COLLEGE FOOTBALL Friday's bowl previews

HOUSTON BOWL
SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI (7-5) vs.OKLAHOMA STATE (7-5), 1 p.m., ESPN.
COACHES: Jeff Bower (80-57-1 in 12th year at Southern Miss) and Les Miles (11-12 in second year).
PAYOUT: Each school receives $750,000.
BOWL RECORDS: Southern Miss is 5-5. Oklahoma State is 9-4
LAST BOWL APPEARANCE: Southern Miss beat TCU, 28-21, in the 2000 Mobile Alabama Bowl. Oklahoma State lost to Purdue, 33-20, in 1997 Alamo Bowl.
SERIES HISTORY: Southern Miss leads, 2-0.
LAST MEETING: Southern Miss won, 17-9, last year.
LAST GAME: Southern Mississippi beat East Carolina, 24-7, on Nov. 30. Oklahoma State beat Oklahoma, 38-28, on Nov. 30.
STAT THAT MATTERS: Cowboys finished season on three-game winning streak for first time since 1988.
GAME FACTS: Eagles may be without talented RB Derrick Nix (1,194 rushing, 11 TDs), who is bothered by kidney ailment that caused him to miss most of 2000, 2001 seasons. QBs Mickey D'Angelo, Dustin Almond both play but neither is much of a passer (combined 10 TDs, 10 ints., 49.8 pct. completions). Cowboys looking for first bowl win since Barry Sanders led 62-14 romp over Wyoming in 1988 Holiday Bowl. QB Josh Fields (1,327 passing, 16 TDs, 1 int. over OSU's 5-1 finish), talented WR Rashaun Woods (4th in nation with 98 catches, 15.6 per catch, 16 TDs), will look for holes in tough USM secondary (5th in nation in pass defense, 157.1, 4 TD passes, 15 ints.). RB Tatum Bell (936 rushing, 5.8 per carry, 10 TDs) can find holes if defense concentrates too much on Woods.
INDEPENDENCE BOWL
Shreveport, La.
NEBRASKA (7-6) vs. MISSISSIPPI (6-6), 4:30 p.m., ESPN.
COACHES: Frank Solich (49-15 in 5th year at Nebraska) and David Cutcliffe (29-19 in fourth year).
PAYOUT: Each school receives $1.2 million.
BOWL RECORDS: Nebraska is 20-20. Ole Miss is 17-12.
LAST BOWL APPEARANCE: Nebraska lost to Miami, 37-14, in last year's Rose Bowl. Ole Miss lost to West Virginia, 49-38, in the 2000 Music City Bowl.
SERIES HISTORY: First meeting.
LAST GAME: Nebraska lost at home to Colorado, 28-13, on Nov. 29. Ole Miss beat Mississippi State, 24-12, on Nov. 28.
STAT THAT MATTERS: Since 1986, Rebels are 6-2 in bowls including 3-0 mark in Independence Bowl.
GAME FACTS: Already with most losses since 1961, reeling Cornhuskers need win to notch 42nd consecutive winning season (one short of Notre Dame's all-time record). Staff is shorthanded after Solich fired three assistants after Colorado loss. After saying he would relinquish play-calling duties, Solich then backtracked and will make calls vs. Rebels. QB Jamal Lord (2,598 total offense) is better runner (8 TDs, 5.7 per carry) than passer (11 TDs, 10 ints., 46.8 pct. completions). Ole Miss QB Eli Manning (3,088 passing, 20 TDs, 15 ints.) faltered late tossing 12 ints. vs. 7 TDs in 1-5 finish. He'll look to WRs Chris Collins (49 catches, 10 TDs), Mike Espy vs. average NU secondary (53rd in nation in pass defense, 207.7, 11 TDs, 13 ints.).
HOLIDAY BOWL
in San Diego.
No. 6 KANSAS STATE (10-2) vs.ARIZONA STATE (8-5), 8, ESPN.
COACHES: Bill Snyder (115-51-1 in 14th year at K-State) and Dirk Koetter (12-12 in second year).
PAYOUT: Each school receives $2 million.
BOWL RECORDS: K-State is 5-5. Arizona State is 10-8-1.
LAST BOWL APPEARANCE: K-State lost to Syracuse, 26-3, in last year's Insight.com Bowl. Arizona State lost to Boston College, 31-17, in the 2000 Aloha Bowl.
SERIES HISTORY: Arizona State leads, 5-0.
LAST MEETING: Arizona State won, 31-0, in 1989.
LAST GAME: Kansas State beat Missouri, 38-0, on Nov. 23. Arizona State won at Arizona, 34-20, on Nov. 29.
STAT THAT MATTERS: In winning their last five games, Wildcats outscored Baylor, Kansas, Iowa State, Nebraska and Missouri by combined 253-30.
GAME FACTS: K-State may be nation's hottest team. QB Ell Roberson (1,219 totla offense, 8 TD runs, 2 TD passes, 2 ints. in last 5 games), RB Darren Sproles (1,347 rushing, 16 TDs) have keyed surge. CB Terrence Newman (won Jim Thorpe award, 5 ints., 6th in nation in punt returns, 16.3, 2 TDs), LBs Josh Buhl, Terry Pierce (combined 235 tackles) lead wicked defense (lead nation in both total defense, 243.9, scoring, 10.6, 32 turnovers forced). After 7-2 start, Sun Devils crumbled as defense allowed 153 points in season-ending 1-3 slide. But don't blame it on amazing DE Terrell Suggs (NCAA record 22 sacks, 29.5 tackles for loss). QB Andrew Walter (school-record 3,584 passing, 26 TDs, 14 ints.) didn't get much protection late (sacked 19 times in last 4 games). Freshman RB Mike Williams broke out for 162 rushing, 4 TDs in season-ending win. WR Shaun McDonald (76 catches, 17.0 per catch, 13 TDs) will have to work to get open vs. Newman.