COLLEGE FOOTBALL Bowl previews

TUESDAY'S GAMES
HOUSTON BOWL
NAVY (8-4) vs. TEXAS TECH (7-5), 4:30, ESPN.
FAVORITE: Power ratings say Texas Tech by 18.
COACHES: Paul Johnson (10-14 in second year at Navy) and Mike Leach (30-21 in fourth year at Texas Tech).
PAYOUT: Each school receives $1 million.
BOWL RECORDS: Navy is 4-4-1. Texas Tech is 6-19-1.
LAST BOWL APPEARANCE: Navy beat California, 42-38, in the 1996 Aloha Bowl. Texas Tech beat Clemson, 55-15, in last year's Tangerine Bowl.
SERIES HISTORY: First meeting.
LAST GAME: Navy beat Army, 34-6, on Dec. 6. Texas Tech lost at home to Oklahoma, 52-25, on Nov. 22.
STAT THAT MATTERS: Midshipmen led nation in rushing (326.1) while Red Raiders led nation in passing (473.5).
GAME FACTS: Look for shootout as both teams set school records for total offense. A dismal 3-30 from 2000-2002, Midshipmen enjoyed fine turnaround winning Commander-In-Chief's trophy for first time since 1981. Soft schedule (faced only three teams with winning records) helped a lot. Using triple-option, QB Craig Candeto (2,129 total offense, 14 TD runs, 7 TD passes, 5 ints.), RB Kyle Eckel (1,178 rushing, 10 TDs) give Navy two 1,000-yard rushers in same season for first time. Pass defense (4th in nation, 153.8) hasn't faced kind of speed, accuracy Red Raiders possess in QB B.J. Symons (Division I-A record 5,336 passing, 48 TDs, 21 ints.), slew of WRs led by Carlos Francis, Wes Welker (combined 159 catches, 18 TDs). RB Taurean Henderson (693 rushing, 9 TDs) adds balance. DE Adell Duckett (led Big 12 with 14 sacks), S Ryan Aycock (95 tackles) are best of poor defense (110th in nation in total defense, 463.7).
HOLIDAY BOWL, in San Diego.
No. 15 WASHINGTON STATE (9-3) vs. No. 5 TEXAS (10-2), 8, ESPN.
FAVORITE: Power ratings say Texas by 6.
COACHES: Bill Doba (9-3 in first year at Washington State) and Mack Brown (59-17 in 6th year at Texas).
PAYOUT: Each school receives $2 million.
BOWL RECORDS: Wash. State is 5-4. Texas is 20-20-2.
LAST BOWL APPEARANCE: Wash. State lost to Oklahoma, 34-14, in last year's Rose Bowl. Texas beat LSU, 35-20, in last year's Cotton Bowl.
SERIES HISTORY: Texas leads, 2-0.
LAST MEETING: Texas won, 41-8, in 1961.
LAST GAME: Wash. State lost at Washington, 27-19, on Nov. 22. Texas beat Texas A & amp;M, 46-15, on Nov. 28.
STAT THAT MATTERS: Since getting pasted, 65-13, by Oklahoma on Oct. 11, Longhorns have won six straight by average score of 45-16.
GAME FACTS: Costly loss at Washington dropped Cougars here. Longtime defensive coordinator under Mike Price, Doba has already set WSU mark for wins by first-year coach. Defense (6th in nation vs. run, 87.5, led nation with 45 turnovers forced) is strong, but sore shoulder hindered QB Matt Kegel (42-of-73, 533 passing, 3 TDs, 4 ints. in last four games) late in year. 3-2 in bowls at Texas, Brown tries to become first Longhorns' coach to win three straight bowl games since Darryl Royal (five straight from 1964-70). 6-game winning streak has coincided with emergence of RB Cedric Benson (1,277 rushing, 6th in nation with 20 TDs), who has romped for 779 yards, 9 TDs in last four games. Longhorns are 15-0 when Benson tops 100 yards. Freshman QB Vince Young (2,128 total offense, 11 TD runs, 6 TD passes, 6 ints.), still doesn't utilize talented WR Roy Williams (61 catches, 8 TDs) enough.
SILICON VALLEY CLASSIC, in San Jose, Calif.
FRESNO STATE (8-5) vs. UCLA (6-6), 10:30, ESPN2.
FAVORITE: Power ratings say UCLA by 4.
COACHES: Pat Hill (54-35 in 7th year at Fresno State) and Karl Dorrell (6-6 in first year at UCLA).
PAYOUT: Each school receives $750,000.
BOWL RECORDS: Fresno State is 7-6. UCLA is 12-11-1.
LAST BOWL APPEARANCE: Fresno State beat Georgia Tech, 30-21, in last year's Silicon Valley Classic. UCLA beat New Mexico, 20-13, in last year's Las Vegas Bowl.
SERIES HISTORY: UCLA leads, 6-0.
LAST MEETING: UCLA won, 24-21, in 2000.
LAST GAME: Fresno State won at Texas-El Paso, 23-20, on Nov. 29. UCLA lost at Southern Cal, 47-22, on Nov. 22.
STAT THAT MATTERS: In ugly four-game losing streak to end season, Bruins were outscored 130-62 while suffering 15 turnovers.
GAME FACTS: Bulldogs squeaked their way here for fourth straight year with 5-1 season-ending push including late rallies to beat lowly SMU, Rice, UTEP. WR Bernard Berrian (1,855 all-purpose yards) does many things well. After QB Paul Pinegar (1,640 passing, 10 TDs, 8 ints.) returned from torn chest muscle midway through season, offense improved. He'll face tough Bruins pass rush led by All-America DE Dave Ball (led nation with 16-1/2 sacks), DT Rodney Leslie. Gritty defense (third in Pac-10 in total defense, 320.0) allowed only 3 TDs in second half all year. Dorrell's real problem has been awful offense (109th in nation in total offense, 305.8, held to 14 points or less five times), now minus QB Matt Moore, who is transferring and has left team. RB Maurice Drew (517 rushing, 5 TDs, 9th in nation in kickoff returns, 28.1, 2 TDs) is closest thing Dorrell has to a weapon.
-- Scripps Howard