NORTHCOAST POWER SWEEP 2-5
MOTOR CITY BOWL
This is FAU’s 2nd bowl in as many yrs as they just started playing IA ball in ‘04 becoming the fastest start-up program to earn a bowl berth. HC Schnellenberger took over the program in ‘01 when they didn’t have a football team. He is 5-0 SU & ATS in bowls, including LY’s 44-27 win over Memphis in the New Orleans Bowl. He also won a Nat’l Title w/Miami in ‘83. FAU played 6 bowl-caliber tms going 1-5 SU & 1-4-1 ATS being outgained 428-323 & outscored 32-14. CM is appearing in their 3rd straight Motor City Bowl, but not as the MAC Champ for the 1st time. As the MAC Titles are held at Ford Field, this will be CM’s 5th gm here in the L/3Y. CM should have a big fan edge as they have a short 2.5 hr drive & have played before over an avg of 57,000 the L/2Y including over 54,000 the last time they played a SBC member. In those 4 previous gms, CM is 3-1 SU & 4-0 ATS. Their only loss came vs Purdue, 51-48 (+7’) in LY’s bowl, which was HC Jones 1st bowl game. In the ‘06 bowl they defeated SBC member MT, 31-14 (-8). CM played 5 bowl caliber teams going 3-2 SU & 2-3 ATS & despite a 56-17 loss to UGA, they were only outscored by an avg 34-28 & outgained 437-418. These 2 teams have never met & did not face any common opp’s TY. FAU has 10 seniors among their 17 upperclassman starters compared to CM which has 9 among their 18 upperclassman. FAU came into the ssn with 18 returning starters but lost 2 prior to the opener (TE Harmon-inj & DT Mertilus-acad) before losing RT Rizzo after 8 gms (torn ACL). They started off the ssn 1-5 before winning 5 of their L/6 avg 35.6 ppg. They are led by QB Smith (6’5” 212) who was a 2x SBC POW TY (2 of L/3 gms). Smith struggled in 1st 4 gms due to inj but improved over L/8 avg 256 ypg (57%) with an 18-9 ratio while going 5-3 to become bowl-elig. FAU had 4 players with 25+ catches with 2 of them being TE’s Grant & Housler. The Owls’ run gm improved from LY’s 3.5 ypc to 4.5. RB Pierre led the team & had four 100+ yds gms. The OL avg 6’2” 280 with 2 Sr starters. They all’d 12 sks (2.9%) & opened holes for 141 ypg
(4.5). They finished with our #71 off. The D, which had just 12 sks (#112 NCAA) all’d 183 rush ypg (4.4) to rank #98 in the NCAA. The LB’s are led by Joseph who is #2 tklr in the NCAA & FAU went from having 19 int LY to 12 TY with CB Small leading with four. The Owls rank #95 in our pass eff
D (219 ypg, 63%, 21-12 ratio) & overall have our #94 ranked D all’g 29 ppg & 402 ypg. FAU is #111 (last in SBC) in net punting (31.7). They avg 19.8 on KR but give up 17.6. On PR, FAU avg 8.3 & allows 5.9 and they finished a dismal #108 in our rankings. CM ended the reg ssn with 2 straight conf losses & missed what would have been their 3rd straight MAC Champ gm after dominating the conf the previous 2 yrs (15-2 in MAC play). CM has our #33 off & is avg 30 ppg & 427 ypg. The offense is led by QB LeFevour (2nd Tm MAC) who led the MAC in ttl off (307 ypg) & is CM’s top rusher (#10 MAC). CM’s receiving corps is led by two 1st Tm MAC WR’s in Brown (#5 MAC rec ypg) and Anderson (#4). The OL avg 6’4” 293 & is led by Sr’s LT Hartline (1st Tm MAC) & RT Wojt (2nd Tm MAC). They have paved the way for 3.6 ypc but have all’d 29 sks (6.6%) despite having a mobile QB. CM has our #106 D & is all’g 31 ppg & 424 ypg but
led the MAC in rush D (139 ypg). The DL is led by 1st Tm MAC DE Zombo, who led the MAC in tfl & was #2 in sks & 3rd Tm MAC DT Murnane. The DL avg 6’3” 256 & accounted for 28 of their conf leading 31 sks but did allow 4.2 ypc. The LB corps is led by 1st Tm MAC MLB Bellore, who was the
MAC’s leading tklr. Their secondary (#107) was the weak spot allowing 286 ypg (64%) & a poor 23-8 ratio. The Sp Tms are led by 2nd Tm MAC K Aguila & MAC ST’s POY Brown, who led the nation with a 20.7 PR avg. They did allow 22.0 ypr on KR & 12.3 ypr on PR’s. CM had a disappointing finish to the year as they were 8-2 when they faced off against Ball St for the MAC Title. After that loss they also dropped a shoot out to EM. FAU finished their season winning 5 of 6 but needed a 14 pt comeback to beat FIU in OT & become bowl elig. Even on Selection Sunday they were unsure if they would get a bowl bid. Rusty Smith struggled early with an inj but his offensive production improved as the Owls avg’d 39 ppg the L/4. Both offenses & defenses are very close so we’ll take the pts & the Future Hall of Fame Coach who has a Nat’l Champ under his belt.
FORECAST: FLORIDA ATLANTIC BY 1
RATING: 2* FAU
