It’s not Times Square, but Disney World loves to celebrate the New Year. With a fan- and weather-friendly location in Orlando, Fla., the Champs Sports Bowl has plenty of old-style appeal. It’s also a chance for Maryland or Purdue to add a solid ending to an already resurgent season.
Here are three storylines to watch alongside Mickey Mouse:
» Stop spreading the news: The Boilermakers make the ball move as well as any team in the country, and under head coach Joe Tiller, offense has led Purdue to nine bowl appearances in the last 10 seasons.
“I think [Tiller] was working with the spread offense before it became the spread offense,” said Terrapins head coach Ralph Friedgen.
Sophomore quarterback Curtis Painter may not be former Boilermaker Drew Brees, but Purdue ranked sixth in the nation in passing offense (293.7 yards per game) and 10th in total yards (425.8). Painter threw for 3,721 yards, 21 touchdowns and 18 interceptions in the Boilermakers’ pass-oriented attack. Junior wideout Dorien Bryant led the Big Ten with 79 catches for 967 yards.
“It’s not going to be a walk in the park for us. We’re going to have show that we can stop one of the great passing games in the nation,” said Maryland senior cornerback Josh Wilson.
» I’m leaving (the backfield) today: Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore have rotated at running back all season for the Terrapins, rushing for a combined 1,375 yards and 11 touchdowns. Both are only juniors, but fifth-year senior Josh Allen (33 rushes for 98 yards) could be a key factor in his final game.
Purdue boasts second-team All-American senior defensive end Anthony Spencer, but is also one of the few teams in the country with a worse rushing defense (ranked No. 112, 190.1 yards allowed per game) than Maryland (No. 102, 174.8 ypg).
Junior running back Kory Sheets leads the Boilermakers with 769 yards and 11 touchdowns, but he has just one game with more than 100 yards and just two scores in Purdue’s last eight games.
» I want to be a part of it: Simply getting here has been an achievement for both Purdue and Maryland, which return to the postseason after one- and two-year breaks, respectively.
The Boilermakers have lost five of their last six bowl games, while the Terps seek a school record third-straight bowl victory.
“I think they are pretty excited for this bowl game. I think this is the game they wanted to go to,” said Friedgen.
Good point: Maryland’s two-game slide at the end of the regular season meant extra administrative wooing to avoid Navy in the Meineke Car Care Bowl, a mouth-watering showdown but a lose-lose situationfor the Terrapins.
Champs Sports Bowl
» Who: Maryland (8-4) vs. Purdue (8-5)
» Where: Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium, Orlando, Fla.
» When: Tonight at 8
» TV: ESPN
» Why it’s a great matchup: The Terrapins and Boilermakers have never faced each other before. Both teams have plenty to prove, especially the Maryland defense, which deserves credit if it can slow Purdue’s high-octane passing game.
» Why it’s not: The combined record for both teams against Division I-A opponents with a winning record: 3-6. And it got better Wednesday night when Florida State won its bowl game. It could’ve been worse — Purdue didn’t even play Big Ten rivals Michigan and Ohio State.
