Bowl preview, part 8

There probably wouldn't be so many parts to this whole bowl preview thingy if I just did more bowls at a time.....

Well, here's the next installment. And by the way, if you happen to be on the sidelines for any upcoming bowl games, try not to run out onto the field to grab a live ball.

Connecticut vs. Wake Forest
Meineke Car Care Bowl
Saturday, December 29th - 1pm

A pair of teams that started the season with very little fanfare will get to prove a LOT about themselves in a late December bowl game, and it could go either way.

Nobody expected Connecticut to battle for the Big East title back in early September, but it wasn't long before the Huskies forced a lot of people to pay attention. They started off at 5-0 (but it was against weak competition). However, knocking off Rutgers and South Florida en route to an 8-1 record moved them from pretenders to contenders in a hurry. Soon after, they fell back to earth, getting outscored 93-24 in a pair of losses to Cincinnati and West Virginia.

Meanwhile, Wake Forest has played a bear of a schedule and did quite well with it. After opening up at 0-2, the Deacons ran off six wins in a row (including wins against Florida State, Maryland, and North Carolina). They finished up at 8-4 with all four losses to teams that have seen their names in the rankings this season.

For Wake Forest to win this game, they must have a great game from QB Riley Skinner. He's got an incredible completion percentage but that's due to a lot of short dump-offs. Skinner has only had two passes all season go for more than 40 yards. WF will use a lot of ball-control in this game.

UConn will have to rely on their defense. Wake Forest is not a dominating team, but they can put up points. The Huskies have shown some serious weakness down the stretch and have to overcome their late-season collapse. When their D is playing well, they can shut down an offense. Those losses to UC and WVU marked the only two games all season that an opponent scored more than 19 points. Even the high-flying Louisville Cardinals only put up 17.

End result? I trust the weekly competition of the ACC more than the Big East. Wake Forest wins.

Wake Forest 27
Connecticut 24
Actual score
Wake Forest 24
Connecticut 10
The BBC - 10-2