NEW ORLEANS BOWL | NORTH TEXAS vs. CINCINNATI
Tuesday, Dec. 17 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

The New Orleans Bowl pits the well-coordinated, hustling North Texas defense against a Cincinnati Bearcats' attack force led by one of the top gunslingers in college football, sophomore QB Gino Guidugli.

If you believe that the North Texas defense is being overhyped or has feasted on mediocre competition in the Sun Belt Conference, I've got news for you -- that isn't the case.

	Senior RB DeMarco McCleskey topped 1,200 yards rushing for Cincinnati this season.

Just ask TCU, which was limited by the Mean Green stop troop to its lowest scoring output of the season in a 16-10 victory over North Texas on Sept. 21. Against Texas, Alabama, TCU, Arizona and South Florida, the Mean Green allowed an average of just 22.8 points per game. North Texas pitched a shutout against Division I-AA Nicholls State, while holding Sun Belt Conference opponents to an average of just 9.8 points per game, including a pair of shutouts.

The unquestioned ring leader of the rugged Mean Green stop troop is DT Brandon Kennedy (5-10, 325). The junior fireplug has drawn raves all year from ESPN college football analyst Jim Donnan, the former Georgia head coach. Donnan feels strongly that Kennedy has been one of the nation's most disruptive defensive-line performers this season, and I would agree.

Quick, strong and able to gain an immediate leverage advantage, Kennedy is a nightmare for centers and guards to handle at the collegiate level. He recorded 24 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and nine sacks this season. Junior LB Taylor Casey led the Mean Green with 111 stops.

Against the Bearcats, Kennedy, Casey and the rest of the North Texas defense will aim to generate some heat on Guidugli and slow down senior RB DeMarco McCleskey. McCleskey rushed for more than 1,200 yards this season and was also a nice receiving option out of the backfield (29 receptions). When Guidugli goes to the air, he'll look to senior WRs LaDaris Vann and Jon Olinger, who combined for 120 receptions this season.

While Guidugli is difficult to contain when he has a hot hand, periods of inconsistency were evident this season. While he threw for 3,319 yards and 21 TDs, Guidugli completed only 54.6 percent of his aerials and was intercepted 16 times.

Even though the Bearcats were just 2-5 against bowl-caliber opponents, they lost by just three points to West Virginia, by just four points to Ohio State and by just one point at Hawaii. In the heartbreaking loss to the Buckeyes, Guidugli had the Bearcats poised for a huge upset victory that would have prevented Ohio State from playing for the national championship, only to have two catchable passes dropped on the Bearcats' final drive.

Another key to this bowl matchup will be how North Texas freshman QB Andrew Smith deals with a veteran Bearcat defense featuring super blue-chip senior DE Antwan Peek and big-play cover man Blue Adams. Peek, who reminds me of former Syracuse star and current Indianapolis Colts DE Dwight Freeney, ranks as one of the nation's most feared sack artists.

When Smith goes to the air, his primary target will be senior WR George Marshall (6-1, 192), who hauled in 29 receptions for a 13-yard average and two TDs. Senior tailback Kevin Galbreath is North Texas' top rushing threat (1,168 rushing yards this season, averaging nearly five yards per carry and scoring eight TDs).

BOWL OVERVIEW
While North Texas is battle-tested after facing the likes of Texas, Alabama and TCU this season, also keep in mind that Cincinnati was a play away from springing a monumental upset against Ohio State in September. The Mean Green defense, which was outstanding again in 2002, needs to come up with some turnovers, creating a short field for freshman QB Smith, who completed less than 50 percent of his aerials on the season.

For Cincinnati, QB Guidugli needs to bring his "A" game. When he's on, Guidugli has few peers and is able to carve up any defense with his pure passing skills. However, he forces the action on occasion, evidenced by his 16 interceptions this season. It will also be interesting to see if the Mean Green can devise a blocking scheme to limit the effectiveness of DE Peek, who figures to be as intense and motivated as ever in his last game in a Bearcat uniform before he moves on as a first- or second-round NFL draft choice.