Preview: International Bowl

Background Info & History

The International Bowl doesn't have a sponsor. But there are some interesting facts nevertheless. It is the first bowl game to be played outside of the U.S. since the Bacardi Bowl which was played in Cuba. The city of Toronto lobbied for a bowl game in 2004, but was turned down in favor of the Poinsettia Bowl. It tried once again in 2005 and was accepted along with the Papajohns.com Bowl and the New Mexico Bowl. This created the first ever International Bowl which consisted of a dominating first half performance from Cincinnati and a failed comeback bid from Western Michigan. Cincy won the game 27-24.

Rutgers Storyline

The International Bowl? How could a team possibly be motivated after having much bigger things on their mind?

The Scarlet Knights were one of the preseason favorites to take the conference. Last year, these guys took the college football world by storm, finishing one overtime away from representing the Big East in the BCS. Now, sitting at 7-5, they'll be looking at the International Bowl. Rutgers was one of the more disappointing teams in the nation.

Even though they devoured patsies early on like Norfolk State, once they ran into their first two tests in Maryland and Cincinnati, Rutgers quickly dropped to 3-2. It wasn't the start they were looking for at all.

But, if you're cold, is there a better opponent to play than Syracuse? The Orange got steamrolled against Rutgers and the very next week, then #2 USF went down in Piscataway. Was Rutgers back on track? Not really, they got hammered against West Virginia the very next week.

Closing out the year, Rutgers fell by a field goal to Louisville. And we all know about Louisville's struggles this year. It will be interesting to see if Rutgers will get ready to play in this ballgame.

Ball State Storyline

This is the breakthrough season Brady Hoke was looking for!

The Cardinals of Ball State hadn't been to a bowl game since 1996 when they lost to Nevada in the Las Vegas Bowl. So, let's just say that Hoke has done a nice job in getting the program to another level.

Ball State struggled to get any kind of offense in their Thursday night opener against Miami OH. The RedHawks won the game by a score of 14-13. These guys were able to bounce back by beating Eastern Michigan and winning a thrilling game against Navy.

What was a shocker at the time, Ball State was a point away from being tied with Nebraska in Lincoln. This could mark one of the more important games in Ball State history even though we know how bad Nebraska was defensively; it's still Nebraska at home.

Soon afterwards, the Cardinals won three of four in conference play despite getting whacked by eventual MAC champions Central Michigan, 58-38. Ball State ran into two Big 10 bowlers, Illinois and Indiana, and they did play pretty admirably. The Cards closed out the year with wins against Toledo and Northern Illinois.

Match ups of the Game

Rutgers Running Game vs. Ball State Rush Defense-If there's one match up that we'll probably see domination in, it'll probably be with Ray Rice and the running game. Even though Rutgers has thrown the ball a lot more than they did in 2006, Ray Rice is still the focal point of the offense. Ball State has had their troubles against the run this year ranking 99th.

Ball State Passing Game vs. Rutgers Pass Defense-Not only will Rutgers likely run the ball down Ball State's throat, the Cardinals will have a tough time completing a lot big plays downfield. The Scarlet Knights are ranked second in the nation in pass defense, 11th in pass efficiency defense. Ball State is 22nd in passing offense, so something will have to give.

Keep an Eye on...

Darius Hill. As mentioned before, Ball State's passing game will have to churn some big yards if they want a legit shot at knocking off 2006's Cinderella darlings.

Rutgers has one of the best secondaries in the country, but they cannot, repeat, CANNOT, forget about Ball State's tight end, Darius Hill. Dante Love at WR might get more attention, but Hill basically acts as a WR.

Hill is big, strong, fast, and athletic. He even looks like a receiver instead of your stereotypical TE. Nate Davis loves utilizing mismatches that Hill creates with LBs in coverage. Rutgers can't afford to do that. Hill averages about 70 yards receiving per game.


Jamaal Westerman. Westerman just happens to be an Ontario native, so expect him to be playing with a purpose.

Ball State's offensive line has been pretty decent this year giving Davis a comfortable amount of time in the pocket. But, even though they are 42nd in sacks allowed, Westerman is the Rutgers sack master. He, along with Eric Foster, will be the guys Ball State must neutralize.

Must-See-Ometer

For those reading at Mid-America Nattering, I try basing this scale on how the common fan would view the game. To me, most MAC games are ones I try to see because I am a fan of the conference as a whole. But, I just wanted to clear that up.

Anyway, this game gets a 5 out of 10 on the Must-See-Ometer. Even though Rutgers adds some interest to the game, they didn't make any noise this year save for their win against USF on Thursday night. Ball State had better bring their A-game or it might get a little ugly with the Rutgers rushing attack and how well they play pass defense. There really isn't much about this game that would get a common fan jacked up.

Prediction

Rutgers is going to win. Ball State will put up a fight early and might even lead at halftime, but the rushing game of Ray Rice is probably going to wear the Ball State defense out. Mike Teel has really emerged as a passer, I'm not sure the Ball State offensive line will hold up as well as they have this season, and the secondary for Rutgers is too good to let Ball State rack up the passing yards. Rutgers will pound their way to victory, 34-24 (30 confidence points).