If you placed a bet on this one last week, there’s a good chance you might have been a little stunned at the news on Saturday that No. 9 Florida State (10-2) will face off against No. 18-ranked Houston Cougars (12-1) in the Peach Bowl without their quarterback, Everett Golson.
Golson won’t be playing in the Peach Bowl for what Seminoles head coach Jimbo Fisher calls “personal reasons,” but it was probably just an allergic reaction to crab legs. Those FSU quarterbacks have a real problem when it comes to that particular crustacean. Hey, shellfish allergies affect over four million Americans, Evan. Keep that chin up, buckaroo.
Bowl: Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl
Teams: Houston Cougars vs Florida State Seminoles
Date/Time: December 31, 2015 – 12 PM EST on ESPN
Location: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA
Vegas Line/Total: Noles -7 / O/U 55.5
Written by: Adam Greene
12 – 1 Record – 8 – 5 Vs Spread 12/05/15 Temple W 24-13 W -5.5 U 52.5 |
10 – 2 Record – 8 – 4 Vs Spread 11/28/15 @ Florida W 27-2 W -2.5 U 44 |
January 2, 2015 – Armed Forces Bowl – Houston 35 – 34 Pittsburgh January 4, 2014 – BBVA Compass Bowl – Houston 24 – 41 Vanderbilt January 2, 2012 – TicketCity Bowl – Houston 30 – 14 Penn State December 31, 2009 – Armed Forces Bowl – Houston 20 – 47 Air Force December 31, 2008 – Armed Forces Bowl – Houston 34 – 28 Air Force |
January 1, 2015 – Rose Bowl Florida State 20 – 59 Oregon January 6, 2014 – BCS Title Game – Florida State 34 – 31 Auburn January 1, 2013 – Orange Bowl – Florida State 31 – 10 N. Illinois December 29, 2011 – Champs Sports Bowl – Florida State 18 – 14 Notre Dame December 31, 2010 – Chick-fil-A Bowl – Florida State 26 – 17 South Carolina |
Houston Outlook
While Florida State may not be bringing their quarterback with them to Atlanta, the Cougars are and he’s been a one-man wrecking crew this season. Greg Ward Jr. has rushed for 1,041 yards and 19 touchdowns and passed for 2,590 yards and 16 touchdowns with just 5 picks. Running quarterbacks usually have accuracy issues, but not Ward. Though he’s just 5-foot-11 (officially) he’s still completed 68.1 percent of his passes. While the junior has no reason to look beyond this game to the NFL this season, he’s still got plenty of incentive to show up a team that has been in the national title mix for two fo the last three seasons.
Senior running back Kenneth Farrow is hovering right below 1,000 yards for the season and has found the end zone 12 times in the Cougars’ scoring machine. Demarcus Ayers has been Ward’s favorite target this season, hauling in 89 passes for 1,140 yards and six touchdowns, but Chance Allen, Steven Dunbar and Linnel Bonner all see action in Houston’s multiple wideout attack.
On defense, senior inside linebacker Elandon Roberts should be a late round or UDFA gem for an NFL team next season. Roberts has recorded 132 tackles this season with 17 for a loss, six sacks, a pick, five passes defended and eight quarterback hurries. Roberts’ thunder gets siphoned away a little by the sack prowess of outside linebacker Steven Taylor. Taylor has nine quarterback tackedowns, two picks, 12 quarterback hurries and 16 tackles for a loss. His 86 tackles are second only behind Roberts and the junior may see linebacker-needy 3-4 teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Baltimore Ravens and the Arizona Cardinals and decide to jump ship for the NFL.
Florida State Outlook
With Golson calling it a career, the starting job falls to Sean Maguire, who’s played plenty this year for the Seminoles. Maguire’s numbers are nearly as identical as Golson’s, throwing for 1,128 yards and nine touchdowns with just two picks. Regardless of who plays at quarterback, the player the Cougars need to be scared of is Dalvin Cook. The sophomore running back from Miami has racked up the yardage and the touchdowns for Florida State this season, averaging an incredible 7.9 yards per carry. Cook’s 1,658 yards and 18 touchdowns are just the beginning for a kid that could put up Melvin Gordon-type numbers next year.
Maguire will have a productive group of receivers even if none of them seem physically imposing. Only Travis Rudolph cracks six feet, but he, Kermit Whitfield and Jesus Wilson have all hauled in over 50 catches this season with Rudolph and Whitfield catching six touchdowns apiece.
Most pundits seem to think DeMarcus Walker will return for his senior year at FSU, but, after recording 10.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for a loss this season, to go with four hurried, five pass breakups and 45 tackles, I’m not so sure. Walker is the best Seminoles pass rusher by a wide margin and if he has a good game against the Houston offensive line, and he should, he might see too many dollar signs to pass them up.
Match-up & Analysis
Analysis:
Golson being out of this game is less of a hit than people think. Houston has had an outstanding season and won some big time games, beating Memphis, Navy, and Temple in three of their last four games. Florida State is used to playing at a little later date in a little bigger bowl, so there’s a chance there could be a hangover here, but I don’t see it. Cook and the FSU offensive line should have no trouble holding off Houston’s undersized squad and that means a big day for the sophomore is coming.
Prediction:
To get further analysis from Ej the Rainmaker and Adam Greene, check out our audio preview of the Peach Bowl using the audio file below…
