Meineke Car Care Bowl: 10 Things To Watch for When Clemson Battles South Florida
The Clemson Tigers and South Florida Bulls square off in the Meineke Car Care Bowl on New Year’s Eve.
Although this is not a BCS bowl game, there is still plenty of reasons to tune into this game between the ACC and the Big East.
This game is littered with storylines and intriguing match ups as these teams take the field.
Here are 10 reasons the Meineke Car Care Bowl is a must-see.
10. The Last Bowl Game
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The name Meineke Car Care Bowl was never one of the best named bowls, but this will be the last year that it will be in existence. Too bad the name won’t improve with the change.
Starting next year, the game will be called the Belk Bowl, as the Charlotte-based department store takes over title sponsorship.
The hope is with a new southern brand of sponsorship that the bowl will attract more fans and be more relevant in the BCS picture. Stay tuned for that, but you will be able to say that you witnessed the last Mieneke Car Care Bowl.
9. Clemson Quarterback Kyle Parker
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After this game, Kyle Parker will head off to spring training with the Colorado Rockies. Parker is a first round draft pick by the major league club but returned as signal caller for the Tigers for one more year.
This year has been shaky to say the least, as he was benched in the last outing against rival South Carolina. He will get one last chance to shine in this bowl game, but head coach Dabo Swinney will have him on a short leash.
If Parker struggles, do not be surprised to see back-up Tajh Boyd in the game.
8. South Florida’s Starting Quarterback
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South Florida head coach Skip Holtz is keeping a tight lid on who will start under center for south Florida.
Holtz has mentioned Thursday that both Bobby Eveld and B.J. Daniels would play in the bowl, but has been reluctant to reveal his starter.
This will make it difficult for Clemson to prepare for one of the quarterbacks, while not putting any pressure on one of the youngsters who will be making the start.
It will be interesting to see who gets the starting nod and how Holtz plans on rotating his quarterbacks throughout the game.
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7. Record Catch
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DeAndre Hopkins is a deadly receiver who has turned some heads in his freshman year at Clemson.
He is a dynamic play maker that can change the landscape of the game. Although he is up against one of the toughest pass defenses in the country, there is a very good chance that Hopkins will set a record in this bowl game.
Hopkins needs one touchdown reception to set the Clemson single-season freshman record. Although the defenses will take center stage in this game, it will be worth watching to see if he can set the record.
6. Skip Holtz
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This is the first year as head coach for Skip Holtz in South Florida.
In one year, he has managed to do some good things for the football program in South Florida.
South Florida will remember the embarrassment of the last coach Jim Leavitt, who was forced out last season after being accused of choking a player. After the scandal settled down, South Florida picked Skip Holtz in hopes of forgetting the outside issues and focusing on football.
Under Leavitt, the Bulls had a reputation for losing games down the stretch. Holtz erased that reputation by winning four of the last six games to include a big win at Miami.
A bowl victory would end the year on a winning note and help the future of the program.
5. Just Win
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Clemson will need a win in this game to finish with a winning record for the 11th consecutive season. The win would also give Clemson wins in back-to-back bowl games for the first time in roughly 20 years.
The last time that Clemson suffered a losing season was way back in 1999.
It may help the Tigers since this game will be played just two hours from their campus in Charlotte, North Carolina.
4. Bullish on Defense
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South Florida has a quality caliber defense heading into this game. If you are a fan of defensive football, South Florida will give you a big reason to watch.
The Bulls rank 20th in overall defense with 319.7 yards allowed per game and have the No. 21 pass defense in the country, allowing 187.83 points per game.
The Bulls can pressure the quarterback due to a secondary that can play man-to-man with some of the most talented wide receivers in the country.
3. So Very Special
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South Florida sophomore returner Lindsey Lamar is a very special player.
So special he was named the 2010 Big East Special Teams Player of the Year.
Lamar has a glamorous résumé coming into this bow game. He averaged 28.1 yards on 30 kickoff returns and led the Big East conference with 842 yards and two touchdowns.
His two touchdowns were 94 and 100 yards respectively and he is a threat to score on every play. In a game that is expected to be dominated by defense, Lamar could be a game changer.
2.Da'Quan Bowers
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Clemson defensive end Da'Quan Bowers won the 2010 Bronko Nagurski Trophy, cementing the fact that he is the best defensive player in college football.
He leads the nation in sacks with 15.5 and demands a double team on every snap of the football. The defensive terror is second in tackles for loss per game with 24 in 11 games and set the Clemson record for sacks in a season by a defensive lineman. Bowers now has at least one sack in nine straight games and needs just one more to set Clemson overall record for sacks in a season.
South Florida better be ready for Bowers.
1. Bowl Season
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It’s college football bowl season; do you really need a reason to watch the football game?
It’s the holiday weekend heading into the New Year and this starts a string of great college football games.
Belly up to the T.V. and enjoy the Meineke car Care Bowl!
Matt Regaw is a B/R Featured Columnist and the founder of BookieBlitz.com, your one-stop shop for sports articles, previews and predictions. Feel free to contact Matt at mregaw@gmail.com.
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