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Oregon, Texas to make best of Alamo Bowl

December 29, 2013



SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Mack Brown didn't want to go out like this, and No. 10 Oregon didn't want its season to end here.

That makes the Alamo Bowl on Monday night a finale for two programs making the best of disappointment: Texas (8-4) wanting a fond farewell for Brown after the tension surrounding his resignation, and the Ducks (10-2) denied a BCS bowl for the first time in five years.

''The expectation for both of these programs is to be playing in the last game at the end of the year, and neither one of us are doing that,'' Brown said Sunday.

Speaking publicly for just the second time since announcing this month that he would leave Texas after 16 seasons, Brown sidestep questions about the circumstances surrounding his exit and whether he will coach again. He said the only thing he would've done differently this season was win all the games and enjoy the ''happy moms and dads and happy media and happy fans'' that come with it.

''We've done that, and it's a lot more fun,'' Brown said.

The Ducks' chances of playing for a national title after four consecutive BCS bowl appearances were dashed in November after losing to Stanford. Two weeks later, Oregon was pummeled by Arizona.

First-year Oregon coach Mark Helfrich said the disappointment of the Stanford loss created some ''stragglers.'' He said he could've done a better job to manage that.

''There was absolutely some disappointment, kind of punched-in-the-gut type of feeling for a few guys that just needed to grow up and realize that there was a lot of ball left to be played,'' Helfrich said. ''And as it played out, we could have played ourselves into a better situation - quote, unquote - but we didn't earn that.''

Five things to know about the Alamo Bowl:

1) IT'S MARIOTA'S WARM-UP FOR 2014: Oregon QB Marcus Mariota's announcement this month that he'll return for his junior season all but assures he'll shatter every school passing record before he finally does leave. He's got a chance to start the 2014 Heisman Trophy buzz now if he can put up another showcase game against Texas to cap a season in which he put up nearly 4,000 yards of total offense.

2) CASE (AND THE McCOY ERA) CLOSED: Colt McCoy left Texas in 2009 with a then-NCAA record for quarterback victories (45) and a BCS title game appearance. Case's prospects of even playing his final year were uncertain after being named the backup. But with starter David Ash injured most of the season, Case has the chance to end the McCoy era at Texas with 55 starting quarterback victories in the family.

3) A FINAL DUCK CALL FOR ALIOTTI: Like Mack Brown, longtime Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti is also stepping down after the Alamo Bowl. He's leaving after 38 years in coaching and revealed this week he wanted to retire last season but didn't to ease the transition after Chip Kelly left for the NFL.

4) RUN AWAY: Underdog Texas will likely need a big game from RB Malcom Brown and its depleted backfield, especially after WR Daje Johnson was ruled academically ineligible and left the Longhorns without another playmaker. Oregon's run defense took some flak after giving up 578 yards on the ground in its two losses to Arizona and Stanford, but Aliotti says those numbers are misleading.

''They ran the ball 66 times,'' Aliotti said about Stanford. ''They didn't have to throw it. Tough to answer it this way, but we didn't play very well on offense.''

5) MUST-SEE TV? The Alamo Bowl has been a reliable bet for thrilling finishes. Seven of the last eight games were decided by a touchdown or less, including Texas' victory last season and Robert Griffin III leading Baylor in 2011 to a 67-56 win that remains the highest-scoring bowl game ever in regulation. But that run of drama will be tested with Oregon entering as heavy favorites.

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AZ State, Texas Tech meet in Holiday Bowl

December 29, 2013



SAN DIEGO (AP) - It shouldn't take long Monday night for the Holiday Bowl to outshine its younger brother, the Poinsettia Bowl.

Four nights after Utah State won a snoozer over Northern Illinois, No. 16 Arizona State and Texas Tech are expected to liven up Qualcomm Stadium.

The Sun Devils average 41 points, having scored 53 or more points six times, including breaking 60 once.

The Red Raiders' uptempo offense averages 88 plays and 513 yards a game.

ASU's Todd Graham, the Pac-12 Coach of the Year, loves using the word ''explosive'' a lot, so naturally he's expecting ''an explosive game and a game that will be fun for fans to watch.''

Pac-12 South champion Arizona State (10-3) is coming off a 24-point loss to No. 5 Stanford in the conference championship game, the second time it lost to the Cardinal this season.

Texas Tech (7-5) is on an unsightly five-game losing streak that followed a 7-0 start.

''I think we started playing really good teams and that never helps,'' said first-year coach Kliff Kingsbury, a former Texas Tech quarterback. ''We had some young guys and some young quarterbacks and you look at our turnover margin, we're second-to-last in the country and it's hard to be consistent and be a good team doing that. I just think we have to clean up in a lot of areas and grow up.''

Graham said leading rusher and scorer Marion Grice probably won't play due to a leg injury.

Kingsbury said he's informed quarterbacks Davis Webb, a freshman, and Michael Brewer, a sophomore, who will start, but will keep everyone else guessing until Monday night.

Here are five things to look for when No. 14 Arizona State faces Texas Tech in the Holiday Bowl.

WILL SUTTON: The Arizona State defensive tackle's numbers are down this year but not his impact. He is a repeat Associated Press All-American and repeat Pac-12 defensive player of the year.

''We've got some really good ones, but I've never seen guys that are your best players mature as much as what he has,'' Graham said, adding that Sutton is ''my absolute favorite player in 28 years on game day.'' Graham expects Sutton to go on and have a great NFL career, in part ''because he was recognized by his teammates as a leader. I would tell you when I first came, I don't know that that was on the map. So he bought in. He is explosive and talented. Never once this year did he ever get frustrated, say anything about his numbers, and his numbers suffered because people slide the front to him and do things like that which helped us because we were able to impact the quarterback by creating, knowing that people were going to do that.''

RED RAIDERS QB: A good guess is that Webb would start after Baker Mayfield announced his intention to transfer and is no longer with the team. Webb started five straight games from Oct. 12-Nov. 9 and has thrown for 2,315 yards - the same number Mayfield threw for - and 16 touchdowns, with nine interceptions. Webb had an impressive debut, becoming the sixth Texas Tech QB to pass for at least 400 yards in his first career start, throwing for 415 in a victory against Iowa State.

TECH'S DROUGHT: The Red Raiders haven't won since Oct. 19, 37-27 at West Virginia, to improve to 7-0. Since then they've been roughed up by a Murderer's Row of Big 12 opponents, losing to Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Baylor and Texas by an average of 20.6 points.

SUN DEVILS' OFFENSE: Taylor Kelly has thrown for 3,510 yards, third on the school's single-season list and is one of just seven Arizona State QBs to throw for more than 6,000 yards in a career. He's thrown for 28 touchdowns, with 11 interceptions. Kelly also has rushed for 473 yards and eight touchdowns, second on the team behind Marion Grice (996 yards, 14 touchdowns). But Grice is expected to miss this game due to a leg injury, which will boost D.J. Foster's role. Foster is third on the team with 369 yards and five scores.

ASU DEFENSE: The Sun Devils have intercepted 21 passes - six by cornerback Robert Nelson - and recovered 10 fumbles. They've returned five of those interceptions for touchdowns, tied for first in the country.

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Bowl Breakdown - Part III

December 28, 2013


It's the most wonderful time of the year for college football betting fans, as there are 35 bowl games on tap to break down and find winners in. Today, we're taking a look at the final bowl games of 2013, starting with the Armed Forces Bowl on December 30th through the Chick-Fil-A Bowl on December 31st.

Armed Forces Bowl - Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders vs. Navy Midshipmen
Monday, December 30th, 11:45 a.m. ET
Opening Line: Navy -6.5

We have already seen the MAC struggle in the bowl season in a big time way. Is Conference USA next? The Blue Raiders only beat one bowl team this year, the Marshall Thundering Herd, and they could have their hands full against Navy if the Middies get their defense in order. They had allowed over 600 yards in their last two bowl games, both of which turned out to be easy losses.

Music City Bowl - Ole Miss Rebels vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Monday, December 30th, 3:15 p.m. ET
Opening Line: Ole Miss -3

The Rebels have been great of late in bowl games, going 4-0-1 ATS in their last five, while Georgia Tech snapped a seven-game losing streak in bowls last season in the Sun Bowl against the USC Trojans. History suggests that this is going to be a game where the Rebs succeed as well, as they have been getting beaten up by the rough and tumble SEC all year long, while the triple option for the Ramblin' Wreck has had no success whatsoever against the SEC.

Alamo Bowl - Oregon Ducks vs. Texas Longhorns
Monday, December 30th, 6:45 p.m. ET
Opening Line: Oregon -13.5

There is a lot of emotion here in this bowl game, as it is a de facto home game for Texas against one of the best teams in the country in the final game for Head Coach Mack Brown. Brown's legacy is going to be in his bowl wins, which have come in scores for sure. The only bowl loss he has had since 2003 came in the National Championship Game. Oregon's offense, which is good for over 45 points per game in the last four seasons combined, has averaged just 29.0 points per game in its last four bowl games.

Holiday Bowl - Arizona State Sun Devils vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Monday, December 30th, 10:15 p.m. ET
Opening Line: Arizona State -14

There was a point when T-Tech was ranked in the Top 10 in the land, but it has been beaten in five straight games both SU and ATS coming into the Holiday Bowl. The Red Raiders are 1-5 ATS in their last six bowl games in spite of the fact that they are 5-1 SU in those games. The Sun Devils waxed the Navy Midshipmen last season in their bowl game, and they are going to be flying high for sure after being one of the best teams in the Pac-12 this year.

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Monday, December 30
Matchup Skinny Tech Trend


MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE vs. NAVY (Armed Forces Bowl)...Mids 1-3 vs. line last four bowls after covering previous four bowl appearances. Navy did cover five of last six n 2013. Mids 3-2 as chalk this season after 4-10 mark in role previous two years. MTSU just 1-6 vs. line last 7 away from home although Blue Raiders were 5-2 vs. spread away from Murfreesboro LY. Slight to MTSU, based on team trends.


OLE MISS vs. GEORGIA TECH (Music City Bowl)...Hugh Freeze cooled off a bit vs. number this season, only 6-6 vs. line after 20-5 the past two seasons. Rebs no covers last three away from home TY after covering 7 of previous 8 away from Oxford. GT just 1-4 vs. line last five years in bowls for Paul Johnson and 2-6 last 8 bowls vs. spread, Jackets also 0-4 as dog this season. Slight to Ole Miss, based on team trends.


TEXAS vs. OREGON (Alamo Bowl)...Ducks have covered last two and 4 of last 6 bowls, though Oregon dropped last four vs. number this season. Ducks also lost last two away from Eugene this season after covering previous eight away from Autzen Stadium. Horns have covered last two years in bowls but only 4-5 vs. line in postseason since 2003. Horns 1-2 as dog this season, 6-10 getting points since 2009 campaign. Slight to Oregon, based on team trends.


TEXAS TECH vs. ARIZONA STATE (Holiday Bowl)...TT hit the skids down the stretch in 2013, losing and failing to cover its last five games. Red Raiders also 1-6 vs. line in bowls since 2005, and TT just 2-7 as dog since 2012. Sun Devils 6-6 vs. spread away from home since Todd Graham arrived LY. Graham 14-6 as chalk since LY. ASU, based on team trends.

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Armed Forces Bowl betting: What bettors need to know


Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders vs. Navy Midshipmen (-6.5, 56.5)

Game will be played at Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas

BELL HELICOPTER ARMED FORCES BOWL STORYLINES

1. Middle Tennessee finished the regular season with a flourish, cruising to five straight wins by scoring an average of 42.6 points. That streak earned the Blue Raiders a date with Navy in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 30. The Midshipmen crushed rival Army in their annual showdown on Dec. 14 and enters bowl season with a four-game winning streak thanks to a dominating ground attack.

2. Middle Tennessee doesn’t run it quite as much as Navy but can pile up yards on the ground behind Jordan Parker and Reggie Whatley, who combined for 1,372 rushing yards in the regular season. Quarterback Logan Kilgore finished the season strong with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions during the season-ending winning streak for the Blue Raiders.

3. No team in college football throws it less than the Midshipmen, who dominate on the ground with a triple-option attack. Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds averaged 10.1 pass attempts and 23.3 rushing attempts in guiding an offense that puts up an average of 34.3 points.

TV: 11:45 a.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE: Navy opened -6 and is now -6.5. The total opened 56.5.

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the mid-30s with wind blowing toward the SE endzone at 5 mph.

ABOUT MIDDLE TENNESSEE (8-4, 6-2 Conference USA): The Blue Raiders are making a return to bowl play for the first time since falling to Miami (Ohio) in the GoDaddy.com Bowl after the 2010 season and are focused on picking up the school’s third bowl win in history. “You have your destination and objective in mind,” Kilgore said of returning to practice after exams. “… After we progress the next couple of days, we’ll start tightening down more for Navy.” Middle Tennessee tightened its defense over the last four games, but surrendered 177 yards on the ground in a 48-17 victory over Texas-El Paso in the regular-season finale.

ABOUT NAVY (8-4): The Midshipmen played the final regular-season game of the college season against rival Army and showed off the effectiveness of the triple option by churning out 343 of their 353 yards on the ground in the 34-7 victory. Reynolds’ three rushing touchdowns gave him 29 on the season, breaking the NCAA single-season record of 27 shared by former Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs (2009) and Kansas State’s Collin Klein (2011). Navy gave most of its opponents fits and nearly pulled off an upset at Notre Dame on Nov. 2 before falling 38-34.

TRENDS:

* Blue Raiders are 0-5-1 ATS in their last six non-conference games.
* Midshipmen are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games overall.
* Under is 6-1 in Blue Raiders last seven non-conference games.
* Over is 6-2 in Midshipmen last eight Bowl games.

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Music City Bowl betting: What bettors need to know

Mississippi Rebels vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+3, 56.5)

Game will be played at LP Field in Nashville, Tennessee

FRANKLIN AMERICAN MORTGAGE MUSIC CITY BOWL STORYLINES

1. Two highly productive offenses will be on display when Georgia Tech meets Mississippi in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl on Dec. 30 in Nashville, Tenn. The Yellow Jackets are fifth in the nation in rushing (311.7) with a variety of weapons and Ole Miss has shown a bit more balance with quarterback Bo Wallace throwing for 3,090 yards and 17 touchdowns. Georgia Tech is 4-5 since beating Duke and North Carolina while the Rebels finished with two losses, but own solid victories over LSU and Texas.

2. The key may be which defense can come up with a big play to turn the momentum. All-SEC defensive back Cody Prewitt has six interceptions for Ole Miss, including one each in the last two games, and Georgia Tech defensive end Jeremiah Attaochu is tied for second in the country in sacks with 12.

3. Georgia Tech plays in a bowl game for the 17th straight season and is 23-18 overall after snapping a seven-game losing streak with a 21-7 victory over USC in last year’s Sun Bowl. The Rebels are 22-12, including wins in nine of their last 10 bowl games, and have split with the Yellow Jackets – winning the 1971 Peach Bowl and losing the 1953 Sugar Bowl.

TV: 3:15 p.m., ESPN.

LINE: Ole Miss has held as 3-point faves. The total is down one point to 56.5.

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the mid-30s with a 20 percent chance of rain. Wind will blow toward the SE endzone at 4 mph.

ABOUT MISSISSIPPI (7-5, 3-5 SEC): Wallace completes 64.4 percent of his passes and has three receivers with impressive numbers - Donte Moncrief (53 catches, 825 yards), Ja-Mes Logan (44, 583) and Laquon Treadwell (67, 557). The Rebels have given up 196 yards or more on the ground five times this season and an average of 155.2 overall. Ole Miss does not have a standout runner, but put up 187.4 rushing yards per contest and the Rebels had 340 passing against Auburn in an eight-point loss on the road.

ABOUT GEORGIA TECH (7-5, 5-3 ACC): David Sims rushed for at least 100 yards in three of his last five contests to lead the team with 846 and 11 touchdowns while versatile Robert Godhigh had three 100-yard games running the ball and is the team’s leader in receiving yards. Quarterback Vad Lee had four touchdown passes against a solid Duke defense in the second game and only six in the other 11 while completing only 47.2 percent of his passes. Attaochu has 31 career sacks to tie Greg Gathers (1999-2002) for the school record.

TRENDS:

* Rebels are 3-0-1 ATS in their last four bowl games.
* Yellow Jackets are 1-5 ATS in their last six bowl games.
* Over is 4-1 in Rebels last five non-conference games.
* Under is 4-1 in Yellow Jackets last five Bowl games.

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Alamo Bowl betting: What bettors need to know


Oregon Ducks vs. Texas Longhorns (+14, 67)

Game to be played at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas

VALERO ALAMO BOWL STORYLINES

1. Texas coach Mack Brown's swan song with the Longhorns comes against the 12th-ranked Oregon Ducks in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Dec. 30 in San Antonio. Texas announced Dec. 14 that Brown will step down after 16 seasons, during which he has compiled a 158-47 record - making him the second-winningest coach in the program's rich history behind Darrell Royal (167). Brown led the Longhorns to two Big 12 titles and the 2005 national championship, but Texas struggled to a 30-20 record over the past four seasons, including 19-17 in the Big 12.

2. Oregon went from national championship contender to having its streak of four straight BCS bowls snapped thanks to November losses at Stanford (26-20) and Arizona (42-16), but the Ducks say they won't lack motivation despite the lower-tier postseason invitation. "We had a tough four-game stretch here at the end of the season, stubbed our toe a little bit," Oregon coach Mark Helfrich told the Ducks' website. "But we'll be hungry to get back out there."

3. The Ducks' up-tempo spread offense is similar to the system employed by Baylor, which rolled up 508 total yards in a 30-10 win over the Longhorns in the regular-season finale. Texas will need defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat - the Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Year - to be a constant fixture in the backfield to disrupt Oregon's timing and give the Longhorns a chance to keep pace on the scoreboard.

TV: 6:45 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE: The Ducks opened as 13-point faves and are now -14. The total has held steady at 67.

WEATHER: N/A

ABOUT OREGON (10-2, 7-2 Pac-12): Even with former coach Chip Kelly gone to the NFL, the Ducks continue to put up prolific offensive numbers, ranking second in the nation in total yards (573.1) and third in scoring (46.8). Quarterback Marcus Mariota's Heisman Trophy candidacy fizzled when the threw four interceptions and fumbled five times in the last four games of the regular season, but expects to be fully recovered from a lingering knee injury for the bowl game. The Ducks will be without tight end Pharaoh Brown (10 catches, 123 yards, two touchdowns), who was suspended for his role in a snowball fight on campus that escalated and resulted in innocent bystanders being pelted with snowballs, but he is a minor player in the passing game as eight Ducks have more receptions with Josh Huff (57 catches, 1,036 yards, 11 TDs) leading the way.

ABOUT TEXAS (8-4, 7-2 Big 12): The Longhorns were written off early after losses to BYU (40-21) and Mississippi (44-23) but rebounded in conference play and found themselves in a de facto Big 12 title game against Baylor in the season finale. The offense is built around the running game with Malcolm Brown (774 yards, nine touchdowns) leading the way since Johnathan Gray's season-ending injury, but Texas struggles when playing from behind because of quarterback Case McCoy's inconsistency. The defense has scuffled against strong rushing teams - allowing 200 or more yards four times, including a whopping 550 yards against Brigham Young - so it might have its hands full against Oregon's read option.

TRENDS:

* Ducks are 0-4 ATS in their last four games overall.
* Longhorns are 5-1 ATS in their last six vs. Pac-12.
* Under is 4-1 in Ducks last five Bowl games.
* Over is 5-0 in Longhorns last five non-conference games.

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Holiday Bowl betting: What bettors need to know


Arizona State Sun Devils vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders (+14, 71.5)

Game to be played at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HOLIDAY BOWL STORYLINES

1. The Rose Bowl was the preferred destination but No. 17 Arizona State plans to take the National University Holiday Bowl seriously as it looks for the school’s first 11-win campaign since 1996. The Sun Devils had a seven-game winning streak snapped with a loss to Stanford in the Pac-12 title game but are rising under second-year coach Todd Graham. Texas Tech collapsed after a 7-0 start and is saddled with a five-game losing streak.

2. Red Raiders quarterback Baker Mayfield (12 touchdown passes) decided to transfer in the second week of December so it appears Davis Webb will be the starter against the Sun Devils. Webb (16 TD passes) started five games this season and ended up with the same number of yards (2,315) and interceptions (nine) as Mayfield. Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury said Michael Brewer (10 pass attempts) will compete with Webb for the starting role.

3. The status of Arizona State running back Marion Grice (lower-leg injury) remains uncertain after he missed the past two games. The multipurpose threat has rushed for 996 yards and 14 touchdowns and found the end zone six more times as a receiver.

TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE: The Sun Devils opened as 13.5-point faves and are now -14. The total is up two points from the opening number of 69.5.

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the high-50s with wind blowing across the field at 4 mph.

ABOUT TEXAS TECH (7-5, 4-5 Big 12): No matter who ends up playing quarterback, he has two superb targets to throw to in tight end Jace Amaro and receiver Eric Ward. Amaro led the Big 12 with 98 receptions and his 1,240 yards rank fifth in school history, while Ward racked up 80 catches for 904 yards and a team-best eight touchdowns. The defense allows 31.2 points – including an atrocious 48.6 average during the five-game skid – but features strong players in linebacker Will Smith (team-best 106 tackles) and defensive end Kerry Hyder (team-leading 11.5 tackles for loss).

ABOUT ARIZONA STATE (10-3, 8-1 Pac-12): The Sun Devils average 41 points but a defense that racked up 21 interceptions and 40 sacks has also been a crucial factor in the highly successful season. Defensive tackle Will Sutton had 10.5 tackles for loss and was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season and safeties Robert Nelson (six) and Alden Darby (four) combined for nearly half the picks. Quarterback Taylor Kelly is a multipurpose threat with 3,510 yards and 28 touchdowns as a passer and 473 yards and eight scores as a runner and wideout Jaelen Strong caught 71 passes for 1,094 yards.

TRENDS:

* Sun Devils are 1-4 ATS in their last five bowl games.
* Red Raiders are 0-5 ATS in their last five games overall.
* Over is 4-0 in Sun Devils last four non-conference games.
* Over is 6-0 in Red Raiders last six Bowl games.

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College football weather report: Monday's bowl games


There are four bowl games taking place all over the country Monday, but only three in stadiums where weather could play a factor.

Find out how weather will impact your college football bowl bets Monday:

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders vs. Navy Midshipmen (-6.5, 56.5)

Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas

Forecasts are calling for teamperatures in the mid-30s with partly cloudy skies which should make way for clear skies later in the game. Wind will blow toward the SE endzone at 5 mph.


Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl

Mississippi Rebels vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+3, 55.5)

LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee

Temperatures will be in the mid-30s with mostly cloudy skies. There is a 10 percent chance of rain with wind blowing toward the SE endzone at 4 mph.


National University Holiday Bowl

Arizona State Sun Devils vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders (+14, 71.5)

Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

Conditions will be calm with temperatures in the low-60s and wind barely noticeable across the field at 1 mph.

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Alamo Bowl betting: What bettors need to know


Oregon Ducks vs. Texas Longhorns (+14, 67)

Game to be played at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas

VALERO ALAMO BOWL STORYLINES

1. Texas coach Mack Brown's swan song with the Longhorns comes against the 12th-ranked Oregon Ducks in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Dec. 30 in San Antonio. Texas announced Dec. 14 that Brown will step down after 16 seasons, during which he has compiled a 158-47 record - making him the second-winningest coach in the program's rich history behind Darrell Royal (167). Brown led the Longhorns to two Big 12 titles and the 2005 national championship, but Texas struggled to a 30-20 record over the past four seasons, including 19-17 in the Big 12.

2. Oregon went from national championship contender to having its streak of four straight BCS bowls snapped thanks to November losses at Stanford (26-20) and Arizona (42-16), but the Ducks say they won't lack motivation despite the lower-tier postseason invitation. "We had a tough four-game stretch here at the end of the season, stubbed our toe a little bit," Oregon coach Mark Helfrich told the Ducks' website. "But we'll be hungry to get back out there."

3. The Ducks' up-tempo spread offense is similar to the system employed by Baylor, which rolled up 508 total yards in a 30-10 win over the Longhorns in the regular-season finale. Texas will need defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat - the Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Year - to be a constant fixture in the backfield to disrupt Oregon's timing and give the Longhorns a chance to keep pace on the scoreboard.

TV: 6:45 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE: The Ducks opened as 13-point faves and are now -14. The total has held steady at 67.

WEATHER: N/A

ABOUT OREGON (10-2, 7-2 Pac-12): Even with former coach Chip Kelly gone to the NFL, the Ducks continue to put up prolific offensive numbers, ranking second in the nation in total yards (573.1) and third in scoring (46.8). Quarterback Marcus Mariota's Heisman Trophy candidacy fizzled when the threw four interceptions and fumbled five times in the last four games of the regular season, but expects to be fully recovered from a lingering knee injury for the bowl game. The Ducks will be without tight end Pharaoh Brown (10 catches, 123 yards, two touchdowns), who was suspended for his role in a snowball fight on campus that escalated and resulted in innocent bystanders being pelted with snowballs, but he is a minor player in the passing game as eight Ducks have more receptions with Josh Huff (57 catches, 1,036 yards, 11 TDs) leading the way.

ABOUT TEXAS (8-4, 7-2 Big 12): The Longhorns were written off early after losses to BYU (40-21) and Mississippi (44-23) but rebounded in conference play and found themselves in a de facto Big 12 title game against Baylor in the season finale. The offense is built around the running game with Malcolm Brown (774 yards, nine touchdowns) leading the way since Johnathan Gray's season-ending injury, but Texas struggles when playing from behind because of quarterback Case McCoy's inconsistency. The defense has scuffled against strong rushing teams - allowing 200 or more yards four times, including a whopping 550 yards against Brigham Young - so it might have its hands full against Oregon's read option.

TRENDS:

* Ducks are 0-4 ATS in their last four games overall.
* Longhorns are 5-1 ATS in their last six vs. Pac-12.
* Under is 4-1 in Ducks last five Bowl games.
* Over is 5-0 in Longhorns last five non-conference games.

[StarDust Bum]

Bowl Record:

*****............................8 - 4

Double Plays.....................4 - 2

Triple Plays.......................1 - 2


Monday, December 30

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Middle Tennessee - 11:45 AM ET Middle Tennessee +7 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Navy - Over 57 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Mississippi - 3:15 PM ET Mississippi -3 500 TRIPLE PLAY

Georgia Tech - Under 55.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY


The other two games posted later...............Good Luck !!

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Monday's Early Action

December 30, 2013


Armed Forces Bowl
Matchup: Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (8-4) vs. Navy Midshipmen (8-4)
Venue: Amon G. Carter Stadium
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Time/TV: 11:45 a.m. ET, ESPN
Sportsbook.ag Opening Line: Navy 6 ½, Total: 54 ½

Middle Tennessee and Navy meet in Monday's Armed Forces Bowl as each program attempts to win its first bowl game since 2009.

The Blue Raiders put together their best season since 2007 thanks to a strong rushing attack, and finished third in the Eastern Division of the C-USA conference. They had a five-game winning streak to finish off the season and won their final three games by an average of 33.3 PPG. Middle Tennessee has played in three bowl games since 2006, going 1-2 SU and ATS while losing its most recent bowl, a 35-21 defeat in the GoDaddy.com Bowl against Miami (OH) in 2011.

The Midshipmen once again were among the top teams in the nation at running the ball with their option offense and also finished the season off in strong fashion, winning their last four contests. Navy had a big win on Nov. 22 when it defeated San Jose State on the road in triple overtime by a score of 58-52, and ran for 432 yards with Navy QB Keenan Reynolds running for an NCAA record seven touchdowns. Navy has had little success in bowl games recently though, with a 1-3 SU and ATS record since 2008 while suffering an embarrassing 62-28 loss against Arizona State in the Fight Hunger bowl last season.

This game will mark the first time that these two programs have met in their history. The Blue Raiders are 14-4 ATS (78%) after allowing 125 or less passing yards in their last game since 1992, while the Midshipmen are 71-36 (66%) against non-conference opponents since 1992. There are no significant injuries on either side for this game.

Middle Tennessee rushed the ball for more yards on the season than they did passing it. The team ranked 25th in the nation with 208.3 YPG on the ground thanks to multiple contributions from their running game. Their leading rusher on the season was HB Jordan Parker who ran for 741 yards (5.1 YPC) and scored six rushing touchdowns. He missed two games towards the end of the season and ran the ball only nine times in the team’s final two games, but managed 88 yards (9.8 YPC) and a touchdown in that time. Joining Parker in the backfield is HB Reggie Whatley (631 rushing yards, 6.8 YPC, 3 TD) who had only 10+ attempts in five games on the season, but ran for more than 100 yards in three games.

QB Logan Kilgore threw for 2,289 yards (7.1 YPA) and 16 touchdowns, but struggled with turnovers (11 interceptions). He is coming off a season-high 325-yard passing game where he threw two touchdowns and an interception in a winning effort against UTEP. The trio of WRs Tavarres Jefferson (532 yards), Marcus Henry (528 yards) and Kyle Griswould (359 yards) combined to catch more than half of the passes on the year (52%) and 12 of the 17 receiving touchdowns.

LB Stephen Roberts (60 tackles, 2 INT) and the Blue Raiders held their opponents to 26.4 PPG and only 14.8 PPG over their last four regular-season contests.

Navy once again used its option offense to beat teams by running the ball, finishing the season with 322.0 YPG on the ground (2nd in the nation) while being near the bottom in passing yards (91.5 YPG, 122nd in the nation). QB Keenan Reynolds was the team’s leading rusher with 1,260 yards (4.5 YPC) and ranks second in the nation with 29 rushing touchdowns. He put up huge games over the team's past four contests, averaging 165.3 YPG on the ground and totaling 15 touchdowns, including a record-breaking, seven-touchdown rushing performance against San Jose State on Nov. 22. While Reynolds did not throw often, he made the most of his attempts, throwing for 1,038 yards (8.6 YPA) and eight touchdowns while keeping turnovers to a minimum with only two interceptions.

After Reynolds, the Midshipmen had seven different players who rushed for between 250 and 400 yards while totaling 14 rushing touchdowns between them. Navy had only two wide receivers that totaled more than 10 receptions on the year. WR DeBrandon Sanders had 12 receptions for 217 yards (18.1 avg.) and one touchdown, while WR Casey Bolena totaled 13 receptions for 164 yards (12.6 avg.) with none going for a score.

LB Cody Peterson (135 tackles) led the defense, which allowed opponents to score 25.9 PPG on the season, including holding their rivals, Army, to seven points in the final game of the season.

Music City Bowl
Matchup: Mississippi Rebels (7-5) vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (7-5)
Venue: LP Field
Location: Nashville, TN
Time/TV: 3:15 p.m. ET, ESPN
Sportsbook.ag Opening Line: Ole Miss -3, Total: 56 ½

A winner of five consecutive bowl games, Ole Miss is slightly favored against Georgia Tech’s option offense in Monday's Music City Bowl in Nashville.

The Rebels had a strong stretch in the middle of their season that included a win against then-No. 6 LSU, but they closed the season with back-to-back losses to Missouri and Mississippi State. The Yellow Jackets lost two of their last three contests, though the losses were to strong foes in Clemson and Georgia. Ole Miss finished 6-6 ATS while the Yellow Jackets were 5-7 ATS.

They both finished the season cold, with Georgia Tech failing to cover in four of their last five, and Ole Miss not covering in three of their final four. While the Rebels boasted a difficult schedule all year and one of the nation’s most prolific passing attacks, they’ll have to handle the Georgia Tech rushing attack that racked up 312 YPG, fifth most in the nation. These two programs have not met since the Rebels routed the Yellow Jackets 41-18 in the 1971 Peach Bowl. Georgia Tech won the other two previous meetings.

Ole Miss QB Bo Wallace (3,090, 17 TD, nine INT) had a solid year under center, completing 64.4% of his passes. He struggled in the team’s final two losses, however, failing to throw for a touchdowns, but tossing four interceptions. But he did perform well in some marquee matchups, completing 30-of-39 passes against LSU. Three receivers have more than 500 yards for the Rebels, with Donte Moncrief (53 catches, 825 yards, 5 TD) leading the way, and Ja-Mes Logan (44 catches, 583 yards, 3 TD) and Laquon Treadwell (67 catches, 557 yards, 5 TD) also posing threats.

Three running backs divide the carries in this pass-first offense. I’Tavius Mathers (505 yards, 6.2 YPC, 3 TD) has the most yards, while Jeff Scott (7.4 YPC, 493 yards, 2 TD) gets the most YPC and Jaylen Walton (97 carries, 470 yards, 6 TD) has the most scores.

Running the triple-option, the Yellow Jackets offense mainly keeps the ball on the ground, and has four different players with at least 450 rushing yards. One of those players is QB Vad Lee, who struggled as a passer with 10 TD, 9 INT and a poor 47.2% completion rate. On the ground, he averaged only 2.9 YPC, but racked up 489 yards and eight touchdowns.

The team’s leading rusher was David Sims (5.6 YPC, 846 yards, 11 TD) while Robert Godhigh (10.1 YPC, 694 yards, 6 TD) racked up the biggest plays. Zach Laskey (458 yards, 5.8 YPC, 7 TD) rounds out the leading rushers. Godhigh was also the team’s top receiving threat with 21 catches for 420 yards and two touchdowns. DeAndre Smelter (345 yards, 4 TD) also made some big plays through the air.

The Yellow Jackets defense gives up only 3.4 YPC, but allows a hefty 7.5 yards per passing attempt.

[StarDust Bum]

Monday's Night Action

December 30, 2013


Alamo Bowl
Matchup: Texas Longhorns vs. Oregon Ducks
Venue: Alamodome
Location: San Antonio, TX
Time/TV: 6:45 p.m. ET, ESPN
Sportsbook.ag Opening Line: Line: Oregon -13 ½, Total: 67

The Mack Brown era at Texas will come to an end on Monday night as the Longhorns play No. 10 Oregon in the Alamo Bowl.

Texas will be looking to send head coach Mack Brown out on a positive note as it faces an explosive Oregon offense. The Horns had big aspirations heading into the season, but were wildly inconsistent. They looked terrific at times, winning seven straight Big 12 games, but also struggled losing consecutive games to BYU and Ole Miss that ended their national title dreams early in the season. Texas (5-6-1 ATS) is coming off a game against Baylor, where it scored just 10 points with 217 total yards, but was able to hold the explosive Bears to only 30 points. That game will be a good preparation for the Longhorns as they go up against Marcus Mariota and the impressive Oregon offense.

Like Texas, the Ducks had dreams of making the national title, but were unable to reach that game after losing to Stanford followed by a shocking 42-16 loss to 19.5-point underdog Arizona. However, there is still a lot of firepower on the Ducks (7-5 ATS), but they must get their offense clicking back at the early season pace. Oregon is 0-4 ATS in its past four games, where it averaged only 29 points per game.

Mack Brown is 10-4 in bowl games in his tenure at Texas, including 7-1 in the past eight bowls, with the only loss coming in the BCS National Championship game following the 2009 season. Texas struggled on the offensive end, ranking 36th in rushing (198 YPG), 56th in scoring (31.2 PPG) and 72nd in passing (225 YPG). One of the biggest reasons for its struggles has been the inability to get consistent play from the quarterback position. Quarterback Case McCoy (57% completions, 1,885 passing yards, 11 TD, 11 INT) showed his ability to be good at times, but also really struggled at times with five interceptions in late season losses to Oklahoma State and Baylor.

The backfield of the Longhorns could not consistently stay healthy all season, but RB Malcolm Brown (774 rush yards, 9 TD) showed that he can be the star running back on a team. After Johnathan Gray (780 yards and 4 TD) went out to injury a month ago, Brown averaged 111.3 rushing YPG, while facing eight or nine defenders in the box. The Longhorns must get a big game from WR Mike Davis, (49 catches, 715 yards and 8 TD), as his big-play ability can help open up rushing lanes for Brown and the Longhorns. While the offense needs to play well, this game is going to be decided on whether or not the Longhorns can slow down the Ducks offense. The defense is led by LB Steve Edmond (73 tackles, two interceptions and one sack), but he is doubtful after lacerating his liver in the game against Texas Tech. Safety Adrian Phillips (71 tackles and two interceptions) has proven to be a very talented player, but the Ducks offense is as good as the Longhorns have seen all year.

Oregon ranks third in the nation in scoring (46.8 PPG), ninth in rushing (278 YPG) and 20th in passing (295 YPG). Quarterback Marcus Mariota (3412 pass yards, 30 TD, 4 INT) is one of the top players in the country. He also does a lot with his legs, rushing for 582 yards and nine touchdowns. His ability to make plays all over the field makes him nearly impossible to slow down on defense. His favorite receiver all season has been WR Josh Huff (57 catches, 1,036 yards and 11 TD). Huff has terrific speed, and is able to get behind the defense for the big gain at any moment. Oregon has a lot of guys that can run the ball, as Byron Marshall (155 carries, 995 yards and 14 TD), Thomas Tyner (109 carries, 689 yards and 9 TD) and even De’Anthony Thomas (93 carries, 581 yards and 8 TD) are all threats to score any time they touch the ball.

However, the Oregon defense has been terrific this season as well, ranking 25th in the nation in scoring defense (21.6 PPG). Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (78 tackles and 3 INT) is a lockdown cornerback that has the ability to completely take the opposing team's best receiver out of the game. Look for him to match up with Davis through most of the game, in what should be a terrific battle. This game has a chance to be the best non-BCS game, as the Longhorns players have talked about how much they want to win this game for Brown. If they are able to control their emotions early and not get down when the Ducks offense scores, then Texas has a great chance to win the game.

Holiday Bowl
Matchup: Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. Arizona State Sun Devils
Venue: Qualcomm Stadium
Location: San Diego, CA
Time/TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN
Sportsbook.ag Opening Line: Line: Arizona State -14, Total: 71

After losing the Pac-12 Championship at home, Arizona State attempts to finish its season strong against slumping Texas Tech in Saturday's Holiday Bowl.

The Red Raiders started the season off in spectacular fashion, winning their first seven games SU and going 5-2 ATS. They then went on to face a brutal schedule and finished 0-5 (SU and ATS) in their final five games when they were outscored by 20.6 PPG and turned the ball over three times in all five defeats. However, Texas Tech has won a bowl game in each of the past three seasons SU, including a 34-31 victory in last year’s Meineke Car Care Bowl versus Minnesota as a 13.5-point favorite. But they have gone only 1-3 ATS in their past four bowl games.

The Sun Devils put together a tremendous season, eventually ending with them hosting the Pac-12 Championship game, but losing 38-14 against a tough Stanford team. They went 8-1 SU (6-3 ATS) in regular season games against conference opponents, with big wins against USC (62-41) and UCLA (38-33). Last season, ASU defeated Navy by a score of 62-28 in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, their first bowl win since 2005. These two programs have played only once since 1992, when Arizona State defeated the Red Raiders 31-13 back in 1999. With QB Baker Mayfield leaving the team, freshman QB Davis Webb will once again be under center for Texas Tech while star HB Marion Grice (foot) will be a game-time decision for the Sun Devils.

Texas Tech has been one of the top passing teams in the country and averaged 392.0 passing YPG (2nd in nation) this year. QB Baker Mayfield made news when he became the first walk-on true freshman to start a season opener for a BCS school, but has since decided to enroll at Oklahoma and attempt to walk-on to their team next season. In the wake of his decision, QB Davis Webb has reclaimed the starting job where he's done quite well, throwing for 2,315 yards (7.2 YPA) with 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions over nine games played. He threw for 400+ yards in three different games on the season, but did not play the last two as Mayfield reclaimed the starting job before leaving the team. HB Kenny Williams (480 yards, 8 TD) split time with fellow HB DeAndre Washington (399 yards, 4 TD) who is questionable for this matchup with an undisclosed injury.

The running game was certainly not the focal point for Texas Tech as it ranked 107th in the nation (121.3 YPG) on the ground. NFL hopeful TE Jace Amaro caught 98 passes for 1,240 yards (12.7 avg.) and 7 TD on the season while putting together four games in the middle of the season where he went over eight receptions and 115 yards in each game. WR Eric Ward also had a big season with 904 yards on 80 catches (11.3 avg.) and eight touchdowns. The defense gave up 31.2 PPG to their opponents (90th in nation) and allowed 48.6 PPG over their five-game losing skid to finish off the regular season.

The Sun Devils were lightning in a bottle all season thanks to an offense that averaged 276.8 YPG through the air (29th in nation) and 184.0 YPG on the ground (47th in FBS) while scoring 41.0 PPG (10th in nation). QB Taylor Kelly was the provider of much of this offense as he threw for 3,510 yards (7.7 YPA) with 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, while also adding 473 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground. His performance slowed down after the Halloween game versus Washington State though, as he averaged only 199.8 passing YPG and five total touchdowns through the air in his last five games, including the Pac-12 Championship Game loss to Stanford.

HB Marion Grice should be able to start on Monday. He ran for 996 yards (5.2 YPC) and 14 touchdowns despite missing the last two games of the regular season. He added a lot to the passing game as well with 438 receiving yards on 50 catches (8.8 avg.) and six touchdowns. WR Jaelen Strong (1,094 rec. yards, 7 TD) had seven games of 100+ yards on the season, but had only two catches for 27 yards in the Pac-12 title game. Arizona State boasts two of the better defenders in the upcoming NFL draft with DT Will Sutton (46 tackles, 4 sacks) and LB Chris Young (103 tackles, 7.5 sacks), but did not do great in the high-octane Pac-12, allowing 25.8 PPG to their opponents on the season.

[Udog]

Middle Tennessee +7 500 DOUBLE PLAY

My work shows Navy everywhere but MTSU has had a lot of time to prepare for the Navy's triple option. I think this might be the "insight" call of the day.

Thanks, Bum! Good luck today!

[StarDust Bum]

Monday, December 30

Game Score Status Pick Amount


Oregon 0 0th Texas +14.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Texas 0 Under 67 500 *****

Arizona State - 10:15 PM ET Arizona State -16 500 TRIPLE PLAY

Texas Tech - Under 71.5 500 *****