12-26-08 [Archive] - Investwithsports.com Sportstalk and Gambling forum

Mr. IWS

12-26-2008, 06:51 PM

Larry Ness' 15* Motor City Bowl (FAU/CMU)
My 15* play is on Central Michigan at 7:30 ET. Central Michigan lost the 2007 Motor City Bowl 51-48 to Purdue on a last-second field goal. which was the second-highest scoring bowl game in NCAA history. Now consider this. CMU comes into this game off a 56-52 loss at Eastern Michigan. when Eagles' QB Andy Schmitt completed 58 of 80 passes for 516 yards and five TDs. The two teams combined for 1,171 yards of offense. As for CMU's Motor City Bowl opponent, Florida Atlantic, the Owls ended the season by winning 57-50 (in OT) over Florida International. The Owls actually trailed 50-36 in that game with just over two minutes remaining but tied the game with just 18 seconds left and then won in OT. FAU's final three TDs came on QB Rusty Smith TD passes, as he finished with 389 yards passing and five TDs for the game. That contest featured 1,037 combined yards and completed a 5-1 finish to the year for FAU, which had opened 1-5. The win was enough to give FAU its second straight bowl bid (beat Memphis 44-27 in LY's New Orleans Bowl) in just the school's fourth year of Division I-A play (football program began in 1998). This marks CMU's third straight Motor City Bowl appearance but many feel as if the Chippewas could be 'down' for this game. CMU won MAC titles in both 2006 and 2007 but this year lost at home to Ball St in the season's second-to-last game (led 24-17 in the 4th but lost 31-24) and followed that defeat with that 56-52 loss at EMU. It could be argued that FAU comes in the much 'hotter' team, finishing the regular season on a 5-1 run. One could also argue that FAU head coach Howard Schnellenbeger holds an edge over Butch Jones (CMU's head coach), as Schnellenberger is 5-0 all-time in bowl games, going 2-0 with both Miami-Florida and Louisville plus winning LY with FAU. However, I'm not buying that. FAU played five non-Sun Belt games this year, beating only UAB and Western Kentucky, which be joining the SBC next season. The Owls lost at Texas 52-10, at Michigan St 17-0 and at Minnesota 37-3. Now I'm not claiming CMU is the class of those three teams (especially Texas and Mich St) but the Chippewas should have little trouble scoring against FAU behind QB Dan LeFevour. LeFevour had 26 TDs and 10 INTs two years ago and then had a Tebow-like season last year. He passed for 3.652 yards in 2007, throwing 27 TDs with just 13 INTs, while leading his team in rushing with 1,122 yards (6.0 YPC) and adding 19 more TDs. However, LeFevour missed two full games TY (and part of a third), finishing with 19 TDs and five INTs for 2,531 yards. He again led the team in rushing but this time with just 536 yards (3.5 YPC) and six TDs. I see no reason for CMU to be flat, as this is LeFevour's final game and after an extremely disappointing finish, he and his teammates should want to prove that they are WAY better than those last two efforts. They ARE and that should show here. I mentioned FAU's less-than-stellar performance against non-conference foes but let me also point out that in the team's 5-1 finish against SBC foes, the Owls beat five teams with a combined record of 18-42 (.300), losing to a 6-6 Arkansas St team which we last saw in action on Dec 6, losing at Troy, 35-9. 15* Central Michigan.

Good Luck...Larry