Miami-California Preview
| AccuScore Projections |
|
AccuScore has powered more than 10,000 simulations for every College Football game on ESPN.com, calculating how each team's performance changes in response to game conditions and opponent's abilities. Each game is simulated and the game is replayed a minimum of 10,000 times to generate forecasted winning percentages. View All College Football Projections |
| Bowl Overview |
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - 8:00 PM ET   The fact that Miami is playing in a bowl game this year is a sign of progress in Randy Shannon's second season, but the Hurricanes are looking to rebound from back-to-back losses. In order to do that, they'll have to improve their rushing defense against Cal standout running back Jahvid Best. Cal's injury-laden offensive line might struggle against Miami's young but talented defensive front. -- Heather Dinich
|
| Complete Bowl Overview |
| Scouts Preview |
| Miami has the athletes to stay close to California, but quarterback play likely will doom the Hurricanes in the Emerald Bowl. |
Complete Scouts Inc. Preview |
| Matchup |
| | W-L | PF | PA | HOME | ROAD | DIV | CONF |
| MIA | 7-6 | 352 | 314 | 4-2 | 3-4 | 3-2 | 4-4 |
| CAL | 9-4 | 424 | 259 | 8-0 | 1-4 | 6-3 | 6-3 |
| · Complete Standings |
| Record When Scoring... (Since 2001) |
| | 20 OR MORE | 30 OR MORE | 40 OR MORE | 50 OR MORE |
| MIA | 64-8-0 | 44-1-0 | 26-0-0 | 10-0-0 |
| CAL | 58-24-0 | 46-4-0 | 31-2-0 | 8-0-0 |
| | LESS THAN 20 | LESS THAN 30 | LESS THAN 40 | LESS THAN 50 |
| MIA | 8-19-0 | 28-26-0 | 46-27-0 | 62-27-0 |
| CAL | 1-16-0 | 13-36-0 | 28-38-0 | 51-40-0 |
| TEAM AVERAGES & NCAA RANKS |
| OFFENSE | TM | PER GAME AVERAGE / NCAA RANK |
| Total Yards | MIA | 327.1 / 88th |
| CAL | 379.2 / 45th |
| Passing Yards | MIA | 211.8 / 76th |
| CAL | 210.8 / 79th |
| Rushing Yards | MIA | 130.1 / 78th |
| CAL | 183.7 / 30th |
| Points Scored | MIA | 27.9 / 53rd |
| CAL | 33.3 / 26th |
| Full Team Stats: Miami (FL) | California |
| Miami (FL) Rushing | | | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | | Cooper | 113 | 583 | 5.2 | 3 | | Berry | 77 | 473 | 6.1 | 8 |
| | California Rushing | | | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | | Best | 141 | 867 | 6.1 | 12 | | Vereen | 147 | 738 | 5.0 | 10 |
|
| | California Receiving | | | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | | Jones | 32 | 500 | 15.6 | 6 | | Tucker | 26 | 423 | 16.3 | 1 |
|
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- When Worrell Williams was a star high school linebacker in Sacramento, his college choice came down to nearby California or exotic Miami, where his older brother was a star.
Although he decided to stay close to home, Williams knows more than most of his fellow Golden Bears about the unique Miami mystique they'll face in the Emerald Bowl.
"That's an amazing program," Williams said. "With the history they have there, and just the whole atmosphere around the University of Miami, it's an honor to be on the same field with them. But still, we also think we can beat them. We're going in expecting to win."
A baseball stadium packed with shivering Cal fans will have much the same thoughts Saturday night when the Golden Bears (8-4) essentially host Miami (7-5) in the seventh edition of the game, but the first featuring one of the Bay Area's two Pac-10 schools.
The Bears traversed the Bay Bridge repeatedly this week, going from a hotel in the city to their regular practice fields in Berkeley to prepare for their sixth straight bowl appearance under coach Jeff Tedford. Yet Tedford doesn't see a huge advantage in being home, aside from a free trip to Alcatraz and the support of Cal's fans, who snapped up every available ticket -- including roughly half of Miami's allotment.
"These are two very evenly matched teams, actually," said Tedford, who's 4-1 in bowl games. "Both of them have a lot of speed. All the speed that's on the field is going to be very exciting for our fans."
After missing the postseason in 2007 in head coach Randy Shannon's debut campaign, Miami was eager to get back into bowl action, even if it meant traveling across the country for the holidays and practicing at City College of San Francisco in the bone-chilling rainy weather for which the city is known.
The Hurricanes lost their last two games and missed the chance to play for the ACC championship, but Cal's mix of speed and experience -- along with its 3-4 defense -- provides plenty of challenges to a program hoping to take its biggest step forward in Shannon's rebuilding project.
"I watch football late at night, and I see a lot of Pac-10 games," Shannon said. "We know about Cal. They're a very run-oriented team, but they can take shots downfield as well. There's going to be a lot of speed on both sides, but you'll also see two tough teams. I know it's going to be a great TV game, that's for sure."
Miami hasn't played in California since the 2002 Rose Bowl victory that completed its national championship run in the 2001 season, and the Hurricanes haven't faced Cal since 1990. Yet the Bears know all about them, with linebacker Zack Follett clearly remembering Clinton Portis, Jeremy Shockey, Ed Reed and various other stars of that title team.
"They signify college football, basically," Follett said. "I remember when they won that championship, I had my Miami sweat shirt on. I'm sure every kid did at that time, even out here in California. They're just cool."
The current Hurricanes' biggest concern might be at quarterback, where baby-faced freshman Jacory Harris will make his second career start. Harris played extensively this season behind Robert Marve, who was suspended for the Emerald Bowl for missing classes and is believed to be weighing his transfer options since it's probable he wouldn't be Miami's starter next season.
But it's tough to rattle Harris, who hasn't lost a start in his last three years of high school and college ball.
"I'm not worried about the game, not having any butterflies," Harris said. "There's a standard to live up to, but it's also just a game, and it's going to be fun."
Cal also made a change in its never-ending quarterback competition when Nate Longshore was promoted past Kevin Riley for the final time this week. Longshore, the often-booed senior, spent most of the regular season behind Riley, although Longshore started three games and played most of the finale against Washington.
With Tedford unable to settle on a quarterback this season, the Bears' offense has excelled because of running back Jahvid Best, the fleet-footed sophomore who hopes to nail down the Pac-10 rushing title with one last big game. Best averages 8.0 yards per carry after inflating his stats a bit with 311 yards during the blowout finale against the Huskies, but his speed and elusiveness are entirely real.
Miami might be better equipped than most defenses to slow down Best. Team speed is among the Hurricanes' greatest assets, much of it a product of Shannon's recruiting efforts in South Florida. They'll need every bit of it to keep up with Best and fellow running back Shane Vereen, who also can burn up the turf.
"We take pride in our pursuit of the ball," Miami linebacker Glenn Cook said. "We may not be one of the bigger defenses a team will face, but the way we pursue sets us apart."
Miami (FL) 17, 
California 24