Pacific Life Holiday Bowl Matches Texas A&M Aggies and California Golden Bears

Written by Benton Vale

Thursday, 28 December 2006

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl Matches Texas A&M Aggies and California Golden Bears Since its inception in 1978, the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl has developed a reputation for wild football games, high scores and multiple lead changes. With Thursday’s match-up between No. 20 University of California Golden Bears and No. 21 Texas A&M Aggies, high scores should again be the story when the teams kick off at 8 p.m. from Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.

The Golden Bears (9-3) are ranked 14th nationally in scoring, averaging 31.8 points per game while Texas A&M (9-3) puts up a 29.3 points per game average and is ranked 27th nationally in scoring. While the betting line against the spread favors the Golden Bears (-3 ½) the best bet might be OVER 52 on the game total.

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The Bears, while happy to be playing in the Holiday Bowl, enter the game with the feeling they under achieved during the regular season. Cal boosters were talking of a possible national championship and had Heisman Trophy candidate, junior running back Marshawn Lynch returning who rushed for 1,246 yards on 196 rushes and scored 10 touchdowns in 2005. The Bears had a successful 2005 season going 8-4 and winning the Las Vegas Bowl, 35-28 over BYU. They led the Pac 10 in scoring and passing efficiency, while they were second in run defense. They brought in a new offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar from Northwestern to develop the spread offensive air attack to complement the Bears’ powerful ground game.

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Cal improved its won-loss record in 2006 by one game but stumbled early in the season losing to Tennessee at Knoxville 35-18 and blew any chance of a conference championship by losing back to back games on the road to Arizona and Southern California.

The Aggies finished the 2005 season with a lackluster 5-6 record. The biggest concern for fourth-year coach Dennis Franchione in 2006 was to tighten up a defense that allowed 36 or more points in five different games. He replaced defensive coordinator Carl Torbush with Gary Darnell, who quickly established a 4-2-5 scheme during spring practices. The changes contributed to the Aggies improvement in 2006 by winning nine games including the 12-7 victory over arch-rival Texas to finish out the regular season.

Texas A&M is a running team and that strength will be relied upon to deliver a solid blow to California. Battering ram sophomore running back Jorvorskie Lane rushed for a Big-12 Conference best 19 touchdowns, also well enough for second in the nation off the ground. He ranked first in the Conference in total points scored, thus a big reason for opposing defenses to zero in on him. Their 210.5 yards per game rushing were good enough for seventh in the nation. The Aggies have to believe they can silence coach Franchione’s critics once and for all with a win in the Holiday Bowl.

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The Aggies have been solid against the spread for their backers cashing in eight of 11 games including six of the final seven games. The only non-cover ended in a push in their Nov. 11 game against Nebraska. The OVER cashed in 6-of-11 games played in by the Aggies.

Cal went 6-5 on the season covering for their backers ATS, however failed to cash in its last five games. The OVER also cashed in 6-of-11 games played by the Bears.