Miami vs. West Virginia, Russell Athletic Bowl 2016: Brad Kaaya leads Hurricanes past Mountaineers

Miami began the Russell Athletic Bowl with five consecutive three-and-outs. Late in the first quarter, WVU pulled off the same feat. The Mountaineers only once drove more than 40 yards in a possession, and Miami finished the game gaining 42 yards on its final 15 plays.

This was a game of droughts ... and one burst. When UM’s Brad Kaaya and Ahmmon Richards connected for a 51-yard score with 6:30 left in the first half, it tied the game at 7-7 and kick-started a short run of Hurricane success. They drove 59 yards in six plays to go up 14-7 on their next possession, then improbably went 70 yards in five plays in the final minute of the first half go up 21-7. They took advantage of a dubious third-down pass interference penalty to score a touchdown on their first drive of the second half, and that was about it. They tacked on a field goal to pull away for a 31-14 win in Orlando.

Miami won the Russell Athletic Bowl against West Virginia on Wednesday night in Orlando, 31-14. Miami finished 2016 with a 9-4 record. WVU finished 10-3.

The Hurricanes got a great performance from junior quarterback Brad Kaaya, who now has to decide whether to turn pro with eligibility remaining or return for a final season in Coral Gables.

Miami and West Virginia will play on Wednesday night at 5:30 p.m. ET in the Russell Athletic Bowl from Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. These two teams haven’t played each other since a 22-20 Miami victory in 2003, but things have gotten heated in the days leading up to kickoff.

According to the Palm Beach Post, things got chippy between the two sides during a children’s charity event this week. It apparently all started with WVU wide receiver Shelton Gibson telling a group of Miami defensive backs, “You ain’t met me.”

West Virginia and Miami will be traveling to sunny Orlando for this year’s edition of the Russell Athletic Bowl. These two teams had elements of similarities in their seasons, especially when you look at how both teams started out versus where they were at the the end of the year.

Miami began the season 4-0, and the Hurricanes looked rejuvenated under first-year head coach Mark Richt. However, Miami lost a close 20-19 game to Florida State, which was won by a blocked extra point. After the loss to the Noles, the Canes proceeded to drop the next three games to North Carolina, Virginia Tech, and Notre Dame. The Canes were able to end the season strong though with four straight wins to get to 8-4 on the year.

The West Virginia Mountaineers are 10-2 straight up and against the spread in their last 12 games as an underdog of three points or less. The Mountaineers will try to earn another win as a small underdog in the Russell Athletic Bowl over the 8-4 Miami Hurricanes.

West Virginia is a 2.5-point underdog in Orlando at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. In their last eight games against teams with winning records, the Mountaineers are 6-2 SU.

Both sides are right. Bowls are a cynical money-making exercise, an excuse for ESPN inventory, and an outdated way for all the wrong people to maintain some semblance of control over college football. They’re also happy, bonus football.

We are at both extremes in 2016. We once again had 80 bowl bids to give out and fewer than 80 bowl-eligible teams, a sure sign of bloat and excess. We’re also loaded with perhaps more interesting bowl matchups than we’ve ever seen.

All wagers at -110 odds unless otherwise noted. Visit Odds Shark for updated lines throughout each game week.

College football bowl games are a different beast for bettors. Sure, the typical handicapping elements apply. Offense and defense matter. But there are some key elements at play that don’t apply as much during the regular season.

I am of the opinion that the results of bowl games beyond those in the Playoff are meaningless. They’re fun, and I’ll watch, but they have no bearing on what will happen to a team in the future. Perhaps it’s time I change my tune. According to 247 Sports, this game had recruiting stakes for Florida wide receiver Mike Harley.

But he followed that up with this:

College football’s bowl season is upon us. A full schedule is here.

There are 40 bowl games spread from Dec. 17 to Jan. 2, with the National Championship on Jan. 9. Unless you’re watching on multiple monitors and are really committed, you won’t catch all of them. (If that is your plan, more power to you.)

There are plenty of things that are confusing about the way the College Football Playoff works.

One of these things is not that complicated, yet Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby (a man whom I believe to be wholly intelligent in his own right) cannot seem to get his mind around it.

The Big 12 did not have a team selected for the College Football Playoff for the second time in three years. And now Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby seems confused about what to do next.

Speaking to ESPN, Bowlsby said:

Also, head over here for the fully updated bowl season calendar as it fills in, from the New Orleans Bowl through the Rose Bowl. We’ll also add picks, scores, and more to that calendar over time.

The Russell Athletic Bowl is a pretty good game. Its bowl tie-ins come from the power leagues, so it usually features talented teams. It’s played in a warm-weather climate, and it’s not such a critical bowl that teams play a buttoned-up style. This year, Miami will get to play close to home against West Virginia, per ESPN.