COLLEGE BOWL PREVIEW Today

What: Las Vegas BowlWho: No. 20 BYU (10-2) vs. No. 25 Oregon (7-5)Game time: 8 p.m.TV: ESPNCoaches: Bronco Mendenhall (13-11 in second year at BYU) and Mike Bellotti (97-47 in 12th year at Oregon)Payout: Each school receives 1 million.Bowl records: BYU is 7-16-1 Oregon is 7-12.Last bowl appearance: BYU lost to Cal, 35-28 in last year's Las Vegas Bowl. Oregon lost to Oklahoma, 17-14, in last year's Holiday Bowl.Series history: Oregon leads, 3-2.Last meeting: Oregon won, 32-16, in 1990.Last game: BYU won at Utah, 33-31, on Nov. 25. Oregon lost at Oregon State, 30-28, on Nov. 26.Stat that matters: Over the last three years, Ducks are 4-7 after Nov. 1 while yielding 33 points per game in the losses.Game facts: Cougars come in as one of nation's hottest teams with eight straight wins (by combined 355-113) after 1-2 start. Senior QB John Beck has been superb, leading the charge ranking second in the nation in QB rating (261-of-371, 3,510 passing, 30 TDs, 6 ints., 5 TD runs). Beck even balanced out tough early road losses at Arizona and Boston College (both on final play of game) by hitting TE Jonny Harline with 11-yard TD pass as time expired to beat Utah. RB Curtis Brown (890 rushing, 5 TDs, 55 catches, 3 TDs) is versatile weapon. Once again folding down stretch, Ducks stagger in on three-game losing streak in which UO has been outscored 102-48. Excluding wins over 1-11 Stanford, Division I-AA Portland State, defense has yielded 28 points per game as eight different RBs ran for more than 100 yards on them. And now LB Blair Phllips, who leads team with 98 tackles, is questionable with knee injury suffered vs. Oregon State. One guy sure to be motivated is Ducks offensive coordinator Gary Crowton, who was forced out as BYU coach in 2004 after three straight losing seasons. He needs to help QB Dennis Dixon, who has been awful lately (43-of-70, 327 passing, 6 ints., 0 TDs in last three losses).
Scripps Howard