Friday, December 21, 2012, 7:30 p.m.
Beef O'Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg
UCF vs. Ball State
The Beef O'Brady's Bowl offers a slight home game of sorts as the University of Central Florida Knights take on the Ball State Cardinals in St. Petersburg.
Ball State finished the season 9-3 after defeating Miami (OH) 31-34 in the final game of the year. The Cardinals finished second in the MAC West division standings with a 6-2 record and finished the season with six straight wins.
The offense has been consistent all season and has produced a 2,800-yard passer, 1,300-yard rusher and a 1,000-yard receiver. The Cardinals are ranked 72nd in scoring but averages over 130 yards rushing per game.
UCF has one of the better defenses in the nation, so the Cardinals will attempt to play aggressive and quick on the edges to avoid the Knights' pass rush.
Running back Jahwan Edwards has been one of the best running backs in the MAC this season, rushing for 1,321 yards and 14 touchdowns. The sophomore rushed for three touchdowns in the final win against Miami and has gained at least 105 yards in five of the past six games. He has also scored a touchdown in four straight games.
For UCF to be successful against Ball State, the team will have to slow down Edwards and rely on a defense that was rated ninth in the country in scoring this season, allowing just 18 points per game.
The Knights started off the season just two and two after opening with a 56-14 win against Akron, but then won six games in a row, including a 54-17 win on the road against Marshall. UCF finished the season with a 33-27 overtime loss in the Conference USA championship game to Tulsa on the road and lost two of their final three games.
The team has been successful running the ball this season, ranking 43rd in rushing with 168 yards per game. Running back Latavius Murray has rushed for 1,035 yards and 14 touchdowns this season, including 71 yards in the final loss against Tulsa.
Murray had a streak of four straight 100-yard games during the season and rushed for 192 yards and four touchdowns in the team's 35-17 win on the road against Memphis. He has scored a touchdown in eight straight games and has had a least one touchdown in every game but one this year.
UCF went 7-1 in Conference USA this season and finished with a 9-4 record overall. The Knights are greatly improved from last year when the team went just 5-7 and finished fourth in Conference USA with a 3-5 record.
Knights quarterback Blake Bortles has a good matchup against a weak Ball State secondary that gives up over 240 yards per game. The sophomore has passed for 2,787 yards and 22 touchdowns with just seven interceptions. He is completing over 62 percent of his passes and threw for two touchdowns in the championship game against Tulsa.
UCF has previously played in the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl in 2009, but lost to Rutgers 45-24. The team is moving from Conference USA to the Big East next season, meaning it will likely not play in the bowl game again in the future.
Ball State enters the game hot off of a six game winning streak, while UCF is coming off of a tough 33-27 loss in overtime to Tulsa in the Conference USA Football Championship game. Both teams will be looking to take advantage of mismatches and positional matchups on Friday night, here are some that may decide the game.
UCF QB Blake Bortles vs. Ball State Secondary
Bortles is the conductor of one of the highest-scoring offenses in Conference USA and will be facing a Cardinals secondary that gives up 253.9 yards per game. The Ball State defense is ranked 91st in scoring and will use cornerbacks Eric Patterson and Quintin Cooper to shut down UCF's wide receivers. The Cardinals secondary has picked off seven passes this season, including two interceptions each from Patterson and Cooper.
Bortles has a strong arm and has passed for 2,787 yards and 22 touchdowns with just seven interceptions. In the final regular-season loss to Tulsa, he threw for just 194 yards, but had two touchdowns along with a rushing score. Bortles is happy to be playing in the state of Florida, as he has thrown six interceptions on road compared to only one at home.
In the past five games Bortles has protected the ball, throwing for 10 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Apart from two picks he threw against Marshall on Oct. 27, he hasn't thrown an interception since mid-September.
Wide receivers J.J. Worton and Rannell Hall will need to step up for the Knights, who went 7-1 in Conference USA, but lost in the championship game. Bortles has thrown for a touchdown in every game this season and had a season-high three scoring passes against Akron in the opening 56-14 win.
UCF RB Latavius Murray vs. Ball State DL Jonathan Newsome and Front Seven
Murray has been the spark for the Knights on offense this season, 1,035 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns. He hasn't reached 100-yards in the past three games, but has scored three touchdowns in that span.
He missed three games earlier this season, but had a streak of four straight 100-yard games from mid-October through November. He rushed for 192 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-17 win over Memphis and had three touchdowns in a 54-17 victory over Marshall.
Newsome was dominant on the defensive line for the Cardinals this season, recording 12 tackles for loss totaling in 49 yards. He has 8.5 sacks this year and has made 25 tackles while playing in 10 games. He posted multiple-sack games twice this season and had one in the final win against Miami (OH).
PREDICTION: UCF 28, Ball State 16. The Cardinals have playmakers on offense, but the UCF defense has been stellar all season and should continue in the bowl game. Apart from the championship loss against Tulsa, UCF has not given up more than 24 points in six straight games.
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