Bowling Green State Falcons at Miami (OH) RedHawks
Yager Stadium – Oxford, Ohio
Tuesday, November 5, 2013, 8:00 pm Eastern, TV: ESPNU
Opening Line: Bowling Green -24
Current Line: Bowling Green -24
Opening Total: 48 1/2
Current Total: 48
Opening Money Line: Bowling Green -3000 / Miami +1500
Current Money Line: Bowling Green -3000 / Miami +1500
The 5-3 Bowling Green State Falcons are 3-1 in the MAC East Division. The Falcons are tied with Ohio for second in the division, and both teams are behind 4-0 Buffalo. Ohio visits Buffalo on Tuesday night. the same night as the Falcons travel to the 0-8 Miami (OH) RedHawks. The RedHawks are one of 5 winless FBS teams along with Connecticut, Southern Mississippi, Georgia State, and Hawaii. Miami is 0-4 in the MAC. Miami leads the series 42-22-5 including 21-12-1 in Oxford. Bowling Green has won the last two games against Miami including 37-12 last year in Bowling Green.
Bowling Green is coached by Dave Clawson. The Falcons have losses at Indiana 42-10, at Mississippi State 21-20 and two weeks ago at home against Toledo 28-25. Bowling Green has lost two straight games after a 3 game winning streak. The Falcons have home wins over Tulsa 34-7, Murray State 48-7, Akron 31-14 and Massachusetts 28-7, along with a road win at Kent State 41-22. Bowling Green is 5-3 ATS and the total is 1-7 this season.
The Falcons were 4 point favorites against Toledo and the total was 53.5. Toledo jumped out to a 21-0 lead against Bowling Green. The Falcons scored with 24 seconds left before halftime to make it 21-7. Bowling Green scored 18 straight points (including a two point conversion) to take a 25-21 lead with 5:59 left in the game. The Rockets drove from their own 30 and scored a touchdown with 1:22 left in the game to make it 28-25. The Falcons had one more possession but didn’t get past their own 32. Bowling Green had 343 total yards including 208 passing yards. Toledo had 372 total yards including 242 rushing yards. The Rockets had 7 penalties for 69 yards and the only turnover of the game.
Bowling Green is outscoring teams 30-19 this season. The Falcons are #12 nationally in points allowed. Bowling Green is averaging 451.5 yards per game including 256 passing and 195.5 rushing yards. The Falcons are #45 or better in all three categories nationally. On defense, Bowling Green is allowing 357.2 total yards including 183.6 passing and 173.6 rushing yards. The Falcons are #26 in total defense and #11 in pass defense. Bowling Green is +4 in turnovers with 9 takeaways. The Falcons average 44 penalty yards per game and opponents average 44 as well. Bowling Green is 56/120 on third and fourth down conversions and opponents are 47/117. The Falcons have forced 12 sacks and allowed 21 this season. Bowling Green is 31/36 scoring in the red zone with 24 touchdowns and opponents are 14/24 with 14 touchdowns. Falcon opponents have not converted a field goal yet this season. Bowling Green has 2 punt returns for touchdowns this season.
Bowling Green quarterback Matt Johnson has completed 64.2% for 1,827 yards with 9 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, along with 65 carries for 144 yards and 3 touchdowns. Matt Schilz sometimes takes a few snaps and James Knapke threw a touchdown pass in garbage time of the blowout over Murray State. Running back Travis Greene has 154 carries for 906 yards with 5 touchdowns, along with 11 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown. Andre Givens has 28 carries for 191 yards and 3 touchdowns. William Houston has 30 carries for 75 yards with 7 touchdowns. He has missed the last two games but isn’t listed on the injury report. Receiver Shaun Joplin has 32 catches for 517 yards and a touchdown. Ryan Burbrink has 20 catches for 306 yards and a touchdown, plus a punt return for a touchdown. Alex Bayer has 20 catches for 239 yards. Chris Gallon has 24 catches for 232 yards and 2 touchdowns, but is out for the season with a knee injury. Ronnie Moore has 12 catches for 190 yards and 2 touchdowns. Paul Senn has a punt return for a touchdown.
Mike Bath is the interim head coach at Miami. He replaced Don Treadwell earlier in the season. The RedHawks have road losses at Marshall 52-14, Kentucky 41-7, Illinois 50-14, Massachusetts 17-10, and two weeks ago at Ohio 41-16, along with home losses to Cincinnati 14-0, Central Michigan 21-9, and Akron 24-17. Miami is 2-6 ATS and the total is 2-6 this season. The RedHawks were 26 point underdogs at Ohio and the total was 50.
Ohio took an early 14-0 lead against Miami. The Bobcats would expand the lead to 24-10 by halftime. Ohio kicked a field goal in the third quarter to make it 27-10. The Bobcats added another touchdown early in the fourth to make the score 34-10. It looked like Ohio had a shot at covering the 26 point spread, but the RedHawks would score 3 minutes alter to make it 34-16. Miami missed a two point conversion. The Bobcats would add another touchdown late in the game to make the 41-16. Ohio had 535 total yards including 306 passing and 229 rushing yards. Miami had 240 total yards and 16 first downs. Each team had one turnover.
Miami is being outscored 33-11 this season. The RedHawks are #98 in points allowed and #125 out of 125 teams in scoring. Miami is averaging 228.1 total yards per game (#124) including 136 passing (#120) and 92.1 rushing yards (#117). On defense, the RedHawks are allowing 476.9 total yards per game including 259.4 passing and 217.5 rushing yards. Miami is #105 or worse in all three categories. The RedHawks are +5 in turnovers with 14 takeaways. Miami is averaging 39 penalty yards per game and opponents are averaging 52. The RedHawks are 24/108 on third and fourth down conversions and opponents are 54/107. Miami has forced 9 sacks and allowed 22. The RedHawks are 7/12 scoring in the red zone with 7 touchdowns and opponents are 26/38 with 21 touchdowns. Miami has one defensive touchdown and has allowed one this season.
Miami quarterback Austin Boucher has completed 48.4% of his passes for 1,036 yards with 7 touchdowns and 8 interceptions, along with 107 carries for 76 yards. Back-up quarterback Austin Gearing has 64 carries for 270 yards, and has also completed 4 of 10 passes for 23 yards. Another quarterback Drew Kummer has a rushing touchdown. Running back Spencer Treadwell has 37 carries for 114 yards and a touchdown, along with 5 catches. Grant Niemiec has 23 carries for 62 yards and a touchdown, along with 3 catches. Receiver Dawan Scott has 19 catches for 301 yards and a touchdown, along with 21 carries for 142 yards. David Frazier has 17 catches for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns. Steve Marck has 12 catches for 133 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Bowling Green is 4-0 ATS after failing to cover, 8-1 against teams with losing home records, 5-1 in road games, 4-1 in November, 11-4 on fieldturf, 8-3 in MAC games, 20-8 against teams with losing records, 20-8 against teams with losing records, 5-2 after allowing 200 rushing yards or more, 12-5 overall, 7-3 after allowing 170 passing yards or less, 2-5 in Tuesday games, and 4-11 after a bye week. The road team has covered 4 of the last 5 games in this series, and the under is 4-1 in those games.
Miami is 7-3 against teams with winning road records, 2-5-1 in MAC games, 2-5 after accumulating 275 total yards or less, 1-4 after a straight up loss, after a loss by 20 points or more, overall, after scoring less than 20 points, on fieldturf and after passing for less than 175 yards, 1-4-1 after allowing 280 passing yards or more, 2-9 after allowing 450 total yards or more, 1-5 after allowing 200 rushing yards or more, 1-6 after allowing 40 points or more, and 0-3-1 after a cover. The RedHawks are 9-4 ATS in the last 13 against the Falcons.
While Bowling Green has lost two straight games by a total of four points, Miami is just awful on both sides of the ball. They haven’t scored more than 17 points in any game this season. Bowling Green should get back on track with a rout. Bowling Green hosts Ohio next week and might be looking ahead but i doubt it after losing two straight.
