INTERNATIONAL BOWL PREVIEW
January 3rd, 2009 by Daniel Freer
American college football will be on display in Canada today when the 2009 International Bowl kicks off in Toronto’s Rogers Centre (January 3rd, 2009, 12 Noon, ESPN2).
Featuring Mid American Conference champ Buffalo Bulls, and Big East member Connecticut Huskies, this edition of the International Bowl will feature an upstart program making its first bowl appearance ever, versus another upstart program that possesses the NCAA Division I-FBS leading rusher in UConn’s Donald Brown (photo, thanks IconSMI).
Fortunately, both programs are located in the northeastern United States…which means the winning team’s fans will not find it too cold celebrating on Yonge Street after the game
BUFFALO BULLS (Head Coach: Turner Gill)
One of the best stories of the 2008 college football season is the turnaround of the Bulls (8-5) program after a miserable run early in their FBS tenure. After being in the running for numerous head coaching positions during this offseason, Buffalo head coach Turner Gill signed an extension to remain with the program.
Offensively, the Bulls have a decided advantage over the Huskies. Led by senior QB Drew Willy (3011 yards passing, 25 TDs, only 5 INTs), the Bulls feature an attack that can strike either from the air or on the ground. Willy’s favorite target is WR Naaman Roosevelt, who had 1312 yards receiving and 13 TD catches…and Roosevelt’s last second game-winning TD grab against Temple early in the 2008 season was one of the top plays in college football this year.
When not throwing the ball, the Bulls have the top RB in the MAC in James Starks. The sleek Bulls RB rushed for over 1300 yards and 15 TDs in 2008. Starks is also a good receiver out of the backfield.
CONNECTICUT HUSKIES (Head Coach: Randy Edsall)
The Huskies (7-5) are the more post-season experienced of the two International Bowl participants, as they make their third overall bowl-appearance in their short FBS history. Under head coach Randy Edsall, the Huskies have made the transition from a marginal FCS/I-AA program…to a competitive FBS program in a BCS-member conference.
The heart of the Huskies attack is RB Donald Brown, who led the nation with 1822 yards rushing, and rushed for 17 TDs. Brown is pretty much the UConn offense, as they have struggled all season with their passing game.
UConn QB Tyler Lorenzen is not a bad QB, but injuries and inefficiency have limited his production…throwing for only 820 yards and 2 TDs…with 8 INTs. Backup QB Zach Frazier posted 536 yards passing and 2 TDsin relief of Lorenzen.
Fortunately, for the Huskies, they do possess a good defense. Finishing 10th nationally in yards allowed per game, UConn features prominently on the Mullins BlitzIndex 2008 Prebowl BlitzIndex Worksheet – Google Docs
INTERESTING:
Although there are 34 bowl games and 68 bowl teams participating at the end of the 2008 season, Buffalo is the only one of the 68 who is making their first-ever bowl appearance. However, it is not the Bulls first bowl invite….in 1958 they were invited to the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando (now the CapitalOne Bowl), but declined the offer because UatB were not allowed to bring their African-American players to Orlando (which was segregated at the time).
UConn may be better known for its top basketball programs (both men and women), but the Huskies football program has been no slouch. Since moving up to the FBS level earlier this decade, Randy Edsall’s UConn footballers have already won a share of a Big East championship, and have won a bowl game. The football program has been a winner (on the major college level) much quicker than its hoops programs…everyone forgets that UConn was not a basketball power (both mens and womens) until the 1980′s…when they hired Jim Calhoun (mens coach) and Geno Auriemma (womens coach). There were many decades of mediocrity in UConn hoops before those two arrived.
Toronto’s Rogers Centre, home of Major League Baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays and the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts, may be Canada’s most recognizable domed stadium to American sports fans…but it is not the first domed stadium in Canada. Vancouver’s BC Place opened in 1983 (the world’s largest air-supported roof dome), and Montreal’s Stade Olympique (Olympic Stadium) finally put the roof on in the late 1980′s. The Rogers Centre (originally named The Sky Dome), however, is the first domed stadium in the world to have a retractable roof…now standard in all domed stadiums built in recent years.
IN SUMMATION:
Although mainstream media types tend to lean (more like fall-over) towards a BCS-member school when they play a non-BCS member school…this year’s International Bowl really leans in favor of the non-BCS Bulls. With more weapons on offense, the Bulls can mix it up on the fine Huskies defense…making the UatB offense a little tougher to contain.
UConn’s best offensive weapon is RB Donald Brown, and he will get his yards in this game, but if the Huskies need to come from behind late…they are in trouble…even with Brown. UConn has to get the lead early, and keep it all game, so that Brown can do for UConn what he has done all year…chew up yards and clock.
PREDICTION:
Buffalo 27 UConn 20
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