Peach Bowl - Georgia Dome - Atlanta, GA
Week 15 Friday, 12/30/2005 7:30 PM
Miami (9-2 overall, 6-2 Pac-10/3rd)
Last Bowl: 2004 Peach Bowl (Miami 27, Florida 10)
vs
LSU (10-2, 7-1 SEC Western Division Co-Champions)
Last Bowl: 2005 Capital One Bowl (LSU 25, Iowa 30)
History
Miami and Louisiana State will be meeting for the 12th time ever and for only the second time in 36 years. The Tigers lead the series 8-3. The two teams last played in 1988, a 44-3 Miami victory. Prior to that, they had not played since 1969. Miami returns to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl one year after defeating Florida 27-10 on December 31, 2004. This will be the third appearance for the Hurricanes in the Peach Bowl. On Jan. 2, 1981, the Hurricanes defeated Virginia Tech 20-10 in the Peach Bowl in a game that has been credited as the turning point in the Miami football program. Prior to that Peach Bowl, Miami had not appeared in a bowl game for 14 years. Since that game, the Hurricanes have qualified for 21 bowl games in 25 years. Overall, Miami is making its 32nd bowl appearance. The Hurricanes have a record of 18-13 in 31 previous bowl games. LSU will be making their fourth appearance in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and the first since a 28-14 win over Georgia Tech in 2000. LSU beat Florida State, 31-27, in the 1968 Peach Bowl and then posted a 10-7 victory over Clemson in the 1996 Peach Bowl. LSU will also be appearing in a bowl game for the 37th time, which includes a school record streak of six consecutive seasons with a bowl trip. Since 2000, the Tigers have appeared in the Nokia Sugar Bowl twice, the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl twice, the Cotton Bowl and the Capital One Bowl.
TRENDS
LSU:
LSU HC Les Miles is 10-3 ATS off an SU & ATS loss.
MIAMI:
Miami is 7-1 SU and ATS in their last 8 bowl appearances.
Miami HC Larry Coker is 3-1 SU & ATS in his 4 games while coaching at Miami.
Miami is 3-7 ATS as a favorite this year and 16-27 ATS as a favorite since 2002.
Miami is 9-4 ATS as a favorite of 7 or less points since 2002.
Miami is 11-2 SU & 10-3 ATS away against an SEC opponent.
CONFERENCE AND BOWL TRENDS
The underdog is 9-3 ATS in the last 13 Peach Bowl games. (Favored Miami won ATS against Florida last year)
LSU:
LSU starting quarterback JaMarcus Russell did not accompany the Tigers to Atlanta for the Peach Bowl. Russell, who injured his left shoulder Dec. 3, remained in Baton Rouge for treatment and rehabilitation, meaning Matt Flynn will make his first start in Friday's Peach Bowl. Miles said that walk-on Jimmy Welker will serve as Flynn's backup at quarterback against Miami. Welker, who has served as the LSU's scout team quarterback all season, has never played in a college game. LSU was second in the SEC and fifth in the nation in total defense (276.3 ypg). The Tigers were also third in SEC and seventh in nation in rushing defense (94.8 ypg). Five of LSU's 10 wins have come by four points or less, which includes a 2-point win over Arkansas (19-17), 3-point wins over Auburn (20-17) and Alabama (16-13) and 4-point wins over Arizona State (35-31) and Florida (21-17). The Auburn and Alabama wins came in overtime.
LSU Leaders:
Rushing: Joseph Addai (12 G, 163-781 yards, 8 TD)
Passing: JaMarcus Russell (12 G, 188-311, 2,443 yards, 15 TD)
Receiving: Dwayne Bowe (11 G, 38-659 yards, 9 TD)
Head Coach: Les Miles (Michigan, '76)
Career Record: 38-23 (5th year)
Record at LSU: 10-2 (1st year)
MIAMI:
Miami wide receiver Ryan Moore has been suspended for violating team policy and will not play in the Peach Bowl against No. 10 LSU on Friday night. Moore had 28 catches, third-most on the team, for 464 yards and four touchdowns this season. Lance Leggett will likely replace Moore in the starting lineup.
Miami Leaders:
Rushing: Tyrone Moss (8 G, 137-701 yards, 12 TD)
Passing: Kyle Wright (11 G, 170-286, 2,303 yards, 18 TD)
Receiving: Sinorice Moss (11 G, 35-604 yards, 6 TD)
Head Coach: Larry Coker (Northeastern, '70)
Career Record: 53-8 (5th year)
Record at Miami: 53-8 (5th year)
COACHING NOTES: LSU coach Les Miles will coach in a bowl game for the fourth time when the Tigers face Miami. Miles led Oklahoma State to three bowl games in four years before joining LSU for the 2005 season. Miles is 1-2 in bowl games, with his win coming against Southern Miss by a 33-23 count in the Houston Bowl in 2002. He also coached the Cowboys in the 2003 Cotton Bowl and the 2004 Alamo Bowl. Ole Miss beat Oklahoma State, 31-28, in the Cotton Bowl, while Ohio State posted a 33-7 victory over the Cowboys in the Alamo Bowl.
GAME NOTES: This years Peach Bowl features two top 10 teams for the first time in its history as the ninth-ranked Hurricanes face the No. 10 Tigers at the Georgia Dome on Dec. 30. It's one of only three bowl games this season pitting two top 10 teams against each other. No. 1 Southern California plays No. 2 Texas in the Rose Bowl for the national championship, and fourth-ranked Ohio State meets fifth-ranked Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. LSU leads the all time series with Miami, 8-3. The teams last met on Nov. 19, 1988, with #3-ranked Miami claiming a 44-3 win over then #11 LSU in Baton Rouge. These two teams have never met in post-season.
Analysis
An Atlanta tradition since 1968, it looks like this will be the final Peach Bowl. Officially this will be the Chick-Fil-A Bowl next year, with the title sponsor swallowing up the full name and what a match-up we get to watch. This contest will feature one of only three bowl games pitting a pair of Top 10 teams. Both teams are very similar as both have won recent national titles, attract enormous talent, have plenty of players on this field who will be in the NFL some day, and have had some impressive wins. One other thing they have in common is the fact that they’ve disappointed their fan bases this year. A pair of losses is too many for the fans of both teams, who expect BCS berths if not national championships on an annual basis.
These teams are statistically similar as well. Both clubs have top 5 defenses but neither has a top 50 offense. Miami leads the nation in two defensive categories – pass defense (148.2 ypg) and pass efficiency defense (84.57 rating) and it is second in scoring defense (11.9 ppg) and third in total defense (252.1 ypg). LSU ranks among the top 8 in the nation in four defensive categories, including a No. 5 ranking in both total defense (276.3 ypg) and pass efficiency defense (97.66 rating), as well as being No. 7 in rushing defense (94.75 ypg) and No. 8 in scoring defense (15.2 ppg). In addition, there are only three teams in college football who allow less than 3 yards per rush and less than 5½ yards per pass attempt, and these are two of them (Virginia Tech is the third). With both defenses being the superior units on the field, don’t be surprised if both teams struggle offensively.
Louisiana State is coming off a disappointing 34-14 loss to Georgia in the SEC Championship game on Dec. 3 in the Georgia Dome. Les Miles has led the Tigers to a 7-1 mark in the SEC this season and is looking for win No. 11 in his first year as LSU’s head coach. The Tigers were led by strong-armed junior quarterback JaMarcus Russell, who suffered a shoulder injury in the SEC Championship game against Georgia. (Russell is out for this game: meaning back-up QB Matt Flynn will make the start. Flynn was just 3 of 11 for 36 yards with a TD and an int. in relief vs. the Bulldogs). Russell, who has thrown for 2,443 yards and 15 touchdowns this season, is complemented by the strong backfield tandem of Joseph Addai (781 yards, eight TDs) and Justin Vincent (457 yards, five TDs). Dwayne Bowe has pulled in a team-best 38 receptions for 659 yards and nine TDs. All-purpose man Skyler Green leads the the Tigers in punt returns (13.6 average, one TD) and kickoff returns (357 yards, 19.7 average) and is second on the team in receiving (32 receptions) and fourth on the team in rushing (111 yards). The stingy Tigers defense is anchored by All-SEC defensive lineman Claude Wroten (9.5 tackles for loss) and Melvin Oliver’s team-best 8.0 sacks. Defensive back LaRon Landry also took home All-SEC honors with a team-best three interceptions and 65 tackles. LSU comes into this contest having held nine of its last 10 opponents, seven of which are SEC foes, to 20 points or less. Prior to the Georgia game in the SEC Championship, LSU held nine straight opponents to 20 points. Over the past 10 games, LSU's defense has allowed a total of 121 points (7 vs. Mississippi State; 6 vs. Vanderbilt; 17 vs. Florida; 17 vs. Auburn; 3 vs. North Texas, 0 vs. Appalachian State, 13 vs. Alabama, 7 vs. Ole Miss, 17 vs. Arkansas, 34 vs. Georgia) for an average of 12.1 points per game over that span.
Meanwhile, Miami’s “off and onâ€Â
