Care Care Bowl preview: NU vs. Texas A&M

Posted December 29, 2011 11:00 pm

Northwestern (6-6) vs. Texas A&M (6-6)

TV: Noon, ESPN

Line: Texas A&M by 10.

What’s at stake: A winning record. The Aggies haven’t won a bowl game since 2001 and would like to come out on top to honor former coach Mike Sherman who was fired earlier this month. It’s been far longer since the Wildcats have won a bowl game, with their last and only victory coming in the 1949 Rose Bowl.

Key matchup: Texas A&M’s running game vs. Northwestern’s run defense. The Aggies are averaging more than 209 yards rushing a game, and the Wildcats are yielding more than 185 a contest.

Players to watch: Northwestern QB Dan Persa threw for 2,163 yards with 17 touchdowns and just seven interceptions despite missing the first three games of the season. He threw for more than 300 yards in two games this season. Texas A&M RB Cyrus Gray should return for his last college game after sitting out A&M’s loss to Texas. Gray ran for 1,045 yards this season for his second straight year with at least 1,000 yards rushing.

Fact facts: A&M defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter will serve as interim coach for the game despite being hired as Fresno State’s coach earlier this month. ... New Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin was not involved with bowl preparations because he didn’t want to distract the team. ... Northwestern won four of its last five games to qualify for a bowl. ...The Wildcats have five players from the Houston area.

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