NCAA Bowl Capsules

OREGON 56, (23) SOUTH FLORIDA 21 --------------------------------
SUN BOWL
EL PASO, Texas (Ticker) -- Oregon may have been without Dennis Dixon, but there was nothing wrong with Jonathan Stewart. The Pac-10 Conference's leading rusher, Stewart rushed for a Sun Bowl record of 253 yards on 25 carries, powering Oregon to a 56-21 rout of South Florida on Monday. Stewart shattered the previous Sun Bowl mark of 197 yards, set by Stanford's Chuck Alexander in 1977. Monday's contest matched a pair of teams who had climbed to No. 2 in the rankings before late-season slumps. Oregon's national championship hopes were dashed when Dixon, the Ducks' versatile quarterback, suffered a season-ending knee injury in a 34-24 loss to Arizona on November 15. Without Dixon, a Heisman Trophy candidate, the Ducks (9-4) lost their final three regular-season games as the offense sputtered. Stewart had been hampered by a sore right big toe, limiting his practice time. But he looked fresh against South Florida, ripping off a 71-yard touchdown run that snapped an 11-11 tie with three minutes remaining in the second quarter. Redshirt freshman quarterback Justin Roper got off to a good start in a bid to win the starting job next year, passing for 180 yards and four touchdowns. Roper became Oregon's starter when backup Brady Leaf also went down with a season-ending knee injury in a 16-0 loss to UCLA on November 24. Buoyed by Stewart's long TD run, the Ducks broke open the contest with a 28-point third quarter, setting another Sun Bowl record for most points in a period. In the quarter, Roper tossed three touchdowns and Walter Thurmond returned an interception 26 yards for a score as Oregon extended its lead to 49-14. Despite the lopsided defeat, South Florida (9-4) still matched a school record for wins.

CALIFORNIA 42, AIR FORCE 36 ---------------------------
ARMED FORCES BOWL
FORT WORTH, Texas (Ticker) -- Kevin Riley threw three touchdown passes and Justin Forsett ran for two scores as California overcame a big early deficit to post a 42-36 win over Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl. Air Force (9-4) jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the second quarter but was unable to stop Cal once its offense got rolling. A freshman, Riley replaced Nate Longshore in the second quarter and the Bears offense took off. He completed 16-of-19 passes for 269 yards and three TDs. He also ran for a TD in the fourth quarter to give Cal a 42-30 lead. Forsett, who finished second in the Pac-10 in rushing with 1,406 yards and 13 touchdowns, was just as effective on Monday. He ran for 140 yards on 23 carries and gave Cal the lead for good, 28-27, with a 1-yard TD run in the third quarter. Forsett's go-ahead TD came after Air Force lost starting quarterback Shaun Carney with a right knee injury. Carney was tackled at the Cal 1 on third down when his leg buckled after being hit by a trio of Cal players. The game marked a matchup of teams that ended the regular season going in opposite directions and it appeared that things were set to continue. California dropped six of its last seven games to turn a 5-0 start into a 6-6 finish. The only win during that stretch was a 20-17 victory against Washington State. Unlike Cal, Air Force came into the game riding high, having won three straight and six of its last seven games. The Falcons scored 96 points in their last two contests, beating Notre Dame and San Diego State. Air Force was able to use its option attack to expose a number of holes in the Cal defense in the first half. Carney ran for a 1-yard TD in the first quarter to open the scoring and hit Travis Dekker for a 7-yard score in the second to make it 14-0. Jim Ollis ran for an 8-yard TD to make it 21-0 before Riley and Forsett rallied the Golden Bears.

FRESNO ST 40, GEORGIA TECH 28 -----------------------------
HUMANITARIAN BOWL
BOISE, Idaho (Ticker) -- Clifton Smith rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns and Tom Brandstater threw and ran for a TD as Fresno State posted a 40-28 victory over Georgia Tech in the Humanitarian Bowl. The win is Fresno State's second bowl victory over Georgia Tech. The Bulldogs beat the Yellow Jackets, 30-21, in the 2002 Silicon Valley Football Classic. After finishing third in the Western Athletic Conference, the Bulldogs garnered a bowl berth for the eighth time in nine seasons and won for the fourth time in their last five postseason games. Smith busted through the Georgia Tech defense for a 43-yard TD in the third quarter and added a 32-yard score with 1:50 remaining to cap the scoring. Brandstater completed 23-of-30 passes for 288 yards for Fresno State, which racked up 573 total yards against one of the nation's stoutest defenses. The Yellow Jackets had been stellar defensively, leading the nation in sacks and ranking 12th against the run and in total yards allowed. Georgia Tech did close the gap to 34-28 early in the fourth quarter when Calvin Booker threw a 20-yard TD pass to D.J. Donley, who outfought a pair of Fresno State defensive backs for the ball.

KENTUCKY 35, FLORIDA ST 28 --------------------------
MUSIC CITY BOWL
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Ticker) -- Andre' Woodson ended his career in style, throwing four touchdown passes to lead Kentucky to a 35-28 victory over shorthanded Florida State in the Music City Bowl. He finished his senior year with 40 touchdowns, breaking the previous SEC single-season mark of 39 set by Florida's Danny Wuerffel in 1996. Kentucky (8-5) posted bowl wins in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1950-51. The Wildcats defeated Clemson, 28-20, in last year's Music City Bowl. Woodson also set a school record with 79 career TD passes and was named the Music City Bowl's Most Valuable Player for the second straight year. The Seminoles, who were without 36 players due to an academic cheating scandal, other violations of team rules or injuries, battled Kentucky to a 14-14 tie at halftime. Florida State erased a 14-7 deficit when cornerback Tony Carter returned Woodson's interception 24 yards for a touchdown with 3:28 remaining in the second quarter. But that was one of the few mistakes made by Woodson, who completed 32-of-50 passes for 358 yards. Kentucky, which averaged just under 37 points during the regular season, wore down the Seminoles in the second half. Woodson tossed a 2-yard TD pass to Rafael Little with 6:49 left in the third quarter to snap the tie. Tony Dixon's 4-yard TD run pushed the Wildcats' lead to 28-14 with four seconds left in the period.

Bowl Picks

By Mike King
Associated Content

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces: Fort Worth, Texas, Dec. 31, 9:30 p.m., ESPN California (6-6), Pac 10 No. 7 vs. Air Force (9-3), MWC No. 2
Cal is another one of those mystery teams that probably does not deserve a bowl bid. They won five straight games and were ranked #2, and then unexpectedly they dropped off the face of the earth and lost six of seven to finish with a .500 record. They face a tough Air Force team that averages 300 yards on the ground. Only two of Air Force's wins were against teams with a winning record. All three of their losses were against teams with a winning record. I think Cal gets back on the right track, they do have the better athletes after all.

Roady's Humanitarian: Boise, Idaho, Dec. 31, 11 p.m., ESPN2
Georgia Tech (7-5), ACC No. 6 vs. Fresno State (8-4), WAC No. 3
This will be a good game. Fresno State was close to beating Texas AM earlier in the year. I think this is there chance to knock off one of the big boys since the game is in Idaho. GT will have to travel cross country to meet up with a team trying to earn respect year in and year out.
Winner: Fresno State 26, Georgia Tech 21

Brut Sun: El Paso, Texas , Dec. 31, 1 p.m., CBS
South Florida (9-3), Big East No. 4 vs. Oregon (8-4), Pac-10 No. 4
Both South Florida and Oregon were ranked as high as No. 2 in the BCS standings, now they meet up in the Sun Bowl. South Florida has knocked off some quality teams this year like Auburn and West Virginia. Oregon has as well, beating USC, Michigan and Arizona State. The problem is these two teams are headed in different directions heading into this game. The Ducks have dropped three straight games since losing QB Dennis Dixon for the season. Meanwhile, the Bulls of South Florida ended with three straight wins. Lets be honest here it was a terrible call by the Sun Bowl inviting Oregon to play in this game. Typically, the No. 3 Pac-10 team plays in the Sun Bowl. That Pac-10 team was Oregon State (8-4), who defeated Oregon in the civil war but Oregon can draw fans so they got the invite over a team who deserved it more. The Ducks have lost way too many people to injuries to win this game; if they do, it will be one of the bigger upsets this bowl season.
Winner: South Florida 31, Oregon 10

Gaylord Hotels Music City: Nashville, Tenn., Dec. 31, 1 p.m., ESPN HD
Florida State (7-5), ACC No. 6 vs. Kentucky (7-5), SEC No. 9
Florida State has one of the weakest offenses to make a bowl game. They have broke the 30 point mark just one time this year, and that was back in game two against UAB. Their average point margin is +1. Kentucky has one of the best QB in the nation in Andre' Woodson. He leads a Kentucky team that averages 37 points a game. He will try and test the solid FSU defense. I just think when it is said and done FSU won't have enough offensive firepower to keep up.
Winner: Kentucky 31, FSU 21

Chick-fil-A: Atlanta, Dec. 31, 4:30 p.m., ESPN HD
Clemson (9-3), ACC No. 3 vs. Auburn (8-4), SEC No. 5
Now this what I call a quality match-up! Auburn has won seven of nine games, mostly because of their sweet defense that allows just 16.7 points a game. Clemson has won five of six and their average margin of victory is 16 points!
Winner: Auburn 20, Clemson 17

Insight: Tempe, Ariz., Dec. 31, 3 p.m., NFL Network
Oklahoma St. (6-6), Big 12 No. 8 vs. Indiana (7-5), Big Ten No. 6
The Hoosiers have not beaten anybody good all year. Their best win was against Ball St. (7-5) and they are 0-5 vs. teams with a .500 or better record. Oklahoma St. doesn't really deserve to be in a bowl game with a 6-6 record, however, it's a good match-up for them. OSU has lost all six games against teams with a .500 or better record, and their best win was against Texas Tech (8-4). OSU blew a game against Texas (9-3) that they should have won. Since they have the better win, and the showed some promise against Texas, they are the better pick.
Winner: Oklahoma St. 35, Indiana 29

NCAA Bowl Capsule

ALABAMA 30, COLORADO 24 -----------------------
Independence Bowl

SHREVEPORT, Louisiana (Ticker) -- After a disappointing final month to the season, Alabama finished its campaign on a high note. John Parker Wilson threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns as the Crimson Tide got off to a fast start and held on for a 30-24 triumph over Colorado in the Independence Bowl.

The win snapped a four-game losing streak for Alabama (7-6), which had been ranked as high as No. 17 on November 3. It also helped the Crimson Tide avoid back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 1957. Wilson, who had thrown just one touchdown in his previous three games combined, threw for two in the first quarter as Alabama jumped out to a 20-0 lead with 1:31 left in the opening period. The Crimson Tide's signal caller threw his third TD pass early in the second quarter - a 31-yard score to Nikita Stover - giving Alabama a 27-0 bulge with 12:20 to go in the first half. Wilson finished the game completing 19-of-32 passes with three TDs and one interception.

But Colorado battled back to make it a game at the half. Cody Hawkins threw two touchdown passes in the final 2:05 of the second quarter - the second one with four seconds to play - cutting the deficit to 27-14 at the break. Trailing, 30-17, late in the fourth quarter, Hawkins connected with Tyson DeVree on a 14-yard touchdown to pull the Buffaloes within 30-24 with 3:51 remaining.

However, Colorado did not get another possession until there was one second left and could not manage anything on the final play. Hawkins was 24-of-39 for 322 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions for the Buffaloes (6-7), who suffered their first back-to-back losing seasons in 22 years.

PetroSun Independence Bowl Preview

Independence Bowl
Alabama (6-6) vs. Colorado (6-6)
December 30 , 5:00 p.m., ESPN

SHREVEPORT, Louisiana (Ticker) -- One team is happy to be playing in any bowl game while the other had much higher expectations. Colorado faces Alabama in the Independence Bowl on Sunday in a battle of 6-6 teams with different outlooks.

Although Colorado started 4-2, the 6-6 finish represents progress for the Buffaloes, who went 2-10 in Dan Hawkins' first season as coach last year. Colorado finished with 10 losses for just the third time in the program's 117-year history. However, the Buffaloes became bowl eligible this year with a 65-51 victory over Nebraska in the regular-season finale. "This is an important game for us, and it's a privilege to be matched against a school with as rich a tradition as Alabama," Hawkins said.

Alabama had expectations of playing in a New Year's Day bowl game under first-year coach Nick Saban but collapsed in the second half of the season. Following a 6-2 start, the Crimson Tide dropped their final four games, including an inexplicable 21-14 home defeat to Louisiana-Monroe. After that game, Saban made an unfortunate reference, comparing the loss to Pearl Harbor and the 9-11 terrorist attacks. On November 3, Alabama squandered a late seven-point lead to then-No. 3 Louisiana State and suffered a 41-34 defeat. The Crimson Tide never recovered, averaging just 12 points in their last three games. Alabama concluded the regular season with a 17-10 loss to Auburn, suffering a record sixth straight loss to its bitter rival John Parker-Wilson threw five interceptions and just one touchdown in Alabama's final three games. Still, Saban tried to spin playing in the Independence Bowl into a positive. "It's a great opportunity for our players to end this season on a positive note and for us to continue to build on what we accomplished this season," he said. Colorado's offense is run by freshman Cody Hawkins, the coach's son.

Friday's NCAA Bowl Capsules

(14) BOSTON COLLEGE 24, MICHIGAN ST 21 ----------------------------
Champs Sports Bowl
ORLANDO, Florida (Ticker) -- Matt Ryan finished up his collegiate career in fine fashion. Ryan completed 22-of-47 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns as No. 14 Boston College held off Michigan State, 24-21, in the Champs Sports Bowl on Friday. Rich Gunnell caught six passes for 138 yards and two scores and the defense forced five turnovers for the Eagles (11-3), who have won eight straight bowl games - the longest streak in the nation. Ryan, who was a mid-season favorite for the Heisman Trophy after leading Boston College to an 8-0 start and a No 2 ranking, struggled early in this game before getting in rhythm. The fifth-year senior, who was the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year, started 1-of-5 and watched as the Spartans took a 7-0 lead just 97 seconds into the game on a 18-yard touchdown pass from Brian Hoyer to Kellen Davis. The three-play drive was helped by a 79-yard kickoff return by Devin Thomas to open the contest. However, Ryan, on a rollout, hit tight end Jon Loyte with a one-yard TD toss with 36 seconds left in the first period to knot the game at 7-7. Ryan then threw a 29-yard strike to Gunnell midway through the second period to help give the Eagles to a 14-10 halftime lead. After the teams traded a pair of field goals in the third quarter, the Boston College signal caller made his biggest connection of the game in the final period. With the ball on the BC 32, Ryan threw a deep pass to Gunnell, who hauled in the spiral at the Michigan State 30 before racing the rest of the way for the score that provided Boston College a 24-13 lead with 9:21 remaining. The scoring play helped Ryan increase his school single-season record for touchdown passes to 31. Hoyer, who was 13-of-35 for 128 yards, two TD passes and four interceptions, hit Deon Curry from 14 yards out and the Spartans' cut their deficit to 24-21 after a two-point conversion with 6:04 remaining. Hoyer was picked off at his own 31-yard line by safety Paul Anderson with 2:29 left. Michigan State (7-6) outgained Boston College, 303-276, and had a time of possesion advantage of 32:13 to 27:47 but was done in by the turnovers, including two interceptions by senior safety Jamie Silva.

OREGON ST 21, MARYLAND 14 -------------------------
Emerald Bowl
SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) - Yvenson Bernard rushed for 175 yards and a touchdown to lead Oregon State to a 21-14 victory over Maryland in the Emerald Nut Bowl. The senior co-captain, who rushed for 1,037 yards and 12 touchdowns while finishing third in rushing in the Pac-10, missed the regular-season finale against rival Oregon after knee surgery but was stellar in his final college game. Bernard looked tentative early but recaptured his old form en route to setting an Emerald Bowl record for rushing, surpassing the previous mark of 144 yards set by UCLA's Chris Marke last season. The victory marked their fourth straight bowl victory for Oregon State (9-4), which won seven of its last eight games. Maryland (6-7), which dropped four of its last six contests but managed to defeat North Carolina State in the season finale, had their streak of three consecutive postseason wins snapped. With the Beavers trailing, 14-7, late in the first half, Bernard capped off a seven-play, 44-yard drive with a 2-yard plunge into the end zone to even the score at 14-14 with 16 seconds left in the half. The Beavers went ahead for good when Bernard fumbled on the Terrapins' 1-yard line and wide receiver James Rodgers alertly carried the miscue into the end zone for the go-ahead score with 10 seconds left in the third quarter.

TCU 20, HOUSTON 13 ------------------
Texas Bowl
HOUSTON (Ticker) -- Junior tailback Justin Watts scored a fourth-quarter, go-ahead touchdown and TCU's 17th-ranked run defense shut down Houston en route to a 20-13 victory in the Texas Bowl. The Horned Frogs almost surrendered a 10-point lead with just over three minutes to play, but senior defensive end Chase Ortiz capped off a stellar night by leveling Cougars' quarterback Case Keenum with one second to play. It was the third straight bowl win for TCU, while the Cougars lost their eighth consecutive bowl game, dating back to the 1981 Sun Bowl. Trailing, 20-10, with 3:17 left in the game, Houston kicker T.J. Lawrence made it a one-possession game with a 32-yard field goal. But when an onside kick failed and the Horned Frogs downed a punt at the two-yard line with 1:30 remaining, it appeared as if the Cougars had the game in hand. But instead of staying with the four-man rush that had been so effective throughout the game, TCU used a prevent defense on the final drive, allowing Houston to get all the way down to the Horned Frogs' 19-yard-line with time left on the clock. The Cougars took three shots at the end zone, with two passes falling short, before Ortiz ended the game. TCU took the lead for the first time when Watts scored on a 7-yard run with 14:28 left in the game. The touchdown culminated a 13-play, 80-yard drive.

Motor City Bowl Preview

By Mike King
Associated Content

Motor City Bowl, Detroit, Dec. 26, 4:30 p.m., ESPN HD

Central Michigan (8-5), MAC 1 vs. Purdue (7-5), Big 10

Central Michigan, the MAC champions for the second year in a row, put up 34 points a game and allow 36 points a game. Not exactly, a winning formula, however, a 70-14 loss against Clemson (9-3) skews the numbers a bit. The real good news for CM is the fact that they will play in the Motor City Bowl. That means they will have home-field advantage. Purdue started out the year 5-0 and have now lost five of the last seven. However, one of those wins earlier in the year was against Central Michigan. Purdue jumped out to a 38-0 lead and smacked them around all game long. This game will be much closer, but Purdue will still win.

Winner: Purdue 42, Central Michigan 31

Hawaii Bowl Preview

No. 24 Boise St (10-2) at East Carolina (7-5)
Hawaii Bowl
December 23, 5:00 pm

HONOLULU (Ticker) -- No. 24 Boise State makes its second trip to Aloha Stadium this season when it faces East Carolina in the Hawaii Bowl on Sunday. Boise State closed the regular season in this stadium with a 39-27 loss to then-No. 14 Hawaii in a contest that decided the Western Athletic Conference champion.

There was speculation that the Broncos again would wind up in their home stadium and play in the Humanitarian Bowl for a fourth time in school history. Instead, the Broncos again wind up in Hawaii, where they will aim for their second straight bowl win. Last season, the Broncos themselves as a legitimate powerhouse with a thrilling 43-42 overtime triumph over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.

The explosive Broncos feature a pair of offensive weapons in quarterback Taylor Tharp and running back Ian Johnson. Tharp threw for 3,070 yards and 28 touchdowns, while Johnson has rushed for 1,030 yards and 16 scores. Led by Tharp and Johnson, the Broncos ranked fifth in the nation in scoring, averaging 42.8 points.

An improving program under coach Skip Holtz, East Carolina tied for second place in the East Division of Conference USA this season. "This obviously will be a trip of a lifetime for many of us and a reward, especially for our seniors who have provided the program with leadership and stability during their career," Holtz said. "I'm looking forward to seeing all of us experience a different culture, one which I'm confident will provide many wonderful memories. "Yet, with that said, it will also put us in a position to reach one of our goals this season which is a bowl championship."

The Pirates are making their second straight postseason appearance after enduring a 24-7 setback to South Florida in the Papajohns.com Bowl last season. Chris Johnson leads the offensive attack for the Pirates. The senior has rushed for 1,200 yards and 16 touchdowns. East Carolina did struggle defensively, allowing an average of 29.8 points.

Las Vegas Bowl Preview

UCLA (6-6) vs. No. 19 BYU (10-2), 5:00 pm, ESPN
Las Vegas Bowl
December 22

LAS VEGAS (Ticker) -- Hoping to avoid the distraction of a coaching change, UCLA faces No. 19 Brigham Young in the Las Vegas Bowl on Saturday. The Bruins stumbled late in the regular season, losing four of their last five games, leading to the firing of coach Karl Dorrell. Dorrell, who compiled a 35-27 record in five seasons on the Bruins sideline, opted not to coach this game. Defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker will serve as interim coach.

Walker would seem to have his hands full against Brigham Young, which won its final nine games in the regular season en route to winning the Mountain West Conference. The Cougars also will be out to exact a measure of revenge against the Bruins, who handed them one of their two losses this season. In Pasadena on September 13, Chris Markey ran for a late touchdown and Trey Brown returned an interception 56 yards for a score, leading the Bruins to a 27-17 victory. Kahlil Bell also ran for a touchdown, helping the Bruins open a 20-3 halftime. However, the Bruins have undergone a drastic change since that contest.

In addition to the coaching change, they have dealt with a bevy of injuries, including to quarterbacks Ben Olson and Patrick Cowan. Olson and Cowan both returned for the regular-season finale, a 24-7 loss to then-No. 8 Southern California. This marks the third time UCLA is appearing in the Las Vegas Bowl. The Bruins beat New Mexico in 2002, then lost two years later to Wyoming.

The Cougars are even more familiar with Sin City as they are playing in this game for a third straight season. They lost to California in 2005 before coasting to a 38-8 win over Oregon last season. BYU features a diversified offensive attack. Max Hall has thrown for 3,617 yards and 24 touchdowns, while three players have rushed for more than 600 yards. Austin Collie (839 yards) leads the ground attack.

New Mexico Bowl Preview

Nevada (6-6) vs. New Mexico (8-4), 1:30 pm, ESPN
New Mexico Bowl
December 22

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (Ticker) - New Mexico turns to the comforts of home when it faces Nevada in the the second annual New Mexico Bowl on Saturday. Under coach Rocky Long, the Lobos are making their fifth bowl appearance in the last six seasons. But the Lobos have failed to enjoy postseason success, losing their five bowls, including a 20-12 setback to San Jose State in this game last December. New Mexico is 2-7-1 all-time in bowls, with its last win a 28-12 decision over Western Michigan in the one-time-only Aviation Bowl in 1961.

The Lobos tied for third place in the Mountain West Conference this season, finishing behind Brigham Young and Air Force. After starting the season at 6-2, the Lobos split their final four games. Things will be a bit more challenging for the Lobos after junior running back Rodney Ferguson was declared declared academically ineligible. He has rushed for 1,177 yards and 13 touchdowns. Paul Baker will start at running back for the Lobos. The junior has rushed for 324 yards this season.
Making a bowl appearance in three straight seasons for the first time in school history, Nevada tied for fourth place in the Western Athletic Conference. Nevada became bowl eligible by closing the regular season with a 49-10 drubbing of Louisiana Tech. Like the Lobos, the Wolf Pack also feature a stout running game led by Luke Lippincott, who has rushed for 1,380 yards and 15 TDs. This is the first meeting between the schools since 1942

New Orleans Bowl Preview

Memphis (7-5) vs. Fla Atlantic (7-5), 5:00 pm, ESPN2
New Orleans Bowl
December 21

NEW ORLEANS (Ticker) -- Howard Schnellenberger has Florida Atlantic somewhere it likely thought it never would be. Continuing to enhance his resume as someone who can rebuild a program, Schnellenberger guides Florida Atlantic in the New Orleans Bowl against Memphis on Friday.

After previous successful stints at Miami and Louisville, Schnellenberger undertook the job at Florida Atlantic, which began play in 2000. The Owls started out as a Division I-AA independent team in 2001 before joining the Sun Belt Conference four years later. Now in just their third year in the Sun Belt, the Owls will make a bowl for the first time after winning the conference. Florida Atlantic won the conference with a 38-32 victory at Troy on December 1. The Owls scored 28 points in a 12-minute span of the fourth quarter to dethrone Troy, which entered the game as a heavy favorite. The Owls are led by sophomore quarterback Rusty Smith, who threw for 3,352 yards and 27 touchdowns with eight interceptions. The season was a struggle defensively for the Owls, who allowed 33.8 points per game.

Memphis, which finished tied for third in the East Division of Conference USA, is in a bowl for the fourth time in the last five seasons. The Tigers played in the New Orleans Bowl in 2003, posting a 27-17 victory over North Texas. Prior to 2003, Memphis had been to only one bowl game in its history, the 1971 Pasadena Bowl against San Jose State. The Tigers closed the regular season with three straight wins. In the finale, Martin Hankins threw for 336 yards and four touchdowns in a wild 55-52 triumph over SMU.