Murphy: Humanitarian Bowl will be decided in the trenches, on the ground

The Pistol vs. the Fridge - it sounds like a good wrestling grudge match. Nevada coach Chris Ault and Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen will match offensive wits in Tuesday's Roady's Humanitarian Bowl.

But the Wolf Pack and Terrapins likely will settle this game in the same places most football games are decided: in the trenches and on the ground.

For all of the adulation given to Ault's innovative Pistol offense and the gaudy statistics quarterback Colin Kaepernick and running back Vai Taua have produced in the scheme, it is "The Union" -as the Wolf Pack's offensive line is known - that is the key to the nation's fifth-ranked offense.

"Anytime we put points on the board, it's because our offensive line is dominating up front," said Kaepernick, who became just the fifth player in Football Bowl Subdivision history to rush for more than 1,000 yards and pass for more than 2,000 in the same season. "You can ask Vai the same thing. It's easy to run when you don't get touched until you're four or five yards down the field. It's easy to throw when there is nobody around you in the pass rush."

Three members of the Pack's offensive line (center Dominic Green, tackle Alonzo Durham and tackle Mike Gallett) were named first- or second-team All-WAC. Nevada averages 291.4 yards per game on the ground - good for second nationally - behind the Union.

Kaepernick helps, too. Fast and elusive, the quarterback gives Nevada an extra offensive player for defenses to account for in the run game. The Wolf Pack (7-5) rushed for more than 200 yards nine times this year and rank No. 3 in time of possession.

"We've got to stop the run and have to be successful on normal downs - first-and-10, second-and-medium. You have to try to get them off schedule," Friedgen said. "If they're on schedule, they'll be controlling the ball the entire game."

Maryland has its own plans in the running game - despite Nevada's No. 2-ranked rush defense. The Terrapins (7-5) have averaged 62 yards per game on the ground in their five losses. In the Terps' seven victories, they rushed for more than 186 yards per game.

"In games where we don't run the ball, we don't play very well," Friedgen said, putting it succinctly.

Nevada's zeal to stop the run has left it susceptible in the passing game, where the Wolf Pack rank last in the nation. That leads some teams - Boise State included - to abandon the run early. The Broncos threw for 300 yards in the first half against Nevada.

Behind a massive offensive line that averages 313 pounds, the Terps - who were held to negative rushing yards by Virginia Tech and Boston College - hope to find some creases early.

"We need to get our run game going regardless," said Maryland quarterback Chris Turner. "With that said, they're good against the run for a reason so we know we're going to have to pass the ball against them and hopefully that will open up the run for us."

Factor in the cold and, potentially, wet weather and this is the type of game that running backs and offensive linemen love. Ault and Friedgen are definitely smart enough to figure that out.

Brian Murphy: 377-6444