COLLEGE BOWL PREVIEW \ Today's games

CLEMSON (8-4)vs. KENTUCKY (7-5)
What: Music City BowlWhere: NashvilleGame time: 1 p.m.TV: ESPNCoaches: Tommy Bowden (60-34 in 8th season at Clemson) and Rich Brooks (16-30 in fourth year at Kentucky).Payout: Each school receives 1.6 million.Bowl records: Clemson is 15-13. Kentucky is 5-5.Last bowl appearance: Clemson beat Colorado, 19-10, in last year's Champs Sports Bowl. Kentucky lost to Syracuse, 20-13, in the 1999 Music City Bowl.Series history: Kentucky leads, 7-4.Last meeting: Clemson won, 14-13, in the 1993 Peach Bowl.Last game: Clemson lost at home to South Carolina, 31-28, on Nov. 25. Kentucky lost at Tennessee, 17-12, on Nov. 25.Stat that matters: Since 2003, Tigers are 4-9 in games decided by four points or less including 0-3 mark this year.Game facts: After big dreams of BCS bowl and ACC title crumbled in 1-3 finish, Tigers' motivation here is questionable. Since season ended, Bowden had to talk with RB James Davis (second in ACC with 1,134 rushing, led ACC with 17 carries), who spouted off about lack of carries down stretch. TE Thomas Hunter (broken foot) will not play. QB Will Proctor (57-of-98, 674 passing, 2 TDs, 4 ints., 3 lost fumbles in last four games) has made too many mistakes lately. Yet Tigers could find going very friendly vs. awful Wildcats' defense (next-to-last in nation in total defense, 456.6 ypg and passing defense, 268.7 ypg, 21 TD passes given up, 13 ints.). At the same time, tough Tigers' defense could have trouble containing underrated UK attack (led SEC, 9th in nation in passing, 273.8 ypg, scored 31 points or more 6 times) led by QB Andre Woodson (second in SEC in QB rating, 244-of-391, 3,216 passing, 28 TDs, 7 ints.), WRs Keenan Burton, Dicky Lyons Jr. (combined 120 catches, 20 TDs).
MISSOURI (8-4)vs. OREGON STATE (9-4)
What: Sun Bowl.Where: El Paso, Texas.Game time: 2 p.m.TV: (27) (19) (2).Coaches: Gary Pinkel (37-34 in 6th year at Missouri) and Mike Riley (36-34 in 6th year at Oregon State).Payout: Each school receives 1.9 million.Bowl records: Missouri is 10-13. Oregon State is 7-4.Last bowl appearance: Missouri beat South Carolina, 38-31, in last year's Independence Bowl. Oregon State beat Notre Dame, 38-21, in the 2004 Insight Bowl.Series history: Oregon State leads, 1-0.Last meeting: Oregon State won, 19-13, in 1956.Last game: Missouri beat Kansas, 42-17, on Nov. 25. Oregon State won at Hawaii, 35-32, on Dec. 2.Stat that matters: In 7-1 push to finish season, Beavers averaged just under 31 points per game in the seven wins.Game facts: Tigers got here despite 1-3 slide to finish season. QB Chase Daniel (fifth in nation with 3,590 total offense, 26 TD passes, 4 TD runs, 10 ints.) got going again in season finale torching Kansas with 26-of-38, 356-yard (career-high), 4-TD effort. RB Tony Temple (869 rushing, 5 TDs), WR William Franklin (48 catches, 6 TDs, fourth in Big 12 with 829 receiving yards) are other weapons. Beavers are one of nation's hottest teams and facing an explosive offense is nothing new to OSU (already played Hawaii, USC and Boise State). Offense will miss All-Pac-10 G Jeremy Perry (sprained knee), but still has plenty of firepower in QB Matt Moore (second in Pac-10 in QB rating, 198-of-324, 2,666 passing, 14 TDs, 6 ints.), RB Yvenson Bernard (second in Pac-10 with 1,210 rushing, 12 TDs), WR Sammie Stroughter (66 catches, 4 TDs, led Pac-10 with 1,210 yards receiving). Fast, aggressive defense (led Pac-10, fourth in nation with 44 sacks, second in Pac-10 vs. run, 103.1 ypg) is led by DE Dorian Smith (81/2 sacks).
SOUTH CAROLINA (7-5)vs. HOUSTON (10-3)
What: Liberty Bowl.Where: Memphis.Game time: 4:30 p.m.TV: ESPN.Coaches: Steve Spurrier (14-10 in second year at South Carolina) and Art Briles (26-23 in fourth year at Houston).Payout: Each school receives 1.7 million.Bowl records: South Carolina is 3-9. Houston is 7-8-1.Last bowl appearance: South Carolina lost to Missouri, 38-31, in last year's Independence Bowl. Houston lost to Kansas, 42-13, in last year's Fort Worth Bowl.Series history: Houston leads, 2-0.Last meeting: Houston won, 24-14, in 1974.Last game: South Carolina won at Clemson, 31-28, on Nov. 25. Houston beat Southern Miss, 34-20, in the Conference USA title game on Dec. 1.Stat that matters: In bowl games vs. Ohio State, Gamecocks are 2-0 and 1-9 vs. anybody else.Game facts: Spurrier could use this one -- especially after school officials gave him a 500,000 raise and extended his contract after rumors Miami was interested in the "Ol' Ball Coach." After losing his job in September following arrest during bar fight, sophomore QB Blake Mitchell returned in relief in loss to Arkansas Nov. 4 and played well down stretch (83-of-118, 1,144 passing, 6 TDs, 4 ints., TD run in last four games). WR Sidney Rice (64 catches, 9 TDs), RB Cory Byrd (729 rushing, 6 TDs) are tough in open field. Cougars took off winning final six games to get here after WR Anthony Aldridge was moved to RB and came up huge (631 rushing, 6 TDs in last six games). Aldridge's 10.6 yards per carry average would set Division I record if it holds up here.
MINNESOTA (6-6)vs. TEXAS TECH (7-5)
What: Insight Bowl.Where: Tempe, Ariz.Game time: 7:30 p.m.TV: NFL Network.Coaches: Glen Mason (63-56 in 10th year at Minnesota) and Mike Leach (55-33 in 7th year at Texas Tech).Payout: Each school gets 1.2 million.Bowl records: Minnesota is 5-6. Texas Tech is 8-20-1.Last bowl appearance: Minnesota lost to Virginia, 34-31, in last year's Music City Bowl. Texas Tech lost to Alabama, 13-10, in last year's Cotton Bowl.Series history: First meeting.Last game: Minnesota beat Iowa, 34-24, on Nov. 18. Texas Tech beat Oklahoma State, 30-24, on Nov. 18.Stat that matters: Red Raiders are third in the nation in passing (363.1 yards per game, 37 TDs) while Golden Gophers are 115th in pass defense (253.5 ypg, 22 TDs allowed, 16 ints.).Game facts: After being left for dead at 3-6 following humbling 44-0 loss at Ohio State Oct. 28, Gophers somehow won last three to get here. UM is only team in nation to run for 2,000 yards and pass for 2,000 yards in each of the past seven years. But that may have as much to do with weak Big Ten and usual sorry non-conference schedule (wins over Kent State, Temple, North Dakota State along with 42-17 loss at Cal) as anything else. QB Bryan Cupito couldn't have played better in November (56-of-91, 888 passing, 8 TDs, 1 int. in last three wins). He'll miss All-America TE Matt Spaeth, who is out after shoulder surgery. Red Raiders went the other way, crumbling after 4-1 start with 3-4 finish that included inexplicable 30-6 loss at Colorado (2-10) on Oct. 14. Still porous Gophers' defense is good matchup for Leach's no-huddle, pass-happy attack led by QB Graham Harrell (376-of-561, third in nation with 4,110 yards passing, 36 TDs, 10 ints.).
MARYLAND (8-4)vs. PURDUE (8-5)
What: Champs Sports Bowl.Where: Orlando, Fla.Game time: 8 p.m.TV: ESPN.Coaches: Ralph Friedgen (49-24 in 6th year at Maryland) and Joe Tiller (75-48 in 10th year at Purdue).Payout: Each school receives 2.25 million.Bowl records: Maryland is 8-10-2. Purdue is 7-6.Last bowl appearance: Maryland beat West Virginia, 41-7, in the 2004 Gator Bowl. Purdue lost to Arizona State, 27-23, in the 2004 Sun Bowl.Series history: First meeting.Last game: Maryland lost at home to Wake Forest, 38-24, on Nov. 28. Purdue lost at Hawaii, 42-35, on Nov. 25.Stat that matters: Look for lots of running. Boilermakers are 112th in nation vs. run (191.1 yards per game) while Terps are 102nd (174.7 ypg).Game facts: After beating Miami, 14-13, on Nov. 11, Terps were set up to win ACC Atlantic Crown but then folded in season-ending losses to Boston College, Wake Forest as offense suffered 7 turnovers, defense yielded 72 points. In his final game at Maryland, senior QB Sam Hollenbach needs to atone for poor play in final two games (41-of-68, 431 passing, 1 TD, 5 ints., lost fumble losses to BC and Wake). Boilermakers did not beat a team with a winning record (0-4) but did run off three straight wins to get here. Still learning Tiller's "basketball on grass" wide-open offense, sophomore QB Curtis Painter (3,837 total offense, 21 TD passes, 6 TD runs) had loads of talent but is still prone to mistakes (16 ints. Including 7 in last 3 games).
Scripps Howard