| 31 December 2011
Ah, the Liberty Bowl. This used to be a favorite of mine, mainly because my CSU Rams used to make a living of winning the Mountain West and playing in this game. There were numerous great games between Mountain West and Conference USA champions over the years. CSU-Louisville was always a good game, and TCU stunned the ranked Rams in the 2002 game.
The best Liberty Bowl may have been the 2004 edition, when 9th-ranked and undefeated Boise State faced a one-loss Louisville team that was ranked 10th. The game lived up to its billing as Louisville outlasted the Broncos in a 44-40 shootout.
On paper this game doesn’t look like those matchups of old, unfortunately. Two unranked teams square off in the 2011 Liberty Bowl: 9-3 Cincinnati of the Big East and 6-6 Vanderbilt of the SEC.
Cincinnati ruled the Big East under coach Brian Kelly, but when he left to take over at Notre Dame, the Bearcats stumbled to a 4-8 season. Coach Butch Jones turned things around this year as the Bearcats finished 9-3 and earned a share of the Big East championship. Cincinnati enjoyed a six-game winning streak during the season and comes in on a roll having won its previous two games. Usually known for its high-flying spread offense, Cincinnati’s resurgence this year is in large part due to its defense, which gives up only 20 points a game and leads the country in sacks and tackles for loss per game. With starting quarterback Zach Collaros questionable after suffering a broken ankle earlier this year, that unit will have to carry the load.
Under fiery first-year head coach James Franklin, Vanderbilt made it back to a bowl game for the second consecutive season. The Commodores are at a disadvantage playing in the rugged SEC but were much more competitive than their record indicates. They won two conference games and narrowly lost to conference powers Georgia and South Carolina. Junior running back Zac Stacy filled in for the injured Warren Norman and ended up setting the school’s single-season rushing record with 1,136 yards. He also scored 13 rushing touchdowns.
Key matchup: Vanderbilt RB Zac Stacy vs. Cincinnati’s defense
Vanderbilt RB Zac Stacy (L) will have to find success against Derek Wolfe (R) and a Cincinnati defense that excels at stopping the run
Stacy set a school single-season rushing record this year with 1,136 yards, but he will be going up against the 7th-best run defense in the country. The Bearcats only allow 92.6 yards a game on the ground. Vanderbilt is 97th in the country in passing offense, so Stacy needs to have success running the ball. If he can’t find some holes and take pressure off quarterback Jordan Rodgers, Vanderbilt will have a difficult time on offense.
Why you should watch: A Vanderbilt bowl appearance comes around about as often as Haley’s Comet. The Commodores are making just their third bowl appearance in 30 years and are doing it in their home state, no less. Cincinnati quarterback Zach Collaros is one of the nation’s most underrated quarterbacks and can make plays with both his arm and his legs. His backup, Munchie Legaux, has one of the coolest names in all of football. This is an intriguing matchup of lesser-known major conference schools who are generally underdogs. It could be one of those games that turns out to be one of the best of the season.
Why you shouldn’t watch: Vanderbilt is, well, Vanderbilt. The Commodores struggle on offense, and their lone playmaker, Stacy, will be facing a Cincinnati team that excels against the run. The Commodores figure to have a long day on offense. If Collaros can’t go, the Bearcats will be in trouble against a rugged Vanderbilt defense that’s among the top 25 percent of college football. Legaux completed under half his passes and threw almost as many interceptions as touchdowns.
Prediction: Cincinnati just has too much for Vanderbilt. They can run and pass, and while the Bearcats figure to have a tough time against Vanderbilt’s defense, the Commodores will be hard-pressed to score points on offense. Cincinnati is good at stopping the run, and Vanderbilt will have a hard time passing its way to victory. Bearcats win.
