CFB - International Bowl - Rutgers vs. Ball State (12:00 PM ET – ESPN2)

The second installment of the International Bowl in Toronto matches Ball State and Rutgers


2008-01-04

The second installment of the International Bowl in Toronto matches Ball State and Rutgers, representatives of the MAC and Big East conferences. Both teams bring in 7-5 records, led by well balanced offenses that gained over 430 YPG. Kickoff is at 12:00 PM ET on ESPN2.

The Knights are playing as a 10-point favorite, despite only outscoring opponents by 9.4 PPG in ’07. They played seven teams with a .500 or better record all season, going just 2-5 SU & ATS. This will be HC Greg Schiano’s team’s third straight appearance in a season ending bowl game. Rutgers is 2-0 ATS in the prior two. For Ball State, this is the first bowl appearance in 11 seasons, despite the fact that the Cardinals have been one of the better spread-covering teams in the country the L3 seasons, going 22-11 ATS. HC Brady Hoke’s team was 1-3 SU & 2-2 ATS vs. bowl teams.

RUTGERS
The Scarlet Knights of Rutgers began the season as a team on the rise, coming off an outstanding campaign of progress in 2006 and ranked as the 16th team in the nation by the preseason AP Poll. However, three early wins against the lackluster peasants of college football (Buffalo, Navy, Norfolk State) brought Rutgers to #10 in the nation but were followed by struggles that would all but end the hopes of bowl greatness, losing four of their next six, sweetened only by an upset victory of #2 South Florida.When all was said and done, Rutgers finished with an overall record of 7-5, going 3-4 in the Big East. The defense, allowing a troubling 155.9 rushing yards per game (62nd in the nation), served as the basis for all things gone wrong. Despite carrying a beneficial schedule that brought eight regular-season games to Rutgers’ home soil, the porous defensive effort resulted in a paltry 5-3 record in those games. On the bright side, junior RB Ray Rice continued to work as one of the elite in the game (1,732 rushing yards, 20 TDs) while the receiving corps was bolstered by the efforts of junior Tiquan Underwood (1,028 yards) and sophomore Kenny Britt (1,107 yards).

BALL STATE
The Cardinals of Ball State, coming out of the always-pesky MAC conference, failed to impress with regularity this season, finishing in 2nd place in the West Division of the conference with an overall record of 7-5, going 5-2 against conference foes. Two losses in the first five looked troublesome, but fans of the take took notice when Ball State lost to Miami (OH) and #24 Nebraska (on the road) by a combined total of two points. The bulk of the Ball State offense has come via the pass, provided by outstanding sophomore passer Nate Davis. Davis completed 57% of his pass attempts for 3,376 yards, 27 TDs, and only six interceptions. Those results helped Ball State average 293.7 passing yards per game, 24th in the nation. The rushing attack was not nearly as potent, averaging just 147.3 yards per game (67th in the land). That inability to solidify a balanced approach to moving the chains forced Ball State to rely all too heavily on the efforts of their illustrious passer and essentially led to their demise. On defense, the woes continued, allowing an average of 418.8 total yards of offense per game (88th in the nation). Unable to stop the opposition’s rushing attack (allowing 197.0 rushing yards per game, 99th in the nation), the Cardinals had to rely on point production and the ability to wow the fans to keep things interesting.

THE GAME
There is every reason to believe this will be a great matchup for those that love offensive football. Ball State has done nothing to halt the run all season long and will now face one of the prolific RBs in recent college football memory. Davis has found a way to do work against some of the top programs in the country and now hopes to shine on his biggest stage thus far. To determine the winner, the defensive leans of these teams may provide the best insight. For all of Rutgers’ misgivings, they have done an excellent job against the pass, allowing just 160.58 passing yards per game. Only Ohio State has done better and the Scarlet Knights have faced some of the best arms in the game, including USF’s Matt Grothe, West Virginia’s Pat White, and Cincinnati’s Ben Mauk. Davis may be a better talent than those fellow QBs, but his lack of experience and the Cardinals’ inability to solidify a rushing attack worthy of respect introduce major questions Ball State must answer if they hope to compete.

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