Bowl breakdown: A look at the 2 games Friday as the postseason begins
The bowl season begins Friday, and with 43 postseason games over 24 days, it is sort of a season.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the two bowls Friday; truthfully, neither is must-watch TV, but it is live college football, so there’s that.
Bahamas Bowl
Middle Tennessee State vs. Toledo
Time/TV: Noon, ESPN (Kevin Negandhi play-by-play, Booger McFarland analyst)
Venue: Thomas Robinson Stadium (capacity of 15,023)
On3 bowl ranking: 40th (of 42)
Team records: MTSU 6-6; Toledo 7-5
Records vs. bowl teams: MTSU 1-5; Toledo 2-4
All-time bowl records: MTSU 2-6; Toledo 11-7
Key stats: MTSU is tied for seventh nationally with a plus-11 turnover margin; the Blue Raiders have forced a nation’s-best 15 fumbles and are fifth with 16 interceptions. Toledo is tied for 10th in turnover margin at plus-10; the Rockets have forced 17 turnovers but they have turned it over themselves just seven times – which is tied for fewest in the nation.
The line: Toledo by 10.5
The buzz: It’s a noon kickoff on a Friday, and this isn’t exactly worth burning a vacation day to watch. Toledo does feature RB Bryant Koback, who has rushed for 1,274 yards and 15 TDs and averages 6.71 yards per carry; that’s the highest in the nation for the 50 players with at least 177 carries. Koback carries a streak of five consecutive 100-yard games into the bowl, and he rushed for 10 TDs in the final four regular-season contests. MTSU isn’t much offensively, ranking 13th in the 14-team Sun Belt in total offense. But the Blue Raiders are opportunistic. In their six wins, the Blue Raiders have forced 24 turnovers; in the six losses, they’ve forced just seven. FS Reed Blankenship, the leading career tackler (415) in school history, is the guy to watch; he has 106 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, an interception, a fumble return for a TD and nine pass breakups this season.
Cure Bowl
Coastal Carolina vs. Northern Illinois
Time/TV: 6 p.m., ESPN2 (Mike Morgan play-by-play, Kirk Morrison analyst)
Venue: Exploria Stadium, Orlando (capacity of 25,000)
On3 bowl ranking: 18th (of 42)
Team records: Coastal Carolina 10-2; Northern Illinois 9-4
Records vs. bowl teams: Coastal Carolina 0-2; NIU 5-3
All-time bowl records: Coastal Carolina 0-1; NIU 4-9.
Key stats: Coastal is second nationally in yards per play, averaging 7.63 (Ohio State is first at 7.78). And these schools are fifth (NIU, 234.2) and sixth (Coastal, 231.3) nationally in rushing yards per game. Coastal leads the nation in yards per carry at 5.7.
The line: Costal by 10.5
The skinny: NIU won the MAC title game in dominant fashion, pounding Kent State 41-23. Coastal’s two losses have come by a combined five points, and the Chanticleers are 3-2 in one-score games. The Huskies, meanwhile, lead the nation in one-score wins this season; they are 7-2 in such games. Coastal’s Grayson McCall is one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the nation; he has completed 73.0 percent of his passes for 2,558 yards, 23 TDs and three interceptions. He also has rushed for 250 yards and four TDs. TE Isaiah Likely is a big-time weapon, with 52 receptions for 816 yards (15.7 yards per catch) and 10 TDs. NIU, which runs the ball on 64 percent of its plays from scrimmage, has five players who have rushed for 400 yards, though one is injured and will miss the bowl. Freshman Jay Ducker has six 100-yard outings in the past seven games. And keep an eye on FB Clint Ratkovich, who began his career at FCS Western Illinois and is a battering ram near the goal line.