LITTLE ROCK — All times Central
Gator
NO. 20 NORTHWESTERN (9-3) VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE (8-4) WHERE At EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Fla.
TIME/TV 11 a.m./ESPN2 LINE Northwestern by 1 SERIES RECORD First meeting WHAT’S AT STAKE Bowl streaks. Northwestern has lost an NCAA-record-tying nine consecutive bowl games, including four in the last four years. The Wildcats’ last bowl win came in the 1949 Rose Bowl, a 20-14 victory over Cal. Mississippi State has won its last five bowl games dating to 1999. It’s the longest streak in the nation. The Bulldogs’ streak includes a 52-14 romp over Michigan two years ago in the Gator Bowl.
KEY MATCHUP Northwestern’s offensive line vs. Mississippi State’s defensive front. The SEC is known for having speedy defensive ends, and Mississippi State has two in Denico Autry and Preston Smith. The Wildcats need to contain them, especially in passing situations.
PLAYERS TO WATCH Northwestern: Versatile junior Venric Mark has done a bit of everything this season. He has 1,310 yards rushing, 101 yards receiving, 355 yards on kickoff returns and 282 yards on punt returns. He has eight 100-yard rushing games and 14 total touchdowns - 11 on the ground, one receiving and two on punt returns. He averages 170.7 all-purpose yards a game. Mississippi State: Chad Bumphis has 55 receptions for 904 yards and 12 touchdowns, and wasat his best in November. He caught 24 passes for 414 yards and 8 touchdowns in the final month of the regular season. He could be in line for a big day against the Wildcats’ porous secondary.
FACTS & FIGURES Northwestern is 0-4 in the Sunshine State, losing in the 2010 Outback Bowl, in the 2007 Citrus Bowl and in games at Miami (1968) and at Florida (1966). ... If the game is close, Northwestern could have an advantage with placekicker Jeff Budzien. The junior has made 17 of 18 field goals this season. ... Mississippi State lost four its final five games. ... MSU senior CB Johnthan Banks won the 2012 Jim Thorpe Award, presented annually to the nation’s best defensive back. ... MSU CB Darius Slay hails from nearby Brunswick, Ga., and when he returned home for Christmas, he was able to give dozens of tickets to family and friends. ”
Heart of Dallas
PURDUE (6-6) VS. OKLAHOMA STATE (7-5) TIME/TV 11 a.m. ESPN WHERE Cotton Bowl, Dallas.
LINE Oklahoma State by 17 SERIES RECORD Purdue leads 1-0 WHAT’S AT STAKE Oklahoma State is trying to avoid its first three-game losing streak since 2005. The Cowboys already have suffered consecutive defeats for the first time in three years, with losses to Oklahoma and Baylor to end the regular season. Purdue is going for its fourth consecutive victory after a five-game losing streak that included a three-point loss at Notre Dame and an overtime loss at Ohio State.
KEY MATCHUP Oklahoma State offensive line vs. Purdue defensive front. Even with three different starting quarterbacks, the Cowboys’ offensive line has allowed only 10 sacks. Two of Purdue’s front-line defenders, end Ryan Russell and tackle Kawann Short, have combined for 9 sacks and 22 tackles for losses.
PLAYERS TO WATCH Purdue: Senior RB Akeem Shavers is the leading rusher with 778 yards and 6 touchdowns. His best stretch was during a three-game winning streak to end the regular season, when he had 289 yards and 3 TDs. Oklahoma State: WR Josh Stewart and RB Joseph Randle. Stewart has 96 catches for 1,154 yards and 7 touchdowns. He had more than100 yards receiving in 4 of the last 6 games, with 23 catches for 297 yards the last 2. Randle is the Big 12’s leading rusher with 1,351 yards (112.6 per game).
FACTS & FIGURES The only other meeting between the teams was in another bowl in Texas, the 1997 Alamo Bowl the Boilermakers won 33-20. ... Using three starting quarterbacks because of injuries, Oklahoma State still has 4,001 yards passing, the second most in school history. ... Cowboys are 4-2 in bowl games under Mike Gundy. ... Purdue QB Robert Marve completed 63 of 88 passes (72 percent) for 792 yards and 7 TDs the last 3 games.
Capital One
NO. 7 GEORGIA (11-2) VS. NO. 16 NEBRASKA (10-3) WHERE Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Fla.
TIME/TV Noon/ABC LINE Georgia by 9 SERIES RECORD Nebraska leads 1-0.
WHAT’S AT STAKE The Bulldogs came up just a few yards short of capturing the SEC crown and trip the BCS national championship game, when they fell to defending BCS champion Alabama, 32-28 on Dec. 1. They acknowledged this week that wound hasn’t fully healed, but want this bowl game to be the first step. The Cornhuskers are looking to erase the memories of their lopsided 70-31 loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game, which cost them a trip to the Rose Bowl. Nebraska had won six in a row before its championship game loss.
KEY MATCHUP Georgia thrived this season offensively behind Tampa, Fla. native Aaron Murray. He led the nation in yards per passing attempt (7.8), while throwing for 31 touchdowns. He will be opposite a Nebraska defense that allowed 148.2 yards per game passing this season, ranking No. 1 in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision.
PLAYERS TO WATCH Georgia: LB Jarvis Jones, who could be playing his final collegiate game with a jump to the NFL very possible. Jones has been a staple of Georgia’s defense this season. The SEC’s defensive player of the year, led the team with 12 1/2 sacks and 22 tackles for a loss. Offensively, Georgia will need a big effort from freshman Todd Gurley, who rushed for 1,260 yards. Nebraska: Junior OG Spencer Long garnered first team All-Big Ten honors this season for an offense that led the conference in both rushing (254.5 yards per game) and total yards (462.2 yards per game). He will be needed to open up holes for junior QB Taylor Martinez, who threw for 21 touchdowns this season and rushed for 10 more. He is Nebraska’s career leader in total offense with 9,199 yards.
FACTS & FIGURES Nebraska is 12-6 all-time against the SEC in bowl games, but has lost its last three bowl games against teams from the conference. ... The Cornhuskers own a 3-2 bowl record under Coach Bo Pelini. ... Nebraska owns an 11-21 record against top-10 opponents in bowl games, with 17 of those losses coming to topfive foes. ... The Bulldogs are playing in their 16th consecutive bowl game and 48th appearance in a bowl game.
Outback
NO. 10 SOUTH CAROLINA (10-2) VS. NO. 18 MICHIGAN (8-4) WHERE At Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
TIME/TV Noon/ESPN LINE South Carolina by 5.
SERIES RECORD Tied 1-1.
WHAT’S AT STAKE South Carolina is trying to close out the most successful three-year run with the second 11-victory season in school history. The Gamecocks, who’ve won four consecutive after consecutive losses to LSU and Florida derailed hopes of playing for the SEC title, won 11 games for the first time last season. Michigan is trying to avoid ending a two-game losing streak. Three of the Wolverines’ four losses came against the top three teams in the Associated Press poll - Notre Dame, Alabama and Ohio State - heading into the postseason.
KEY MATCHUP South Carolina QB’s Connor Shaw and Dylan Thompson against the Michigan defense, which ranks second in the nation against the pass (155.2 yards per game). Michigan standout left tackle Taylor Lewan vs. South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who has 13 sacks and 21 1/2 tackles for loss.
PLAYERS TO WATCH South Carolina: Shaw has thrown for 1,732 yards and 15 touchdowns, while backup Thompson has thrown for 910 yards and eight touchdowns, including 310 yards and three touchdowns while filling in for the injured Shaw during the Gamecocks’ regular season-ending victory over Clemson. Michigan: QB Denard Robinson was replaced at QB by WR Devin Gardner late in the season after injuring his right elbow but has continued to contribute by running the ball and catching passes. Gardner is likely to start the Outback Bowl, however Robinson has thrown some passes in practice and Coach Brady Hoke hasn’t ruled out the possibility that he could play some at quarterback against South Carolina.
FACTS & FIGURES Michigan’s 42 bowl appearances are the most in college football history. The Wolverines are 20-21, including 7-4 all-time against Southeastern Conference teams in bowl games. They are 18-17 in January bowl games. ... South Carolina is making its seventh bowl appearance under coach Steve Spurrier, who’s trying to become the first coach to win three bowl games at the school. The Gamecocks’ 21 wins over the past two seasons are a school record. ... Michigan is 3-1 in four previous trips to the Outback Bowl, beating Alabama in 1988, North Carolina State in 1994 and Florida in 2003 and losing to Alabama in 1997. ... South Carolina is in the Outback for the fourth time. The Gamecocks beat Ohio State in 2001 and 2002, but lost to Iowa in 2009.
Rose
NO. 6 STANFORD (11-2) VS. WISCONSIN (8-5) WHERE At Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.
TIME/TV 4 p.m./ESPN LINE Stanford by 6.
SERIES RECORD Wisconsin leads 4-0-1.
WHAT’S AT STAKE Stanford can close out its Pac-12 championship season with its first victory in the Rose Bowl since 1972, while Wisconsin has a chance for its first victory in three consecutive trips to the Granddaddy of Them All. The Badgers will be led by Athletic Director Barry Alvarez, who picked up his coaching whistle for one more game after Bret Bielema left for Arkansas.
KEY MATCHUP Wisconsin RB Montee Ball vs. Stanford LB Shayne Skov. Ball’s 82 career touchdowns are more than any player in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision history as the senior leader of the Badgers’ deliberate, ground-oriented offense. Skov is the leading tackler on the nation’s third-stingiest rushing defense, allowing just 87.7 yards per game. If the Cardinal shut down Ball, the Badgers might be buried.
PLAYERS TO WATCH Wisconsin: LB Mike Taylor. The senior has more tackles than any FBS player over the past two seasons, and he’ll have to lead an impressive defensive effort to slow down Stanford RB Stepfan Taylor and the Cardinal’s brutally effective offense. Stanford: QB Kevin Hogan. The redshirt freshman took over the starting job in November and immediately beat four ranked teams, including top ranked Oregon. If he avoids rookie jitters for one more game, he’ll win the Rose Bowl - a feat even Andrew Luck never accomplished.
FACTS & FIGURES The game is the 99th edition of the Rose Bowl. ... New Wisconsin Coach Gary Andersen is expected to watch the game from the sideline while Alvarez and the Badgers’ current coordinators run the team. ... Stanford is playing in its fourth consecutive bowl game for the first time in school history. ... The Badgers earned this unlikely rematch of the 2000 Rose Bowl by upsetting Nebraska in the Big Ten title game. Wisconsin is the first five-loss team to make the Rose Bowl, but three of its defeats were in overtime. ... Both teams have played in three consecutive BCS bowl games. Stanford played in the Orange and Fiesta bowls in the past two seasons. Oregon is the only other school with a three-game BCS bowl streak. ... Wisconsin is the third Big Ten team to make three consecutive Rose Bowls, the first since Michigan in 1977-79.
Orange
NO. 12 FLORIDA STATE (11-2) VS. NO. 16 NORTHERN ILLINOIS (12-1) TIME/TV 7:30 p.m./ESPN WHERE Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla.
LINE Florida State by 13 1/2.
SERIES RECORD First meeting.
WHAT’S AT STAKE Northern Illinois seeks validation after becoming the first Mid-American Conference team to reach the Bowl Championship Series. Florida State is looking for its fifth consecutive bowl victories, but is trying to break a streak of four consecutive losses in BCS bowls. The Seminoles’ EJ Manuel seeks to become only the second quarterback to go 4-0 in bowl games.
KEY MATCHUP Junior QB Jordan Lynch will face a Florida State defense that ranks second nationally in yards allowed at 253.8 per game. Lynch led the nation with 1,771 yards rushing, a record for quarterbacks. The Seminoles allowed only 93.0 yards rushing per game, fifth-best.
PLAYERS TO WATCH Florida State: Manuel has a career completion percentage of 66.8, best in school history. He leads an offense that averages 7.0 yards per play, which is tied for best in the nation. Senior Dustin Hopkins is the NCAA’s career leader in kick scoring with 459 points. This season WR Rashad Greene scored twice on punt returns, five times receiving and once rushing. Junior All-American Bjoern Werner has 23 1/2 career sacks, including 13 this season.
Northern Illinois: Lynch made second-team All-American as an all-purpose player and finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting. He leads the nation in total offense and needs 38 yards passing to become the first player to pass for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,500 in a season.
FACTS & FIGURES Northern Illinois’ lone loss came in its season opener against Iowa, 18-17. ... The Huskies and Oregon are the only teams to win at least 11 games each of the past three seasons. ... Rod Carey will make his debut as a head coach for the Huskies. He replaces Dave Doeren, who was hired as coach at North Carolina State on Dec. 1. ... The Huskies are 2-6 against Atlantic Coast Conference teams, and 5-27 against ranked teams. Florida State would be the highest-ranked team they’ve ever beaten. ... The Seminoles are playing in a bowl game for the 31st year in a row, the longest active streak. ... Florida State is playing in a BCS bowl for the first time since losing to Penn State in the 2006 Orange Bowl.
Sports, Pages 17 on 01/01/2013