New Orleans Bowl Preview

NEW ORLEANS BOWL

New Orleans, LA
December 21, 2008


Troy (8-4) vs Southern Miss (6-6)
(Sunday, 7 pm, ESPN)

Both teams enter this game on a roll. Southern Miss won their last four games to become bowl eligible. Troy, after a near-upset at LSU, trounced its two toughest Sun Belt opponents by a combined score of 83-12 to win the conference crown.

New Southern Miss head coach Larry Fedora's offense has been slowly improving this season. Running back Damion Fletcher has been remarkably consistent this season, topping 1,200 yards rushing for the third straight season. The Eagles have needed him while freshman quarterback Austin Davis learned the ropes.

Troy on the other hand was forced into playing its backup quarterback the second half of the season after losing starter Jamie Hampton to injury. Junior Levi Brown has been nothing short of spectacular since taking over, throwing 14 touchdown passes against only 3 interceptions.

Southern Miss has played better defense down the stretch, but it has been against inferior opponents. Against a Troy team that averages 33.3 points per game I don't think they will look as good as they did during their 4-game winning streak.

J.Pike's Pick: Troy 31, Southern Miss 23

Las Vegas Bowl Preview

LAS VEGAS BOWL

Las Vegas, NV
December 20, 2008


BYU (10-2) vs Arizona (7-5)
(Saturday, 7 pm, ESPN)

The dynamic is interesting here between two western teams. One has plenty of recent bowl experience while the other is finally ending a decade-long bowl drought. The rub is that the team from a BCS conference is the one with no post-season experience.

BYU quarterback Max Hall isn't quite as good as his hype, but he is a solid player that can get on hot streaks. He has a trio of weapons at his disposal that will give Arizona's defense fits - running back Harvey Unga (1,061 rushing yards, 10 tds), wide receiver Austin Collie (95 receptions for 1,419 yards, 15 tds) and tight end Dennis Pitta (78 receptions for 1,025 yards, 6 tds). Arizona cornerbacks Devin Ross and Trevin Wade (combined 7 interceptions) will have their hands full with that group.

The key in this game is going to be coaching. In what should be a tight contest, I give a slight edge to BYU in the coaching department. I also think BYU has played more high profile games this season, which will give them an edge in terms of handling the pressure in the second half.

J.Pike's Pick: BYU 30, Arizona 20

St. Petersburg Bowl Preview

ST. PETERSBURG BOWL

St. Petersburg, FL
December 20, 2008


South Florida (7-5) vs Memphis (6-6)
(Saturday, 3:30 pm, ESPN 2)

South Florida came into this season with high expectations. Coming off consecutive 9-4 seasons, and with a loaded roster returning, USF was supposed to challenge for the Big East championship and finally get the opportunity to participate in a BCS bowl. Instead the Bulls imploded and only managed two conference wins.

The majority of the disappointment falls on the shoulders of the offense, which turned the ball over 24 times this season and still hasn't put together any kind of real running game. I also happen to believe Jim Leavitt does more yelling than actual coaching, and his team follows that lead with inconsistent play.

Fortunately, the Bulls get to play a 6-6 Conference USA team in the St. Petersburg Bowl. Memphis is led offensively by a pair of junior college transfers, quarterback Arkelon Hall and running back Curtis Steele. The Memphis O-Line will have their hands full though trying to block one of the most active defensive lines in the nation. George Selvie and Jarriett Buie are excellent players up front who should give USF the advantage in the trenches.

After a difficult year, the Bulls will get some much needed positive momentum with a win.

J.Pike's Pick: South Florida 23, Memphis 17

New Mexico Bowl Preview

NEW MEXICO BOWL

Albuquerque, NM
December 20, 2008


Fresno State (7-5) vs Colorado State (6-6)
(Saturday, 1:30 pm, ESPN)

New Colorado State head coach Steve Fairchild did a solid job in his first year, guiding the Rams to their first bowl game since 2005. Fairchild has a background in offense in the NFL so obviously the first signs of improvement will show up on that side of the ball.

Running back Gartrell Johnson had over 1,000 yards rushing and wideout Rashaun Greer went over the 1,000 yard mark receiving, but the Rams were inconsistent at turning yards into points this year. They will provide a test to Fresno State's young, injury-depleted defense though. Fresno must attempt to slow down the powerful running of Johnson without their top defensive lineman Jon Monga, who injured his foot in late November.

Luckily the Bulldogs will be able to put points on the board thanks to their fine running game. Ryan Mathews, Lonyae Miller, and Anthony Harding have combined for 1,994 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground so far in 2008. Unfortunately Mathews, the best of the bunch, has been out since the beginning of November with a lingering knee injury. He's questionable for the New Mexico Bowl, but considering the fact Colorado State allows over 185 rushing yards per game, and 5.2 yards per carry, I think Fresno will be just fine.

J.Pike's Pick: Fresno State 34, Colorado State 20

Eaglebank Bowl Preview

EAGLEBANK BOWL

Washingon, D.C.
December 20, 2008

Navy (8-4) vs Wake Forest (7-5)
(Saturday, 10 am, ESPN)

The first game of the bowl season is actually a rematch. Back on my sister's birthday (September 27) Navy forced 6 turnovers in a 24-17 win. The overrated Riley Skinner threw 40 passes and 4 interceptions, and there's a reason Wake went away from the passing game after this loss.

This game might have a different ending though. With Wake coach Jim Grobe playing the field position game and leaning on his excellent defense, I think Wake has the advantage. Navy is a fine, disciplined football team that should be able to shut down the Demon Deacon offense once again, but I'm not sure where their points are going to come from.

Wake is paced defensively by Deion Award Finalist Alphonso Smith and stud linebacker Aaron Curry, who is a lock to be a first day selection in the NFL Draft. The defense, along with excellent special teams play, will put the offense in good field position often enough for Wake Forest to finish a disappointing season on a high note.

J.Pike's Pick: Wake Forest 20, Navy 17

J.Pike's Ballot: Faulk Trophy

Not much doubt here. I've been touting Brian Johnson for this award all season, and he did nothing to persuade me otherwise. TCU's Jerry Hughes was easily the best defensive player not in a BCS conference, as evidenced by his 14 sacks. But Johnson was able to lead his team to a perfect 12-0 record.

Chase Clement is a personal favorite of mine. He reminds me a lot of Colt McCoy and I think he deserved a vote.

Brian Johnson
(Senior QB, Utah)

J.Pike's Ballot: Walker Award

This was an easy one for me. Despite the fact that Jacquizz Rodgers led a surprising Oregon State team and Julio Jones has as big an upside as any player in college football, Robert Griffin is the kind of player that made me search the internet on Saturday morning to see if a Baylor game was going to be on TV. He might not be as polished as fellow freshman Russell Wilson, but watching Griffin feels like watching a young Vince Young - you just know he's going to do something special before his career is over. And that's why I gave him the nod over the rest of the field.

Robert Griffin
(Freshman QB, Baylor)