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NOTE: IF THE LINE MOVES MORE THEN 2.5 POINTS OFF THE NUMBER THAT IS POSTED THEN IT IS A NO PLAY. THAT MEANS I WILL HAVE HEDGED MY BET.
8* MY TOP PLAY...VERY RARE (23-8 ) LAST 2 YEARS IN FOOTBALL (74%)
6-7* HIGH RATED SELECTION ONLY WHEN ALOT OF GAMES ON THE CARD TO CHOSE FROM (WELL OVER 60%)
5* EXCEPTIONAL PLAY USUALLY HIGHEST WHEN ONLY A FEW GAMES
4* VERY STRONG SELECTION
3* STRONG SELECTION
2* PROBABLE COVER (MOST COMMON RATING)
1* A GAME THAT SHOULD COVER
OPINION PLAY: GAME THAT I THINK MAY WIN BUT OFTEN JUST TO WATCH A GAME OR A LEAN USUALLY 1/2 A UNIT.
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SUMMARY OF NCAA BOWL SELECTIONS:
Opinion: NEVADA -3
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NEVADA (8 - 3) vs. C FLORIDA (8 - 4)
Week 15 Saturday, 12/24/2005 8:30 PM
Hawaii Bowl - Aloha Stadium - Honolulu, HI
vs 
History
This game marks the first ever bowl appearance for the University of Central Florida (although it will be the fifth bowl for HC George O?Leary) and they will be making their second trip to Hawaii in their school history for the Golden Knights. UCF lost to Hawaii 45-14 on Oct. 21, 1995 at Aloha Stadium. Daunte Culpepper was UCF's quarterback as a true freshman on the 1995 club that lost to Hawaii. The Golden Knights have never played a team from the state of Nevada. O'Leary will be coaching in a bowl as a head coach for the fifth time in his career. He led Georgia Tech to five bowl appearances and coached the Yellow Jackets in four bowl games during his tenure in Atlanta. As defensive coordinator for the Yellow Jackets in 1991, O'Leary was part of a Georgia Tech team that defeated Stanford 18-17 in the Aloha Bowl Christmas Day. In all, O'Leary has coached in eight bowl games during his coaching career. This will be Nevada's sixth bowl game (and first bowl appearance since the 1996 Las Vegas Bowl) and the Pack has a 2-3 mark in bowl games.
UCF (8-4, 7-1 C-USA East Division Champions)
Head Coach: George O?Leary (New Hampshire, ?69)
Career Record: 60-48-0 (9th year)
Record at UCF: 8-15-0 (2nd year)
Last Bowl: First Bowl Appearance
Nevada (8-3, 6-2 in WAC - Co-Champions)
Head Coach: Chris Ault (Nevada, ?68)
Career Record: 176-73-1 (21st year)
Record at UN: 176-73-1 (21st year)
Last Bowl: 1996 Las Vegas (Nevada 18, Ball State 15)
UCF Leaders:
Passing: Steven Moffett, 204-339, 2,624 yards, 19 TDs
Rushing: Kevin Smith, 976 yards, 6 TDs
Receiving: Brandon Marshall, 63 rec., 985 yards, 8 Tds
Nevada Leaders:
Passing: Jeff Rowe, 219-357, 2,751 yards, 20 TDs
Rushing: B.J. Mitchell, 1,221 yards, 10 TDs
Receiving: Caleb Spencer, 55 rec., 775 yards, 7 Tds
CENTRAL FLORIDA:
UCF head coach George O'Leary, Conference USA's Coach of the Year, has engineered one of the best turnarounds in college football history. UCF finished 0-11 in 2004 before an 8-4 campaign this season, including C-USA's Eastern Division Championship. Another amazing fact is that UCF played seven of its 11 games in the regular season on the road. The Golden Knights are currently tied for third in NCAA history with a 7.5 game turnaround. A win here would also match UCF?s record for most victories since moving to Division I-A. The 1998 squad, led by Daunte Culpepper, finished 9-2. The Golden Knights are just the fourth team in I-A history to reach a bowl game after playing only four regular season home games. The Golden Knights will travel 4,753 miles to play in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. Navy has the next-longest trip, going 2,738 miles from Annapolis, Md. to San Diego for the Poinsettia Bowl. UCF has played in Hawaii one other time, dropping a 45-14 decision to Hawaii on Oct. 21, 1995.
NEVADA:
Nevada is making its first bowl appearance since defeating Ball State in the 1996 Las Vegas Bowl. This was the Wolfpack?s first championship in the WAC since joining the league for the 2000 season. Head coach Chris Ault, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, was named Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, It was the sixth conference Coach of the Year award for Ault in 21 years (covering three separate stints) as coach of the Wolfpack. Senior RB B.J. Mitchell was named WAC Offensive Player of the Year after the leading the league in rushing at 111.0 yards per game. He ran for 1,221 yards, the seventh-highest total in school history and had six 100-yard games. Nevada has scored 30 or more points in six of its last seven games and in all but one of its victories this season.
GAME NOTES: Nevada is the first team other than Hawaii to represent the WAC in the fourth year Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. UCF is playing in a bowl game for the first time in its history
TRENDS
NEVADA
Nevada is 6-2 ATS last 8 in 2005 and have won 3 of last 4 SU away from Mackay Stadium.
Nevada is 5-1 ATS as a favorite this year and 8-2 ATS in role since Ault took over again in 2004.
CENTRAL FLORIDA
UCF is 2-4 ATS last 6 away from Citrus Bowl this year.
CONFERENCE AND BOWL TRENDS
The favorite is 6-0 ATS in WAC against Conference USA bowl games.
Analysis
There have been numerous disgraced coaches in sports history, but not many have reached the level experienced by George O'Leary, who, because of resume discrepancies, was removed as head man at Notre Dame after only a few days, following the 2001 season. After a stint as assistant with the Minnesota Vikings, he was named to head the faltering program at UCF and since then he has been named Conference USA's Coach of the Year and has engineered one of the best turnarounds in college football history. From 0-11 last year, as well as 17 straight losses thru game 2 of this year, his squad has won 8-of-10, including 5 outright upsets. Even more remarkable is the fact that UCF has done it with a roster filled with freshmen and sophomores. The Golden Knights have just 10 seniors on scholarship and have 25 freshmen or sophomores who have started this season, including seven true freshmen starters. The Knights are led on the field by junior QB Steven Moffett (2,624 Passing yards, 19 TDs), true freshman running back Kevin Smith (976 rushing yards) and receiver Brandon Marshall (63 catches). Smith ran for 869 yards and five touchdowns, while Marshall caught 63 balls. UCF hosted the C-USA's first title game, only to come up short against Tulsa, largely due to the breakdown in their offensive line as Moffett was sacked 4 times, fumbled twice and threw 2 INTs.
Meanwhile, their opponent got here quietly by scoring 30 points or more in seven of its last eight games, while averaging 33 points this season. Nevada has been pretty much under the radar this year, despite an exemplary season, in which they finished 7-1 in the WAC. Junior QB Jeff Rowe (2,671 Passing yards, 20 TDs), has played a significant part of the Wolfpack?s offensive resurgence, averaging 243 yards per game through the air and a 20:9 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Nevada?s offensive attack is also well balanced producing the 32nd best rushing attack in the NCAA with WAC Offensive Player of the Year B.J. Mitchell (1,221 yards) in the backfield. He ran for 111 yards per game. Running back Robert Hubbard also had eight rushing touchdowns. The Wolfpack started 1-2 but their 7-1 finish, especially the 38-35 win over Fresno State as a 17-point underdog, make them an attractive bowl participant. A possible concern for the Wolfpack would be step-up in class as they were non-competitive against the likes of Washington State (L 55-21), Colorado State (L 21-42) and Boise State (L 49-14). Nevertheless, UCF could hardly be mentioned in the same breath of those aforementioned teams so look for a highly competitive contest in this match-up.
Coaching and intangible edges would have to go to UCF in this contest, but Nevada has more talent and experience. Considering that both teams are absolutely thrilled to be here there is also not much of a motivational angle for either side. The Wolfpack's dynamic offense, "The Pistol" can cause real problems for a defense that lacks athleticism like UCF's does. The “Pistol” offense, lines up a tailback behind a QB who takes snaps out of the shotgun 4 yards behind the center instead of a the standard 6. QB Jeff Rowe is one of the nation's most underrated players and a definite upgrade over UCF's Steven Moffett. UCF will likely be without leading WR Mike Walker and his absence plus the deficiencies of Moffett will make this a tough game for O'Leary's boys to win. Being from the WAC, the Wolf Pack are also familiar with this trip off the mainland, and early reports mention this club taking on the business-trip approach to this game. Considering that UCF checks into this contest at 4-16 SU; 5-15 ATS away from home last in their last 20 and this is a “road” game of all road games look for the More diverse team (Nevada) to get the win and cover. In addition, with both of these teams showing numerous defensive weaknesses and the atmosphere in Oahu not exactly engendering a tough-minded attitude consider looking at the OVER.
Forecast: Central Florida 28, Nevada 38
OPINION SELECTION ON NEVADA -3
8* MY TOP PLAY...VERY RARE (23-8 ) LAST 2 YEARS IN FOOTBALL (74%)
6-7* HIGH RATED SELECTION ONLY WHEN ALOT OF GAMES ON THE CARD TO CHOSE FROM (WELL OVER 60%)
5* EXCEPTIONAL PLAY USUALLY HIGHEST WHEN ONLY A FEW GAMES
4* VERY STRONG SELECTION
3* STRONG SELECTION
2* PROBABLE COVER (MOST COMMON RATING)
1* A GAME THAT SHOULD COVER
OPINION PLAY: GAME THAT I THINK MAY WIN BUT OFTEN JUST TO WATCH A GAME OR A LEAN USUALLY 1/2 A UNIT.
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SUMMARY OF NCAA BOWL SELECTIONS:
Opinion: NEVADA -3
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NEVADA (8 - 3) vs. C FLORIDA (8 - 4)
Week 15 Saturday, 12/24/2005 8:30 PM
Hawaii Bowl - Aloha Stadium - Honolulu, HI
vs History
This game marks the first ever bowl appearance for the University of Central Florida (although it will be the fifth bowl for HC George O?Leary) and they will be making their second trip to Hawaii in their school history for the Golden Knights. UCF lost to Hawaii 45-14 on Oct. 21, 1995 at Aloha Stadium. Daunte Culpepper was UCF's quarterback as a true freshman on the 1995 club that lost to Hawaii. The Golden Knights have never played a team from the state of Nevada. O'Leary will be coaching in a bowl as a head coach for the fifth time in his career. He led Georgia Tech to five bowl appearances and coached the Yellow Jackets in four bowl games during his tenure in Atlanta. As defensive coordinator for the Yellow Jackets in 1991, O'Leary was part of a Georgia Tech team that defeated Stanford 18-17 in the Aloha Bowl Christmas Day. In all, O'Leary has coached in eight bowl games during his coaching career. This will be Nevada's sixth bowl game (and first bowl appearance since the 1996 Las Vegas Bowl) and the Pack has a 2-3 mark in bowl games.
UCF (8-4, 7-1 C-USA East Division Champions)
Head Coach: George O?Leary (New Hampshire, ?69)
Career Record: 60-48-0 (9th year)
Record at UCF: 8-15-0 (2nd year)
Last Bowl: First Bowl Appearance
Nevada (8-3, 6-2 in WAC - Co-Champions)
Head Coach: Chris Ault (Nevada, ?68)
Career Record: 176-73-1 (21st year)
Record at UN: 176-73-1 (21st year)
Last Bowl: 1996 Las Vegas (Nevada 18, Ball State 15)
UCF Leaders:
Passing: Steven Moffett, 204-339, 2,624 yards, 19 TDs
Rushing: Kevin Smith, 976 yards, 6 TDs
Receiving: Brandon Marshall, 63 rec., 985 yards, 8 Tds
Nevada Leaders:
Passing: Jeff Rowe, 219-357, 2,751 yards, 20 TDs
Rushing: B.J. Mitchell, 1,221 yards, 10 TDs
Receiving: Caleb Spencer, 55 rec., 775 yards, 7 Tds
CENTRAL FLORIDA:
UCF head coach George O'Leary, Conference USA's Coach of the Year, has engineered one of the best turnarounds in college football history. UCF finished 0-11 in 2004 before an 8-4 campaign this season, including C-USA's Eastern Division Championship. Another amazing fact is that UCF played seven of its 11 games in the regular season on the road. The Golden Knights are currently tied for third in NCAA history with a 7.5 game turnaround. A win here would also match UCF?s record for most victories since moving to Division I-A. The 1998 squad, led by Daunte Culpepper, finished 9-2. The Golden Knights are just the fourth team in I-A history to reach a bowl game after playing only four regular season home games. The Golden Knights will travel 4,753 miles to play in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. Navy has the next-longest trip, going 2,738 miles from Annapolis, Md. to San Diego for the Poinsettia Bowl. UCF has played in Hawaii one other time, dropping a 45-14 decision to Hawaii on Oct. 21, 1995.
NEVADA:
Nevada is making its first bowl appearance since defeating Ball State in the 1996 Las Vegas Bowl. This was the Wolfpack?s first championship in the WAC since joining the league for the 2000 season. Head coach Chris Ault, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, was named Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, It was the sixth conference Coach of the Year award for Ault in 21 years (covering three separate stints) as coach of the Wolfpack. Senior RB B.J. Mitchell was named WAC Offensive Player of the Year after the leading the league in rushing at 111.0 yards per game. He ran for 1,221 yards, the seventh-highest total in school history and had six 100-yard games. Nevada has scored 30 or more points in six of its last seven games and in all but one of its victories this season.
GAME NOTES: Nevada is the first team other than Hawaii to represent the WAC in the fourth year Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. UCF is playing in a bowl game for the first time in its history
TRENDS
NEVADA
Nevada is 6-2 ATS last 8 in 2005 and have won 3 of last 4 SU away from Mackay Stadium.
Nevada is 5-1 ATS as a favorite this year and 8-2 ATS in role since Ault took over again in 2004.
CENTRAL FLORIDA
UCF is 2-4 ATS last 6 away from Citrus Bowl this year.
CONFERENCE AND BOWL TRENDS
The favorite is 6-0 ATS in WAC against Conference USA bowl games.
Analysis
There have been numerous disgraced coaches in sports history, but not many have reached the level experienced by George O'Leary, who, because of resume discrepancies, was removed as head man at Notre Dame after only a few days, following the 2001 season. After a stint as assistant with the Minnesota Vikings, he was named to head the faltering program at UCF and since then he has been named Conference USA's Coach of the Year and has engineered one of the best turnarounds in college football history. From 0-11 last year, as well as 17 straight losses thru game 2 of this year, his squad has won 8-of-10, including 5 outright upsets. Even more remarkable is the fact that UCF has done it with a roster filled with freshmen and sophomores. The Golden Knights have just 10 seniors on scholarship and have 25 freshmen or sophomores who have started this season, including seven true freshmen starters. The Knights are led on the field by junior QB Steven Moffett (2,624 Passing yards, 19 TDs), true freshman running back Kevin Smith (976 rushing yards) and receiver Brandon Marshall (63 catches). Smith ran for 869 yards and five touchdowns, while Marshall caught 63 balls. UCF hosted the C-USA's first title game, only to come up short against Tulsa, largely due to the breakdown in their offensive line as Moffett was sacked 4 times, fumbled twice and threw 2 INTs.
Meanwhile, their opponent got here quietly by scoring 30 points or more in seven of its last eight games, while averaging 33 points this season. Nevada has been pretty much under the radar this year, despite an exemplary season, in which they finished 7-1 in the WAC. Junior QB Jeff Rowe (2,671 Passing yards, 20 TDs), has played a significant part of the Wolfpack?s offensive resurgence, averaging 243 yards per game through the air and a 20:9 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Nevada?s offensive attack is also well balanced producing the 32nd best rushing attack in the NCAA with WAC Offensive Player of the Year B.J. Mitchell (1,221 yards) in the backfield. He ran for 111 yards per game. Running back Robert Hubbard also had eight rushing touchdowns. The Wolfpack started 1-2 but their 7-1 finish, especially the 38-35 win over Fresno State as a 17-point underdog, make them an attractive bowl participant. A possible concern for the Wolfpack would be step-up in class as they were non-competitive against the likes of Washington State (L 55-21), Colorado State (L 21-42) and Boise State (L 49-14). Nevertheless, UCF could hardly be mentioned in the same breath of those aforementioned teams so look for a highly competitive contest in this match-up.
Coaching and intangible edges would have to go to UCF in this contest, but Nevada has more talent and experience. Considering that both teams are absolutely thrilled to be here there is also not much of a motivational angle for either side. The Wolfpack's dynamic offense, "The Pistol" can cause real problems for a defense that lacks athleticism like UCF's does. The “Pistol” offense, lines up a tailback behind a QB who takes snaps out of the shotgun 4 yards behind the center instead of a the standard 6. QB Jeff Rowe is one of the nation's most underrated players and a definite upgrade over UCF's Steven Moffett. UCF will likely be without leading WR Mike Walker and his absence plus the deficiencies of Moffett will make this a tough game for O'Leary's boys to win. Being from the WAC, the Wolf Pack are also familiar with this trip off the mainland, and early reports mention this club taking on the business-trip approach to this game. Considering that UCF checks into this contest at 4-16 SU; 5-15 ATS away from home last in their last 20 and this is a “road” game of all road games look for the More diverse team (Nevada) to get the win and cover. In addition, with both of these teams showing numerous defensive weaknesses and the atmosphere in Oahu not exactly engendering a tough-minded attitude consider looking at the OVER.
Forecast: Central Florida 28, Nevada 38
OPINION SELECTION ON NEVADA -3
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