Miliary BowlTIME/TV 1:30 p.m. Central (ESPN) WHERE Annapolis, Md.
LINE Marshall by 2½ SERIES RECORD First meeting KEY MATCHUP Marshall QB Rakeem Cato against Maryland’s depleted secondary. Cato has thrown for 3,579 yards and has at least one TD pass in 31 consecutive games. The 6-0 junior will be facing a defensive backfield that has two sophomores and a freshman and is without injured starter Dexter McDougle (shoulder), but cornerback Jeremiah Johnson is back after missing much of the season with a fractured toe.
PLAYERS TO WATCH Marshall WRTommy Shuler has 97 catches for 1,097 yards and 9 TDs. Maryland QB C.J. Brown has thrown for 11 touchdowns and 2,045 yards and run for 12 scores and 538 yards despite missing 2 games because of injuries.
NOTEWORTHY Cato has 88 career TD passes, one fewer than former Marshall standout Byron Leftwich and third in school history behind Chad Pennington, who had 115. … The Thundering Herd has 10 players from the Washington area on its roster. … Marshall topped the 40-point barrier eight times and is averaging 502 yards and 43 points per game.
- The Associated Press
Texas Bowl TIME/TV 5 p.m. Central (ESPN) LINE Minnesota by 4 WHERE Houston SERIES RECORD Minnesota leads 3-1.
KEY MATCHUP The Syracuse defense against Minnesota RB David Cobb. Cobb ranked sixth in the Big Ten in rushing with 1,111 yards, including six 100-yard games. Syracuse is the only FBS team not to allow a 100-yard rusher this season. The Orange have limited five opponents this season to fewer than 100 yards rushing, including three of the past five.
PLAYERS TO WATCH Syracuse QB Terrel Hunt began the season as the backup to Oklahoma transfer Drew Allen, then took over as the starter after Allen endured two bad games. Hunt’s season has been a roller-coaster ride that has includeda run of seven scoreless quarters, but Hunt still ranks second on the team in rushing with 426 yards and has accounted for 15 TDs (10 passing and 5 rushing) to go with 8 interceptions. Minnesota QBs Philip Nelson and Mitch Leidner head the Gophers’ two-quarterback system.
Nelson leads the team with 1,288 yards passing with 9 touchdowns, and Leidner has thrown for 414 yards and another score. They also both like to run, with Leidner rushing for 383 yards and 7 touchdowns and Nelson adding 350 yards rushing with 6 more scores.
NOTEWORTHY Syracuse ranks 112th in the country with 7.5 penalties a game and 107th with 62.58 penalty yards per game. … Minnesota ranks 13th nationally with 4.08 penalties per game and 10th in penalty yards with 33.67.
- The Associated Press
Fight Hunger BowlTIME/TV 8:30 p.m. Central (ESPN) WHERE San Francisco LINE Washington by 3½ SERIES RECORD Tied 4-4.
KEY MATCHUP BYU LB Kyle Van Noy vs. Washington RB Bishop Sankey. Sankey is one of the top running backs in the country, leading the Pacific-12 and ranking third in the nation with 1,775 yards rushing this season. He will be going against one of the top linebackers in the country in Van Noy, who is third among active players with 57 unassisted tackles for a loss and third with 11 forced fumbles.
PLAYERS TO WATCH BYU QB Taysom Hill ran for 1,211 yards and threw for 2,645, becoming the first BYU player and just the 23rd ever to reach 1,000 yards rushing and 2,000 passing in thesame season. Washington QB Keith Price threw for 2,843 yards with 20 touchdowns and 5 interceptions this season despite missing one game because of an injury. He had the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in school history, and his 65.5 completion percentage was the second-best ever at Washington.
NOTEWORTHY The Huskies have won one bowl game since Tuiasosopo led them to a Rose Bowl title in 2001 as quarterback. They are 1-4 since then. … Washington rebounded from three-game losing streak in October to win 4 of 5 to end the regular season. … The Huskies have set school records for points (462), yards rushing (2,917) and total offense (6,172).
Sports, Pages 20 on 12/27/2013