2005 Bowl Game Projections, Part 6

Happy New Year football fans! We are now done with the bowl season preliminaries and we get to watch the “big
boys” play. The Hokies will be in action against the Louisville Cardinals in the Gator Bowl in a very interesting
matchup. The old Big East Conference would like nothing better than to have their new member knock off the Hokies, but
Virginia Tech has a lot riding on this game as well with a potential top 10 finish hanging in the balance. This game
looks like a fairly even contest with key injuries to both teams potentially being a major factor. In this article, I
have my analysis and projection for the Virginia Tech-Louisville game, as well as the other New Year�s games (okay,
actually the day after New Year�s).

Before getting to the New Year�s bowl games, let�s take a quick look back at the last bowl games, including
another solid win for an ACC team, N.C. State. The Wolfpack shut out the South Florida Bulls 14-0 in an impressive
defensive display. As I stated in my analysis, the key to this game was State�s ability to shut down USF�s potent
running attack and the Pack did just that. Here is how the projected statistics came out for this game:

Meineke Car Care Bowl N.C. State South Florida
Projected Actual Projected Actual
First Downs 16 14 18 15
Rushing Attempts � Yards 34-121 47-173 48-163 44-136
Passing Completions � Attempts 13-26 9-19 11-26 10-30
Passing Yards 165 127 127 159
Total Yards 286 300 290 282
Turnovers 4 1 2 3

The other New Year�s Eve games were extremely competitive as well. Tulsa knocked off Fresno State 31-24 in a
well-played, physical game and TCU hit a late field goal to overcome the Iowa State Cyclones in another good game. I
missed the Fresno State-Tulsa game, but I got the other two correct which puts me at 14-6 for the bowl season thus far.

The ACC is now 4-2 in the Bowl Championship Series, but the conference will need wins in the final two games to have
a shot at winning the trophy.

Toyota Gator Bowl: Jan. 2 � Virginia Tech (10-2; 7-2) vs. Louisville (9-2; 5-2), 12:30 PM EST, NBC

In reviewing game tapes for these two teams, the one point that stood out to me was the similarities of the two
teams. Both teams have physical offensive lines and want to establish the running game. Many fans have the impression
that Louisville is mainly a passing team, but in actuality the Cardinals look to establish the run first to set up
play-action passes. Also, like the Hokies, Louisville relies on speed and aggression on defense using a similar scheme
to Virginia Tech. Just looking at the schemes and personnel, these are two well-matched teams and we should have a very
good Gator Bowl game.

Injuries seem to be a major underlying story for this game as two key Louisville players will miss the game and
Virginia Tech may be missing a key player as well. Louisville star quarterback Brian Brohm (#12, 6-3 224, So., 2,883
passing yards) suffered an ACL injury late in the next-to-last game, and he will be replaced by former walk-on Hunter
Cantwell (#14, 6-4 230, r-Fr.). Cantwell performed well in his first start against Connecticut, connecting on 16 of 25
passes for 271 yards. Undoubtedly, Tech will try to harass and confuse the young quarterback, and his poise will be a
key factor for the Cardinal offense.

Also, Louisville will be without their best defensive tackle, Montavious Stanley (#92, 6-2 321, Sr.) who tore a
pectoral muscle. Stanley was a run-stopping force who could get penetration and collapse the pocket, so his absence will
be felt on the Cardinals� defense. The Hokies also suffered an injury in practice this week as left tackle Jimmy
Martin (#52, 6-5 311, Sr.) sprained an MCL. He is listed as a game-day decision, but even if he plays, Martin won�t be
at full strength. Martin was a key player for Tech to try to neutralize sensational defensive end Elvis Dumervil (#58,
6-0 256, Sr.) who has 20 sacks for the season. Martin�s loss would surely impact the Hokies� offensive game plan.

Louisville�s running game is led by powerful Michael Bush (#19, 6-3 250, Jr.) who has 1,049 yards and 23 touchdowns
rushing this season, even though he missed a couple of games with an injury. The �Ville also have capable backups in
Kolby Smith (#33, 6-0 215, Jr., 491 yards) and George Stripling (#24, 6-0 192, r-Fr., 608 yards). The Cardinals run
behind a big, physical line headed by All-Big East tackle Travis Leffew (#78, 6-4 301, r-Sr.) and guard Jason Spitz
(#59, 6-4 308, r-Sr.). The receiving corps is led by Joshua Tinch (#9, 6-2 223, r-Sr., 800 yards), who also has played
on Louisville�s basketball team, and Montrell Jones (#86, 6-0 199, r-Sr., 552 yards). When near the goal line, the
Cardinals like to go to Mario Urrutia (#7, 6-5 220, r-Fr., 702 yards and 6 TDs). Overall, Louisville has an excellent
balanced offense, but the quick decision-making ability of Brohm will be missed.

Defensively, Louisville is led by all-everything Elvis Dumervil and a fast, aggressive linebacker group headed by
Brandon Johnson (#97, 6-5 218, r-Sr.). The rush defense has been very good this year, but Stanley being out could be a
major factor since his replacement will be a redshirt-freshman. Also, in reviewing some of Louisville�s bigger games
this year, both South Florida and West Virginia had some success running the option against the Cardinals and USF made
several big plays on reverses and misdirection plays, so look for the Hokies to incorporate more option and potentially
reverses in the game plan. Louisville�s pass defense is decent, but look for Tech to attack the young Cardinal
cornerbacks, including former Hokie recruit Rod Council (#14, 5-11 185, r-Fr.). If Tech is able to establish the run,
look for some play-action passes to test the young secondary.

Looking at the game statistically, here are the averages for the season for the two teams (rounded to the nearest
whole number):

Gator Bowl Virginia Tech Louisville
Offense Defense Offense Defense
Points 34 12 45 23
First Downs 22 13 24 19
Rushing Attempts � Yards 46-191 29-92 40-194 37-107
Passing Completions � Attempts 14-23 15-29 21-31 17-31
Passing Yards 189 149 301 211
Total Yards 380 241 495 318

Plugging all of the data into my statistical projection model, here is how the computer sees the game:

Gator Bowl Projection Virginia Tech Louisville
First Downs 20 19
Rushing Attempts � Yards 44-158 30-137
Passing Completions � Attempts 15-25 19-30
Passing Yards 205 251
Total Yards 363 388
Turnovers 2 2

In looking at Louisville�s season, one statistic jumps out when looking for a key to the game. In both of the
Cardinals� losses to South Florida and West Virginia, Louisville allowed over 200 yards rushing (251 to USF and 281 to
WVU). While no other team had more than 149 yards (Cincinnati) and the Cardinals did not allow 100 yards rushing to
seven opponents, none of their wins came against teams that were very good running the ball. Obviously, the Virginia
Tech game plan will revolve around running the ball, so expect to see the Hokies pound the ball at the Cardinals.

Also, Louisville has won the turnover battle against all but three opponents this year � South Florida, West
Virginia, and Syracuse. As always, taking care of the ball will be a primary concern for Virginia Tech as well as the
Cardinals. Overall, when considering the key injuries and the problems that Louisville has had stopping good running
teams, I like the Hokies� chances in this game. The computer says Virginia Tech by 2, but I think that the Hokies
should win by more looking at the other factors (none of the computer models factor in injuries at this time) � Virginia
Tech by 9 (30-21).

AT&T Cotton Bowl: Jan. 2 � Alabama (9-2; 6-2) vs. Texas Tech (9-2; 6-2), 11:00 AM EST, FOX

The Cotton Bowl pits the wide-open offense of the Texas Tech Red Raiders against the stout defense of the Alabama
Crimson Tide. Alabama won their first nine games before falling to LSU (16-13 in OT) and Auburn (28-18) and losing their
chance at an SEC championship. Texas Tech finished second in the Big 12 having only lost to Texas (52-17) and being
upset by Oklahoma State (24-17). The Red Raiders knocked off Oklahoma 23-21 in their final game to gain the Cotton Bowl
bid.

Texas Tech�s prolific offense is led by quarterback Cody Hodges (#10, 6-1 211, r-Sr.) with 4,042 yards and 30
touchdowns with 12 interceptions. The Red Raiders have a wide assortment of receivers, but watch Jarrett Hicks (#88, 6-4
209, Jr., 799 yards and 9 TDs), Joel Filani (#8, 6-3 214, Jr., 981 yards and 8 TDs), and Robert Johnson (#9, 6-2 207,
Jr., 895 yards). Running back Taurean Henderson (#19, 5-9 205, Sr.) is also a receiving threat with 62 catches for 482
yards and 5 TDs as well as a threat rushing with 860 yards and 17 touchdowns. The strength of the defense is the
secondary led by strong safety Vincent Meeks (#1, 5-11 206, Sr.) and cornerback Antonio Huffman (#36, 6-0 180, r-Jr.).
The defensive front, headed by defensive end Keyunta Dawson (#96, 6-2 259, Jr.) and outside linebacker John Saldi (#5,
6-4 239, r-Sr.), is decent and will need to have a big game to stop the Crimson Tide.

Alabama is led on offense by quarterback Brodie Croyle (#12, 6-2 205, r-Sr.) with 2,224 passing yards and 13
touchdowns with only 4 interceptions. The Tide�s big-play threat, Tyrone Prothro (#4, 5-8 176, Jr.) broke his leg
midway through the season and D.J. Hall (#22, 6-3 183, So.) has taken over as the primary receiver with 48 catches for
676 yards. The running game is led by Ken Darby (#34, 5-10 205, r-Jr.) with 1,161 yards. Alabama�s offense has
struggled for most of the year and the Tide has relied on an exceptional defense for the most part. The defense is led
by All-American outside linebacker DeMeco Ryans (#35, 6-2 232, Sr.), middle linebacker Freddie Roach (#8, 6-2 239, r-Sr.),
and free safety Roman Harper (#41, 6-0 197, Sr.). The defensive front, headed by defensive ends Wallace Gilberry (#92,
6-2 251, r-So.) and Mark Anderson (#47, 6-5 253, Sr.), is very stingy against the run and the secondary is very
experienced and talented.

This game presents some interesting match-ups with the Texas Tech passing game against the Alabama secondary. The
Crimson Tide should be able to slow down the Red Raiders air attack, but Alabama has struggled on offense since Tommy
Prothro was lost for the season. Bama doesn�t see any offenses like Texas Tech�s in the SEC, so I anticipate the Red
Raiders being able to score just enough to pull out the win � Texas Tech by 2 (23-21).

Outback Bowl: Jan. 2 � Florida (8-3; 4-3) vs. Iowa (7-4; 5-3), 11:00 PM EST, ESPN

Another interesting game has the Big 10�s Iowa Hawkeyes facing the SEC�s Florida Gators. This game could come
down to the two under-sized quarterbacks who have almost identical stats. Florida�s Chris Leak (#12, 6-0 195, Jr.) has
thrown for 2,361 yards and 18 touchdowns with 6 interceptions, while Iowa�s Drew Tate (#5, 6-0 185, Jr.) has passed
for 2,482 yards and 19 TDs with 6 interceptions. Iowa won some big games down the stretch defeating Wisconsin (20-10)
and Minnesota (52-28), but was upset by Northwestern (28-27) and arch-rival Iowa State (23-3) as well as losing to
Michigan (23-20) and Ohio State (31-6). Florida had a roller coaster ride in Urban Meyer�s first season with big wins
over Tennessee (16-7), Georgia (14-10), and Florida State (34-7), but losing games to LSU (21-17), Alabama (31-3), and
South Carolina (30-22).

Florida�s offense has a number of playmakers, including wide receivers Chad Jackson (#8, 6-1 202, Jr., 81 catches
for 824 yards and 9 TDs) and Dallas Baker (#81, 6-3 205, Sr., 550 yards). The running game has struggled against better
opponents and is led by DeShawn Wynn (#21, 5-11 228, Jr.) with 587 yards. Defensively, Florida has been very good
against the run led by linebackers Brandon Siler (#40, 6-2 230, So.) and Earl Everett (#30, 6-2 224, Jr.). The defensive
front has been very good but has lost its best player, defensive end Ray McDonald (#95, 6-3 285, r-Jr.) to a knee
injury. Defensive tackle Marcus Thomas (#44, 6-3 290, Jr.) and defensive end Joe Cohen (#20, 6-2 270, Jr.) must step up
in McDonald�s absence. The secondary, headed by cornerback Demetrice Webb (#15, 5-11 190, Jr.), is very talented.

Iowa has a number of playmakers as well, led by running back Albert Young (#21, 5-10 207, r-So.) with 1,300 yards
rushing and wide receiver Clinton Solomon (#88, 6-3 196, Sr.) with 704 yards. The real battle on offense will be the
Hawkeye�s physical offensive line, headed by guard Mike Jones (#76, 6-5 299, Jr.), against the Florida defensive
front. Defensively, Iowa also has an exceptional pair of linebackers in Chad Greenway (#18, 6-4 244, Sr.) and Abdul
Hodge (#52, 6-2 234, Sr.), who is exceptionally fast. The secondary will be tested by the Gators and Iowa has two
outstanding cornerbacks in Antwan Allen (#20, 5-10 180, r-Sr.) and Jovon Johnson (#26, 5-9 177, Sr.).

The match-up between Florida and Iowa looks to be quite even from the quarterbacks to the linebackers to the
secondary. This game could be won in the trenches and I like Iowa�s linemen just a little bit more than Florida�s
“big uglies.” Iowa looks to have the more balanced attack, so I�m going to go with the Hawkeyes in an upset
over the Gators � Iowa by 1 (24-23).

Capital One Bowl: Jan. 2 � Auburn (9-2; 7-1) vs. Wisconsin (9-3; 5-3), 1:00 PM EST, ABC

Barry Alvarez will be coaching his final game for the Wisconsin Badgers as they take on the Auburn Tigers in Orlando.
Wisconsin started strong winning their first five games, including a victory over Michigan (23-20), but the Badgers were
upset by Northwestern (51-48) and lost to Penn State (35-14) and Iowa (20-10) down the stretch. Auburn was upset in
their opener against Georgia Tech (23-14) and lost to LSU (20-17) in overtime, but finished strong with wins over
Georgia (31-30) and Alabama (28-18).

Auburn lacks the big-name players on offense this year, but they have still played well. Brandon Cox (#12, 6-2 202,
r-So., 2,187 yards) has overcome a shaky start to have a solid season. The Tigers have a lot of talent at wide receiver,
led by Devin Aromashodu (#1, 6-2 202, Sr.), Ben Obomanu (#2, 6-1 198, Sr.), and Courtney Taylor (6-2 204, r-Jr.), but
the most difficult to cover may be huge wide out Anthony Mix (#9, 6-5 248, Sr.). Kenny Irons (#23, 5-11 202, Jr.) leads
the rushing attack with 1,205 yards running behind a huge offensive line headed by tackles Marcus McNeill (#73, 6-9 337,
Sr.) and Troy Reddick (#66, 6-5 335, Sr.). Defensively, Auburn has an outstanding line led by defensive tackle Tommy
Jackson (#58, 6-1 305, Sr.) and defensive end Stanley McClover (#75, 6-3 247, r-So.). Undersized middle linebacker
Travis Williams (#51, 6-1 207, Sr.) leads the linebacker corps and free safety Will Herring (#35, 6-4 215, r-Jr.) heads
the talented secondary.

Offensively, Wisconsin is led by Colorado-transfer Brian Calhoun (#2, 5-10 194, r-Jr.) at running back. Calhoun has
gained 1,423 yards behind a very good offensive line led by center Donovan Raiola (#53, 6-3 294, Sr.) and tackle Joe
Thomas (#72, 6-8 303, Jr.). John Stocco (#7, 6-2 197, Jr.) has been solid at quarterback with 2,619 passing yards and 19
touchdowns with only 9 interceptions. His favorite receivers are Brandon Williams (#1, 5-11 175, Sr., 922 yards) and
Jonathan Orr (#9, 6-3 190, Sr., 614 yards), and he will use Calhoun out of the backfield as well (52 catches for 563
yards). Defensively, the Badgers have struggled up front allowing 4.8 yards per carry and not being able to pressure the
quarterback. Wisconsin�s best defensive lineman appears to be tackle Nick Hayden (#96, 6-5 302, So.) and their
linebacker corps is led by Mark Zalewski (#41, 6-2 228, r-Jr.), but this group will need to step up against Auburn�s
massive offensive line. The Badgers� secondary has some talent, led by cornerbacks Brett Bell (#6, 6-0 200, r-Sr.) and
Levonne Rowan (#21, 6-1 191, r-Sr.), but they need some help from the defensive line.

The question in this game is can Wisconsin�s defensive front hold up against Auburn�s offensive line? The Badgers
have some good skill players, and they will have to try to out score Auburn since I can�t see the Wisconsin defense
slowing down the Tigers attack. Auburn should be able to control the ball and keep it out of the dangerous hands of
Brian Calhoun. I see the Tigers winning fairly easy, though this game will still be fun to watch � Auburn by 13
(34-21).

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Jan. 2 � Notre Dame (9-2) vs. Ohio State (9-2; 7-1), 4:30 PM EST, ABC

In the first BCS bowl game, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame will take on the Buckeyes of Ohio State in a very good
match-up. Notre Dame has only lost to Michigan State (44-41) and Southern Cal (34-31) in the game of the year, but their
biggest win is over an under-achieving Michigan team, 17-10. Ohio State only lost to Texas (25-22) and Penn State
(17-10) with wins over Iowa (31-6), Michigan State (35-24), Minnesota (45-31), and Michigan (25-21). Everyone wants to
see if Notre Dame is for real and the Buckeyes will provide a very good test.

Ohio State is led on offense by quarterback Troy Smith (#10, 6-1 215, Jr.) with 1,940 passing yards and an additional
545 yards running with the ball. The most dangerous players on Ohio State are the wide receiver duo of Santonio Holmes
(#4, 5-11 185, Jr., 853 yards and 10 TDs) and super-fast Ted Ginn (#7, 6-0 170, So., 636 yards). The Irish will be
challenged by the speed of the Buckeye receivers. The running game is solid headed by Antonio Pittman (#25, 5-11 190,
So.) with 1,195 yards. The offensive line is strong, as always, led by center Nick Mangold (#55, 6-4 290, Sr.).
Defensively, Ohio State is led by possibly the best linebacker trio in college football � A.J. Hawk (#47, 6-1 238,
Sr.), Air Force-transfer Anthony Schlegel (#51, 6-2 245, r-Sr.), and Bobby Carpenter (#42, 6-3 255, Sr.). Carpenter may
not be able to play, however, because of an ankle injury suffered on the first play of the Michigan game. Ohio State�s
defensive line is also very good headed by defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock (#90, 6-3 295, Jr.) and powerful defensive end
Mike Kudla (#57, 6-3 265, Sr.). The secondary is talented, but sometimes inconsistent, led by cornerback Ashton Youboty
(#26, 6-1 188, Jr.) and free safety Nate Salley (#21, 6-3 215, Sr.). The secondary will need to play well to slow down
the potent Notre Dame offense.

Charlie Weis has revamped the Fighting Irish offense in his first year making Notre Dame one of the most prolific
scoring teams in the nation. The offense is led by quarterback Brady Quinn (#10, 6-4 231, Jr.) who has been nothing
short of sensational with 3,677 passing yards for 32 touchdowns and only 8 interceptions. His favorite targets are Jeff
Samardzija (#83, 6-5 215, Jr.) with 72 receptions for 1,215 yards and 15 touchdowns and Maurice Stovall (#21, 6-5 227,
Sr.) with 60 catches for 1,023 yards and 11 TDs. Tight end Anthony Fasano (#88, 6-4 256, r-Jr.) is also a threat with 45
catches for 564 yards. The running game is potent as well led by Darius Walker (#3, 5-11 200, So.) with 1,106 yards
rushing. As always, Notre Dame has a big, physical offensive line led by tackles Ryan Harris (#68, 6-5 289, Jr.) and
Mark LeVoir (#73, 6-7 310, r-Sr.). Defensively Notre Dame is solid up front, but has some questions in the secondary.
The defensive line is led by end Victor Abiamiri (#95 6-4 269, Jr.) and tackle Derek Landri (#66, 6-2 278, r-Jr.). The
linebackers are good headed by Brandon Hoyte (#39, 5-11 231, r-Sr.) and Corey Mays (#46, 6-1 243, r-Sr.). The
cornerbacks are the biggest concern on defense, but Tom Zbikowski (#9, 5-11 203, r-So.) is a playmaker at strong safety.

I have run statistical projections on all of the BCS games, so here are the averages for the season for the two
teams:

Fiesta Bowl Ohio State Notre Dame
Offense Defense Offense Defense
Points 33 15 38 24
First Downs 21 15 27 19
Rushing Attempts � Yards 43-190 32-76 42-155 33-119
Passing Completions � Attempts 16-25 20-33 24-37 18-35
Passing Yards 215 201 334 258
Total Yards 405 277 489 377

And here is the statistical projection for the game:

Fiesta Bowl Projection Ohio State Notre Dame
First Downs 20 21
Rushing Attempts � Yards 38-146 34-65
Passing Completions � Attempts 16-27 24-37
Passing Yards 249 298
Total Yards 395 363
Turnovers 2 1

The key aspect of this game to watch will be the wide receivers for both teams. Both Ohio State and Notre Dame have
struggled at cornerback at times this season and each team has an exceptional pair of wide receivers. Notre Dame will
likely have little success running the ball, so the Irish will have to rely on the pass exclusively. Ohio State, on the
other hand, should have a more balanced attack, but they will still need to make plays in the passing game. In the end,
I like Ohio State�s defense to have some success against the Notre Dame offense and the Buckeyes will get the win in a
very good game � Ohio State by 7 (31-24).

Nokia Sugar Bowl: Jan. 2 � West Virginia (10-1; 7-0) vs. Georgia (10-2; 7-2), 8:30 PM EST, ABC

Another interesting bowl game with the Big East champion West Virginia Mountaineers facing the SEC champion Georgia
Bulldogs. West Virginia rolled through the Big East schedule this year upsetting preseason favorite Louisville 46-44 in
triple overtime. Of course, the Mountaineers only loss came to Virginia Tech 34-17. Georgia only lost to Florida (14-10)
and Auburn (31-30) in winning the East Division and beating LSU in the championship game 34-14. This game looks to be a
defensive struggle as both teams have very strong squads and can struggle at times on offense.

West Virginia relies heavily on the running game on offense led by speedy quarterback Pat White (#5, 6-2 190, r-Fr.,
708 passing yards) with 875 rushing yards and true freshman tailback Steve Slaton (#10, 5-10 195) with 924 yards running
the ball. The Mountaineers� leading receiver is Brandon Myles (#7, 6-3 190, Sr.) with 30 catches for 472 yards. The
Mountaineers have a veteran offensive line led by center Dan Mozes (#76, 6-3 280, r-Jr.). The defense has been very
good, especially against the run. The best defensive lineman for West Virginia is end Keilen Dykes (#96, 6-4 295, r-So.)
with Kevin “Boo” McLee (#43, 6-1 245, Jr.) heading a physical linebacker corps. The best players on defense
are probably the safeties Jahmile Addae (#4, 6-0 205, Sr.) and Mike Lorello (#23, 6-1 200, Sr.).

Offensively, Georgia is led by quarterback D.J. Shockley (#3, 6-1 206, Sr.) with 2,311 passing yards for 21
touchdowns and only 5 interceptions. The Bulldogs� best receiver is tight end Leonard Pope (#81, 6-7 250, Jr.) with 33
catches for 491 yards, but watch for true freshman wide out Mohamed Massaquoi (#1, 6-2 180) who had 462 receiving yards.
The running game is solid with Georgia using three tailbacks extensively � Thomas Brown (#20, 5-8 183, So.), Danny
Ware (#28, 6-1 216, So.), and Kregg Lumpkin (#6, 6-1 211, r-So.). They run behind a huge, veteran line headed by
All-American Max Jean-Gilles (#74, 6-4 340, Sr.). Georgia is led on defense by free safety Greg Blue (#17, 6-2 214, Sr.)
and a strong defensive line headed by tackles Kedric Golston (#97, 6-4 292, Sr.) and Gerald Anderson (#92, 6-2 315,
Sr.). The linebackers are solid led by tough middle linebacker Tony Taylor (#43, 6-1 238, r-Jr.). The secondary is very
good with Tim Jennings (#23, 5-8 178, Sr.) being the best cover man.

Here are the statistical averages for the season for the two teams:

Sugar Bowl West Virginia Georgia
Offense Defense Offense Defense
Points 32 16 29 15
First Downs 18 17 19 17
Rushing Attempts � Yards 51-262 39-99 36-157 35-124
Passing Completions � Attempts 10-16 18-31 15-27 17-30
Passing Yards 116 194 225 174
Total Yards 378 293 382 298

And here is the statistical projection for the game:

Sugar Bowl Projection West Virginia Georgia
First Downs 17 18
Rushing Attempts � Yards 48-236 35-104
Passing Completions � Attempts 10-16 17-29
Passing Yards 89 217
Total Yards 325 321
Turnovers 2 2

This game looks to be a defensive struggle with the key being West Virginia�s ability to run the ball on a good
Georgia defense. In games that the Mountaineers have failed to rush for 200 yards, West Virginia has scored 20 points or
less (Syracuse 172 yards � 15 points; East Carolina 127-20; and Virginia Tech 150-17). If Georgia can hold the
Mountaineers under 200 yards rushing, then the Bulldogs should win fairly easily. Offensively, Georgia will likely
attack West Virginia�s corners and try to make some big plays in the passing game. Also, Leonard Pope could provide
some match up problems for the Eers. Another factor could be the the youth of West Virginia�s skill players with two
freshmen playing critical roles. I feel that Georgia�s defense will be able to slow down the West Virginia ground
attack and the Bulldogs will create enough big plays in the passing game to win a defensive battle � Georgia by 5
(19-14).

Everyone traveling to the Gator Bowl have a safe trip and hopefully I will see a few of you down there. Go Hokies!