Outback Bowl: Iowa vs. South Carolina

The Outback Bowl should be renamed the Defense Bowl. South Carolina and Iowa top the standings in the primary defensive statistics.

The Hawkeyes hold opponents to 13.3 points and 289.5 yards per game, ranking eighth and 12th in the FBS, respectively.

The Gamecocks also hold their own defensively, ranking 11th in the FBS with 288.9 yards allowed per game, including 160.3 in the air -- the third-best pass defense in the nation.

The Hawkeyes hopes to win this game is to give the ball to Shonn Greene, the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and the Doak Walker Award winner as the nation's best running back. If the Hawkeyes can control the ball on offense and play as they have all year on defense they should win this game, because their anemic 89th overall passing attack will not cut it.

The only threat the Hawkeyes defense will have to worry about is Gamecocks Senior wideout Kenny McKinley, who is having a mild year because of spotty quarterback play. Don’t let McKinley’s 48 grabs for 556 yards and a mediocre 4Tds fool you, he is a primetime talent that can change a game. Expect the Hawkeyes to pressure Stephen Garcia all day long. Garcia is very inexperienced having only played in 7 of 12 games this year. He did not play in the season finale against Clemson, and he has only thrown 6Tds to 5 picks.

For the Gamecocks to win, Spurrier needs to be decisive and go with one quarterback all game long. Currently, Stephen Garcia has been tabbed as the starting QB. If Spurrier shows confidence in Garcia through the good and bad of the game look for Garcia to improve as the game goes along. Garcia will need plenty of help from his rushing attack, but it may not come being that the Gamecocks are ranked 108th in FBS with only 98 yards per game.

The Gamecocks defense has to come up big and load eight in the box to stop Shonn Greene and force Hawkeye QB Richard Stanzi to beat them.

Like I said before, don’t expect offensive fireworks. Defense and ball control with be both teams game plans. Look for the Hawkeyes to pull it out, 21-10.


Peace,


Ricky Writer