Humanitarian

By BOB WOLF

Dec. 29, 1997 12 AM PT

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Cincinnati (7-14) vs. Utah State (6-5) Today, 12:30 p.m., ESPN2

Site: Boise, Idaho

Series history: First meeting.

Bowl records: Utah State 1-4, Cincinnati 2-1

How teams got there: Utah State earned the bid as champions of the Big West. A 51-48 upset loss in the season finale at North Texas, a game in which there were five lead changes in the final 5:43, is all that cost them an undefeated league slate. The four other losses (all consecutive) were to Western Athletic Conference and Pacific 10 Conference teams.

Cincinnati makes its first bowl appearance since the 1950 season, ending the longest Division I-A drought in the country. They finished just 2-4 in Conference USA but went undefeated outside the league, including consecutive wins over Kansas and Boston College.

The game: Both teams gave up exactly 2,763 passing yards and 17 touchdown passes this season. Behind running back Daryl Royal and quarterback Chad Plummer, Cincinnati boasts the nation’s 14th-ranked rushing attack (215.5 yards per game). Plummer is not much of a passer, and if the Bearcats fall behind they may be in trouble.

Utah quarterback Matt Sauk leads the nation’s ninth-ranked total offense (448.5 yards per game). This will be Coach John Smith’s last game at the helm for Utah State. He has already accepted the top job at Louisville, a Conference-USA foe of Cincinnati’s.

CINCINNATI (7-4)

Tulsa: W 34-24

at Tulane: L 31-17

Kansas: W 34-7

at Boston College: W 24-6

Memphis: W 20-17

Alabama Birmingham: W 33-29

at Houston, 2 OT: L 41-38

at Miami (Ohio), 2 OT: W 34-31

Southern Mississippi: L 24-17

Louisville: W 28-9

at E.Carolina: L 14-7

UTAH ST. (6-5)

at Utah: W 21-14

Idaho State: W 41-7

Colorado State: L 35-24

New Mexico: L 25-22

at Brigham Young: L 42-35

at Oregon State: L 24-16

New Mexico State: W 38-7

at Idaho: W 63-17

Boise State: W 24-20

at Nevada: W 38-19

at N. Texas: L 51-48

Carquest

Georgia Tech (6-5) vs. West Virginia (7-4)

Today, 4:30 p.m. TBS

Site: Miami

Series history: Georgia Tech leads, 1-0.

Bowl records: Georgia Tech 17-8, West Virginia 8-10

How teams got there: Inexperienced but awfully talented, Georgia Tech had an up and down season. After a 17-13 loss at Notre Dame to open the season, the Yellow Jackets won four straight and looked like an Atlantic Coast Conference contender. But losses to North Carolina and Virginia by a combined seven points ended those dreams.

Seven West Virginia players were first team all-Big East selections, including the league’s leading receiver Shawn Foreman (65 catches). The season ended in heartbreaking fashion with a 41-38 loss to Pittsburgh in triple overtime.

The game: As star tailback Amos Zereoue goes, so goes West Virginia. But the sophomore suffered a freak injury to his ankle in a non-contact drill in practice and his status for the game is questionable. The nation’s third-leading rusher, Zereoue averaged over 150 yards per game, 5.7 yards per carry and scored 16 touchdowns this year.

Georgia Tech sophomore quarterback Joe Hamilton (2,314 yards passing) is athletic and versatile. He can run as well as throw, and is particularly dangerous outside the pocket.

GEORGIA TECH (6-5)

at Notre Dame: L 17-13

at Wake Forest: W 28-26

Clemson: W 23-20

at Boston College: W 42-14

N.C. State: W 27-17

at Florida State: L 38-0

North Carolina: L 16-13

at Virginia: L 35-31

at Duke: W 41-38

Maryland: W 37-18

Georgia: L 27-24

WEST VIRGINIA (7-4)

Marshall: W 42-31

East Carolina: W 24-17

at Boston College: L 31-24

at Miami: W 28-17

Rutgers: W 48-0

at Maryland: W 31-14

Virginia Tech: W 30-17

at Syracuse: L 40-10

Temple: W 41-21

at Notre Dame: L 21-14

Pittsburgh, 3 OT: L 41-38

Holiday Bowl

Missouri (7-4) vs. Colorado State (10-2)

Today, 5 p.m. ESPN

Site: San Diego

Series history: Missouri leads 1-0.

Bowl records: Colorado State 1-3, Missouri 8-10.

How teams got there: Colorado State reached the Holiday Bowl for the third time in four years by winning the Western Athletic Conference championship. Missouri qualified for its first bowl game since 1983 by finishing third behind unbeaten Nebraska and once-beaten Kansas State in the North Division of the Big 12. After losing two of its first four games, Colorado State finished with an eight-game winning streak, climaxing its season with a 41-13 rout of New Mexico in the WAC title game. The Rams outscored their last eight opponents, 341-87. Missouri bounced back from bad early-season beatings by Ohio State and Kansas State to win a double-overtime game against Oklahoma State, 51-50, then came within seven seconds of upsetting then-No. 1 Nebraska.

Missouri Coach Larry Smith pointed out that even in defeat, the Tigers gained far more respect that day than they otherwise had all season.

“Believe it or not,” Smith said, “that game was one of the highlights of my coaching career. It ranks up there with beating Michigan in the 1990 Rose Bowl when I was at USC, plus a few others.”

The game: Both teams have wide-open offenses. Colorado State has a superior passing game with quarterback Moses Moreno, but Missouri quarterback Corby Jones’ running ability gives the Tigers an added dimension.

The line: Colorado State by 4

COLORADO STATE (10-2)

Nevada: W 45-13

at Colorado: L 31-21

at Utah State: W 35-24

Air Force: L 24-0

Hawaii: W 63-0

at San Jose State: W 55-20

at Wyoming: W 14-7

Tulsa: W 44-8

at Nevada Las Vegas: W 45-19

Fresno State: W 41-3