VS. 
A potent passing game has helped Missouri to its fifth consecutive bowl game. The nation’s fourth-best rushing offense has guided Navy to its most victories in three seasons. Two teams with contrasting offensive styles meet for the first time in 49 years in the Texas Bowl at Houston’s Reliant Stadium on Dec. 31.
3:30 PM ET, December 31, 2009
Reliant Stadium , HOUSTON, TX
ESPN
Navy Midshipmen averages 272.5 yards on the ground via an option offense led by talented junior QB Ricky Dobbs. Dobbs, who’s rushed for 1,037 yards, set an NCAA single-season record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 24 after scoring once in a 17-3 win over rival Army on Dec.12. Despite his individual record-breaking season, Dobbs is more concerned with the success of the Midshipman, who haven’t had a 10-win season since 2004. Though Navy will make an academy-record seventh straight bowl appearance, it’s trying to avoid losing its fourth straight since beating Colorado State 51-30 in the 2005 Poinsettia Bowl. It will be rough for Navy to beat Missouri, everything points into that direction. On offense the Navy will have QB Ricky Dobbs, QB Kriss Proctor, FB Vince Murray, RB Marcus Curry and RB
Bobby Doyle and can run the ball pretty good but they might need to throw every once in a while and that will be the problem. By the looks of it Navy’s lack or good Wide Receivers might be limiting their performance.
Missouri Tigers take a three-game winning streak into its fourth straight bowl game played in the state of Texas. Trying for a third consecutive bowl victory, the Tigers hoped to be headed to a more prestigious postseason destination after starting 4-0. Three straight defeats to ranked teams Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Texas during a stretch of four losses in five games, however, ended their chances of a Big 12 North Division title and BCS bowl bid. Instead, Missouri looks to conclude its late-season success with the school’s 13th bowl victory. With the nation’s 13th-ranked passing offense (285.0 yards per game), Missouri averaged 36.2 points while winning four of five after being held to 36 total points during its three-game losing streak. Senior receiver and Marlin, Texas, native WR Danario Alexander was a big reason for the Tigers’ recent surge. The nation’s leader in receiving yards (1,644) and average per game (137.0), Alexander caught 49 passes for 820 yards and six touchdowns in his last four contests. The All-Big 12 first-team selection has 107 receptions this year after recording 78 over his first three seasons. Sophomore QB Blaine Gabbert completed 66.0 percent of his passes for 938 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions during the last three games. Gabbert, who’s thrown for 3,302 yards in his first season as a starter, recorded 303 through the air and ran for 94 in Missouri’s 41-39 victory over Kansas in its regular-season finale Nov.28. All-conference LB Sean Weatherspoon (101 tackles) and Big 12 defensive freshman of the year Aldon Smith (11 sacks) lead a defense ranked 12th in the country allowing 96.4 yards on the ground. This game will be Missouri’s biggest test in defense against the run which is the only way Navy can actually score, if they stop the run then Navy is out of options and it will be hard to do so but not impossible. On offense Missouri will have QB Blaine Gabbert, QB Jimmy Costello, RB Derrick Washington, RB De’Vion Moore, WR Danario Alexander and WR Jared Perry, a multiple front that could combine strategies at any given time and it will be hard for the Navy to stop Alexander.
GAME ODDS
NAVY 52½
MISSOURI -6½
MISSOURI LOOKS MORE THAN READY TO TAKE THE TEXAS BOWL THIS YEAR AS WELL. NAVY AS A ONE OPTION TEAM (RUNNING GAME) MIGHT BE IN DEEP PROBLEMS TRYING TO STOP THE PASS OR MOSSOURI’S RUN, IT WILL NE A GREAT GAME BUT NAVY WILL SUFFER. MY PICK WILL BE MISSOURI TIGERS -6½.
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WRONG!!!