NCAA: Sugar Bowl Preview

Florida (10-2, 8-1 SEC) vs. Miami (10-1, 7-0 Big East)

The Florida Gators and Miami Hurricanes are set to renew their long-dormant rivalry on the first day of 2001. A young Florida team captured its first SEC crown since 1996 this season, while Miami returned to the national scene with an upset of Florida State. We return to the table as Tom and Matt break down this exciting matchup…

Tom: Here I was, all ready to say there isn’t a lot of bad blood flowing between these two teams because the current players were probably in Pee-Wee football the last time the programs met. Then a bunch of players from the two teams get into an old-fashioned Bourbon Street brawl late Wednesday night, although no one was arrested or charged and no one will sit out the game because of it. Something always seems to happen at the Sugar Bowl.

Matt: I think this forgotten Sunshine State rivalry, in the electrically-charged atmosphere of the New Orleans Superdome, is the best bowl game of all. Imagine 78,000 fans whose inhibitions have been removed by the Bourbon Street experience, if they had any to begin with. These two schools will get a head start on rebuilding their mutual hatred for each other in a high-stakes environment.

Tom: One way or another, it’s going to be LOUD in there. You said something about high stakes—for Miami, it’s the highest stakes of all. They have to win impressively to have any shot at all at a share of the National Championship.

Matt: The best one-on-one matchup of any bowl game will take place here, when Miami wide receiver Santana Moss locks up with Florida cornerback Lito Sheppard. The amazing element of this duel is the fact that Sheppard has made as many big plays--returns and touchdowns--on defense as Moss has on offense. Both players might very well change the direction of the game with kick returns as well. Seeing Miami's #6 and Florida's #3 will be a football junkie's delight.

Tom: What about Moss on one side and Jabar Gaffney on the other? Those two will be trying to outdo each other all night. Gaffney had 1,184 receiving yards and 14 touchdown catches this season, while Moss spread his yards around between receptions, rushing, and punt returns.

Matt: Another key will be the performance of the quarterbacks, Ken Dorsey for the Canes and Grossman for the Gators. Grossman's performance will obviously be under the microscope, since he faltered in two games during the season and needed to be bailed out by Jesse Palmer.

Tom: It looks like Steve Spurrier’s two-headed quarterback experiment paid off once again. Grossman and Palmer accounted for over 3,400 passing yards as they took turns in the Spurrier doghouse. Grossman looks like the man for next season, but there’s no telling what Spurrier’s going to do for this game.

Matt: Digging back into Miami football history, the Hurricanes are 1-3 in Sugar Bowls since the game came indoors, having won only once against an SEC team with a partisan crowd in the noise-trapping Superdome. Heisman-winning QBs Vinny Testaverde and Gino Torretta suffering crashing postseason losses in New Orleans--Testaverde was smothered by Tennessee, 35-7, while Torretta was equally stymied by Alabama, 34-13.

Tom: Miami QB Ken Dorsey will be looking to end his season on a up note and build momentum for next year. His name’s already being tossed around for Heisman consideration next year after throwing for 2,737 yards and 25 touchdowns this season.

Matt: But Dorsey enters this pressure cooker having struggled in big-games away from home. He couldn't fill in for Kenny Kelley in last year's loss to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. More telling, however, was his inept performance on Sept. 9 in Seattle against Washington. On the road, Dorsey could not make the proper reads and decisions needed to get the ball to Moss and his other talented pass catchers. In the Superdome against the likes of Alex Brown, Gerard Warren, Sheppard, and a pro-Gator crowd, Dorsey will be severely tested, and the jury is out as to whether he'll be up for the test. How Dorsey handles the pressure will dictate everything else in this game.

Tom: It is basically a road game for the ‘Canes, since the Miami fans don’t typically travel well. The Orange Bowl upper decks were sparsely populated for most of the season, even though the ‘Canes were making a run at the National Championship.

Matt’s Pick: Florida. Dorsey won't handle this situation well. He's still just a sophomore. Factor in the Gators' newfound confidence and swagger as SEC champions, and big mo should once again embrace the Hurricanes' opponent in a Sugar Bowl shootout.

Tom’s Pick: Miami. The ‘Canes will win because they have to. A loss would basically mean admitting they never belonged in the title chase. The ‘Canes have better runners and a sturdy pass defense, while I’m betting the Gators will suffer a defensive meltdown trying to keep up with Moss. There should be plenty of big plays as Miami tries to make a convincing case for a share of the national crown, but the margin won’t be enough. Let’s say 34-24 Miami.