18 --The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, December 13, 2000 Motor City Bowl icy played in all three and winning S Marshall (5-1 "Mid- the last two. Thle Bearcats, thtough, Ameran,7-5 verll) have demonstrated a mastery of VS. cincinati (5-2 C- Marshall with an all-time record of 5- USA,7-4 veral,] 2-1 record agatnst thte Tiundering .Dec. 27, 4 p.m., ESPN Herd. By Seth Klempner Cineintnati is not a pretty team, 1) sty Sparts Wrter pattittg up maiginal numbers this sea- soit. But it fteds wsays to win. 'The The tw O biggest evetits every year Bearcats stretngtlh is thteir running in Detroit are tite Detroit Autt Shiows, game, which aserages t4t yards per atid1the Motor City Bossl, game hehittd thte shoulders uof Ray The only probhlem ?.Ilte Motor City Jacksont.Ilie averages fotur yards per Bowl, played hetwseett inthle w itter carry of the Msid Americant Conference and I heir turnarotund and 7-4 record is the secottd place finisher otf clue itn large part to tilte pet fortlatice Con ferette USA, is played int of kicker Rick Mitter, wshto sontthle Pontiac. ILstt Ctoca taward hfor collegiate Marshall1 camte hack from a dtsap- Kicker of tlte Year ted was natted a pointing early seasonttoitgo 5-1intttits first team Ail-Americatn. Mittter last six gamnes. Qu.arterback Byrotnt brotke the scltotl sitngle-season recoird Leftwicht, despite haintg the task of fot- poittts wsitht 1114 atndssettt 2tt-fsr- replacing Chad Pentingttton, thtrew (oir 29 ott field gotals. 3,348 yards atnd 21 touchtdossnis this (itncinniati's resume thtis seaston season. 'The Thttnderintg fletchalsoincttltudesis itover Syrateuse antd bring esecitAll-Mid Ametietconthtett-No. 20 SothtlerntMississippi,a (conferettce fitst tealili player s, fie (si'thtre e puointtlhss itotentNit. 5 wiho platy uot defenuse. WAisconsitanid t secittd]tlatce fintishi Marshajl l hts also demotttttrated IniConfieence (tSA,. ttastery of' tie Mtori City IBowsl,.hits- Thle Bearcatis atnd 'Iliutderitig INerd Players to watch: Cincinnati: Rick Minter, K Ray Jackson, RB Marshall: Byron Leftwich, QB Nate Pool, WR Why Cincinnati can win? The Bearcats can poand it on the giond, and air it out. Kicker Minter is automatic. Why Marshall can win? The Thandering Herd has boon here before, and won it twice. Leftwtch has been phenomenal lining op behind center. htaie pat ap stiiltr tUttiets this seat- son, withtMatrsh~all hotldintg a 3.5 ptittts per game advantage sffentsise ly. Boteavese allutied 23.6tptiints per gamte cut defetnse. ie edge illttait uifetnse goes to Mattshll . isitht 4110.5 Yatrds per gatmte. Cinucinntiiaulsuo alloy's 16ft tttie ytrds per gamte ott lie Seasoni. '-.Micron PC Bowl - Minnesota (4-4 Big Ten, r 7-5 overall) vs. !North Carolina St. (4-4 ACC, 7-4 overall) Dec. 28, 7 p.m., TBS By Nick Kacher D~aly Spts Wtier Mintiesota antd Northl Carolitta State etact begathte seaisont ott tpiositivetttte by witigtttiglieuftst tlttee gatmes. With eacht sit, thoaghts of New Year-sDuty btowsl gamtes statrted to creep intothtle baickuf thteirmtntds. t'hent, teality stritek for botth teatmtt anid thtey nttis fittd tltettselsves initte Micrivipecoin Bssott 1n3cc. 28 itt Miami. Still, thte CGoldeitGotphters (4-4 Bug Tent,ft-5 oserall) anud thte Woltback (3-4 AtCC., 7-4) both wantt to enttchle sea- soit on a gited nitte atnd gaitt somte tnontentuntttaut could catrry otier tuo text scuisuti. Mcintnesttuisill be travselinig tot atbotil gatmte hit its secuottutcittsecatisve year laigely iuatnks tut its triple ilircit. Icllis Retlititu led thte attack, ruashingtiafr 1,12' as, and itu s amontitg the nationis Ilead- ers itt al-purpose yatrds. Juttiotr quatr- baick '1Tutavis Cole threw fir itearly 1,800 yuards uttd IItucltdowns. Cules itaitn target wats wide receiver Rott tohnsotn who casght 59 passes fotr 1,067 yatds atnd I1 touchcdoswns. Johntscitiproved this year that he was one of the top receivers itt the ctonferetnce atnd the natioin. NiorithCuirolina Stae, untder te direc- tion of first-yeatr cotacht Chuck Atnatoi, will platy in the Microntpeco ou(wl1 for the secoind tite in three seaisonis. "I ititnkise'vetad a greut season" Amauto said. "We did prithably better ta.a loi t fteoplle thought ise wotald, tttclutdintgsac." Simtilar to its oppontienti, Notrt Cartoltinua Stuate has ut trist of superstars that havse led ite itemtt its success. At the begintiitgtof ite seatsont, it iss unfutreseeuable that truic-freshtmtan quar- terhack, Phislip Risers, iwotuld itroswfur tmtore thtuat 3,000))yaruds. No otne ealtect- cdl receisver Koreit Robitisoit, a ntual athllete, ito he so etinsistenttly dotinttittas a sotphottore. But the biggest sarprise otf all caetitrohm littohutkel lsti 'isler whoii fittished the seasititas otte of ite cout-rys lcuding t "icklers. utiveraugitg 14.4 taickles per gamtte. YS. Players to watch: Minnesota: Tellis Redmon, RB Travis Cole, QB N.C. State: Koren Robinson, WB Levar Fisher, LB Why Minnesota can win Big Ten schedule gives Golden Gophers significant edge. Young team is playing in second straight bowl. Why N.C. State can win Robinson has been nothing short of spectacular for the \iolfpack. Gophers young sec- ondary mill suffer. Whlile it ity itot be ite Oranige Bits sir Rotse Bowl, hboth Notrt Cartolinat Stut and Mitnesota tie going dlossnt tstt cin itlourida to wsin. It shitald Iteut greu baittle hetweet too siattig quaterback: and thteit star wuide teceivers, atnd cooil be a piesviesv of gsiud thitigs to conte f buith ptrogramtts. ,*Local, Long distance - International *No minimum weight restrictions *One piece of furniture to a house full i 4