Nashville, TN -- (Sports Network) - The Music City Bowl, which will take place in Nashville on New Year's Eve, pits the Kentucky Wildcats against the Florida State Seminoles, who have been rocked by an off-the-field scandal.

Bobby Bowden, the winningest coach in the history of major college football, leads Florida State into this contest, and he has led the Seminoles to a bowl game in 26 consecutive seasons. Unfortunately, Bowden will be missing up to 36 of his players for this bowl game, as many as 25 of whom have been suspended because of their involvement in an academic cheating scandal. Last year, FSU took on UCLA in the Emerald Bowl, and the result was an impressive 44-27 victory. Bowden has enjoyed 31 consecutive winning seasons, and although the 7-5 record is respectable, it is a bit disappointing considering the 'Noles won four of their first five games this season. FSU is 21-13-2 in 36 previous bowl appearances.

Kentucky opened the season with five consecutive victories, an outstanding start for a program that has endured many more disappointments than triumphs in recent years. The Wildcats could not continue that pace, however, losing to the likes of Florida, Georgia and Tennessee en route to a 7-5 finish. The Wildcats played in their fair share of close games during the regular season, as they beat LSU in triple overtime and lost to Tennessee in four overtimes. Kentucky is playing in a bowl game in back-to-back years for only the fourth time in program history. Last season, the club knocked off Clemson by a 28-20 final in the Music City Bowl, so the Wildcats are no strangers to this game. Kentucky is making its 12th all-time bowl appearance, and the program owns a 6-5 record.

Florida State and Kentucky are meeting for the first time since 1965, and the Wildcats own a 3-1-1 lead in the all-time series.

Kentucky scored 440 points during the regular season, the most points ever posted by the program in a single campaign. The man in charge of running the offense is quarterback Andre Woodson, widely regarded as one of the nation's finest signal callers. Woodson has completed 63 percent of his passes for 3,351 yards and 36 touchdowns against 10 interceptions, stellar numbers that make him a desired man among NFL teams. Woodson has also run for three scores, although he isn't much of a threat as a runner. There are a wealth of talented receivers in the fold, and Keenan Burton tops the list with 59 catches for 685 yards and nine touchdowns. Steve Johnson checks in with 54 grabs for 928 yards and 11 scores, and he is averaging a staggering 17.2 ypc. Jacob Tamme boasts 53 catches, 584 yards and five touchdowns, while Dicky Lyons is close behind with 51 receptions, 577 yards and seven scores. As for the ground attack, Rafael Little boasts 861 yards and three touchdowns, and he is a major receiving threat as well. Kentucky is averaging 36.7 ppg and 438.6 total ypg, and this offense is certainly not short on weapons.

Opponents are posting 29.8 ppg against Kentucky, which is yielding 390.2 total ypg. The Wildcats have clearly struggled against the run, as they are giving up 190.0 ypg on 4.5 ypc. Opponents have scored 18 rushing touchdowns against the 'Cats, who have also allowed 23 scores through the air. The pass defense has had its troubles, as foes have been able to move the ball with consistency through the air. Kentucky has registered 25 takeaways this season, a solid total, but the 23 sacks posted isn't going to scare Florida State. Taking a look at the individual defenders who will take the field for the Wildcats in this tilt, Wesley Woodyard is clearly the most consistent. Through 12 outings, Woodyard has registered 124 total tackles, twice as many as any other player on the team. Jeremy Jarmon has been a force as well, as he has 13.5 TFLs to his credit, including nine sacks.

Over the years, Bowden's Florida State teams have often been explosive on offense. That hasn't been the case this season, as the Seminoles are averaging 22.9 ppg and 360.2 total ypg. While none of the big-name skill position players will be sidelined for academic misconduct, the offensive line was hit hard. Considering that the team has struggled to move the ball on the ground this season, averaging only 121.2 rushing ypg on an average of 3.5 yards per attempt, fresh faces along the offensive line will make achieving those modest numbers difficult. Antone Smith leads the team with 663 rushing yards, but he is gaining just 3.8 yards per carry and has three rushing touchdowns on 175 attempts. Preston Parker has been impressive at times, but he has only 50 carries to his credit. Clearly, Florida State must pass the ball well to hang with Kentucky, and the pressure falls on quarterback Drew Weatherford. Although inconsistent, Weatherford has completed 58.9 percent of his passes for 1,773 yards with eight touchdowns. Most impressive is the fact that he has only been intercepted once in 270 pass attempts. Parker, the team's second-leading rusher, is tops among all receivers with 54 catches for 686 yards. He has five total touchdowns and tremendous all-around ability. De'Cody Fagg and Greg Carr are both outstanding receivers as well.

Florida State possesses outstanding talent on the defensive side of the football, and the club is limiting opponents to 21.9 ppg and 350.4 total ypg. Unfortunately, many key defensive contributors will miss this game due to suspension. Linebacker Dekoda Watson, cornerback Patrick Robinson and three top defensive tackles will all be sorely missed. The Seminoles have played a difficult schedule this season, so those numbers mentioned above are certainly impressive, but it should be pointed out that the club is coming off a shaky effort against Florida in which the Gators were able to rack up 45 points. FSU also permitted 40 points to Virginia Tech and 37 points to Miami, so the defense has to be considered inconsistent. Of the 30 touchdowns that the 'Noles have surrendered to opposing offenses, 20 have been passing scores. Clearly, they have been much strong against the run than the pass. Geno Hayes is a force for FSU, as he has recorded 17.5 TFLs. Derek Nicholson leads the team with 86 total tackles, and Robinson has six interceptions to his credit. Obviously, he won't have a chance to add to that total.