Texas A&M Aggies vs. Northwestern Wildcats
Saturday, 12/31/11, 12:00 PM EST, TV: ESPN
Opening Point Spread: Texas A&M -10
Current Betting Line: Texas A&M -10
Opening Total: 65
Current Total: 68.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Texas A&M and Northwestern will meet for the first time in the 2011 Meineke Car Care Bowl on Saturday inside Reliant Stadium in Houston. The Aggies are 1-4 when matching up against Big Ten Conference schools in bowl games. It’s important to note that interim head coach Tim DeRuyter will be in charge of the program in this particular contest, as the program dismissed Mike Sherman and hired former Houston Cougars front man Kevin Sumlin. Texas AUM will be searching for its first bowl victory since its last visit to Houston in beating TCU 28-9 in the 2001 Galleryfurniture.com Bowl.
The Aggies are certainly hoping that running back Cyrus Gray can overcome a shoulder injury that he suffered during the month of November, especially since Christine Michael was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Texas A&M’s strength offensively is definitely its offensive line, as the unit has allowed just eight regular season sacks, while not having a holding penalty since game two. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill is the benefactor of that protection, throwing for 3,415 yards and 28 touchdowns with 14 interceptions.
Northwestern has been bowl eligible for a school-record fifth consecutive year and will face a Big 12 foe in a Texas-based bowl game for the third time in four years. The Wildcats boast the winningest five-year senior class in school history, as 25 members will play their final game for the program. Quarterback Dan Persa is the leader of the group and will look to snap the program’s eight-game losing streak in bowl games. “This will be a great way to put an exclamation point to his career,” commented Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald. Northwestern is 11-10 ATS as an underdog the last two-plus years.
The Wildcats have enjoyed success against Big 12 opponents over the years, posting a combined 21-12 mark in such contests. Northwestern will certainly face a stiff challenge in trying to stop the nation’s No. 7 offense that averaged 497 yards per game during the regular season. Persa has enjoyed another solid year when healthy under center, as he looks to break his Big Ten record for single-season completion percentage that he set a year ago. He has connected on 74.2 percent of his passes this year.
Bettors will likely back the Wildcats due to their 4-0 ATS mark versus the Big 12, while the Aggies are 0-9 ATS when playing on a neutral field.
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