine 364 days a year but collapses on Jan. 1, couldn't do his part. It wasn't all his fault, of course. The Huskies came out sky-high behind Tuiasosopo and pounded away all night long. Every time Drew Brees put something on the board for his team, the Huskies answered back immediately. People have overlooked Washington all year, but this game showed how strong this team really is.
Fiesta Bowl
(5) Oregon State 41, (10) Notre Dame 9
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	53:53: Game time it took for Notre Dame to score a touchdown.
Player of the Game
Jonathan Smith, QB, Oregon State. The little guy was simply brilliant, completing 16 of 24 passes for 305 yards and 3 TDs.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
Go ahead, justify Notre Dame's inclusion in the BCS one more time. The Irish, faced with a superior opponent (thought not quite as superior as the score indicated), simply imploded. Oregon State came out with a bit of hesitation, but soon was in all-out swagger mode after the Beavers figured out that the Irish just aren't that good. Smith directed the offense as well as anyone could have asked, but the big story was the Beaver defense. Matt LoVecchio looked like he had no idea where the next defender would come from, and the Irish didn't have a chance until the Beavers put in their reserves in the fourth quarter.
Sugar Bowl
(2) Miami 37, (7) Florida 20
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	35:26: Time of possession for Miami.
Player of the Game
Dan Morgan, LB, Miami. The nation's top defensive player plugged up the middle and made the game-sealing pick on the goal line at the end.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
Even without James Jackson, who was injured midway through the game, the Hurricanes had too many weapons for Florida to stop. But an equally key problem for the Gators in this one was the inefficiency of its offense. Florida dropped passes, committed silly penalties and turned the ball over at inopportune times. It was surprising how long Steve Spurrier waited before giving Rex Grossman the hook. Then again, Jesse Palmer's interception in the final minutes didn't help, either. Even before the margin finally grew in the fourth quarter, it was clear that this wasn't the Gators' night.
Orange Bowl
(1) Oklahoma 13, (3) Florida State 2
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	40.4: Points below its season average for Florida State.
Player of the Game
Torrance Marshall, LB, Oklahoma. It was a total team effort, but the Miami native led the way with 11 tackles and a big interception.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
OK, so FSU missed Snoop Minnis. And maybe Mark Richt's brain was already between the hedges at Georgia. Regardless, no one on earth could have expected Oklahoma's defense to do what it did to the mighty Seminoles. To hold this Florida State team to zero offensive points and only 301 total yards was nothing short of astonishing. But that's what Oklahoma had to do to win. Toward the end of the season especially, the offense wasn't clicking all that well for the Sooners. They knew this, played it safe, and did only what they needed to do. It helped that Tim Duncan could be relied upon to make field goals, too. This wasn't the crisply played shootout that many expected, but it was riveting nonetheless. And it's impossible to argue Oklahoma's worthiness.

 

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