2007-08 Bowl Season Preview

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Davis Sports Deli's 2007-08 Bowl Season Blog By: Aaron Fischman BCS National Championship Review - 1/8/08 Bowl Name: BCS National Championship Date: January 7, 2008 Location: New Orleans, Louisiana Score: LSU Tigers 38, Ohio State Buckeyes 24 Game MVP: Senior QB, Matt Flynn (LSU) This senior came up big in the BCS National Championship. Flynn did not throw a touchdown in the first quarter, but threw 4 TDs in the final three quarters. He didn't get a ton of passing yards (only 174), but Flynn was very efficient. He only made one mistake, throwing an interception. Completing over 70% of his passes in the biggest game of the year, Flynn displayed his senior leadership and earned his Game MVP. Flynn showed LSU the way, but that's not to say that others didn't play well. Fellow seniors Jacob Hester (RB) and Patrick Fisher (punter) also had solid games. Yes...I just mentioned a punter in the Game MVP section. Tight end Richard Dickson also contributed, catching two touchdown passes. Loser of the Game: None There are no losers when it comes to the BCS National Championship game. Even though the Buckeyes have lost two straight title games, it is an accomplishment to make the game twice in a row. Head coach Jim Tressel should definitely not be on the coaching hot seat. Tressel has been recruiting well and he competed for the championship despite losing Heisman winner Troy Smith as well as Ted Ginn, Jr., Antonio Pittman and Anthony Gonzalez. Significant Stat of the Game: Points - LSU-38, OSU-24 I'll keep it simple for my last review. The score says it all. Congratulations, Tigers! BCS National Championship Game History: This is only the second year that the title game has officially been called the BCS National Championship; but it is the 10th year using the Bowl Championship Series. Beginning in 1999, and ending in 2006, the championship bowl rotated between Fiesta, Sugar, Orange and Rose. The rotation continues, but the name remains constant. Next year, for example, the game will be played in Florida -- because it is the Orange Bowl's turn to host the championship -- but the game will still be called the BCS National Championship. This process gives gives two additional teams an opportunity to play in a BCS Bowl (before 8 teams played in a BCS bowl, whereas now there are 10). The first BCS title game was known as the Fiesta Bowl and it was played on January 4, 1999. In that game, Tennessee beat Florida State 23-16. Tennessee WR Peerless Price won the Offensive MVP. Price had 199 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns when all was said and done. Tennessee running back Travis Henry only rushed for 28 yards, but his team was still able to get the win. Florida State would make the next two title games, giving them three straight title game appearances. However, the Seminoles only won one of those three. Ohio State can match that three-game streak if they can make it to Florida next year. With LSU's win, the SEC has still not lost a BCS game. The SEC moves to 4-0 in BCS National Championship games. Team Analysis: The LSU Tigers are the National Champions! They only lost twice all year (the first championship winner to do so) and both of those losses come in overtime. This team beat the Ohio State Buckeyes on January 7 and that was that. Les Myles is staying in town! Ohio State also only lost twice all season, but one of those losses hurt badly. They lost their second consecutive title game, but Jim Tressel should be back and more motivated than ever. Recap of My Predictions: Not to brag too much, but I did correctly predict all three bowl games this weekend. This is what I said in the January 2 entry (you can check it below): "I also want to go on record with my BCS National Championship prediction. I predict an LSU victory by the score of 31-17. I will also pick Tulsa to handily defeat Bowling Green in the GMAC Bowl on January 6th and Rutgers over Ball State in the International Bowl on January 5th." LSU did win by 14 points, as I predicted, but I was a little off. The score was 38-24 rather than 31-17. That's still pretty close. Tulsa handily beat Bowling Green, but even I didn't expect a score as high as 63-7. In this case, "handily beat" might have been an understatement. Rutgers also beat Ball State, as I predicted. Sugar Bowl Review - 1/3/08 Bowl Name: Sugar Bowl Date: January 1, 2008 Location: New Orleans, Louisiana Score: Georgia Bulldogs 41, Hawaii Warriors 10 Game MVP: Senior DE, Marcus Howard (Georgia) Howard sacked Hawaii QB Colt Brennan three times, forced two fumbles and deflected a pass, which resulted in an interception. He also recovered one of the two fumbles for a touchdown. Howard's TD gave Georgia a 31-3 lead. Asher Allen and Rennie Curran also played very well for Georgia. Allen intercepted two passes and Curran, a freshman, had two sacks. In fact, the entire defense was impressive, holding Hawaii to 10 points. Coming into the Sugar Bowl, Hawaii had scored 35 points or more in 11 of their 12 regular season games. Loser of the Game: Senior QB, Colt Brennan (Hawaii) Brennan threw three interceptions, fumbled twice and was sacked eight times. Brennan passed for 4,300 yards during the regular season but only threw for 169 yards against Georgia. He compiled 131 TDs through the air over three seasons as Hawaii's starting quarterback. He has been unbelievable throughout his career, but he could not even find the end zone once in the Sugar Bowl. Brennan's NFL stock will surely drop a great deal from this horrible game. Significant Stat of the Game: Turnovers: Hawaii-6, Georgia-1 Georgia convincingly won the turnover battle and convincingly won the game because of it. Sugar Bowl History: The first Sugar Bowl game was on January 1, 1935 and pitted Tulane against Temple. Tulane came out victorious, 20-14. In 1948, the Sugar Bowl began giving the MVP award. Texas quarterback Bobby Layne was the first Sugar Bowl MVP winner. Last year's MVP was JaMarcus Russell in a game in which LSU defeated Notre Dame 41-14. Under the current BCS alignment, the Sugar Bowl hosts the SEC championship; unless they are involved in the National Championship game. Team Analysis: Georgia had a terrific season. After their Sugar Bowl victory, most of the Bulldogs interviewed asserted that they were the best team in the nation. That may very well be the case, but their poor showing on October 6, against Tennessee, derailed any title hopes they may have had. During the season, Georgia beat four ranked teams; three of those wins were by 10 points or more. The Bulldog defense really came on strong in their last three games, capped off with a shutdown of the Warriors' usually-potent offense. Hawaii only lost one game all year, but it was the game that mattered the most. There was a great deal of concern about their weak schedule and apparently the concern was justified. Hawaii had many close calls along the way -- against Louisiana Tech, San Jose State, Fresno State, Nevada and Washington -- but they found a way to win each and every one of those games. Unfortunately for Hawaii, the Colt Brennan Era is done. They will need to find a solid replacement, but that may be difficult. Quick Sun Bowl Recap and Predictions - 1/2/08 On December 31, 2007 the Oregon Ducks bowled over the South Florida Bulls 56-21. In fact, they Sun Bowled them over. Anyway, I was very surprised by the outcome, as I was expecting a South Florida victory. I bring the game up because I wanted to thank Walt Thurmond III of Oregon and Carlton Mitchell of South Florida for interviewing with us. Thurmond III won the individual battle between corner and receiver, by getting the best of WR Mitchell, and Oregon also won the overall battle. I want to congratulate Walt on the win and his interception return for a touchdown. I also want to thank Carlton Mitchell once again for his great interview. A mere freshman, Mitchell has plenty more years to lead his team to a Bowl victory. I think he'll do so next year. But we'll have to wait and see. I also want to go on record with my BCS National Championship prediction. I predict an LSU victory by the score of 31-17. I will also pick Tulsa to handily defeat Bowling Green in the GMAC Bowl on January 6th and Rutgers over Ball State in the International Bowl on January 5th. Rose Bowl Review - 1/2/08 Bowl Name: Rose Bowl Date: January 1, 2008 Location: Pasadena, California Score: USC 49, Illinois 17 Game MVP: Freshman RB, Joe McKnight (USC) McKnight had a breakout game. He ran for 125 yards and a touchdown on only 9 carries. McKnight nearly had a second TD, but was caught from behind by relentless Illinois defender Vontae Davis. McKnight didn't just run the ball in the game, either. The first-year player also caught six passes and returned three punts. McKnight even returned one punt for 28 yards. The young RB has been commonly compared to former Trojan Reggie Bush, but I don't think that's a fair label to put on the guy. However, I will say that his future is blindingly bright. Loser of the Game: The Entire Defensive Unit for Illinois Illinois' defense really let the fans down, giving up 633 total yards and 49 points. The Illini probably would have surrendered 56 points if the Trojans hadn't given up at the end of the game. While it is true that Southern Cal recruits the best athletes in the nation, Illinois could have done better defensively. If they hadn't fallen behind 21-0 early in the game, the offense would not have had to abandon the run. Illinois RB Rashard Mendenhall has been a key to the team's success all year, but Illinois had to start passing too early in the game. Mendenhall only carried the ball 17 times, which is not enough. Despite the loss, it is clear that he's a phenomenal player. Mendenhall broke free for a 79 yard touchdown run against one of the best defenses in the nation. Even if we exclude the 79-yard run, Mendenhall was still able to average over 5 yards per carry. "Mendey" even caught five passes, bringing his total yards tally to over 200 yards! Too bad his defense couldn't match that effort. Significant Stat of the Game: Net Yards Rushing: USC-344, Illinois-144 This stat is very telling because, over the course of the year, the Illini had been more of a running team. In college, the "Net Yards" statistic deducts yards lost on quarterback sacks, so technically the Trojans ran for 364 yards because QB John David Booty lost 20 yards on 2 sacks. McKnight led the rushing attack, but Stafon Johnson was not far behind. Chauncey Washington and Hershel Dennis did their share as well. Even senior fullback Jody Adewale got into the act with a long run in his final game at the collegiate level. For Illinois, Rashard Mendenhall ran well, but quarterback Juice Williams was completely shut down. During the season, Williams ran for 755 yards and 7 touchdowns, but he could only muster 1 yard on 12 carries in the Rose Bowl. Williams also got sacked 3 times for a total loss of 20 yards. Featured Players: None We did not talk to any of the football players in this game, but The Deli has interviewed former Trojan basketball player Chris Penrose and current guard Ryan Wetherell in the past. We have also conducted an interview with forward Keith Wilkinson. It will be coming soon in The Deli. Rose Bowl History: The first Rose Bowl was in 1902, but it didn't return until 1916. Since then, it hasn't gone anywhere. The Southern California Trojans lead all universities in Rose Bowl appearances, with 31, and they have won 22 of those contests. That means the Trojans have won over 70% of their Rose Bowl games.Michigan is second in Rose Bowl appearances with 20, but they have only won 8 times. In the current format, the game matches the Pac-10 and Big-10 conference champions, unless either is involved in the National Championship game. Since losing to Vince Young's Texas Longhorns in 2006's title edition of the Rose Bowl, USC has won the last two years (beating Michigan and Illinois). Young (of Texas) and Ron Dayne (Wisconsin) are the most recent back-to-back Rose Bowl MVP's. Jacksonville Jaguars head coach, and former USC linebacker, Jack Deli Rio, won Defensive MVP in the 1985 Rose Bowl. In the previous year, newly-hired UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel won the MVP award for the Bruins. At quarterback, Neuheisel led his team to victory over these same Illini...well, not exactly the same team. Even suspected murderer O.J. Simpson won a Rose Bowl MVP in his day. The Juice (not Juice Williams) "knifed" the Indiana Hoosiers with his stellar performance in 1968. Team Analysis: USC finishes the season 11-2 with this convincing Rose Bowl win. The Trojans can't be unhappy, but I'm sure they will always wonder what could have been (for this season). They lost to Oregon and Stanford, but it was the Stanford loss that really did them in. If they had won that game, the Trojans would have been playing in the National Championship game. The Trojans rarely lose at the Coliseum, let alone to sub-par teams like Stanford. John David Booty injured his thumb and the rest was history. That game may be one of the biggest upsets in college football history. Overall, the Trojans learned a lot about their young players over the course of the season. Sophomore QB Mark Sanchez got some playing time under his belt but, at this point, the Trojans do not know who their starting QB will be next year. It may be Sanchez or it may be Arkansas transfer Mitch Mustain. With John David Booty and Fred Davis (the tight end who led the team in receiving this year) both graduating, USC will need some replacements in a hurry. As for Illinois, they end the year at 9-4. They had a great season and will be remembered for beating the #1-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes on the road (yet Ohio St. still managed to make the title game). The Fighting Illini also took down the 5th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers earlier in the season. Juice Williams, Rashard Mendenhall and the Illini defense made the team successful. Unfortunately for Illinois, they could not beat USC or even stay close. Juice is only a sophomore and will return, but Mendenhall may leave after such an impressive junior campaign. Coach Ron Zook has done a great job with Illinois and should continue his winning ways next season. New Mexico Bowl Review - 12/24/07 Bowl Name: New Mexico Bowl Date: December 22, 2007 Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico Score: New Mexico Lobos 23, Nevada Wolf Pack 0 Game MVP: Sophomore QB, Donovan Porterie (New Mexico) Paul Baker ran the ball like crazy -- and the Lobo defense absolutely shut down the Wolf Pack -- but Game MVP must go to Porterie. The game was over in the first quarter after Porterie's initial touchdown passes. This was a great performance, but the 6'3" quarterback still has a lot of room for improvement. Loser of the Game: Freshman QB, Colin Kaepernick (Nevada) All year long, Kaepernick looked like an old pro; but not this game. In the New Mexico Bowl, this quarterback's inexperience showed. He gave himself away as a freshman with tons of miscues. I can't even recall how many wide-open receivers Kaepernick overthrew. Often-times, he chose to scramble far too early, when he could've waited longer for his receivers' routes to develop. Significant Stat of the Game: New Mexico - 548 total yards, Nevada - 215 total yards New Mexico's offense just flowed. Needless to say, Nevada's did not. In addition to Porterie's 354 yards through the air, the Lobos ran for 194 yards. Paul Baker, who spent much of the year as a back-up, ran for 167 yards, averaging 7.6 yards per carry. New Mexico's defense really came up big in this game. Featured Players: Junior RB, Luke Lippincott (Nevada) Before the game, Paul Topchyan interviewed Lippincott, Nevada's star running back. Luke was a great interview, he discussed not only the upcoming game, but also Hawaii's perfect season and the Heisman Trophy. Check out Luke's interview, here. In the game, Lippincott only got 10 carries, but still managed to record 40 yards rushing. The New Mexico defense was as stingy as ever. Regardless of the New Mexico Bowl results, Lippincott had a season that he will never forget. He ran for 1,420 yards and 15 touchdowns. How many running backs can say that? Thanks for the interview, Luke. New Mexico Bowl History: The New Mexico Bowl is relatively new. This was only the second one ever played. New Mexico was also in that game, but they lost to San Jose State. Wide receiver James Jones earned MVP honors in that game. Jones is now catching passes from Brett Favre in the NFL. The New Mexico Bowl pits a Mountain West representative against a team from the Western Athletic Conference. Team Analysis: New Mexico finishes the season at 9-4. Half of those losses involved close games. In the other half, New Mexico got embarrassed. All-in-all, the Lobos had a solid season. In their last two games, New Mexico gave up 6 points combined (6 to UNLV and 0 to Nevada). The defense deserves a great deal of credit for the team's success. Nevada ends with a sub-.500 record, at 6-7, but all is not lost. They played a hell of a season with a freshman quarterback (Kaepernick). Although he laid an egg in his first ever Bowl game, Kaepernick is the real deal. He and our buddy, Luke, can keep this team very competitive in the WAC next season. Papa John's.com Bowl Review - 12/23/07 Bowl Name: Papa John's.com Bowl Date: December 22, 2007 Location: Birmingham, Alabama Score: Cincinnati Bearcats 31, Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles 21 Game MVP: Junior WR, Dominick Goodman (Cincinnati) Cincinnati QB Ben Mauk did throw for 4 touchdowns on Saturday, but he also threw 3 interceptions. With Southern Miss leading 7-0, Dominick Goodman caught two consecutive touchdown passes. From that point on, Cincinnati would not relinquish the lead. Goodman actually caught a third touchdown pass but, upon further review, the initial touchdown ruling was overturned. Mauk should definitely be credited for getting the team back into the game, but he will not get my Game MVP. Loser of the Game: Senior QB, Jeremy Young (Southern Miss) Jeremy Young had a horrible game, throwing 3 interceptions. Which is strange because Young only had five picks in the regular season. The Golden Eagles' QB did pass for 2 touchdowns -- and he did run for another one -- but his team needed more than that from him. He wasn't effective passing the ball, to say the least. Young made far too many mistakes for his team to win. Significant Stat of the Game: Passing yards: Cincinnati - 335, Southern Miss - 122 The superior passing game of the Bearcats ended up being the difference-maker in this game. While it is true that Southern Miss outran Cincinnati 217 yards to 76 yards, that didn't matter as much as the passing differential. When Cincinnati went ahead 21-7 in the third quarter, the Golden Eagles continued to run because they didn't have confidence in their passing game. The run remained effective, but it also wasted valuable time. If the tables were turned, and Cincinnati had been behind, I have no doubt that the Bearcats could have staged a comeback. But since Southern Miss was so reliant on the run, a comeback for them was nearly impossible. Featured Players: Junior WR, Dominick Goodman (Cincinnati) The Deli's own Paul Topchyan interviewed Goodman before Saturday's game. Dominick fielded questions about topics ranging from the team's current success to his own NFL draft status. Check out the interview, here. We are very pleased that a Deli interviewee performed so well on such a big stage. Great job, Dominick! Papa John's.com Bowl History: This was just the second game in this bowl series. Last year it was called the Birmingham Bowl but the name was changed this year (obviously, it was named after the sponsor: Papa John's Pizza). In the 2006 game South Florida defeated East Carolina 24-7. USF running back Benjamin Williams won the MVP award. Currently, this bowl pits a Conference USA team against a Big East team. With Cincy's victory, the Big East moves to 2-0 in the history of this bowl. Team Analysis: This will surely be a season to remember for the Bearcats. They finish with a robust 10-3 record. Not only that, they also beat three ranked opponents (USF, UConn and Rutgers). They also nearly defeated the West Virginia Mountaineers. QB Ben Mauk will try to gain an additional year of eligibility but even if his request is denied, the Bearcats have a great deal to look forward to. Freshman wideout Marcus Barnett should continue to dominate for years to come. As for Southern Miss, they will lose their starting quarterback; but their star running back will be back. Damion Fletcher literally carried the Golden Eagles the entire season and I expect him to do it again next year. Southern Miss's head coach of seventeen years, Jeff Bowers, has coached his final game. It is sad that his head-coaching career at Southern Miss is over, but you know he's doing ok when Brett Favre calls him a legend. New Orleans Bowl Review - 12/23/07 Bowl Name: New Orleans Bowl Date: December 21, 2007 Location: New Orleans, Louisiana Score: Florida Atlantic Owls 44, Memphis Tigers 27 Game MVP: Sophomore QB, Rusty Smith (Florida Atlantic) Rusty Smith is clearly deserving of Game MVP. Rusty threw for 5 touchdowns while completing 25 of 32 passes for 337 yards. He was also only sacked once...so props to his offensive line. In an effort to ensure that he won The Deli's top honor, Rusty was sure to spread the ball around. He must have been thinking, "If any receiver has two or more TDs, then I may not win Game MVP honors." Don't worry, Rusty. You got it! Loser of the Game: Junior (Back-up) QB, Will Hudgens (Memphis) Will Hudgens earns Loser of the Game because of his poor play in reserve for the injured Martin Hankins. Prior to Hankins' brutal injury, the Tigers seemed to be making a comeback. Unfortunately, for them, when Hankins left so did their hopes of winning the game. Hudgens played like garbage. Third-string QB Matt Malouf didn't do any better, either. The two back-ups combined for a single completion and ZERO yards passing. Significant Stat of the Game: FAU - 10.6 yards/pass, Memphis - 6.2 yards/pass Florida Atlantic's offense, spearheaded by Rusty Smith, had bigger plays than Memphis throughout the night. The Owls completed nearly 80% of their pass attempts, while the Tigers completed only 54%. In other words, Smith was having his way with the defense. Memphis starting QB Martin Hankins didn't do too badly, either. It was the Memphis back-ups who had the most to do with the yards/pass play discrepancy between the two teams. Featured Players: No players were interviewed for this game, but Memphis running back Joseph Doss did agree to an interview with The Deli. Unfortunately, it didn't come together before this bowl game. We want to thank Mr. Doss anyway. In this game he ran the ball 20 times for a total of 85 yards. New Orleans Bowl History: The Bowl began in 2001 and is played annually in New Orleans, Louisiana. Colorado State won the first ever New Orleans Bowl with a 45-20 victory over North Texas. Speaking of North Texas, they have played in the New Orleans Bowl four times; but they have won only once. Southern Miss, on the other hand, has played in New Orleans twice and won both. Last year, Troy crushed Rice in this game (41-17) with Trojan QB Omar Haugabook earning MVP honors. Currently the New Orleans Bowl pits a team from Conference USA (Memphis) and the Sun Belt Conference (Florida Atlantic). Team Analysis: Memphis ends the year at 7-6. Valuable seniors Martin Hankins (QB) and Joseph Doss (RB) must move on. However, the Tigers can look forward to the return of sophomore WR Carlos Singleton. The 6'8" receiver caught 11 touchdown passes this year. Find him a quarterback and the sky's the limit (to quote Collin "Kool-Aid" Kilpatrick). Florida Atlantic just experienced their first bowl victory and coach Howard Schnellenberger was loving every bit of it. He built the school's football program from scratch, beginning nine years ago. I really admire Schnellenberger for scheduling opponents such as Florida, Kentucky, South Florida and Troy. For a relatively new football program, like FAU, that schedule is pretty tough. But they still managed to finish with an 8-5 record. Also, Rusty Smith is only a sophomore. That means you'll be seeing more of FAU next season. Poinsettia Bowl Review - 12/21/07 Bowl name: Poinsettia Bowl Date: December 20, 2007 Location: San Diego, California Score: Utah Utes 35, Navy Midshipmen 32 Game MVP: Sophomore Defensive Back, Joe Dale (Utah) I was about ready to give this MVP award to Utah QB Brian Johnson, who completed 80% of his passes for 228 yards and a touchdown and also ran in for a TD, but Joe Dale has been given the award because his clutch interception sealed the game for the Utes. Not only did the sophomore seal the game, but he also made 12 tackles in the game. Making 12 tackles is nice for any player; but it's special for a defensive back. Utah RB Darrell Mack also ran for two touchdowns and amassed over 100 all-purpose yards in the game. This means that Deli writer Joshua Fischman was correct in his Poinsettia Bowl Preview prediction that, "Darrell Mack will find the end zone at least twice for the Utes." [You can read the entire Davis Sports Deli Poinsettia Bowl Preview by Joshua Fischman, here]. Loser of the Game: Senior Running Back, Reggie Campbell (Navy) Campbell did a decent enough job of picking up yardage, but he made two key mistakes that cost his team the game. In the first quarter, Campbell fumbled the ball inside the opposing 5-yard line. Later in the game, he dropped a key pass that would've surely resulted in a touchdown. Navy didn't end up scoring on that particular drive. Unfortunately, Reggie Campbell's Navy career has to end on a sour note; but we can focus on his collegiate accomplishments. In his four years at Navy, Campbell scored 25 touchdowns and recorded over 2,500 yards combined (rushing and receiving). It's pretty hard to believe that he averaged over 8 yards per carry over those four years. Navy will be sad to see him go. Significant Stat of the Game: 81.5% completion for Utah QBs The teams were very even statistically, so I will go with this obscure statistic. Brian Johnson completed 20 of 25 passes and his backup (Corbin Louks) completed both of his attempts, as well. This completion percentage almost seems unrealistic. Are these Madden numbers? Featured Deli Players: No players were interviewed for this game, but I think I should remind you of Navy spokesman Scott Strasemeier's comments directed toward the Deli. While a couple of Utah players politely declined our interview requests, Strasemeier caustically replied, "We do not do interviews over e-mail and I have never heard of your website." Isn't that some karma? Poinsettia Bowl History: The bowl began in 2005 and is played annually in San Diego, California. This was the third annual Poinsettia Bowl. Navy won the first ever Poinsettia Bowl game in 2005, with a 51-30 victory over the University of Colorado. Reggie Campbell (ironically, the Loser of the Game this year) won the Offensive MVP award in that game. TCU crushed Norther Illinois in the game last year (37-7). The Poinsettia Bowl currently matches a team from the Mountain West (Utah, in this case) and an at-large team (Navy, this year). Team Analysis: Navy finished the season at 8-5; if we include this game. They led NCAA Division 1 in rushing yards. They ran for 4,222 yards as a team this season. All they did all year was run; but they were very good at that, averaging 5.7 yards per rush. Navy had won four games in a row before their loss to Utah. Starting QB Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada will return next year for his senior season. Utah finishes the year on a high note, with their 7th straight bowl victory. After their 27-0 loss to UNLV, the Utes won eight of their last nine games. They finished third in the Mountain West Conference, behind BYU and Air Force; each of whom they lost to. Utah has a great deal to be proud of. Offensive studs Brian Johnson and Darrell Mack are both expected to return for their senior seasons. From the look of things, Utah should go far next year. [If you enjoyed this Poinsettia Bowl Review, be sure to also read our New Orleans Bowl Preview and check back for more bowl coverage all week long]. Bowl Games (Not Santa Claus) Are Coming to Town - 12/18/07 The end of the year is approaching and I'm sure many of you are getting ready for the holidays. You're probably thinking about snow, the Lexus give-away event, Christmas, Hannukah and Kwanza (among other things). Well, I'm going to try to convince you that Bowl Season is better than all of those things. The snow loses its novelty. The Lexus loses its shine. The eggnog goes rotten. The candles burn out. The presents become forgotten. The same songs are played over and over again on the radio (don't get me wrong, Feliz Navidad is a decent enough song, but as much as it's played I'd rather just forgo the entire holiday season). The holidays just do not last; whereas Bowl Season continues well into the new year (games begin on December 20, 2007 and don't end until January 7, 2008). The holiday season is predictable (is anyone really surprised when they open their presents?). Surprise is the needed medicine that the Bowl Season provides. Last year's Tostitos Fiesta Bowl is a perfect example. Even coming into the game with a spotless record, most people didn't give Boise State a chance to beat the Oklahoma Sooners (mainly because of the Broncos' weak schedule). However, Boise State found a way to stun the Adrian Peterson-led Sooners by pulling out a bag of trick plays. They won the Fiesta Bowl 43-42 in a game that wasn't decided until overtime. What was even more remarkable was how the events unfolded. Boise State took a commanding 28-10 lead, which was held until 4:29 in the third quarter. Oklahoma would roar back with 18 unanswered points. With the score tied at 28, the momentum was with the Sooners. Then, Boise State quarterback Jared Zabransky threw an interception that was returned by Oklahoma for a touchdown. With a minute left -- and Oklahoma having scored 25 straight points -- the game appeared to be over. The tires appeared to have sunk on Boise State's metaphorical car. But this was not the case. With seven ticks to go, Zabransky completed a pass to Drisan James who lateralled the ball to Jerard Rabb at the 35-yard line. What a time for a lateral! The move took some brass balls by Drisan James; to toss the ball backward when he was 35 yards away from paydirt and the season was on the line. Headed for OT, Boise St. won the toss and chose to start on defense. In this non-sudden death format, Oklahoma struck first with a 25-yard touchdown trot by Peterson. Again, the Broncos' backs were against the wall. They were able to get to the 6-yard line of Oklahoma, but it was 4th and 2. Was it time for another trick play? Yes, indeed. Instead of putting the football in the hands of reliable senior QB Jared Zabransky, the coach elected to have Vinny Peretta take the snap. Peretta was a scarcely-used sophomore wide receiver. Taking the snap with confidence, Peretta found Derek Schourman for the touchdown. That was the equalizer, right? Well, that's what the Sooners thought; an extra point would have been the safe choice. An extra point would have forced a second overtime, but Boise St. lined up to go for the two-point conversion (and the win). Out of shotgun formation, Zabransky pump-faked, then handed the ball to running back Ian Johnson. As Johnson scampered into the end zone, it was over. The Boise St. Broncos upset the favored Sooners. Wowee! To top it all off, Johnson proposed to the team's head cheerleader after the game. She accepted. This all transpired while Johnson was being interviewed on national television. Who would've thunk it? Boise State's win meant that they would finish the season with a perfect record. Close to no one had even given them a shot to win the Fiesta Bowl. This year, Hawaii is in a similar situation (coming into the Allstate Sugar Bowl undefeated). They will face a talented Georgia team, much like the Oklahoma squad that Boise St. faced last year. Most people are predicting Hawaii to lose, as well. We can only hope that this game is one tenth as entertaining as last year's Fiesta Bowl. Last season's BCS National Championship game and Rose Bowl game had their share of surprises, as well. In the weeks leading up to those games, there was a great deal of controversy. Many analysts, and fans, believed that the Michigan Wolverines (with only one loss, which was to Ohio State) deserved another chance at the Buckeyes. According to a number of people, Florida didn't even deserve to play in the game. It was assumed that Ohio St. would blow out Florida in the National Championship and that Michigan would beat USC in the Rose Bowl. In the BCS game, Ted Ginn Jr. ran the opening kickoff back for a touchdown for the Buckeyes. This play, like Devin Hester's opening kickoff return in the 2007 Super Bowl, was not indicative of the game. Florida would go on to annihilate Ohio St. 41-14. Ohio St.'s "explosive" offense was held to just 82 yards. Heisman trophy winner Troy Smith recorded only 35 passing yards. And the team only converted on one of nine third down opportunities. Florida dominated in all facets of the game, but let's take a look at the time of possession for each team. Florida controlled the ball for nearly 41 of the 60 minutes of play, while Ohio St. had possession for a mere 19 minutes and 12 seconds. Troy Smith, Tedd Ginn, Antonio Pittman and Anthony Gonzalez couldn't do anything against Urban Meyer's squad. Oh yeah, and USC won, too. In 2006-07, neither Ohio St. nor Michigan won their respective games. Everyone was saying that those two teams should have played in the title game and yet they both suffered defeats. Perhaps the title match-up should have been Boise St. against Florida. Or USC against the Gators. Now do you believe me that Bowl Season is never predictable? In this blog, I will break down almost every game of the Bowl Season using three new and unique features: 1) Game MVP - which will be awarded to the player who performs best for the winning team of each game, 2) Loser of the Game - which will be given to the player who had the most to do with his team's loss, and 3) The Significant Stat of the Game - the numerical value that does the best job of explaining the game's outcome. I'll also talk about the players who will interview with The Deli. Joshua, Paul and I have been spanning the globe for interesting players to talk to about Bowl Season. We will not rest until nearly every Bowl game is represented. I'll discuss what kind of game featured players had, as well as his prospects for the future. I may even make some predictions. But for the most part, my blog will review Bowl games that have already been played. For historical perspective, I will add a brief history on the particular Bowl that I'm reviewing. In addition, I feel obligated to summarize each team's season (the good, the bad and the abnormal). Look for my next blog on Saturday, December 22. Just remember, this writer's New Year's resolution is to bring you the greatest hits of the 2007-08 Bowl Season!

Davis Sports Deli's

2007-08 Bowl Season Blog

By: Aaron Fischman

BCS National Championship Review - 1/8/08

Bowl Name: BCS National Championship
Date: January 7, 2008
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Score: LSU Tigers 38, Ohio State Buckeyes 24

Game MVP: Senior QB, Matt Flynn (LSU)

This senior came up big in the BCS National Championship. Flynn did not throw a touchdown in the first quarter, but threw 4 TDs in the final three quarters. He didn't get a ton of passing yards (only 174), but Flynn was very efficient. He only made one mistake, throwing an interception. Completing over 70% of his passes in the biggest game of the year, Flynn displayed his senior leadership and earned his Game MVP. Flynn showed LSU the way, but that's not to say that others didn't play well. Fellow seniors Jacob Hester (RB) and Patrick Fisher (punter) also had solid games. Yes...I just mentioned a punter in the Game MVP section. Tight end Richard Dickson also contributed, catching two touchdown passes.

Loser of the Game: None

There are no losers when it comes to the BCS National Championship game. Even though the Buckeyes have lost two straight title games, it is an accomplishment to make the game twice in a row. Head coach Jim Tressel should definitely not be on the coaching hot seat. Tressel has been recruiting well and he competed for the championship despite losing Heisman winner Troy Smith as well as Ted Ginn, Jr., Antonio Pittman and Anthony Gonzalez.

Significant Stat of the Game: Points - LSU-38, OSU-24

I'll keep it simple for my last review. The score says it all. Congratulations, Tigers!

BCS National Championship Game History:

This is only the second year that the title game has officially been called the BCS National Championship; but it is the 10th year using the Bowl Championship Series. Beginning in 1999, and ending in 2006, the championship bowl rotated between Fiesta, Sugar, Orange and Rose.

The rotation continues, but the name remains constant. Next year, for example, the game will be played in Florida -- because it is the Orange Bowl's turn to host the championship -- but the game will still be called the BCS National Championship. This process gives gives two additional teams an opportunity to play in a BCS Bowl (before 8 teams played in a BCS bowl, whereas now there are 10).

The first BCS title game was known as the Fiesta Bowl and it was played on January 4, 1999. In that game, Tennessee beat Florida State 23-16. Tennessee WR Peerless Price won the Offensive MVP. Price had 199 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns when all was said and done. Tennessee running back Travis Henry only rushed for 28 yards, but his team was still able to get the win.

Florida State would make the next two title games, giving them three straight title game appearances. However, the Seminoles only won one of those three. Ohio State can match that three-game streak if they can make it to Florida next year. With LSU's win, the SEC has still not lost a BCS game. The SEC moves to 4-0 in BCS National Championship games.

Team Analysis:

The LSU Tigers are the National Champions! They only lost twice all year (the first championship winner to do so) and both of those losses come in overtime. This team beat the Ohio State Buckeyes on January 7 and that was that. Les Myles is staying in town!

Ohio State also only lost twice all season, but one of those losses hurt badly. They lost their second consecutive title game, but Jim Tressel should be back and more motivated than ever.

Recap of My Predictions:

Not to brag too much, but I did correctly predict all three bowl games this weekend. This is what I said in the January 2 entry (you can check it below):

"I also want to go on record with my BCS National Championship prediction. I predict an LSU victory by the score of 31-17. I will also pick Tulsa to handily defeat Bowling Green in the GMAC Bowl on January 6th and Rutgers over Ball State in the International Bowl on January 5th."

LSU did win by 14 points, as I predicted, but I was a little off. The score was 38-24 rather than 31-17. That's still pretty close.

Tulsa handily beat Bowling Green, but even I didn't expect a score as high as 63-7. In this case, "handily beat" might have been an understatement. Rutgers also beat Ball State, as I predicted.

Sugar Bowl Review - 1/3/08

Bowl Name: Sugar Bowl
Date: January 1, 2008
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Score: Georgia Bulldogs 41, Hawaii Warriors 10

Game MVP: Senior DE, Marcus Howard (Georgia)

Howard sacked Hawaii QB Colt Brennan three times, forced two fumbles and deflected a pass, which resulted in an interception. He also recovered one of the two fumbles for a touchdown. Howard's TD gave Georgia a 31-3 lead. Asher Allen and Rennie Curran also played very well for Georgia. Allen intercepted two passes and Curran, a freshman, had two sacks. In fact, the entire defense was impressive, holding Hawaii to 10 points. Coming into the Sugar Bowl, Hawaii had scored 35 points or more in 11 of their 12 regular season games.

Loser of the Game: Senior QB, Colt Brennan (Hawaii)

Brennan threw three interceptions, fumbled twice and was sacked eight times. Brennan passed for 4,300 yards during the regular season but only threw for 169 yards against Georgia. He compiled 131 TDs through the air over three seasons as Hawaii's starting quarterback. He has been unbelievable throughout his career, but he could not even find the end zone once in the Sugar Bowl. Brennan's NFL stock will surely drop a great deal from this horrible game.

Significant Stat of the Game: Turnovers: Hawaii-6, Georgia-1

Georgia convincingly won the turnover battle and convincingly won the game because of it.

Sugar Bowl History:

The first Sugar Bowl game was on January 1, 1935 and pitted Tulane against Temple. Tulane came out victorious, 20-14. In 1948, the Sugar Bowl began giving the MVP award. Texas quarterback Bobby Layne was the first Sugar Bowl MVP winner. Last year's MVP was JaMarcus Russell in a game in which LSU defeated Notre Dame 41-14. Under the current BCS alignment, the Sugar Bowl hosts the SEC championship; unless they are involved in the National Championship game.

Team Analysis:

Georgia had a terrific season. After their Sugar Bowl victory, most of the Bulldogs interviewed asserted that they were the best team in the nation. That may very well be the case, but their poor showing on October 6, against Tennessee, derailed any title hopes they may have had. During the season, Georgia beat four ranked teams; three of those wins were by 10 points or more. The Bulldog defense really came on strong in their last three games, capped off with a shutdown of the Warriors' usually-potent offense.

Hawaii only lost one game all year, but it was the game that mattered the most. There was a great deal of concern about their weak schedule and apparently the concern was justified. Hawaii had many close calls along the way -- against Louisiana Tech, San Jose State, Fresno State, Nevada and Washington -- but they found a way to win each and every one of those games. Unfortunately for Hawaii, the Colt Brennan Era is done. They will need to find a solid replacement, but that may be difficult.

Quick Sun Bowl Recap and Predictions - 1/2/08

On December 31, 2007 the Oregon Ducks bowled over the South Florida Bulls 56-21. In fact, they Sun Bowled them over. Anyway, I was very surprised by the outcome, as I was expecting a South Florida victory. I bring the game up because I wanted to thank Walt Thurmond III of Oregon and Carlton Mitchell of South Florida for interviewing with us. Thurmond III won the individual battle between corner and receiver, by getting the best of WR Mitchell, and Oregon also won the overall battle.

I want to congratulate Walt on the win and his interception return for a touchdown. I also want to thank Carlton Mitchell once again for his great interview. A mere freshman, Mitchell has plenty more years to lead his team to a Bowl victory. I think he'll do so next year. But we'll have to wait and see.

I also want to go on record with my BCS National Championship prediction. I predict an LSU victory by the score of 31-17. I will also pick Tulsa to handily defeat Bowling Green in the GMAC Bowl on January 6th and Rutgers over Ball State in the International Bowl on January 5th.

Rose Bowl Review - 1/2/08

Bowl Name: Rose Bowl
Date: January 1, 2008
Location: Pasadena, California
Score: USC 49, Illinois 17

Game MVP: Freshman RB, Joe McKnight (USC)

McKnight had a breakout game. He ran for 125 yards and a touchdown on only 9 carries. McKnight nearly had a second TD, but was caught from behind by relentless Illinois defender Vontae Davis. McKnight didn't just run the ball in the game, either. The first-year player also caught six passes and returned three punts. McKnight even returned one punt for 28 yards. The young RB has been commonly compared to former Trojan Reggie Bush, but I don't think that's a fair label to put on the guy. However, I will say that his future is blindingly bright.

Loser of the Game: The Entire Defensive Unit for Illinois

Illinois' defense really let the fans down, giving up 633 total yards and 49 points. The Illini probably would have surrendered 56 points if the Trojans hadn't given up at the end of the game. While it is true that Southern Cal recruits the best athletes in the nation, Illinois could have done better defensively. If they hadn't fallen behind 21-0 early in the game, the offense would not have had to abandon the run. Illinois RB Rashard Mendenhall has been a key to the team's success all year, but Illinois had to start passing too early in the game. Mendenhall only carried the ball 17 times, which is not enough. Despite the loss, it is clear that he's a phenomenal player. Mendenhall broke free for a 79 yard touchdown run against one of the best defenses in the nation. Even if we exclude the 79-yard run, Mendenhall was still able to average over 5 yards per carry. "Mendey" even caught five passes, bringing his total yards tally to over 200 yards! Too bad his defense couldn't match that effort.

Significant Stat of the Game: Net Yards Rushing: USC-344, Illinois-144

This stat is very telling because, over the course of the year, the Illini had been more of a running team. In college, the "Net Yards" statistic deducts yards lost on quarterback sacks, so technically the Trojans ran for 364 yards because QB John David Booty lost 20 yards on 2 sacks. McKnight led the rushing attack, but Stafon Johnson was not far behind. Chauncey Washington and Hershel Dennis did their share as well. Even senior fullback Jody Adewale got into the act with a long run in his final game at the collegiate level. For Illinois, Rashard Mendenhall ran well, but quarterback Juice Williams was completely shut down. During the season, Williams ran for 755 yards and 7 touchdowns, but he could only muster 1 yard on 12 carries in the Rose Bowl. Williams also got sacked 3 times for a total loss of 20 yards.

Featured Players: None

We did not talk to any of the football players in this game, but The Deli has interviewed former Trojan basketball player Chris Penrose and current guard Ryan Wetherell in the past. We have also conducted an interview with forward Keith Wilkinson. It will be coming soon in The Deli.

Rose Bowl History:

The first Rose Bowl was in 1902, but it didn't return until 1916. Since then, it hasn't gone anywhere. The Southern California Trojans lead all universities in Rose Bowl appearances, with 31, and they have won 22 of those contests. That means the Trojans have won over 70% of their Rose Bowl games.Michigan is second in Rose Bowl appearances with 20, but they have only won 8 times.

In the current format, the game matches the Pac-10 and Big-10 conference champions, unless either is involved in the National Championship game. Since losing to Vince Young's Texas Longhorns in 2006's title edition of the Rose Bowl, USC has won the last two years (beating Michigan and Illinois). Young (of Texas) and Ron Dayne (Wisconsin) are the most recent back-to-back Rose Bowl MVP's.

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach, and former USC linebacker, Jack Deli Rio, won Defensive MVP in the 1985 Rose Bowl. In the previous year, newly-hired UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel won the MVP award for the Bruins. At quarterback, Neuheisel led his team to victory over these same Illini...well, not exactly the same team. Even suspected murderer O.J. Simpson won a Rose Bowl MVP in his day. The Juice (not Juice Williams) "knifed" the Indiana Hoosiers with his stellar performance in 1968.

Team Analysis:

USC finishes the season 11-2 with this convincing Rose Bowl win. The Trojans can't be unhappy, but I'm sure they will always wonder what could have been (for this season). They lost to Oregon and Stanford, but it was the Stanford loss that really did them in. If they had won that game, the Trojans would have been playing in the National Championship game. The Trojans rarely lose at the Coliseum, let alone to sub-par teams like Stanford. John David Booty injured his thumb and the rest was history. That game may be one of the biggest upsets in college football history.

Overall, the Trojans learned a lot about their young players over the course of the season. Sophomore QB Mark Sanchez got some playing time under his belt but, at this point, the Trojans do not know who their starting QB will be next year. It may be Sanchez or it may be Arkansas transfer Mitch Mustain. With John David Booty and Fred Davis (the tight end who led the team in receiving this year) both graduating, USC will need some replacements in a hurry.

As for Illinois, they end the year at 9-4. They had a great season and will be remembered for beating the #1-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes on the road (yet Ohio St. still managed to make the title game). The Fighting Illini also took down the 5th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers earlier in the season. Juice Williams, Rashard Mendenhall and the Illini defense made the team successful. Unfortunately for Illinois, they could not beat USC or even stay close. Juice is only a sophomore and will return, but Mendenhall may leave after such an impressive junior campaign. Coach Ron Zook has done a great job with Illinois and should continue his winning ways next season.

New Mexico Bowl Review - 12/24/07

Bowl Name: New Mexico Bowl
Date: December 22, 2007
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Score: New Mexico Lobos 23, Nevada Wolf Pack 0

Game MVP: Sophomore QB, Donovan Porterie (New Mexico)

Paul Baker ran the ball like crazy -- and the Lobo defense absolutely shut down the Wolf Pack -- but Game MVP must go to Porterie. The game was over in the first quarter after Porterie's initial touchdown passes. This was a great performance, but the 6'3" quarterback still has a lot of room for improvement.

Loser of the Game: Freshman QB, Colin Kaepernick (Nevada)

All year long, Kaepernick looked like an old pro; but not this game. In the New Mexico Bowl, this quarterback's inexperience showed. He gave himself away as a freshman with tons of miscues. I can't even recall how many wide-open receivers Kaepernick overthrew. Often-times, he chose to scramble far too early, when he could've waited longer for his receivers' routes to develop.

Significant Stat of the Game: New Mexico - 548 total yards, Nevada - 215 total yards

New Mexico's offense just flowed. Needless to say, Nevada's did not. In addition to Porterie's 354 yards through the air, the Lobos ran for 194 yards. Paul Baker, who spent much of the year as a back-up, ran for 167 yards, averaging 7.6 yards per carry. New Mexico's defense really came up big in this game.

Featured Players: Junior RB, Luke Lippincott (Nevada)

Before the game, Paul Topchyan interviewed Lippincott, Nevada's star running back. Luke was a great interview, he discussed not only the upcoming game, but also Hawaii's perfect season and the Heisman Trophy. Check out Luke's interview, here.

In the game, Lippincott only got 10 carries, but still managed to record 40 yards rushing. The New Mexico defense was as stingy as ever. Regardless of the New Mexico Bowl results, Lippincott had a season that he will never forget. He ran for 1,420 yards and 15 touchdowns. How many running backs can say that? Thanks for the interview, Luke.

New Mexico Bowl History:

The New Mexico Bowl is relatively new. This was only the second one ever played. New Mexico was also in that game, but they lost to San Jose State. Wide receiver James Jones earned MVP honors in that game. Jones is now catching passes from Brett Favre in the NFL. The New Mexico Bowl pits a Mountain West representative against a team from the Western Athletic Conference.

Team Analysis:

New Mexico finishes the season at 9-4. Half of those losses involved close games. In the other half, New Mexico got embarrassed. All-in-all, the Lobos had a solid season. In their last two games, New Mexico gave up 6 points combined (6 to UNLV and 0 to Nevada). The defense deserves a great deal of credit for the team's success.

Nevada ends with a sub-.500 record, at 6-7, but all is not lost. They played a hell of a season with a freshman quarterback (Kaepernick). Although he laid an egg in his first ever Bowl game, Kaepernick is the real deal. He and our buddy, Luke, can keep this team very competitive in the WAC next season.

Papa John's.com Bowl Review - 12/23/07

Bowl Name: Papa John's.com Bowl
Date: December 22, 2007
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Score: Cincinnati Bearcats 31, Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles 21

Game MVP: Junior WR, Dominick Goodman (Cincinnati)

Cincinnati QB Ben Mauk did throw for 4 touchdowns on Saturday, but he also threw 3 interceptions. With Southern Miss leading 7-0, Dominick Goodman caught two consecutive touchdown passes. From that point on, Cincinnati would not relinquish the lead. Goodman actually caught a third touchdown pass but, upon further review, the initial touchdown ruling was overturned. Mauk should definitely be credited for getting the team back into the game, but he will not get my Game MVP.

Loser of the Game: Senior QB, Jeremy Young (Southern Miss)

Jeremy Young had a horrible game, throwing 3 interceptions. Which is strange because Young only had five picks in the regular season. The Golden Eagles' QB did pass for 2 touchdowns -- and he did run for another one -- but his team needed more than that from him. He wasn't effective passing the ball, to say the least. Young made far too many mistakes for his team to win.

Significant Stat of the Game: Passing yards: Cincinnati - 335, Southern Miss - 122

The superior passing game of the Bearcats ended up being the difference-maker in this game. While it is true that Southern Miss outran Cincinnati 217 yards to 76 yards, that didn't matter as much as the passing differential. When Cincinnati went ahead 21-7 in the third quarter, the Golden Eagles continued to run because they didn't have confidence in their passing game. The run remained effective, but it also wasted valuable time. If the tables were turned, and Cincinnati had been behind, I have no doubt that the Bearcats could have staged a comeback. But since Southern Miss was so reliant on the run, a comeback for them was nearly impossible.

Featured Players: Junior WR, Dominick Goodman (Cincinnati)

The Deli's own Paul Topchyan interviewed Goodman before Saturday's game. Dominick fielded questions about topics ranging from the team's current success to his own NFL draft status. Check out the interview, here. We are very pleased that a Deli interviewee performed so well on such a big stage. Great job, Dominick!

Papa John's.com Bowl History:

This was just the second game in this bowl series. Last year it was called the Birmingham Bowl but the name was changed this year (obviously, it was named after the sponsor: Papa John's Pizza). In the 2006 game South Florida defeated East Carolina 24-7. USF running back Benjamin Williams won the MVP award. Currently, this bowl pits a Conference USA team against a Big East team. With Cincy's victory, the Big East moves to 2-0 in the history of this bowl.

Team Analysis:

This will surely be a season to remember for the Bearcats. They finish with a robust 10-3 record. Not only that, they also beat three ranked opponents (USF, UConn and Rutgers). They also nearly defeated the West Virginia Mountaineers. QB Ben Mauk will try to gain an additional year of eligibility but even if his request is denied, the Bearcats have a great deal to look forward to. Freshman wideout Marcus Barnett should continue to dominate for years to come.

As for Southern Miss, they will lose their starting quarterback; but their star running back will be back. Damion Fletcher literally carried the Golden Eagles the entire season and I expect him to do it again next year. Southern Miss's head coach of seventeen years, Jeff Bowers, has coached his final game. It is sad that his head-coaching career at Southern Miss is over, but you know he's doing ok when Brett Favre calls him a legend.

New Orleans Bowl Review - 12/23/07

Bowl Name: New Orleans Bowl
Date: December 21, 2007
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Score: Florida Atlantic Owls 44, Memphis Tigers 27

Game MVP: Sophomore QB, Rusty Smith (Florida Atlantic)

Rusty Smith is clearly deserving of Game MVP. Rusty threw for 5 touchdowns while completing 25 of 32 passes for 337 yards. He was also only sacked once...so props to his offensive line. In an effort to ensure that he won The Deli's top honor, Rusty was sure to spread the ball around. He must have been thinking, "If any receiver has two or more TDs, then I may not win Game MVP honors." Don't worry, Rusty. You got it!

Loser of the Game: Junior (Back-up) QB, Will Hudgens (Memphis)

Will Hudgens earns Loser of the Game because of his poor play in reserve for the injured Martin Hankins. Prior to Hankins' brutal injury, the Tigers seemed to be making a comeback. Unfortunately, for them, when Hankins left so did their hopes of winning the game. Hudgens played like garbage. Third-string QB Matt Malouf didn't do any better, either. The two back-ups combined for a single completion and ZERO yards passing.

Significant Stat of the Game: FAU - 10.6 yards/pass, Memphis - 6.2 yards/pass

Florida Atlantic's offense, spearheaded by Rusty Smith, had bigger plays than Memphis throughout the night. The Owls completed nearly 80% of their pass attempts, while the Tigers completed only 54%. In other words, Smith was having his way with the defense. Memphis starting QB Martin Hankins didn't do too badly, either. It was the Memphis back-ups who had the most to do with the yards/pass play discrepancy between the two teams.

Featured Players:

No players were interviewed for this game, but Memphis running back Joseph Doss did agree to an interview with The Deli. Unfortunately, it didn't come together before this bowl game. We want to thank Mr. Doss anyway. In this game he ran the ball 20 times for a total of 85 yards.

New Orleans Bowl History:

The Bowl began in 2001 and is played annually in New Orleans, Louisiana. Colorado State won the first ever New Orleans Bowl with a 45-20 victory over North Texas. Speaking of North Texas, they have played in the New Orleans Bowl four times; but they have won only once. Southern Miss, on the other hand, has played in New Orleans twice and won both. Last year, Troy crushed Rice in this game (41-17) with Trojan QB Omar Haugabook earning MVP honors. Currently the New Orleans Bowl pits a team from Conference USA (Memphis) and the Sun Belt Conference (Florida Atlantic).

Team Analysis:

Memphis ends the year at 7-6. Valuable seniors Martin Hankins (QB) and Joseph Doss (RB) must move on. However, the Tigers can look forward to the return of sophomore WR Carlos Singleton. The 6'8" receiver caught 11 touchdown passes this year. Find him a quarterback and the sky's the limit (to quote Collin "Kool-Aid" Kilpatrick).

Florida Atlantic just experienced their first bowl victory and coach Howard Schnellenberger was loving every bit of it. He built the school's football program from scratch, beginning nine years ago. I really admire Schnellenberger for scheduling opponents such as Florida, Kentucky, South Florida and Troy. For a relatively new football program, like FAU, that schedule is pretty tough. But they still managed to finish with an 8-5 record. Also, Rusty Smith is only a sophomore. That means you'll be seeing more of FAU next season.

Poinsettia Bowl Review - 12/21/07

Bowl name: Poinsettia Bowl
Date: December 20, 2007
Location: San Diego, California
Score: Utah Utes 35, Navy Midshipmen 32

Game MVP: Sophomore Defensive Back, Joe Dale (Utah)

I was about ready to give this MVP award to Utah QB Brian Johnson, who completed 80% of his passes for 228 yards and a touchdown and also ran in for a TD, but Joe Dale has been given the award because his clutch interception sealed the game for the Utes. Not only did the sophomore seal the game, but he also made 12 tackles in the game. Making 12 tackles is nice for any player; but it's special for a defensive back.

Utah RB Darrell Mack also ran for two touchdowns and amassed over 100 all-purpose yards in the game. This means that Deli writer Joshua Fischman was correct in his Poinsettia Bowl Preview prediction that, "Darrell Mack will find the end zone at least twice for the Utes." [You can read the entire Davis Sports Deli Poinsettia Bowl Preview by Joshua Fischman, here].

Loser of the Game: Senior Running Back, Reggie Campbell (Navy)

Campbell did a decent enough job of picking up yardage, but he made two key mistakes that cost his team the game. In the first quarter, Campbell fumbled the ball inside the opposing 5-yard line. Later in the game, he dropped a key pass that would've surely resulted in a touchdown. Navy didn't end up scoring on that particular drive.

Unfortunately, Reggie Campbell's Navy career has to end on a sour note; but we can focus on his collegiate accomplishments. In his four years at Navy, Campbell scored 25 touchdowns and recorded over 2,500 yards combined (rushing and receiving). It's pretty hard to believe that he averaged over 8 yards per carry over those four years. Navy will be sad to see him go.

Significant Stat of the Game: 81.5% completion for Utah QBs

The teams were very even statistically, so I will go with this obscure statistic. Brian Johnson completed 20 of 25 passes and his backup (Corbin Louks) completed both of his attempts, as well. This completion percentage almost seems unrealistic. Are these Madden numbers?

Featured Deli Players: No players were interviewed for this game, but I think I should remind you of Navy spokesman Scott Strasemeier's comments directed toward the Deli. While a couple of Utah players politely declined our interview requests, Strasemeier caustically replied, "We do not do interviews over e-mail and I have never heard of your website." Isn't that some karma?

Poinsettia Bowl History: The bowl began in 2005 and is played annually in San Diego, California. This was the third annual Poinsettia Bowl. Navy won the first ever Poinsettia Bowl game in 2005, with a 51-30 victory over the University of Colorado. Reggie Campbell (ironically, the Loser of the Game this year) won the Offensive MVP award in that game. TCU crushed Norther Illinois in the game last year (37-7). The Poinsettia Bowl currently matches a team from the Mountain West (Utah, in this case) and an at-large team (Navy, this year).

Team Analysis:

Navy finished the season at 8-5; if we include this game. They led NCAA Division 1 in rushing yards. They ran for 4,222 yards as a team this season. All they did all year was run; but they were very good at that, averaging 5.7 yards per rush. Navy had won four games in a row before their loss to Utah. Starting QB Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada will return next year for his senior season.

Utah finishes the year on a high note, with their 7th straight bowl victory. After their 27-0 loss to UNLV, the Utes won eight of their last nine games. They finished third in the Mountain West Conference, behind BYU and Air Force; each of whom they lost to. Utah has a great deal to be proud of. Offensive studs Brian Johnson and Darrell Mack are both expected to return for their senior seasons. From the look of things, Utah should go far next year.

[If you enjoyed this Poinsettia Bowl Review, be sure to also read our New Orleans Bowl Preview and check back for more bowl coverage all week long].

Bowl Games (Not Santa Claus) Are Coming to Town - 12/18/07

The end of the year is approaching and I'm sure many of you are getting ready for the holidays. You're probably thinking about snow, the Lexus give-away event, Christmas, Hannukah and Kwanza (among other things). Well, I'm going to try to convince you that Bowl Season is better than all of those things.

The snow loses its novelty. The Lexus loses its shine. The eggnog goes rotten. The candles burn out. The presents become forgotten. The same songs are played over and over again on the radio (don't get me wrong, Feliz Navidad is a decent enough song, but as much as it's played I'd rather just forgo the entire holiday season). The holidays just do not last; whereas Bowl Season continues well into the new year (games begin on December 20, 2007 and don't end until January 7, 2008).

The holiday season is predictable (is anyone really surprised when they open their presents?). Surprise is the needed medicine that the Bowl Season provides. Last year's Tostitos Fiesta Bowl is a perfect example. Even coming into the game with a spotless record, most people didn't give Boise State a chance to beat the Oklahoma Sooners (mainly because of the Broncos' weak schedule). However, Boise State found a way to stun the Adrian Peterson-led Sooners by pulling out a bag of trick plays. They won the Fiesta Bowl 43-42 in a game that wasn't decided until overtime.

What was even more remarkable was how the events unfolded. Boise State took a commanding 28-10 lead, which was held until 4:29 in the third quarter. Oklahoma would roar back with 18 unanswered points. With the score tied at 28, the momentum was with the Sooners. Then, Boise State quarterback Jared Zabransky threw an interception that was returned by Oklahoma for a touchdown. With a minute left -- and Oklahoma having scored 25 straight points -- the game appeared to be over.

The tires appeared to have sunk on Boise State's metaphorical car. But this was not the case. With seven ticks to go, Zabransky completed a pass to Drisan James who lateralled the ball to Jerard Rabb at the 35-yard line. What a time for a lateral! The move took some brass balls by Drisan James; to toss the ball backward when he was 35 yards away from paydirt and the season was on the line.

Headed for OT, Boise St. won the toss and chose to start on defense. In this non-sudden death format, Oklahoma struck first with a 25-yard touchdown trot by Peterson. Again, the Broncos' backs were against the wall. They were able to get to the 6-yard line of Oklahoma, but it was 4th and 2. Was it time for another trick play? Yes, indeed. Instead of putting the football in the hands of reliable senior QB Jared Zabransky, the coach elected to have Vinny Peretta take the snap. Peretta was a scarcely-used sophomore wide receiver. Taking the snap with confidence, Peretta found Derek Schourman for the touchdown. That was the equalizer, right? Well, that's what the Sooners thought; an extra point would have been the safe choice.

An extra point would have forced a second overtime, but Boise St. lined up to go for the two-point conversion (and the win). Out of shotgun formation, Zabransky pump-faked, then handed the ball to running back Ian Johnson. As Johnson scampered into the end zone, it was over. The Boise St. Broncos upset the favored Sooners. Wowee!

To top it all off, Johnson proposed to the team's head cheerleader after the game. She accepted. This all transpired while Johnson was being interviewed on national television. Who would've thunk it?

Boise State's win meant that they would finish the season with a perfect record. Close to no one had even given them a shot to win the Fiesta Bowl. This year, Hawaii is in a similar situation (coming into the Allstate Sugar Bowl undefeated). They will face a talented Georgia team, much like the Oklahoma squad that Boise St. faced last year. Most people are predicting Hawaii to lose, as well. We can only hope that this game is one tenth as entertaining as last year's Fiesta Bowl.

Last season's BCS National Championship game and Rose Bowl game had their share of surprises, as well. In the weeks leading up to those games, there was a great deal of controversy. Many analysts, and fans, believed that the Michigan Wolverines (with only one loss, which was to Ohio State) deserved another chance at the Buckeyes. According to a number of people, Florida didn't even deserve to play in the game. It was assumed that Ohio St. would blow out Florida in the National Championship and that Michigan would beat USC in the Rose Bowl.

In the BCS game, Ted Ginn Jr. ran the opening kickoff back for a touchdown for the Buckeyes. This play, like Devin Hester's opening kickoff return in the 2007 Super Bowl, was not indicative of the game. Florida would go on to annihilate Ohio St. 41-14. Ohio St.'s "explosive" offense was held to just 82 yards. Heisman trophy winner Troy Smith recorded only 35 passing yards. And the team only converted on one of nine third down opportunities. Florida dominated in all facets of the game, but let's take a look at the time of possession for each team. Florida controlled the ball for nearly 41 of the 60 minutes of play, while Ohio St. had possession for a mere 19 minutes and 12 seconds. Troy Smith, Tedd Ginn, Antonio Pittman and Anthony Gonzalez couldn't do anything against Urban Meyer's squad. Oh yeah, and USC won, too.

In 2006-07, neither Ohio St. nor Michigan won their respective games. Everyone was saying that those two teams should have played in the title game and yet they both suffered defeats. Perhaps the title match-up should have been Boise St. against Florida. Or USC against the Gators. Now do you believe me that Bowl Season is never predictable?

In this blog, I will break down almost every game of the Bowl Season using three new and unique features: 1) Game MVP - which will be awarded to the player who performs best for the winning team of each game, 2) Loser of the Game - which will be given to the player who had the most to do with his team's loss, and 3) The Significant Stat of the Game - the numerical value that does the best job of explaining the game's outcome.

I'll also talk about the players who will interview with The Deli. Joshua, Paul and I have been spanning the globe for interesting players to talk to about Bowl Season. We will not rest until nearly every Bowl game is represented. I'll discuss what kind of game featured players had, as well as his prospects for the future. I may even make some predictions. But for the most part, my blog will review Bowl games that have already been played. For historical perspective, I will add a brief history on the particular Bowl that I'm reviewing. In addition, I feel obligated to summarize each team's season (the good, the bad and the abnormal).

Look for my next blog on Saturday, December 22. Just remember, this writer's New Year's resolution is to bring you the greatest hits of the 2007-08 Bowl Season!