ATENEARS Posted December 29, 2009 Report Share Posted December 29, 2009 2009 Champs Sports Bowlfrom CollegeFootballNews.comMiami (9-3) vs. Wisconsin (9-3) It wouldn’t be a stunner if this was a BCS-level matchup Next Season. Miami and Wisconsin had good seasons, solid seasons, successful seasons, no matter what happens in Orlando, but they were both in the same boat of being really close to doing big things and coming up short in the big spotlight games. However, this is going to be a good exhibition, and a strong measurement, for the preseason polls for next season, and that’s why this game will matter more than most bowls. The polls are what count, and if you start high, you stay high, and you’re in a position to do truly big things by playing up to the ranking. The winner of this game, especially if it’s in impressive fashion, will have a shot to start next year in the top ten and become one of the hot teams going into the season. And if it’s Miami that pulls of a big, splashy win, then it could be the spark to a national title discussion. If everything goes perfectly, the Canes could have nine starters back on defense, QB Jacory Harris and WRs Leonard Hankerson and Aldarius Johnson back to lead a strong offense, and they could be closer to being the program that everyone feared for two decades. This year, Miami melted down in a loss to Clemson, was unfocused in a loss at North Carolina, and got ripped up by a jacked up Virginia Tech, but it always seemed to be hanging around the ACC title hunt until late. But even at 9-3, and with a chance for the first ten-win season since 2003, this is a supremely talented team that hasn’t played up to its potential. For all of the good things Harris was able to do at times, he also threw a ton of interceptions. The running game was hit-or-miss, the pass rush was spotty, and the offensive line was stunningly inconsistent. It took too much work to beat Wake Forest, with close wins over Florida State and Oklahoma weren’t that big a deal, at least in hindsight, and for all the good things the team has done, the losses were too puzzling to suggest that this is a mature team. But if the Canes can do to Wisconsin what Florida State did last year in this bowl, then that’s all anyone will remember. Wisconsin has always had to fight perceptions. This has been a program full of fast athletes, NFL prospects, and real, live college football playmakers, but because of its style and because of its lack of signature wins over the last few seasons, it’s been hard for anyone to see this as anything more than a good team that comes up with great records because of easy schedules. Miami had the ACC title there for the taking, and blew it, but Wisconsin really botched up some big opportunities. While two of the non-conference wins were against bowl teams, they were nail-biters against Northern Illinois and Fresno State at home … that’s not exactly Florida State and Oklahoma, even in down years. The Badgers’ best win this year was against Michigan State, and the second best was at Minnesota. They didn’t take advantage of missing Penn State, melted down with turnovers against Ohio State, struggled on offense at home against Iowa, and came up with a weird performance in a 33-31 loss to Northwestern that kept them from playing on New Year’s Day. Like Miami, Wisconsin is going for a ten-win season, which would be a huge success after last year’s 7-6 disaster finished up by, arguably, the ugliest bowl game of the year with a 42-13 embarrassment against Florida State. Last year’s Champs Sports Bowl was par for the course for one of the worst bowl games year in and year out. Call it the Tangerine Bowl, call it the Blockbuster, call it the Micron PC, or just call it the annual suckfest in late December, but this bowl has rarely been interesting. Since 1993, only three of the games have been decided by a touchdown or less with the ACC on a roll winning six straight. However, this appears to be the best matchup in years, and it could turn out to be one of the few games this bowl season that will have an impact on the offseason. Players to Watch: In a down year for Big Ten offensive players, Badger bruiser John Clay was one of the few stars of the show. After playing a bit of a backup role early in the season, partly by design and partly as a bit of a message sent by the coaching staff, Clay was still the main man for the attack finishing with 1,396 yards and 16 touchdowns thanked to a monster five-game finishing kick running for 123 yards, 134, 151, 100, and 172 along with nine touchdowns. Not just a punishing between-the-tackles runner, he has the breakaway speed to take it the distance from anywhere on the field. He was erased right away in last year’s loss to Florida State, running for just 39 yards on 11 carries, and he had two of his worst games this year in key losses to Ohio State and Iowa. The Badgers are 9-2 when he runs for 100 yards are more. As Jacory Harris goes, so goes Miami. The sophomore was on top of everyone’s Heisman list on September 17th after ripping up Florida State and Georgia Tech to start the season, but when he clunked, he clunked hard. He’ll tend to force too many throws that aren’t there and his decision-making ability is hit-or-miss, but when he’s on, Miami can’t be beaten. However, he struggles when under pressure and he throws way too many devastating interceptions. Of the 17 giveaways, four came in the loss to North Carolina and three came in the loss to Clemson. In the blasting by Virginia Tech, Harris completed just 9-of-25 passes for 150 yards and a pick. While he’s mobile, he’s more of a pocket passer who needs time to work. He might not get that. Wisconsin gets a decent push into the backfield from several spots, and if Miami, who struggles in pass protection, doesn’t fully concentrate on O’Brien Schofield , it’s going to be a long day for Harris. Ideally, Miami would've beeen able to match up 6-7 all-star tackle Jason Fox on the smallish Badger pass rusher, but Fox is out after undergoing season-ending surgery. The UW coaching staff will move Schofield around to get him going. Even when he’s not coming up with sacks, he’s a pure speed rusher who demands a chip from a back and concern from the quarterback. He has to be a disruptive force for the entire game. Wisconsin will win if ... QB Scott Tolzien is on. The junior was the difference between a decent 7-5 bowl season and a possible ten-win campaign. While he made too many ill-advised throws in big games, and he got picked off way too often when under pressure, he’s not afraid to push the ball deep to one of his underappreciated speed receivers, most notable Nick Toon, and he’s not afraid to force the ball, for good and bad, and let his target make the play. He’ll have two NFL-caliber tight ends in Garrett Graham and Lance Kendricks to use as safety valves, and he has take advantage of a Hurricane D that will focus its linebackers on stuffing Clay. Miami will dare Tolzien to win this game. Miami will win if ... it’s able to hang around. If the Canes don’t get the offense revved up early and take the game by the horns from the start, they have to make sure they keep on pushing and not get too far behind. Harris is at his best when he doesn’t have to press, and if Wisconsin knows he’s going to start throwing to try to come back, then Schofield and company will in their ears back and blow into the backfield. Wisconsin isn’t good at closing. In a perfect world, the Badgers get a lead and grind out the clock with a strong rushing game that forces defenses to wilt. Instead, they’ve managed to struggle when victory appears assured. From a fumble that was returned for a touchdown against Minnesota, to a late bomb from Michigan State, to a hot Ben Chappell in the Indiana game, to Fresno State’s push in double overtime, the Badgers managed to win most of the close games once they got the lead late, but mediocre teams couldn’t get over the top. Miami isn’t mediocre and could rally late if needed. What will happen: Miami will show off the speed, the athleticism, and the talent that will make everyone get all fired up about the possibilities next year. Don’t assume that Wisconsin will look slow, and don’t assume that Miami can’t play with a little bit of power. But Miami will be focused, will play up to its talent level, and it will simply be the better team. Wisconsin won’t force enough mistakes, while the Canes will win the turnover battle to keep the Badger offense from ever getting the momentum. CFN Prediction: Miami 31 … Wisconsin 26 ... Line: Miami -3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATENEARS Posted December 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2009 More on who to watch, with key match-up's and situational stats: Miami's improvement this year is due in large part to the play of quarterback Jacory Harris, who is an emerging star. The sophomore quarterback threw for a healthy 3,164 yards and 23 touchdowns, but like many youngsters, he is prone to mistakes, throwing 17 interceptions. Leonard Hankerson is the team's leading receiver and Harris' favorite target, pulling in 44 balls for 773 yards and six touchdowns. Miami's ground attack is versatile and averaging a solid 144.4 ypg on the campaign. Graig Cooper leads the way with 666 yards, while Damien Berry is has accounted for eight of the team's 20 rushing touchdowns. Defensively, the Hurricanes came on strong down the stretch and held three of their final four opponents to under 20 points. Miami gave up just 264.0 total ypg over that four-game stretch and will be focused on stopping Wisconsin's potent ground attack. The Hurricanes have been stingy against the run this season, permitting only 118.3 ypg and eight touchdowns on the ground. The knock on this unit is that the group doesn't create enough big plays. Miami has forced 18 turnovers and recorded 23 sacks and those numbers are mediocre at best. Darryl Sharpton leads the defense in tackles with 91, while Allen Bailey is the team's top pass rusher, racking up seven sacks and 11 TFLs. It all about power football for the Badgers, who are pushing their way to 206.7 ypg on the ground. The punishing ground game has helped Wisconsin average 39 ppg over its last five outings and John Clay is the driving force behind this attack. Clay, the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, has rushed for 1,396 yards and he is responsible for 16 of the team's 31 rushing scores. The dominant ground game has helped to take some pressure off quarterback Scott Tolzien, who has responded by completing 63.6 percent of his pass attempts. Tolzien has thrown 16 touchdowns against 10 picks, but is the second option in this offense. Nick Toon is the top target through the air with 52 catches and 779 yards, and expect Garrett Graham to get some looks as well after making 45 receptions and a team-best seven touchdown catches during the regular season. Wisconsin's defense has been simply outstanding versus the run and is allowing just 90.5 ypg on the ground. Unfortunately, Miami is a more pass-oriented team and that is where the Badgers have some issues. Wisconsin has allowed 20 touchdowns and 219.9 ypg through the air, although the unit did come up with 15 interceptions. Bringing down opposing quarterbacks is a strength of this group, as the Badgers have recorded 32 sacks. Leading the way in that department is O'Brien Schofield, who has just been a force, rolling up 10 sacks to go with 22.5 TFLs. He ranks third on the club with 59 overall stops and expect him to make his mark on this game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATENEARS Posted December 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2009 Nick Toon, WR for Wisconsin is the son of Al Toon, who also played for Wisconsin and was a star for the NY Jets. Nick is 6'3", 212 lbs, and mosty likely won't come out until 2012, which appears to be a deep class for WR's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATENEARS Posted December 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2009 Go Big Ten! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alo Posted December 29, 2009 Report Share Posted December 29, 2009 Keep an eye on O'Brien Schofield (DE Wisconsin #50). He's an explosive edge rusher with the athleticism to play 3-4 OLB. However, instincts might be an issue: Wisconsin tried to turn him into a linebacker a few years ago, and he couldn't make it work. Some think he'll end up being limited to a nickel rusher role, but I like his upside in the 3rd round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffer X Posted December 29, 2009 Report Share Posted December 29, 2009 Keep an eye on O'Brien Schofield (DE Wisconsin #50). He's an explosive edge rusher with the athleticism to play 3-4 OLB. However, instincts might be an issue: Wisconsin tried to turn him into a linebacker a few years ago, and he couldn't make it work. Some think he'll end up being limited to a nickel rusher role, but I like his upside in the 3rd round. Nice player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATENEARS Posted December 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2009 Keep an eye on O'Brien Schofield (DE Wisconsin #50). He's an explosive edge rusher with the athleticism to play 3-4 OLB. However, instincts might be an issue: Wisconsin tried to turn him into a linebacker a few years ago, and he couldn't make it work. Some think he'll end up being limited to a nickel rusher role, but I like his upside in the 3rd round. Plays like his "Underwear is on fire"? LOL, who was the kid from Wisconsin that they said that about earlier inthe decade? (No, not "Maddog in a meatlocker" Junkin) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATENEARS Posted December 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Wow, Clay is living up to the billing. Big, smart, patient, and can break away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATENEARS Posted December 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Watch #50 on both teams #50 LB Darryl Sharpton of Miami is a stud, leads the Hurricanes in tackles and #50 DE O'Brien Schofieldof Wisconsin reminds me of Mike Vrabel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alo Posted December 30, 2009 Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Sharpton's expected to go low in the draft because of his height (5'11") and below average coverage ability, but I like how he plays. He's made great strides from last year, when he didn't look like he knew what he was doing on the field. Might be a late bloomer who surprises at the next level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATENEARS Posted December 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 I've liked Nick Toon everytime I've seen a Wisconsin game. I thought I was bias because of his dad, but the kid is running great patterns and catches the ball effortlessly. Even the catch out of bounds was a beauty. Another one to follow over the next year or two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATENEARS Posted December 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Wisc TE Lance Kendricks has a great pair of mits, and even Wisc RB John Clay picked a nice low pass off the carpet. GO BIG TEN!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JC Posted December 30, 2009 Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Whiskey's looking good. I hope they hange on...I picked them in the bowl-mania challenge. I'm a biased Big Ten fan. GO BIG TEN! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATENEARS Posted December 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Wisc TE, Kendricks has 7 catches 128 yards through 3-qtrs of play. Kids got great hands and gives his QB a nice target by sealing off his coverage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JC Posted December 30, 2009 Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Horrible fumble for a touchback. That TD could have been the coup de grace. Christ, they need to finish. They can't let Miami hang around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATENEARS Posted December 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Man, Wisconsin is tough. They are letting the Hurricanes hang around but so far they have over-come everything from the fumble to every big gain this second half called back on a penalty. I'm liking Wisconsins Junior QB Scott Tolzien. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kosar_win Posted December 30, 2009 Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Great fumble recovery. C'mon Badgers. Close 'em out. Go Big Ten! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATENEARS Posted December 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 I'm telling ya, #50 Sharpton for Miami can play. Under-sized or not, that kid is the only one who can bring down Clay by tackling him up high. #50 Schofield has definately lived up to his billing too. Best Bowl game so far, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alo Posted December 30, 2009 Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 #50 DE O'Brien Schofield of Wisconsin reminds me of Mike Vrabel. Physically, he reminds me of Bart Scott, but he's got more pass rush ability. All the tools are there - just gotta make sure he's got the mental makeup to play LB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alo Posted December 30, 2009 Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Schofield definitely looked like a 3-4 OLB on that play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATENEARS Posted December 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Physically, he reminds me of Bart Scott, but he's got more pass rush ability. All the tools are there - just gotta make sure he's got the mental makeup to play LB. How did you like him dropping back into coverage on that first down play? He came back up and made the tackle at the line of scrimmage. that showed a lot of what he will need to do at the next level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark O Posted December 30, 2009 Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Does Miami run anything other than a screen pass on offense? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alo Posted December 30, 2009 Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Yep, that was good to see. Ideally, you'd also like to see him play some LB at the Senior Bowl practices and score highly on the Wonderlic, but that play was promising. Also saw him in the Michigan game correctly diagnose a screen play and chase down the ball carrier for no gain. That made me more confident about his read&react ability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JC Posted December 30, 2009 Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 For the love of all that's holy.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JC Posted December 30, 2009 Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Big Ten 1-0. Let's keep it rolling! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATENEARS Posted December 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Awesome game by Wisconsin! I smell a Big Ten SWeeeeeeep! LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alo Posted December 30, 2009 Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Despite the fumble, Wisconsin TE Garrett Graham had a pretty good game (6 catches, 77 yards). He showed some elusiveness in the open field and effort as a blocker, even if he wasn't always successful. Guys like Graham and Dennis Pitta (BYU) make me pretty confident that we can find a nice receiving TE in the 3rd round of this year's draft. Evan Moore's shown some promise, but adding a rookie will provide us security in case he doesn't pan out or gets hurt. Hopefully, we'll then be set at the position for the next five years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATENEARS Posted December 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Graham is 6'-4", 248 Kendricks is 6'-4", 237 (JR) I liked Kendricks better, but agree that Graham is build more for the NFL. Would be great to have them both such as the Badgers did this year. Not to mention their two DE's ... the Buckeyes really got lucky getting past Wisconsin this sesaon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alo Posted December 30, 2009 Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 I'm guessing Kendricks will stay in school. His production before today wasn't overwhelming (22 catches, 228 yards, 3 TD). But if he declares, he becomes an intriguing option as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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