QB's could decide bowl

ORLANDO, Fla. --- A matchup of two All-American running backs could well come down to the quarterbacks in the Capital One Bowl.

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Associated Press

Knowshon Moreno became only the second Georgia running back to have consecutive 1,000-yard seasons since Herschel Walker.

Either No. 16 Georgia's Matthew Stafford or No. 19 Michigan State's Brian Hoyer could have to make a difference if his top rusher gets thwarted.

"I am very confident that if Georgia tries to stack the box against us, Hoyer will have one of the best games he's had," Spartans running back Javon Ringer said. "All of this preparation we've had for Georgia, Hoyer has been tremendous."

Stafford, projected as a possible first-round NFL pick, is no slouch either.

"He does a good job of feeling pressure and stepping up in the pocket," Michigan State linebackers coach Mike Tressel said. "He's not necessarily going to take off and run, but he can buy himself a couple more seconds on just about any play.

"He can make the throw when he doesn't necessarily have the time to step up into it, when he's off-balance, when he's going one way and then sliding another way. He can make accurate throws in all of those situations."

Hoyer knows this game is his chance to outshine Stafford.

"Whether or not he comes out, he's a top draft pick," said Hoyer, currently considered a middle-round pick. "I want to be a high draft pick too, so I'm going to go out there and show what I can do. When it really comes down to it, I'm going to play for a win, so if I hand the ball off 50 times and we win, I couldn't care less."

The bulk of those carries would go to Ringer.

Ringer, a first-team Associated Press All-American, led the nation in scoring and carries, his 370 being more than 32 more than the next highest total. He led the nation in scoring (12.5 points a game) and was third with 132.5 yards rushing per game.

"The battle is going to come with our guys up front," he said.

"I'm going to need holes to run through and Hoyer is going to need time to throw, and that all starts up front."

Said Hoyer, "If they try to take away Javon, then it's pick your poison."

The same can be said for Georgia. The Bulldogs feature the explosive Knowshon Moreno, a second-team All-America and one of three finalists for the Doak Walker Award. He ran for 1,338 yards and 16 TDs, becoming only the second Georgia player after Herschel Walker to have-back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.

For Michigan State, there is the issue of staying hungry after the Spartans' best season since Nick Saban led them to 10-2 record and second-place tie in the Big Ten in 1999.