The creatively named Texas Bowl, taking place in Houston on Dec. 29, features a match-up between middle of the road Big Ten and Big 12 teams. The Baylor Bears, at 7-5, and Illinois Fighting Illini, at 6-6, square-off at Reliant Stadium on ESPN.
Texas Bowl: Baylor Bears, Illinois Fightin’ Illini Battle In Houston
The Baylor Bears are back in a bowl game for the first time since a 10-3 loss to Washington State in the 1994 Alamo Bowl. The Bears are led by electrifying dual-threat quarterback Robert Griffin III. After starting strong in 2009, Griffin tore his ACL, sitting the rest of the season and returning to start this year. Griffin threw for 3195 yards and 21 touchdowns while running for 591 yards and eight touchdowns in 2010. The Bears are in the midst of a cold streak, dropping each of their last three games to end the season.
The drought for Illinois hasn't been nearly as long, with the Illini making a return to postseason play after missing a bowl in each of the last two years. The Illini have a dual-threat of their own in Nathan Scheelhaase. The freshman quarterback threw for over 1500 yards and ran for another 815 in 2010 to lead the Illini back to a bowl. Mikel Leshoure led the potent Illinois rushing attack in 2010, running for 1513 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Baylor and Illinois square-off in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 29 at 6 p.m. EST on ESPN.
Stay tuned to this StoryStream right up through game time, as we review key unit matchups, odds, bowl history and more, and connect with Illinois fans at SB Nation’s Hail To The Orange. For a complete list of bowl games, browse our 2010 college football postseason schedule.
See More:
