BOWL PREVIEW \ Friday's games

MUSIC CITY BOWLNashville, Tenn.Alabama (6-5) vs. Minnesota (6-5)
Time: NoonTV: ESPNCoaches: Mike Shula (10-13 in second year at Alabama) and Glen Mason (50-45 in 8th year at Minnesota)Payout: Each school receives $785,000Bowl records: Alabama is 29-19-3. Minnesota is 4-5.Last bowl appearance: Alabama beat Iowa State, 14-13, in the 2001 Independence Bowl. Minnesota beat Oregon in last year's Sun Bowl.Series history: First meeting.Last game: Alabama lost at home to Auburn, 21-13, on Nov. 20. Minnesota lost to Iowa, 19-17, on Nov. 13.Stat that matters: Crimson Tide's 29 bowl wins lead the nation but only two have come in last nine years.Game facts: Freed from NCAA probation, Tide claims to motivated by this lower-rung bowl. Injuries having forced third-string QB Spencer Pennington into action, Alabama offense (91st in nation in total offense, 332.3 ypg) is mostly pedestrian aside from RB Kenneth Darby (1,061 rushing, 8 TDs). So the game comes down to a solid Tide defense (second in nation in total defense, 235.9 ypg, did not allow RB to gain 100 yards) vs. the Golden Gophers' two-headed RB attack of Laurence Maroney and Marion Barber III (combined 2,325 rushing, 25 TDs). Mason is still trying to figure out what happened after 5-0 start. Both offense (averaged 39 ppg in first 5 games, 25 ppg in final 6 games) and defense (gave up 16 ppg in first 5 games, 29 ppg in final 6 games) share the blame for the 1-5 collapse.
SUN BOWLEl Paso, TexasPurdue (7-4) vs. No. 21 Arizona State (8-3)
Time: 2 p.m.TV: WKBN (27), WOIO (19), KDKA (2)Coaches: Joe Tiller (62-36 in 8th year at Purdue) and Dirk Koetter (25-23 in fourth year at Arizona State)Payout: Each school receives $1.5 millionBowl records: Purdue is 7-5. Arizona State is 10-9-1.Last bowl appearance: Purdue lost to Georgia, 34-27 in overtime, in last year's Capitol One Bowl. Arizona State lost to Kansas State, 34-27, in the 2002 Holiday Bowl.Series history: First meeting.Last game: Purdue beat Indiana, 63-24, on Nov. 20. Arizona State lost at Arizona, 34-27, on Nov. 26.Stat that matters: Boilermakers' four losses came by a combined 10 points.Game facts: Hard-luck Boilermakers want to salvage something here. Having gone to five bowls prior to Tiller's arrival, Purdue heads to its eighth straight bowl with 3-4 postseason mark under him. QB Kyle Boller snapped out of slump by tying school records with 522 yards passing and six TDs in the rout of Indiana. WR Taylor Stubblefield is the all-time leading receiver in Division I history with 309 career catches. The Sun Devils' ugly season-ending loss also cost them QB Andrew Walter (Pac-10 record 85 career TD passes), who is out with a separated shoulder. So sophomore backup Sam Keller (8-of-13, 94 passing, 1 TD in final quarter vs. Arizona) gets the start. Just as damaging might be the loss of S Ricardo Stewart, also out with shoulder injury, another blow to defense that was shredded for 207 points in the final six games.
LIBERTY BOWLMemphis, Tenn.No. 10 Boise St. (11-0) vs. No. 7 Louisville (10-1)
Time: 3:30 p.m.TV: ESPNCoaches: Dan Hawkins (44-6 in fourth year at Boise State) and Bobby Petrino (19-5 )Payout: Each school receives $1.35 millionBowl records: Boise State is 4-0. Louisville is 4-6-1.Last bowl appearance: Boise State beat TCU, 34-31, in last year's Fort Worth Bowl. Louisville lost to Miami (Ohio), 49-28, in last year's GMAC Bowl.Series history: Boise State leads, 1-0.Last meeting: Boise State won, 34-31, in the 1999 Humanitarian Bowl.Last game: Boise State won at Nevada, 58-21, on Nov. 27. Louisville beat Cincinnati, 70-7, on Nov. 27.Stat that matters: Broncos own the nation's longest winning streak at 22 straight.Game facts: The scoreboard should light up as the nation's two highest scoring teams meet in the highest ranked matchup ever in the Liberty Bowl's 45-year history. The Broncos' balanced offense (second in nation in scoring, 49.7 ppg, total offense, 511.6 ypg) is triggered by QB Jared Zabransky (second in WAC with 3,050 total offense, 15 TD passes, 12 TD runs, 11 ints.), WR T.J. Acree (51 catches, 7 TDs) and RBs Lee Marks (902 rushing) and Jon Helmandollar (12 TDs in last 4 games). The Cardinals (led nation in total offense, 536.7 ypg, scoring, 50.3 ppg) are led by superb QB Stefan Lefors (led nation in QB rating, 171-of-231, 2,403 passing, 18 TDs, 2 ints., 2 TD runs) and WRs J.R. Russell and Montrell Jones (combined 99 catches, 9 TDs). RB Eric Shelton (6th in nation with 19 TDs) has been on rampage lately with 496 yards and 10 TDs in the last five games. Cardinals may have edge with superior defense (18th in nation in total defense, 307.9 ypg, led Conference USA with 26 turnovers forced) including S Kerry Rhodes (5 ints.). DE Marcus Jones led C-USA with 8-1/2 sacks).
PEACH BOWLAtlantaNo. 14 Miami (8-3) vs. No. 20 Florida (7-4)
Time: 7:30 p.m.TV: ESPNCoaches: Larry Coker (43-6 in fourth year at Miami) and Charlie Strong (interim Florida coach)Payout: Each school receives $2.2 millionBowl records: Miami is 16-12. Florida is 14-17.Last bowl appearance: Miami beat Florida State, 16-14, in last year's Orange Bowl. Florida lost to Iowa, 37-17, in last year's Outback Bowl.Series history: Miami leads, 27-25.Last meeting: Miami won, 38-33, last year.Last game: Miami lost at home to Virginia Tech, 16-10, on Dec. 4. Florida won at Florida State, 20-13, on Nov. 20.Stat that matters: Since 1996, the Hurricanes are 6-1 in bowls while averaging 31 points per game.Game facts: Hurricanes' disappointment includes their first three-loss season since 1999, including a pair of home losses for first time since 1998. QB Brock Berlin had good season (2,509 passing, 21 TDs, 5 ints. in 324 passes) but failed miserably vs. Virginia Tech (16-of-31, 139 passing, interception and fumble) with the ACC title on the line. CB Devin Hester (fifth in the nation in punt returns, 17.6, 3 TDs) is a threat to score any time he touches ball. Playing for defensive coordinator Strong, who has been retained by new Gators coach Urban Meyer, UF would like revenge for last year's loss when the Gators blew a 33-10 third quarter lead. Headed for the NFL a year early, RB Ciatrick Fason (led SEC with 1,173 rushing, 10 TDs) would like big game. QB Chris Leak (second in SEC in QB rating, 219-of-360, 2,935 passing, 28 TDs, 10 ints.) would like to play better than he did vs. UM last year (9-of-15, 93 passing, including game-sealing interception at the UM 10 in the final minute). LB Channing Crowder is expected to play after missing the last three games with a foot injury.
Scripps Howard