Monday
Fiesta Bowl
No. 3 Texas Christian (12-0) vs. No. 6 Boise State (13-0), 8:22 p.m. (FOX)
Line: TCU by 7.
Series record: 1-1.
Last meeting: TCU 17, Boise State 16, 2008 Poinsettia Bowl.
What’s at Stake
The winner will join either Alabama or Texas as the nation’s only unbeaten teams. Short of a shot at the national title, this is as good as it gets for two teams from conferences without automatic BCS bids. That could change next year, especially if the winner of this game finds itself high in the preseason rankings. In that sense, the Fiesta Bowl could provide a springboard to the 2010 national title race for one of these so-called outsiders.
Key Matchup
roncos run for 194.5 yards per game, and they might try to run the ball to keep the Horned Frogs’ defenders from teeing off on the quarterback.
Players to Watch
Boise State: QB Kellen Moore. Everything the Broncos do begins with Moore, the Western Athletic Conference offensive player of the year. The sophomore from Prosser, Wash., threw 39 TD passes to set a school single-season record. Moore’s coaches love him because he’s thrown only three interceptions – or one every 130.7 pass attempts.
TCU: DE Jerry Hughes. Hughes, a two-time All-American, is at the heart of one of the nation’s stingier defenses. The senior from Sugar Land, Texas, had 11.5 sacks this year. He has 28.5 career sacks, second behind Aaron Schobel on the school’s career list.
Figures: The Mountain West is 18-7 (.720) over the last six postseasons, including this one. That’s the highest winning percentage in the nation. The Horned Frogs will try to give the MWC a 5-0 bowl record this winter. The league already has victories over Fresno State, Oregon State, California and Houston. … Boise State was the winningest major-college program in the nation, with an 111-17 record (.867) from 2000-09. Texas, which is playing for the BCS national title, ranks second at 110-18 (.859). Boise State has averaged 41.6 points per game in that span, also No. 1 in the nation. … The Broncos’ last six bowls have been decided by a total of 18 points. … Boise State is known for its offensive punch, but TCU outgained the Broncos on the year (469.1 yards per game to 460.5).
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