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| Featured Game | ||||||
| Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl |
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| Nebraska | (10-3) | vs | Washington | (6-6) | Thursday 12/30 7:00 PM PT | (ESPN) |
This is a rematch of a regular season tilt that was a one-sided 56-21 victory for Nebraska. There are only a couple things that have changed since that game. First, the Cornhuskers are going to be coming in a little disappointed that they didn't make a BCS Bowl game and the Huskies will be feeling good about making a premier second tier bowl game like the Holiday Bowl. In the previous matchup both QBs were healthy, but in this one Washington Senior QB Jake Locker is finishing his rest and recovery from injured ribs and thigh, and Nebraska Freshman QB Taylor Martinez is trying to come back from injuries to his ankle and foot. Both will be playing in their first ever bowl games.
Another focus of this game will be the running attacks. Nebraska Senior RB Roy Helu had a big season this year and ran for over 100 yards on only 10 carries in their previous meetup. Washington Sophomore RB Chris Polk really started to come on later in the season is coming off a 29 carry, 284 yard rushing performance against Washington State that clinched the Huskies bowl berth.
Bottom line is that the Washington Huskies are coming into this game on a high and with a talented QB and RB that have a lot of confidence right now and the Nebraska Cornhuskers' emotional state is questionable, but they still have a ton of talent and experience on both offense and defense. We'll have to tune in to see how all that turns out.
| BFTB Scouting Targets: | |||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight |
| Jared Crick |
Nebraska | DE/DT | Jr. | 6'5 | 288 lbs |
| High motor guy with good size that has had great production. Has the ability to fight through blocks and stop runners in their tracks. He's seen his stock slip some this year, so if he declared he might be a good 2nd or 3rd round pickup for the Bolts. He has the size to be 3-4 DE, but maybe not all the skills. Original Writeup | |||||
| Niles Paul |
Nebraska | WR | Sr. | 6'1 | 224 lbs |
| Pretty good size, speed and hands for the position. Willing to go over the middle. He's also useful in the return game and initially could contribute on coverage units. Original Writeup | |||||
| Pierre Allen |
Nebraska | DE/OLB | Sr. | 6'4 | 261 lbs |
| He's not a natural pass rusher even though he plays DE in Nebraska's defense. However, he does have the athleticism to play OLB in the 3-4 and the skills in run defense that could make him valuable. He's a project and would be a depth acquisition in possibly the 4th or 5th round. Original Writeup | |||||
| Eric Hagg |
Nebraska | S | Sr. | 6'1 | 208 lbs |
| A rare breed. A safety who is better in coverage than in the box. He fluid hips that help him drop into coverage. He can probably play nickelback in the pros if needed. Not a big hitter, but can wrap up. Instincts could be better, but he does have good burst to close in on a play. Even still, he just rates as a day 3 pick. 5th round or later. | |||||
| Mike McNeill |
Nebraska | TE | Sr. | 6'4 | 230 lbs |
| Good route runner who can create separation just with that skill alone. He's a big red zone target, but also has speed to stretch the field. Good, natural hands. Not a great athlete, so he can't cause mismatches by lining up flexed out wide. Great character. Day 3 pick. Maybe 5th round. | |||||
| Mason Foster |
Washington | OLB |
Sr. | 6'1 | 238 lbs |
| A consistent performer who plays on a bad Washington defense. Like his former teammate and current Charger Donald Butler, it could be the team's performance that is causing him to get overlooked. Those that follow him say that he could be 2nd or 3rd round pick. He's come up big this year in games against USC and Oregon St., but struggled against Nebraska the first time around. Might be a little small for 3-4 OLB, but could transition to play alongside Butler as an ILB. | |||||
| NFL Prospects: | |||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight |
| Prince Amukamara |
Nebraska | CB | Jr. | 6'0 | 203 lbs |
| He's basically been to the Nebraska Cornhuskers what Nmandi Asomugha has been to the Raiders for the last few years. No one wants to throw near him. That means his numbers are gaudy, but if you watch him play you can see a technician that blankets his man. Will either be the 1st or 2nd CB off the board and will go high in the first round. Original Writeup | |||||
| Roy Helu Jr. |
Nebraska | RB | Sr. | 5'11 | 223 lbs |
| His body size is similar to a Ryan Mathews or a LaDainian Tomlinson, but his athleticism is nowhere near that level. He does possess good vision and has shown in some games that he can break away from the defense with good burst and speed. He's adequate in the passing game as a receiver and poor as a pass blocker. Definitely a day 3 pick, where exactly depends on people's tastes, but looking like a 5th or 6th rounder. |
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| Jake Locker |
Washington | QB | Sr. | 6'2 | 229 lbs |
| A big time prospect who had a disappointing Senior season. Injuries and a poor supporting cast definitely hurt him, but different people have different thoughts on how much each contributed and how much he should be held accountable for it all. He's still a great athlete and could be a scrambler like a Steve Young. His arm strength is there and he would seem to be well prepared to weather through playing with a bad team. This game is a big opportunity to prove to scouts that much of the season was a fluke and that he really can lead an offense against a top program. Original Writeup | |||||
| Sleepers: | |||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight |
| Alex Henery |
Nebraska | K | Sr. | 6'1 | 177 lbs |
| Keith Williams |
Nebraska | OG | Sr. | 6'4 | 310 lbs |
| Dejon Gomes | Nebraska | S | Sr. | 5'10 | 203 lbs |
| Michael Smith | Nebraska | OT | Sr. | 6'6 | 285 lbs |
| Richard Henry | Nebraska | OG | Sr. | 6'2 | 303 lbs |
| David Jones | Nebraska | OG | Sr. | 6'5 | 310 lbs |
| Anthony West | Nebraska | CB | Sr. | 5'11 | 205 lbs |
| Will Henry | Nebraska | WR | Sr. | 6'5 | 216 lbs |
| William Mahan |
Washington | P |
Sr. | 5'11 | 198 lbs |
| Michael Dorson Boyce |
Washington | FB | Sr. | 6'1 | 229 lbs |
| Ryan Tolar |
Washington | OC | Sr. | 6'4 | 289 lbs |
| Cody Habben |
Washington | OT | Sr. | 6'6 | 286 lbs |
| Nathan Williams |
Washington | S | Sr. | 6'0 | 216 lbs |
| De'Shon Matthews |
Washington | DE | Sr. | 6'4 | 258 lbs |
| D'Andre Goodwin |
Washington | WR | Sr. | 5'10 | 186 lbs |
| Other Games | ||||||
| Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl |
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| Army | (6-6) | vs | SMU | (7-6) | Thursday 12/30 9:00 AM PT | (ESPN) |
| New Era Pinstripe Bowl |
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| Kansas St. | (7-5) | vs | Syracuse | (7-5) | Thursday 12/30 12:20 PM PT | (ESPN) |
| Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl | ||||||
| North Carolina |
(7-5) | vs | Tennessee | (6-6) | Thursday 12/30 3:40 PM PT | (ESPN) |
|
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl: Army vs. Southern Methodist University |
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| Sleepers: | ||||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight | |
| Joshua McNary |
Army | OLB |
Sr. | 5'11 | 232 lbs | |
| Michael Glenn |
Army | DT | Sr. | 6'2 | 270 lbs | |
| Aldrick Robinson |
SMU | WR | Sr. | 5'9 | 178 lbs | |
| Matthew Szymanski |
SMU | K | Sr. | 6'1 | 197 lbs | |
| Youri Yenga |
SMU | OLB |
Sr. | 6'1 | 231 lbs | |
| New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Kansas State vs.Syracuse | ||||||
| BFTB Scouting Targets: | ||||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight | |
| Delone Carter |
Syracuse | RB | Sr. | 5'9 | 219 lbs | |
| Carter most likely won't rank as one of the elite backs in this draft and will probably slide down to the 3rd round or later. He does, however, have the potential to be an every down back at the next level with his compact build, burst, strength and speed. He was a big reason for Syracuse's season turnaround and for that can probably be seen as a leader and a high character guy. |
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| NFL Prospects: | ||||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight | |
| Daniel Thomas | Kansas St. | RB | Sr. | 6'2 | 228 lbs | |
| Teams looking for a runner who is big, physical and and can grind out tough yardage should be looking a Daniel Thomas. He's probably not enough of an athlete to be a first round pick, but the right team will find a lot of value in Thomas in the 2nd round. He does everything well including pass protection and running the wildcat, but nothing that great. He's never been injured, which is a great quality to have in a physical runner. You could call him a more skilled Ryan Grant, a more athletic Michael Turner or a less athletic and speedy Adrian Peterson if you like. | ||||||
| Sleepers: | ||||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight | |
| Antonio Felder |
Kansas St. | OLB | Sr. | 6'1 | 244 lbs | |
| Prizell Brown |
Kansas St. | DT | Sr. | 6'2 | 268 lbs | |
| Stephen Harrison |
Kansas St. | CB | Sr. | 5'10 | 187 lbs | |
| Kenneth Mayfield |
Kansas St. | OG | Sr. | 6'4 | 333 lbs | |
| Ryan Bartholomew |
Syracuse | C |
Sr. | 6'1 | 294 lbs | |
| Derrell Smith | Syracuse | ILB |
Sr. | 6'0 | 234 lbs | |
| Michael Holmes | Syracuse | S |
Sr. | 5'9 |
181 lbs | |
| Douglas Hogue | Syracuse | OLB |
Sr. | 6'1 | 225 lbs | |
| Aaron Weaver |
Syracuse | WR |
Sr. | 6'1 | 219 lbs | |
| Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: North Carolina vs. Tennessee | ||||||
| BFTB Scouting Targets: | ||||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight | |
| Quan Sturdivant | North Carolina | ILB | Sr. | 6'1 | 227 lbs | |
| Tremendous athlete that can play at inside and outside LB, but he'll need to work on refining his skills at those positions. He'll likely do very well at the combine. Some minor character issues to worry about, but nothing to drop his draft grade. Could go as high as the 2nd round. Original Writeup | ||||||
| Deunta Williams | North Carolina | S | Sr. | 6'1 | 204 lbs | |
| Probably the most physically gifted of the safeties in this draft class. He's a good athlete with good hips who can can actually cover TEs or slot WRs man-to-man. He's not a physical player, however and it remains to be seen if he'll be a liability making key tackles at the next level. Looks like a 2nd round pick. Original Writeup | ||||||
| Luke Stocker | Tennessee | TE | Sr. | 6'5 | 247 lbs | |
| Big framed TE who is tough and willing to work. Has the speed to stretch defenses, but isn't going to making any impressive moves in the open field. With his frame he should be able to shield defenders and be a red zone target, but he struggles in that area. He won't be going to Pro Bowls, but he can probably become an NFL starter or a key backup at the TE position. Projected as a 4th rounder for now. | ||||||
| NFL Prospects: | ||||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight | |
| Kedric Burney | North Carolina | CB | Sr. | 5'9 | 180 lbs | |
| A smaller cornerback with wheels. The Chargers usually pass on these types of guys, but will go on day 2 or early day 3. He can help in the return game and has a lot of good skills as a CB that can make up for his lack of size. He's similar to current Kansas City Chief Javier Arenas like that. | ||||||
| Sleepers: | ||||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight | |
| Zack Pianalto |
North Carolina | TE | Sr. | 6'3 | 239 lbs | |
| T.J. Yates |
North Carolina | QB | Sr. | 6'4 | 220 lbs | |
| Ryan Houston |
North Carolina | FB | Sr. | 6'2 | 245 lbs | |
| Da'Norris Searcy |
North Carolina | S |
Sr. | 6'0 | 200 lbs | |
| Shaun Draughn |
North Carolina | RB | Sr. | 6'0 | 205 lbs | |
| Edwards Barham |
North Carolina | TE | Sr. | 6'3 | 260 lbs | |
| Alan Pelc |
North Carolina | OG | Sr. | 6'6 | 305 lbs | |
| Johnny White |
North Carolina | RB | Sr. | 5'1 | 205 lbs | |
| Denarius Moore | Tennessee | WR | Sr. | 6'0 | 187 lbs | |
| Chris Walker | Tennessee | OLB | Sr. | 6'2 | 230 lbs | |
| Daniel Lincoln | Tennessee | K | Sr. | 6'0 | 210 lbs | |
| Kevin Cooper | Tennessee | FB |
Sr. | 6'0 | 233 lbs | |
| Chad Cunningham | Tennessee | P | Sr. | 6'2 | 210 lbs | |
| Nicholas Reveiz | Tennessee | ILB |
Sr. | 5'9 | 230 lbs | |
| Gerald Williams | Tennessee | DE | Sr. | 6'4 | 252 lbs | |
| Lamarcus Thompson | Tennessee | OLB | Sr. | 6'0 | 231 lbs | |
| Jarrod Shaw | Tennessee | OG | Sr. | 6'4 | 328 lbs | |
| Gerald Jones |
Tennessee | WR | Sr. | 5'10 | 196 lbs | |
Tracking Prospects Mentioned In Previous Articles:
| Prospect Name | College | Position | Class | Proj. Draft Position |
Bowl Game Opponent (Date) |
Notes |
| Noel Devine | West Virginia | RB | Sr. | 3rd/4th rd | 8 car. 50 yds. 4 rec. 21 yds. 1 fumble. |
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| Kendall Hunter | Oklahoma St. | RB | Sr. | 3rd/4th rd | 10 car. 32 yds. |
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| LaMichael James | Oregon | RB | So. | 2nd rd | Auburn (1/10) | |
| DeMarco Murray | Oklahoma | RB | Sr. | 2nd rd | Connecticut (1/2) | |
| Jacquizz Rodgers | Oregon St. | RB | Jr. | 3rd rd | ||
| Brandon Saine | Ohio State | RB | Sr. | Late rds | Arkansas (1/4) | |
| Shane Vereen | California | RB | Jr. | 3rd rd | ||
| Jonathan Baldwin | Pittsburgh | WR | Jr. | 1st/2nd rd | Kentucky (1/8) | |
| Armon Binns | Cincinnati | WR | Sr. | 5th rd | ||
| Justin Blackmon | Oklahoma St. | WR | So. | 1st rd | 9 rec. 117 yds. 2 TDs. | |
| Vincent Brown | San Diego St. | WR | Sr. | 4th rd | 8 rec. 165 yds. 1 TD. 1 car. -13 yds. | |
| Ryan Broyles | Oklahoma | WR | Jr. | 1st/2nd rd | Connecticut (1/2) | |
| Michael Floyd | Notre Dame | WR | Jr. | 3rd rd. | Miami (12/31) | Stock is down. May stay in school. |
| A.J Green | Georgia | WR | Jr. | 1st rd. | UCF (12/31) | |
| Leonard Hankerson | Miami | WR | Sr. | 4th/5th rd | Notre Dame (12/31) | |
| Dwayne Harris | East Carolina | WR | Sr. | 4th rd | 8 rec. 68 yds. 1 car. -7 yds. | |
| Jerrel Jernigan | Troy | WR | Sr. | 2nd rd | 7 rec. 48 yds. 1 TD. 3 car. 16 yds. 1 TD. Returned kicks and punts. | |
| Ron Johnson | USC | WR | Sr. | 4th/5th rd | ||
| Derrell Johnson-Koulianos | Iowa | WR | Sr. | 3rd/4th rd | Dismissed from team after arrest on drug chargers | |
| Julio Jones | Alabama | WR | Jr. | 1st rd | Michigan St. (1/1) | |
| Jeremy Kerley | TCU | WR | Sr. | 5th/6th rd | Wisconsin (1/1) | |
| Greg Little | North Carolina | WR | Sr. | 2nd-4th rd | NCAA ruled him permanently ineligible. | |
| Niles Paul | Nebraska | WR | Sr. | 3rd/4th rd | Washington (12/30) | |
| Austin Pettis | Boise St. | WR | Sr. | Late rds | 12 rec. 147 yds. 1 TD. | |
| DeVier Posey | Ohio State | WR | Jr. | 2nd/3rd rd | Arkansas (1/4) | |
| Greg Salas | Hawaii | WR | Sr. | 4th rd | 13 rec. 214 yds. 2 TDs. | |
| DeMarco Sampson | San Diego St. | WR | Sr. | Late rds | 2 rec. 45 yds. | |
| Torrey Smith | Maryland | WR | Jr. | 2nd rd | 2 rec. 10 yds. 1 car. -3 yds. | |
| Terrance Toliver | LSU | WR | Sr. | 4th/5th rd | Texas A&M (1/7) | |
| Nick Toon | Wisconsin | WR | Jr. | 4th/5th rd | TCU (1/1) | |
| Titus Young | Boise St. | WR | Sr. | 3rd/4th rd | 6 rec. 64 yds. 3 car. 9 yds. | |
| Gabe Carimi | Wisconsin | OT | Sr. |
1st/2nd rd |
TCU (1/1) | |
| Demarcus Love | Arkansas | OT | Sr. | 2nd rd | Ohio State (1/4) | |
| Jason Pinkston | Pittsburgh | OT | Sr. | 3rd rd | Kentucky (1/8) | |
| Derek Sherrod | Mississippi St. | OT | Sr. | 1st/2nd rd | Michigan (1/1) | |
| Stephen Paea | Oregon St. | NT | Sr. | 1st rd | ||
| Ian Williams | Notre Dame | NT | Sr. | Late rds | Miami (12/31) | Torn MCL. Will probably miss bowl game and combine. |
| Christian Ballard | Iowa | DE/DT | Sr. | 4th rd | 1 sack. | |
| Jared Crick | Nebraska | DE/DT | Jr. | 3rd rd | Washington (12/30) | |
| Nick Fairley | Auburn | DE/DT | Jr. | 1st rd | Oregon (1/10) | |
| Allen Bailey | Miami | DE | Sr. | 1st rd | Notre Dame (12/31) | |
| Da'Quan Bowers | Clemson | DE | Jr. | 1st rd | South Florida (12/31) | |
| Adrian Clayborn | Iowa | DE | Sr. | 1st rd | ||
| Cameron Jordan | California | DE | Sr. | 1st/2nd rd | ||
| Karl Klug | Iowa | DE | Sr. | 5th rd | 1 sack. | |
| J.J. Watt | Wisconsin | DE | Jr. | 2nd rd | TCU (1/1) | |
| Pierre Allen | Nebraska | DE/OLB | Sr. | 4th rd | Washington (12/30) | |
| Jeremy Beal | Oklahoma | DE/OLB | Sr. | 2nd rd | Connecticut (1/2) | |
| Ryan Kerrigan | Purdue | DE/OLB | Sr. | 1st rd | ||
| Cliff Matthews | South Carolina | DE/OLB | Sr. | 3rd/4th rd | Florida St. (12/31) | |
| Pernell McPhee | Mississippi St. | DE/OLB | Sr. | 2nd rd | Michigan (1/1) | |
| Brooks Reed | Arizona | DE/OLB | Sr. | 2nd/3rd rd | ||
| Greg Romeus | Pittsburgh | DE/OLB | Sr. | 3rd rd | Torn ACL done for the year. | |
| Jabaal Sheard | Pittsburgh | DE/OLB | Sr. | 2nd rd | Kentucky (1/8) | |
| Kelvin Sheppard | LSU | DE/OLB | Sr. | 3rd rd | Texas A&M (1/7) | |
| Akeem Ayers | UCLA | OLB | Jr. | 1st rd | ||
| Bruce Carter | North Carolina | OLB | Sr. | 2nd rd | Torn ACL. Will miss bowl game and probably combine. | |
| Brandon Hicks | Florida | OLB | So. | 5th rd | Penn St. (1/1) | |
| Von Miller | Texas A&M | OLB | Sr. | 1st rd | LSU (1/7) | |
| Dontay Moch | Nevada | OLB | Sr. | 3rd rd | Boston College (1/9) | |
| Jonas Mouton | Michigan | OLB | Sr. | Late rds | Mississippi St. (1/1) | |
| Kennth Wright | Mississippi St. | OLB | Sr. | 4th rd | Michigan (1/1) | |
| Obi Ezeh | Michigan | ILB | Sr. | Late rds | Mississippi St. (1/1) | |
| Ross Homan | Ohio State | ILB | Sr. | 4th rd | Arkansas (1/4) | |
| Mike Mohamed | California | ILB | Sr. | Late rds | ||
| Nate Irving | North Carolina St. | ILB | Sr. | 3rd rd | 1 sack, 1 FF, 1 Fumble recovery. |
|
| Greg Jones | Michigan St. | ILB | Sr. | 3rd rd | Alabama (1/1) | |
| Casey Matthews | Oregon | ILB | Sr. | Late rds | Auburn (1/10) | |
| Quan Sturdivant | North Carolina | ILB | Sr. | 2nd rd | Tennessee (12/30) | |
| Chris White | Mississippi St. | ILB | Sr. | Late rds | Michigan (1/1) | |
| Alex Wujciak | Maryland | ILB | Sr. | 4th rd | ||
| Travis Lewis | Oklahoma | LB | Jr. | 2nd rd | Connecticut (1/2) | |
| Colin McCarthy | Miami | LB | Sr. | 3rd rd | Notre Dame (12/31) | |
| Prince Amukamara | Nebraska | CB | Sr. | 1st rd | Washington (12/30) | |
| Chykie Brown | Texas | CB | Sr. | 4th rd | Broken forearm. Done for season. | |
| Curtis Brown | Texas | CB | Sr. | 2nd rd | ||
| Rashad Carmichael | Virginia Tech | CB | Sr. | 3rd rd | Stanford (1/3) | |
| Chimdi Chekwa | Ohio State | CB | Sr. | 3rd/4th rd | Arkansas (1/4) | |
| Marcus Gilchrist | Clemson | CB | Sr. | 3rd rd | South Florida (12/31) | |
| Brandon Harris | Miami | CB | Jr. | 2nd rd | Notre Dame (12/31) | |
| Brandon Hogan | West Virginia | CB | Sr. | 5th rd | ||
| Janoris Jenkins | Florida | CB | Jr. | 1st rd | Penn St. (1/1) | |
| Patrick Peterson | LSU | CB | Jr. | 1st rd | Texas A&M (1/7) | |
| Aaron Williams | Texas | CB | Jr. | 2nd rd | ||
| Shareece Wright | USC | CB | Sr. | 4th rd | ||
| Mark Barron | Alabama | S | Jr. | 2nd/3rd rd | Michigan St. (1/1) | |
| Ahmed Black | Florida | S | Jr. | 4th rd | Penn St. (1/1) | |
| Quinton Carter | Oklahoma | S | Sr. | 2nd rd | Connecticut (1/2) | |
| Jermale Hines | Ohio St. | S | Sr. | Late rds | Arkansas (1/4) | |
| DeAndre McDaniel | Clemson | S | Sr. | 3rd rd | South Florida (12/31) | |
| Rahim Moore | UCLA | S | Jr. | 2nd rd | Most likely returning to school. | |
| Robert Sands | West Virginia | S | Jr. | 2nd rd | 1 sack. | |
| Deunta Williams | North Carolina | S | Sr. | 3rd rd | Tennessee (12/30) |