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 Champs Sports Bowl (15) Miami vs. (25) Wisconsin
Tuesday, December 29, 2009 8 PM ET ESPN
Jacory Harris proved he's the epitome of cool. He'll throw a pick and forget about it once he reaches the sideline. The problem has been, though, that he'll forget about it so much that he'll throw another one shortly thereafter. If the Hurricanes want to beat Wisconsin, Harris will have to be judicious with the ball and while 'Canes fans love to see their offense finally taking shots down the field, he'll have to watch the safeties so as not to launch one into double or triple coverage.
Also remember that Harris will be playing with a sore thumb on his throwing hand. He injured the thumb in a November 14 loss at North Carolina and played through the injury for the Hurricanes' final two games. If he is limited, it could have a dramatic impact on the versatility of the 'Canes offense.
One other thing to consider if Harris is limited by his sore thumb is Miami's crop of tall wide receivers. With three key receivers 6'3 or taller, the 'Canes may use their height to get the passing game going instead of relying on precision passing, which is often difficult with a bum thumb. Tight end Jimmy Graham (remember the name) has been a red zone favorite of Harris and will likely be targeted inside the 20.
For Wisconsin, their key to victory is their best player, running back John Clay. In the rough and tumble Big Ten, Clay bruised his way to 1,396 yards and 16 touchdowns. The 'Canes rank 28th in the nation in rush defense, but they've been sporadic in stopping the run. While they've held opponents to under 100 yards rushing five times, they let up 272 yards to Virginia Tech, 153 to Oklahoma, 147 to Wake Forest and 143 to South Florida.
Allen Bailey has gotten to the quarterback 7 times this year, while Brandon Harris has grown into a spectacular cover corner. While his 2 interceptions may not look like much, Harris has broken up 16 passes and has forced 2 fumbles this year while adding 49 tackles, 6 for a loss. The Hurricanes defense will undoubtedly focus its attention primarily on Clay and will have to be careful not to let quarterback Scott Tolzien and wide receivers Nick Toon and Garrett Graham catch them off guard with the play action pass.
The Wisconsin defense has been great against the run, but leaves a little something to be desired in stopping the pass. As Miami's attention will be on stopping the Badgers' ground game, the Wisconsin defense will focus on stopping the Hurricanes passing attack, bad thumb or not. Miami's three-headed rushing attack of Javarris James, Graig Cooper and Damien Berry will be expected to pick up any necessary slack if Harris' injury affects his passing. Berry has been a nice surprise for the Hurricanes and runs with a sense of purpose that coaches love.
 Look for defensive end O'Brien Schofield in the Miami backfield tonight. The senior will look to disrupt Harris' coolness in the pocket and cause problems for the Miami running backs.
Schofield has racked up 10 quarterback sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss so far this season. Further complicating things up front for the 'Canes is the absence of senior tackle and team MVP Jason Fox who will sit this one out with an injury. Fox protects Harris' blind side, the same side that Schofield will be rushing from. Junior Orlando Franklin, who has been a solid starting guard this season, will take over for Fox.
Tonight could very well be a question of whose style ultimately wins out. Will Miami's speed prevail? Or will Wisconsin's power move them to victory?
Both the Badgers and the Hurricanes are extremely young. The 'Canes have 53 underclassman on their roster, while the Badgers have 81. Keep your eye on both teams in 2010. - Danny Hobrock
Danny is a sports journalist who primarily covers college football and professional baseball. He is a contributor for several sports related blogs and is the former editor of a political and current events website.
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