Eight teams of 2009 Bowl losing by 20 points or more, worse than any of Nevada

Eight of the 34 losers Bowl-or about 25 percent, lost by 20 points or more, none worse than Nevada's 45-10 drubbing at the hands of the nascent Southern Methodist University in the Hawaii Bowl Mustang. For SMU coach June Jones was back home again.

Jones, coach of the Warriors of Hawaii for 9 years before becoming coach of SMU. In Hawaii, Jones inherited a team that had lost 18 straight games. He left Hawaii with a 76-41 record this season, the Warriors took a 6 Bowl games and won 4, had three 9-win seasons, and one 10-win, 11-win-win and 12 of the season competing in the WAC (Western Athletic Conference).

Jones inherited a dismal SMU program that was so bad that even this year 91% of football fans gathered to lose the Hawaii Bowl. Although in June Jones suffered a tough season 1-11 on first, his Mustangs finished the year at 8.5 and in a tie with Houston for 1st Place in the race for the Conference USA West Division title.

Southern Methodist was so dominant in the Hawaii Bowl, the Mustangs led 31-0 at the half. SMU rookie quarterback Kyle Padron accumulated a school-record 460 meters, from 32 to-41 with 2 touchdowns. Mustang Emmanuel Sanders 7 receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown and another Aldrick Robinson caught 9 passes for 176 yards. Padrón received Most Valuable Player Award Hawaii Bowl.

SMU Shawnbrey McNeal won 63 yards on 12 carries (5.25 yards per carry) and scored 3 times on the floor. Both teams finished the season with 8-5 records.

Jones was used to compete in bowl games, while coaching in Hawaii, SMU and its leadership to its first bowl game in 25 years. The Mustangs, a 12-point loser to enter the Hawaii Bowl, probably will not be as low scores the next time, knowing Jones in June, there will be a next time for SMU and the Mustang.

No. 20-ranked Nebraska not only beat Arizona ranked 22th, but the Wildcats 33-0 shutout to record the first shutout in the 32-year history of the Holiday Bowl. Cornhuskers Coach Bo Pelini did like the story itself was the first shutout in 46 games for Nebraska in a bowl.

Bo knows defense, and their defense has been all season to tackle Ndamukong Suh, AP College Football of the Year and finalist for the Heisman. Nebraska was dominated in both defense that Arizona did not join the Cornhuskers' next to the field until the 3rd quarter. Nebraska held the Wildcats to 6 first downs, 109 yards of offense and 51 plays, forcing Arizona to punt 9 times.

Nobody should be surprised by the excellent defensive effort in Nebraska this bowl game. The Cornhuskers ranked 7th in the nation in total defense (120 teams) and first in scoring defense, allowing only 10 points per game. Nebraska finished the year 10-4, scoring their first win in 10 seasons since 2003. Arizona was 8-5.

Unlike a year ago, Alabama, Florida, knew how to overcome a devastating loss. A year ago, the Crimson Tide lost to Florida in the championship game of the SEC, and Florida won the game BCS National Championship against Oklahoma, 24-14. Alabama, Utah, then played in the Sugar Bowl and the butts of their kicks, 31-17.

This year, Alabama, Florida, won the championship game of the SEC, 32-13, then went on to win the match BCS National Championship against Texas, 37-21. Florida met the undefeated Cincinnati (12-0) in the Sugar Bowl and upset the Bearcats, 51-24. There was disappointment for the Gators.

Tim Tebow, Florida around superstar and the most famous soccer player in the country, had no doubt the best game of his career. Tebow passed for a career-high 482 yards and ran for another 51 to compile 533 yards of total offense, surpassing the record of Vince Young's BCS 467 meters set against Southern California in the Rose Bowl in 2005.Florida's offense impressive ended the day with 659 yards of offense.

The Bearcats had forced Tebow to win the game going to be stacked the line of scrimmage, Alabama, a tactic he had used to beat Florida in the final of the SEC, Cincinnati but did not have the same caliber of players Alabama defensive as the Bearcats and failed miserably.

Tebow, former Heisman Trophy winner, completed 31 of 35 passes and threw touchdown passes to Aaron Hernandez, Deonte Thompson and Riley Cooper. He also ran for a touchdown. Top class players in Florida officially became the most successful final year in the history of the SEC, winning 2 national championships in 2006 and 2008, and compiling a 48-6 record in 4 seasons of 89% the percentage victories.

The victory was the 13th of the year for Florida (13-1), becoming the first major college team in history to win 13 games in consecutive seasons. The loss was the second straight game for Cincinnati in the BCS bowl competition, the Bearcats lost to Virginia Tech, 20-7 in last year's Orange Bow.

To be fair to the players of Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly to leave the team in early December to take the coaching job at Notre Dame. Kelly had called plays all season for the Bearcat offense and his absence was noted. Interim coach Jeff Quinn was left to prepare the team for its biggest game ever, and meant the loss of Cincinnati undefeated season stopped dead.

Houston, blew into the Armed Forces Bowl with quarterback Case Keenum, the nation's leading signal-caller with 5671 yards, 44 TDs and 15 interceptions.

Houston had won the right to boast, the Cougars' led the nation in offensive production, averaging 563 yards per game, and were also tied with Boise State's offense to score higher than the nation, averaging 42 points per party.

Unfortunately, Houston was playing the Air Force. Are you as fast as a fighter can destroy an offense on the ground? The Air Force Academy Falcons entered the game with the defense 5 of the best in the country is going.

And the result? Air Force dissection Houston, 47-20. The Air Force held high and Keenum Houston to 222 yards and 6 interceptions. Defensive back Chris Thomas ended with a broken nose, but also had two picks and 12 tackles. Teammate Anthony Wright had 3 peaks. Keenum was only 6 teams in the first 12 games this year.

Air Force ground game was led by Jared Tew with 173 yards on 26 carries (6.65 YPC), and Asher Clark with 129 yards on 17 carries (7.59 YPC). Tew and Asher both scored twice.

I was the least surprised at the face of the earth that Houston took a beating. The Cougars are ranked 111th out of 120 teams in total defense, and only 95th in scoring defense. A quote from Keenum after the defeat was very funny: "Let's keep this in the offseason and we will use it as motivation."

Here's a better idea, topic. Tell your coach, Kevin Sumlin, to hire some high school kids who can play defense.

Houston is soccer going nowhere at 1,000 miles per hour. Unless Kevin Sumlin metrics you need to play defense to win big, you can win some games but his Cougars will not be a serious contender for anything worth talking about. Houston finished the season at 10-4; Sagarin had them ranked in the 53 in the country. Even Mississippi State with a record of 5-7 was ranked higher at 45.

Oregon State has its own problems. Beavers never recovered from his confrontation of the Civil War against Oregon, the Ducks lost 37-33, and losing the right to play in the Rose Bowl BCS. That had to settle for the Las Vegas Bowl and get beaten by Brigham Young, 44-20.

This was a big surprise, not the loss but the loss of 24 points. Beavers are one of the dirtiest teams in the country and have been known to be really vicious in the field. Max Hall BYU had its way with them, going 19-of-30 for 192 yards and 3 touchdowns.BYU finished the year 11-2, Oregon State was 8 to 5 "I would not be the team that plays in his first game next year.

South Florida's Mike Ford rushed for 207 yards (10.4 YPC) and one touchdown, and rookie quarterback BJ Daniels was 14-of-22 for 217 yards and 2 touchdown passes as the Bulldogs broke through northern Illinois, 27-3, in the International Bowl in Toronto, Ontario, Canada's largest city.

The bowl victory was the second straight for the Bulls, who beat Memphis 41-14 in St. Petersburg Bowl last season. This year's game was tied 3-all in the half, but South Florida won the 2nd half, 24-0.

Freshman running back Ryan Williams rushed for 117 yards and 2 touchdowns to lead 12th ranked Virginia Tech past Tennessee, 37-14 in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, pushing the Hokies to 10-3 and giving her 6 ª 10 straight-win season. Tennessee outrushed Virginia Tech (7-6) in the game, 229 to 5.

Williams became the Hokies' one season with the holder of 1655 meters, and also records of the Atlantic Coast Conference with his 21 rushing touchdowns and 22 total touchdowns. Virginia Tech, won the Orange Bowl last season and now has back-to-back bowl wins for the first time in school history.

Tennessee went to eat in this game, and his-first-year coach Lane "Again, Gone Again" Kiffin, dumped Tennessee promptly to a better performance in Southern California. Peter Carroll left USC to take the coaching job with the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL. There is nothing like loyalty to build a little confidence and trust, so they say in Tennessee.

Mohamed Sanu, several freshmen at Rutgers threat receiver, scored twice in a wildcat formation and caught a touchdown pass to lead the Scarlet Knights at the University of Central Florida (UCF), 45-24, in the bowl in St. Petersburg. Tom Savage, another freshman, threw for a career best 294 yards and 2 touchdowns.

His coach, Greg Schiano, was effusive in victory, "which is 4 straight bowl victories, line 5 cups," said Schiano, Rutgers has brought nothing back to the assertion in the last 9 years.

Sanu is the first Rutgers player in 17 years to run for a touchdown pass for a touchdown and a pass for a touchdown in the same season. When you can run, pass and touchdown catches, you are a legitimate triple threat.

UCF coach George O'Leary said after the game that the Rutgers defense was better than his offense. The Scarlet Knights held Central Florida to 35 yards rushing and allowed only 4-of-15 third down conversions, forcing Central Florida to punt 8 times.

Copyright © 2010 Ed Bagley