Independence Bowl

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INDEPENDENCE BOWL
IOWA ST. vs. MIAMI (OH)
Dec-28 6:30/ESPN

SO, WHAT’S THE STORY WITH THIS ONE?
Lots of stories. Miami’s coach Terry Hoeppner is going to Indiana making this for one of those overdramatic send-off games. Iowa St. despite being one win away from the Big 12 Championship game still has no idea how they got to a bowl and is just happy to be there. The Independence Bowl is currently in crisis and this could be the last one.

WHO THE HELL ARE THESE TEAMS?
Iowa St. is a measly 1-6 in bowl games with their only win being in 2000 against Pittsburgh at the Insight Bowl. The offense is young with a redshirt freshman at quarterback, a sophomore at tailback and a true freshman as the go-to wide receiver. While they are a talented bunch, due to their age they can be easily confused and are prone to crying. The defense is where the heart of this team lies more specifically DE Tyson Smith, LB Brandon Brown and CB Ellis Hobbs each leading their respective positions but there are still lots of holes and they don’t have great points against average. The team also benefited from a ridiculously horrible division. Their only win against a bowl team was outside the Big 12 defeating Northern Illinois in a 48-41 shootout.

Many consider the Redhawks to be the favorite here. Miami has traditionally been successful in the post-season going 6-2 overall. They’ve also defeated some big time programs back in their heyday (that being the mid-1970s) including South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Last year, they made their first bowl game since 1986 and ran over Louisville 49-28. Their defense is suspect to give up the big game and while most of last year’s offense is gone (and doing well in the NFL) the new crew is doing a-ok. Josh Betts threw for 3,225 yards with 22 touchdowns and a rating of 142.5. They also boast two receivers to catch over 800 yards, Ryne Robison and Michael Larkin. Robinson is also one of the best punt returners in the game. Larkin, the #1 go to guy..well…he was stabbed. So, still no word if he can go.

WHAT THE HELL IS THE INDEPENDENCE BOWL?
This bowl has history and while it’s poo pooed by the nazis it’s quite beloved by hard core college football fans. It was started in 1976 by the Shreveport-Bossier City Sports Foundation and named it the Independence Bowl due to America’s bicentennial and the town’s strong military presence. Basically, the deal was that it pitted Southland Conference champions against an invited guest. So, you got some weird match-ups such as Syracuse vs. McNeese St. In 1981, they ended their agreement with the SLC and was officially put on the map when they were able to land a heavyweight fight pitting Texas A&M and Oklahoma St. At the time, that was big news due to the rivalry between the old Big 8 and the old Southwestern Conference; and games between the two conferences were quite rare. Since then the Independence bowl was home to some classic bowl games including one in 1983 where Air Force beat Ole Miss 9-3 during a flood. In 1990, Lousiana Tech gained national attention by tying a very strong Maryland. In the 1995 game matching LSU and Michighan St, 28 points were scored in the last two minutes. The infamous ‘Snow Bowl’ in 2000, the list goes on and on. But as of now they do not have a corporate sponsor and can’t seem to find one. They are paying the bill this year but say they can’t do it next year. Is this the end of this beloved little bowl?


IOWA ST.-17
MIAMI (OH)-13
MVP: STEVIE HICKS/BRET MEYER

WHAT HAPPENED?
First off, like the coolest thing ever. Miami AD named the new head coach of in the locker room right before game time, that being OC Shane Montogomery. The players went nuts and all were happy. Then the game happened. Iowa St. ran for 295 yards including 159 from their RB and 122 from their Quarterback. Miami only rushed for 60 yards and while their passing game was descent, Josh Betts did not have the 300+ game many thought he would produce plus a last minute interception killed any hopes of winning. Larkin did play by the way, and caught two passes extending his NCAA record to 50 games with a perception. At the end while the game was intense, it was not as close as the score. Iowa St. always seemed to have the momentum and edge. Cyclone’s rushing attack also gave the defense lots of rest and in return they would not let Miami get any offense going. This could be considered an upset. Miami was the favorite and Iowa St. is a team that was once an underdog to 1-AA Northern Iowa this year. This brings us too…..

WHAT DID WE LEARN?
I hate to say a broken record but for the last few years we’ve been hearing alot about the MAC. But the MAC is not as good as people think they are. I’ll rephrase that: The MAC is not as good as people WANT them to be. This conference is what it is and we need to be a realistic. The MAC consists of a few teams who are offensively top heavy that play a NFL pro-system allowing great stats (and drafting chances) in a conference filled with non-competitive programs. As for Iowa St., this young team could be a powerhouse in the Big 12 North. That rushing defense is a brick wall and they have some hot blood on the skill positions.