Hawaii?s football team took an 11-hour flight through four time zones to reach Bourbon Street, but its opponent, the Georgia Bulldogs, needed just a short flight to reach New Orleans, home to the Superdome and tonight?s Sugar Bowl.
Tenth-ranked Hawaii?s appearance in their first Bowl Championship Series game was earned by a high-scoring offense powered by Colt Brennan, an All-American quarterback who broke or tied 18 NCAA records during his illustrious career. The fourth-ranked Bulldogs, however, earned their third Sugar Bowl appearance in the past six years by doing what they do best: combining a dominating running attack with a tenacious defense that had Georgia on the brink of playing for a national championship.
Two teams couldn?t be more different. One is from the land of palm trees and sun-swept beaches; the other from Dixie, known for kudzu, sweet tea and a tremendous college football history.
But that won?t matter when the teams take the field tonight at 8:30 in front of a national television audience on FOX to cap a New Year?s Day slate of six bowl games.
Hawaii (12-0) is the lone undefeated major college football team and averages a national-best 46.2 points per game behind Brennan, who has thrown for 4,174 yards and 38 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. His favorite targets are the “Dreadheads,” a group composed of Jason Rivers, Ryan Grice-Mullen, Davone Bess and C.J. Hawthorne, who all have dreadlocks that flow from the bottom of their helmets. The Dreadheads have combined for 340 receptions for 4,273 yards and 43 touchdowns.
“They?re the best set of wide receivers since I?ve been in college football,” Bulldogs defensive end Marcus Howard said.
But it will be up to the Warriors, who play in the Western Athletic Conference, to prove they can defeat a good team from a major conference. And that?s where Georgia (10-2) has won its past six games behind a defense that ranks 19th in total defense, allowing the opposition 324.6 yards per game, and 25th in scoring defense, yielding an average of 21 points.
Offensively, Georgia is going establish its running game behind Knowshon Moreno (1,273 yards, 12 TDs) and Thomas Brown (706 yards, 9 TDs), which will set up a passing game led by quarterback Matthew Stafford (2,348 yards, 18 TDs, 9 INTs) and receiver Sean Bailey (37 catches, 597 yards, 4 TDs).
“I?ve been trying to prepare these players for the media and the hype surrounding a game of this magnitude,”Warriors coach June Jones said. “It?s going to be a Super Bowl-like atmosphere. I don?t think they have any idea what they?re getting into.”
?The Associated Press contributed to this report.
