NCAA Endzone

Florida State (6-6) vs. UCLA (7-5)

Florida State ranks among the most disappointing teams in college football this season. Coach Bobby Bowden will be coaching for the last time with his son, offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden, who is stepping down after his unit failed to meet expectations once again in 2006.

The Seminoles can’t seem to find at fit at quarterback, so expect to see pocket passer Drew Weatherford and erratic dual-threat Xavier Lee at the helm. There is talent at wide receiver with De’Cody Fagg, Chris Davis and Greg Carr, but getting them the ball consistently continues to be a problem. The offensive line and running game as been lackluster all season.

Defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews has done an impressive job with a young corps of talent, including freshman safety Myron Rolle. DT Andre Fluellen is a stud in the middle of the Seminoles’ defense and the linebacker tandem of MLB Buster Davis and SLB Lawrence Timmons ranks among the nation’s elite. This battered unit will benefit from extra time to rest before the bowl game.

Coach Karl Dorrell and his staff will need the extra time off to refocus their team after the improbable upset over crosstown rival USC.

QB Patrick Cowan has developed into a serviceable starter with adequate passing skills and above average mobility. However, the Bruins are far more effective running the ball than they are putting it in the air. RB Chris Markey displays good vision, quickness and toughness as the primary carrier. He is averaging 4.6 yards per carry this season.

The real story for the Bruins is on defense, where first-year coordinator DeWayne Walker has engineered a remarkable turnaround. DEs Justin Hickman and Bruce Davis consistently wreak havoc on the perimeter with 25 combined sacks on the season. SS Chris Horton and MLB Christian Taylor are high-motor defenders who headline the nation’s 12th-ranked run defense.

Prediction: UCLA has only three senior starters and a newfound swagger. A good bowl performance for the Bruins will serve as a springboard for what will be one of the most experienced teams in the nation in 2007. The Seminoles have no reason to play well except being able to look at themselves in the mirror for eight months. UCLA wins 24-20.

Ontario Sneed scored twice early and Doug Kress returned an interception for a touchdown on the opening possession of the second half Tuesday night, helping the Chippewas defeat Middle Tennessee State, 31-14, in the Motor City Bowl.

The victory was the first bowl win ever for Central Michigan.

Central Michigan (10-4) was led by interim Coach Jeff Quinn, who was promoted three weeks ago when Brian Kelly was wooed away by the Cincinnati Bearcats. The Chippewas lost the 1994 Las Vegas and 1990 California Raisin Bowls.

The Blue Raiders (7-6) played in a Division I-A bowl for the first time in their eighth season at college football’s highest level.

Middle Tennessee (7-5) vs. Central Michigan (9-4)

Central Michigan took home the MAC championship this year and the play of QB Dan LeFevour played a big part in its success.

LeFevour, a freshman, threw for 2,869 yards with 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Freshman Bryan Anderson was one of five Chippewas receivers who caught five touchdowns or more. No Division I-A team averages less time of possession per game than the Chippewas, so the defense has had to stay on the field for long periods of time. Keeping that in mind, it’s somewhat surprising Central Michigan has been so tough against the run.

With head coach Brian Kelly taking the Cincinnati job, there will be some uncertainty surrounding Central Michigan.

Rick Stockstill did a remarkable job righting the ship as Middle Tennessee’s first-year head coach this fall. The Blue Raiders rank among the nation’s worst in passing offense but they won the Sun Belt by running the football and playing sound defense.

RB Eugene Gross is the leading rusher with 845 yards and 10 touchdowns. Defensively, the Blue Raiders are undersized in their 4-3 scheme but they get great pass-rush pressure from DE Erik Walden and LB J.K. Sabb is a playmaker with 14½ tackles for loss, 14 sacks and 67 tackles.

Prediction: Central Michigan played tough against Boston College, Kentucky and Michigan and ran through the MAC with ease. Middle Tennessee doesn’t play anywhere near the same schedule as the Chippewas and that should be the difference in the game. With the contest played in Detroit, this is pratically a home game for Central Michigan. The Chippewas win 34-17.

NCAA Endzone Bowl Record: 5-2

Colt Brennan broke the NCAA single-season record for touchdown passes, throwing five in the second half to lead Hawaii to a 41-24 victory over Arizona State on Sunday in the Hawaii Bowl.

Brennan, who completed 33 of 42 passes for 559 yards, threw a seven-yard scoring pass to Ryan Grice-Mullen on the Warriors’ second series of the second half to break the mark of 54 set by Houston’s David Klingler in 1990, also against the Sun Devils.

Hawaii (11-3) matched the school record for most wins in a season, set in 1992 when the team went 11-2. The Sun Devils (7-6) concluded their disappointing season, unable to send Coach Dirk Koetter out with a win. He coached his final game after being fired last month. Dennis Erickson has been hired to take over the team.

Brennan finished the season with 5,549 yards passing to become the third quarterback in college history with 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns in a season, joining Klingler and Texas Tech’s B.J. Symons.

Hawaii (10-2) vs. Arizona State (7-5)

When you think of Hawaii, you think of palm trees, sunshine an Colt Brennan. The Warrior QB has had a record setting year in coach June Jones and his run and shoot scheme.

But Brennan (4,990 yards passing, 53 TDs) is not just another product of coach June Jones’ high-flying passing attack. Brennan shows good arm strength, timing, touch and poise as a passer, which allows him to efficiently distribute the ball to his vast array of potent wide outs, including Davone Bess (91-1,115-14), Jason Rivers and Ross Dickerson.

Running back Nate Ilaoa (113-893-13) provides some balance on the ground, but he’s one of the premier pass-catching running backs in the nation with 57 receptions on the season. With one more touchdown pass, Brennan will tie the national record set by Houston QB David Klingler in 1990.

Hawaii will never be mistaken for a defensive juggernaut, but Jerry Glanville has worked magic in his second year as coordinator. Defensive end Melila Purcell provides pressure off the edge, inside linebacker Adam Leonard is the top run-stopper and defensive back Gerard Lewis is a hawk when the ball is in the air.

The Rudy Carpenter-Sam Keller saga was an ominous beginning to what proved to be a disappointing 2006 season for Dirk Koetter and the Sun Devils. Koetter was fired two days after his team defeated rival Arizona 28-14 to clinch a third consecutive postseason berth. The Hawaii Bowl will be his last game pacing the sidelines as Arizona State’s head coach.

Ironically, the typically high-flying Sun Devil offense was more effective running the football this season. Powerful Ryan Torain (205-1,069-6) and speedy Keegan Herring make up a fine complementary rushing tandem behind an experienced offensive line.

The Sun Devil defense is improved from a year ago, but it still ranks 69th nationally with 23.5 points surrendered per outing. Defensive end Dexter Davis and outside linebacker Derron Ware are the unit’s top pass rushers and they must provide great pressure versus Hawaii’s pass-crazy offensive scheme.

Prediction: This is a bowl game only because it’s played on Christmas Eve. In every other way, it’s a Hawaii home game, and the Rainbow Warriors went 7-1 at home. Arizona State must find motivation to play despite coach Dirk Koetter’s firing. If the Sun Devils aren’t ready, they will be embarrassed. Hawaii wins 40-21.

NCAA Endzone Bowl Record: 4-2

San Jose State 20, New Mexico 12
Adam Tafralis threw three touchdown passes Saturday and San Jose State defeated New Mexico, 20-12, in the inaugural New Mexico Bowl at Albuquerque.

New Mexico (6-7) hasn’t won a bowl game since it beat Western Michigan in the 1961 Aviation Bowl and is 0-5 since 1997.

For the Spartans (9-4), the victory provided a final highlight in a season in which they won more games than they had in the three previous seasons.

Tafralis, who completed 11 of 18 passes for 209 yards, threw scoring passes of 36 and 24 yards to James Jones and 76 yards to John Broussard. The pass to Broussard on the first play of the second quarter got the Spartans’ offense rolling.

New Mexico’s only touchdown came with 15 seconds left in the game on a 15-yard pass from Chris Nelson to Marcus Smith.

Utah 25, Tulsa 13
Louie Sakoda kicked four field goals, defensive standout Eric Weddle ran for a touchdown and the Utes (8-5) won their sixth bowl in a row with a victory over the Golden Hurricane in the Armed Forces Bowl at Fort Worth, Texas.

Brett Ratliff completed 23 of 34 passes for 240 yards and was credited with a 10-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, though it was actually a designed catch-and-pitch. Brian Hernandez caught the ball behind the line of scrimmage and pitched to Brent Casteel, who ran around the left end and leaped into the end zone.

Paul Smith scored on two one-yard keepers for Tulsa (8-5), which finished a once-promising season with its fourth loss in five games.

South Florida 24, East Carolina
Benjamin Williams rushed for two first-half touchdowns yesterday to help lead South Florida to a 24-7 victory over East Carolina in the inaugural PapaJohns.com Bowl in Birmingham, Ala. The victiory was the first bowl win ever for South Florida.

The Bulls (9-4) played a scoreless second half without quarterback Matt Grothe. The Big East freshman of the year was kicked in the right shin in the second quarter and returned only for the next and final series of the half, but the defense kept turning back the Pirates (7-6).

South Florida racked up six sacks, including two after East Carolina had first down from the 4-yard line on a late drive led by backup quarterback Rob Kass.

Tulsa (8-4) vs. Utah (7-5)

Only five Division I-A teams surrender fewer passing yards per game than Tulsa, and the strong play of FS Bobby Blackshire is a big reason for that success. Blackshire can cover a lot of ground and has recorded three interceptions.

In addition, DE Robert Latu is an effective pass rusher who possesses a good blend of size and athletic ability. However, the 3-4 scheme has had problems defending the run.

The Golden Hurricane hoped that Idris Moss (54-772) would be a playmaker this season and he didn’t disappoint. Moss averaged 116.8 yards per game as a receiver, kick returner and occasional ballcarrier. Paul Smith needs to take better care of the football at times, but he is a leader on the field and has been accurate. RB Courtney Tennial (792 yards) is Tulsa’s leading rusher. The powerful runner has gotten into the end zone 14 times.

Eric Weddle has pretty much done it all for the Utes. The AFCA Coaches All-American defensive back occasionally lines up at quarterback, where he can make plays with his arm as well as his feet, and has returned punts.

Brett Ratliff (2,256 yards, 25 TDs) lines up at quarterback when Waddle doesn’t and does a good job of spreading the ball around to WRs Derrek Richards, Brent Casteel, Marquis Wilson and Brian Hernandez. As a result, he is a good fit for Utah’s spread scheme. Though RB Darryl Poston’s longest run this year is just 18 yards, he runs hard between the tackles.

The Utes have excellent size at defensive tackle, so it comes as little surprise that they have been stout against the run. Utah has masked its lack of a consistent pass rush with strong coverage and big plays.

Prediction: Utah is plus-eight in turnovers. Tulsa is minus-five. The Golden Hurricane have good defensive numbers but have generated only 12 takeaways. Turnovers might be even more of an indicator than normal in this game. The Utah defense can take away the Tulsa ground attack, forcing Smith to air it out. In the end, the turnover ability of the Utes defense will be the key to victory. Utah wins 24-14.

New Mexico (6-6) vs. San Jose State (8-4)

Former Arizona coach Dick Tomey has done an amazing job turning around the fortunes of the Spartans since he arrived in San Jose two years ago.

The Spartans were 2-9 in 2004 and ready to drop the program before Tomey arrived. He was 3-8 in 2005 and 8-4 this season. Tomey worked his magic playing basic, smash mouth football. He still prefers an I-formation backfield and uses the running game to set up the pass, a rarity in the pass happy WAC.

San Jose State quarterback Adam Tafralis passed for 2,075 yards and 18 touchdowns. Tailback Yonus Davis ran for 984 yards and six scores, and James Jones had 64 catches for 787 yards and eight touchdowns to lead the offense.

The overall defense has made great strides under Tomey, who was the architect of the Desert Swarm defense with Arizona, but the Spartans’ run defense remains mediocre and the pass rush has been average at best.

Lobos head coach Rocky Long overcame a 2-4 start and a season-ending injury to starting QB Kole McCamey and become bowl eligible.

One advantage for New Mexico is home field and a swarming 3-3-5 defense that’s based on speed and aggressiveness. While it doesn’t have great size, it’s disruptive and surprisingly effective stopping the run. Not surprisingly, it can also get to opposing quarterbacks and generate big plays when the opponent’s drop back to pass.

Lobos quarterback Chris Nelson threw for 1,247 yards and 11 touchdowns. Tailback Rodney Ferguson ran for 1,132 yards and seven touchdowns, and Travis Brown had 57 catches for 784 yards and four scores.

Nelson has been inconsistent and Donovan Porterie has been more reliable at QB. He missed the last two games of the season, but should be back for the bowl game.

Prediction: It helps to have home-field advantage in a bowl game, heck any game for that matter. In the end, this game will come down to defense. San Jose State has the better and more balance offense, but the Spartans defense has been inconsistent against the run and its pass rush is mediocre at best. Look for the Lobos to exploit that. New Mexico wins 34-17.

South Florida (8-4) vs. East Carolina (7-5)

East Carolina has come on this season under coach Skip Holtz, who guided the Pirates to their first winning season in five years.

Pirates quarterback James Pinkney threw for 2,658 yards and 11 touchdowns. Tailback Brandon Fractious had 675 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Cornerback Trae Williams had seven interceptions, tied for sixth-most in Division I-A.

East Carolina is at its best controlling tempo and setting up the passing game with the run. On the defensive side of the ball, the front seven is relatively inexperienced and has been adequate at best against the run. In addition, the Pirates’ pass rush has been almost nonexistent.

East Carolina faces a tough South Florida squad. Freshman quarterback Matt Grothe has been as impressive as any young quarterback in the country. Grothe completed nearly 64 percent of his passes, racking up 2,495 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also ran for 607 yards and nine touchdowns.

The Bulls have had problems developing a consistent running game and they are a team that gets penalized quite frequently. There are fewer concerns on the defensive side of the ball, as the Bulls have flashed the ability to shut down opposing running games and corner Trae Williams has intercepted seven passes.

Prediction: The Pirates are playing in their first bowl game since 2001. They beat two ACC teams this season, 31-21 over Virginia and 21-16 at North Carolina State. The Bulls upset West Virginia 24-19 and came within a dropped two-point conversion pass of tying Rutgers and forcing overtime. Both teams can be very good when they stay consistent with their game plans. South Florida has played a more difficult schedule and knows what it’s like to play in big games. In the end, the stingy Bulls defense should be the deciding factor. South Florida wins 27-20.

Omar Haugabook threw four touchdown passes and ran for another to lead Troy to its first bowl victory, 41-17 over Rice on Friday night in the New Orleans Bowl.

It was only the second bowl appearance for the Trojans (8-5), who moved up to Division I-A in 2002. Troy earned the bowl bid with its first Sun Belt title.

Haugabook, the Sun Belt player of the year and unanimous most valuable player of the game, completed 14 of 28 passes for 217 yards.

Rice (7-6), coming off its first winning season since 1993, and making its first bowl appearance since 1961, was seeking its first postseason victory since 1954.

Owls receiver Jarett Dillard kept his touchdown streak alive. He caught a one-yard pass in the fourth quarter to stretch the streak to 15 games, dating to last season. His 13-game streak this season set an NCAA record, breaking the mark of 12 set by Randy Moss in 1997 and Larry Fitzgerald in 2003.

Rice (7-5) vs. Troy (7-5)

Rice head coach Todd Graham should be the NCAA coach of the year for what he’s done with the Owls program in his first season.

He’s done a great job adapting the Owls to a completely new offensive structure. Rice has won seven of its last eight, including a win over Tulsa on the road, earning the school its first bowl bid since 1961.

Rice is led by WR Jarrett Dillard. The All-American has had a spectacular sophomore season - 82 receptions for 1,176 yards and 20 TDs. Dillard has caught a touchdown pass in 14 straight games. He has excellent hands and nice size, making him one of the best in the nation.

The key to Rice’s offensive success will be the health of QB Chase Clement, who is trying to return from a shoulder injury. Clement threw for 1,707 yards and 21 touchdowns and ran for 481 yards and four scores. Also in the offensive mix is RB Quinton Smith (206-1,092-10).

Defensively, WLB Brian Raines is relentless in pursuit and he has forced five fumbles but the Owls have one of the most porous run defenses in the nation. Rice has been far stronger against the pass.

Troy is playing in its second bowl game in five years since moving up to Division 1-A and have a spread offensive attack that could cause problems for the Owls.

Troy’s spread offense stretches defenses horizontally and effectively creates seams for RB Kenny Cattouse. Cattouse (774 yards, 4 TDs) has the burst to take advantage and he can be difficult to bring down once he gets into the open field. The Trojan spread scheme also frequently gives QB Omar Haugabook the option to run or pass.

Haugabook has passed for 2,184 yards and 17 touchdowns, but he’s thrown 16 interceptions on the season as well. Defensively, Troy has defended the run well and the pass rush can force quarterbacks to get rid of the ball quickly but it doesn’t make enough big plays to make up for the offense’s miscues.

Prediction: Both teams are on a hot streak - Rice has won seven of eight and the Trojans took six of the last seven to win the Sun Belt title. The Owls have more balance and are one of the best teams in the country in turnover margin, while Troy is one of the worst. It should be an exciting game with lots of action, but in the end, the team that makes the fewest mistakes wins and that will be the Owls. Rice will win its first bowl game since 1953 when they beat Alabama 28-6 in the Cotton Bowl. Rice wins 31-26.

John Beck passed for 375 yards and two touchdowns, leading the No. 19 Cougars to a 38-8 victory over Oregon on Thursday night in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Beck was 28-for-46 with two interceptions, and got plenty of help. Curtis Brown ran for 120 yards and two TDs, Jonny Harline, voted game MVP, caught nine passes for 181 yards and Justin Robinson intercepted two passes for BYU, which shut out the Ducks (7-6) through three quarters.

BYU (11-2) closed the season with 10 straight victories, capping the streak with its first bowl win since the 1996 season. This was the Cougars first winning season since 2001.

Oregon lost its fourth in a row and was never close after BYU scored 17 points in the second quarter. The Ducks had just 120 yards of offense through three quarters and didn’t score until Brian Paysinger caught a 47-yard pass from Dennis Dixon with 10:27 left in the game.

Georgia Tech QB Reggie Ball and CB Kenny Scott have been ruled academically ineligible for the upcoming Gator Bowl game with West Virginia on January 1.

Ball passed for 1,820 yards this season while starting every game. He threw for 20 touchdowns and was intercepted 14 times, but was criticized for inconsistency, especially after Tech’s offense sputtered in a regular season-ending loss to Georgia and a loss to Wake Forest in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.

Ball compiled 8,579 yards of total offense, including 8,128 passing yards with 57 touchdowns during his career.

Scott has been a three-year starter who has 50 tackles, two interceptions and 10 pass breakups this season.

Taylor Bennett will start ahead of Ball and Jahi Word-Daniels would take Scott’s place at cornerback. Bennett completed 16 of 29 passes during the season, with two touchdowns and one interception.

BYU (10-2) vs. Oregon (7-5)

This matchup features the Cougars passing attack against the 4-2-5 defense of the Ducks which is tough against the pass, thanks to rover Jairus Byrd and free safety J.D. Nelson.

Brigham Young senior John Beck has revived the line of succession of great Cougar quarterbacks. He finished second in the nation in passing efficiency, completing 70% of his passes for 3,510 with 30 TDs and only 6 picks. Beck makes sound decisions and gets rid of the ball quickly making him a great fit for the spread scheme.

The spread offense of the Cougars is explosive to say the least. BYU averages 466.7 per game and 36.7 points a game - both marks are fifth in the nation. RB Curtis Brown (890 yards rushing) runs hard and gives the offense great balance. He is also the Cougars’ leading receiver.

Though the Cougars defense has stumbled down the stretch, it has done a good job of keeping opponents out of the end zone for the most part and BLB Cameron Jensen makes plays all over the field.

Oregon ended the regular season on a three-game skid but it has one of the most potent ground games in the nation. RBs Jonathan Stewart and Jeremiah Johnson give the Ducks a formidable one-two punch. Stewart is a power back who has enough quickness to turn the corner and Johnson is smaller version of Stewart. Both benefit from running behind an experienced offensive line.

QB Dennis Dixon is athletic, but is turnover prone and most likely Brady Leaf, brother of former Washington State star Ryan Leaf, will be the starter in the bowl game. The big killer for the Ducks has been turnovers (30) and penalties. They must cut down the mistakes if they want to win.

Making matters worse, LB Blair Phillips, who leads the team in tackles, will likely miss this game because of a knee injury.

Prediction: Oregon is coming in with a three-game losing streak and the momentum is definitely not in the Ducks’ favor. BYU has that explosive spread offense that college program have fallen in love with, thanks to Urban Meyer, and will be hard to stop with a leader like Beck. Oregon must establish the run against a shaky Cougar defense to take the pressure off of Dixon or Leaf. In the end, BYU has too much oomph on the offensive side of the ball for the Ducks to overcome. BYU wins 38-26.

TCU QB Jeff Ballard threw for 258 yards and a touchdown and ran for three more as the Horned Frogs handed Northern Illinois the 37-7 defeat at the Poinsettia Bowl on Tuesday.

But the big story of the game was the TCU defense -which held NCAA rushing champion Garrett Wolfe to just 28 yards on 20 carries. Wolfe came in averaging 158.3 yards a game. Overall, the Huskies had minus-20 yards rushing, thanks to five TCU sacks.

The Horned Frogs are fourth nationally in run defense, allowing only 67.6 yards per game. TCU kept alive its string of not allowing a 100-yard rusher, one of only four teams to do so this year.

Lonta Hobbs broke the 100-yard barrier with 109 yards on 18 carries. The Horned Frogs have now been to eight bowl games in the last nine years with head coach Gary Patterson after appearing in only two from 1966-1997.

TCU ended the season at 11-2, while Northern Illinois finished up at 7-6.