Get ready for a quarterback duel

• Recommend0
• Email

A quarterback duel will be on display in Friday's AdvoCare V10 Independence Bowl when the Ohio Bobcats meet the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks. Tyler Tettleton and Kolton Browning are two of the premier quarterbacks not playing in BCS conferences, but both made their teams nationally relevant this season for short periods.

Browning received early attention because of the Warhawks' 34-31 overtime victory against Arkansas, then ranked No. 8, to start the season. Louisiana-Monroe also pushed both Auburn and Baylor to the limit. Browning threw for 921 yards and eight touchdowns while adding 176 yards and three more touchdowns on the ground in those contests.

Browning quickly became a national phenomenon after putting the Warhawks in a position to beat teams that were clearly more talented across the board.

"We were really excited about Kolton for the last couple of years," Louisiana-Monroe head coach Todd Berry said. "We've seen signs of what we thought were a breakout quarterback, and we certainly think we got that from him this season. He has a great skill set, and he won the hearts of our football team when he played through injury last year.

"

We encourage [Kolton Browning] to get out and break the pocket. It puts stress on the defense. We don't always want him running the football, but he always does a great job using the moments to run when he knows it's there." -- Louisiana-Monroe coach Todd Berry

"This year we have a lot of confidence in our offense and the group of players around him. He's a guy who can make a lot of things happen. He understands the game very well. He's a great competitor. When it comes down to crunch time, he wants the ball in his hands. That's a very important part of being a great quarterback."

For the full breakdown of the matchup between Ohio and Louisiana-Monroe, you must be an ESPN Insider.