Nevada to Face Maryland in Humanitarian Bowl

Teams to play on blue turf

For the third straight year, the Humanitarian Bowl will go without the hometown draw.

The bowl game played on the blue turf at Boise State let the No. 9 Broncos off the hook on Sunday and instead selected Nevada of the Western Athletic Conference to play Maryland from the Atlantic Coast Conference in the Dec. 30 game.

With Boise State an unlikely Bowl Championship Series selection -- despite its 12-0 record -- the bowl was hoping to work out a deal that would keep the Broncos at home. But when talks fell through with Ball State about the Cardinals and Broncos meeting on Boise State's homefield, the H-Bowl's board of directors decided that letting Boise State go to the Poinsettia Bowl to play No. 11 TCU was best for the school and conference.

"The University of Nevada and the University of Maryland have two of the strongest football traditions in the nation," Humanitarian Bowl director Kevin McDonald said. "Our fans should be in for a treat as both these teams have great athletes."

It will be the first matchup ever between Nevada and Maryland and the second H-Bowl appearance for the Wolf Pack. Two years ago, Nevada lost to Miami 21-20.

For Maryland, it will be their sixth bowl appearance in the last eight years. This season showed promise for the Terrapins, who were 6-2 before dropping three of their last four, capped by a 28-21 loss to Boston College in the regular season finale.

"Our kids are excited to be going to another bowl game and appreciative of the invitation by the Humanitarian Bowl," Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said. "We're looking forward to playing Nevada and representing the ACC."

Nevada nearly derailed Boise State's undefeated season, seeing a desperation pass fall to the end zone turf on the final play of a 41-34 loss to the Broncos on Nov. 22.

The Wolf Pack is led by quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who was named the WAC offensive player of the year. It will be the fourth straight bowl trip for Nevada, which played in the New Mexico Bowl last year, and their second game ever against an ACC school.

"We know from past experience that the city of Boise does a great job with this game," Nevada coach Chris Ault said. "We are looking forward to playing Maryland, a great team from the ACC."

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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