BAHAMAS BOWL; NOON ET; ESPN
MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE (7-5) vs. WESTERN MICHIGAN (7-5)
This is the story of two pretty good college teams that faced tough schedules and battled their way to this game out in the middle of the Caribbean for the Christmas Holidays. Certainly this presents one of the most interesting venues of all the Holiday Bowls. And it also features some surprisingly equal looking match-ups. Let me give you a couple of examples. Both teams rank in the the Top 30 for D1, oops FBS, Offenses at 21st for WMU and 29th for MTS. Amazingly, both starting QB completed 66.7% of their throws for 27 TD and 8 INT on the season. Both, BRENT STOCKSTILL (MTS) & ZACH TERRELL (WMU), also had 100 catch receivers in RICHIE JAMES (100) and DANIEL BRAVERMAN (103) respectively. But the top pro prospect for WMU is Junior COREY DAVIS/WR who hauled in 77 catches for 13 TD. Both teams have effective running games, which function by committee. Although MTS struggled somewhat with the 56th ranked Defense in the nation they have a top S prospect for the next Draft in KEVIN BYARD, who is a solid tackler as well as a ball hawking INT man. BYARD and WMU OT/WILLIE BEAVERS are both currently listed as participants in the Senior Bowl. Unless the defense step it up and create some turnovers look for this edition of the Bahamas Bowl to be just as wide open and high scoring as last year’s contest which featured Western Kentucky. Prospects to watch:
MIDDLE TENNESSEE WESTERN MICHIGAN
#80 ED’MARQUES BATTIE/WR 6’0/197 #84 COREY DAVIS/WR 6’3/205 JR
#75 DARIUS JOHNSON/OG 6’3/305 #70 WILLIE BEAVERS/OT 6’5/309
#38 TT BARBER/LB 6’1/229 #89 ERIC BOYDEN/TE 6’4/250
#20 KEVIN BYARD/S 5’11/225 #1 RONTAVIOUS ATKINS/S 6’0/207
#42 XAVIER WALKER/S 6’4/212
HAWAI’I BOWL; 8 PM ET; ESPN
CINCINNATI (7-5) vs SAN DIEGO STATE (10-3)
Potentially interesting match-up out in the Hawai’i Bowl with Cincinnati taking on San Diego State. Unfortunately, the best reason to watch this game, at least from a draft prospect perspective – Cincinnati junior QB Gunner Kiel – will not play because of what have been described as ‘personal issues’. However, the second best reason to watch Thursday evening – San Diego State junior RB Donnel Pumphrey (#19, 5-9, 185) will be in uniform. And while he’s not very big, Pumphrey, who ran for over 1,550 yards this fall and for good measure also led the team in receptions with 27, is incredibly quick and elusive such that he is considered to be a mid-round candidate for the upcoming draft. So is Cincinnati LT Parker Ehinger (#6-6, 320) who figures to slide inside to OG at the next level. Meanwhile, other Bearcats to watch with late-round pontential include WRs Mekale McKay (#2, 6-4, 210), Chris Moore (#15, 6-1, 205) and Shaq Washington (#19, 5-9, 185), and DE Silverberry Mouhon (#92, 6-2, 255). For its part, San Diego State also has a pretty good LT in monstrous Pearce Slater (#71, 6-6, 335), another mid-round prospect, while OG Darrell Greene (#72, 6-3, 325) also has pro size. And while he likely won’t be drafted this year, SDSU LS Jeff Overbaugh (#60, 6-2, 240), an Alaskan who is headed to the Senior Bowl, is arguably the best long-snapper in the country.
