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Nick's Pick for the 2008 International Bowl

Ball State (7-5, 5-2 MAC) vs. Rutgers (7-5, 3-4 Big East)

January 5 (Saturday) - 12 p.m. (ET)

Rogers Centre (53,506/Field Turf) - Toronto, Ontario

Television: ESPN2 (John Saunders, Doug Flutie, Jesse Palmer, Stacey Dales)

Head Coaches: BSU-Brady Hoke (22-36, fifth season); Greg Schiano (37-46, seventh season)

Series: The only previous meeting was a 31-31 tie in 1989.

ABOUT THE CARDINALS:

• The Cardinals advanced to a bowl game for the first time since 1996 by posting the program’s first winning season since an 8-4 record during that same 1996 campaign. Three of the Cardinals losses this season were to bowl teams - Central Michigan (Motor City), Illinois (Rose) and Indiana (Insight).
• Three times this season the Cardinals won back-to-back games with two of their losses (Miami and Nebraska) by just one point. BSU also holds an overtime win over a bowl-bound Navy team.
• Sophomore quarterback Nate Davis had a MAC-high with his 27 touchdown passes and just six interceptions. Davis leads the MAC in pass efficiency at 141.2 per his 245-of-429 success rate in passing (57.1 percent) for 3,376 yards. Davis’ 28.13 passing yards per game also tops the MAC stats chart.
• Davis ’ leading targets are the MAC’s top receiver in Dante Love, who is averaging a league-leading 102.4 yards per game with 87 receptions for nine touchdowns. all-MAC tight end Darius Hill has grabbed 56 passes for 837 yards and nine touchdowns.
• The Cardinals ground game is anchored by Frank Edmonds with his 526 yards and six touchdowns. Edmonds stepped in early in the season for an injured McQuale Lewis (447 yards, 92 attempts) who was hurt in the Sept. 22 Nebraska game.
• Punter Chris Miller was named to the American Football Coaches Association All-America Team, which is the only All-America team in the country chosen exclusively by collegiate head coaches. Miller punted 56 times this season for 2,566 yards. His 45.8 average ranks third in the nation. Miller, who was named to the All-Mid-American Conference first team, placed 22 of his 56 punts inside the opponents 20-yard line, while six punts were fair caught and not returned by the opponents.

All-MAC Selections:
First-Team: Robert Brewster, ol; Darius Hill, te; Chris Miller, p. Second Team: Nate Davis, qb; Bryant Haines, ilb; B.J. Hill, db. Third Team: Brandon Crawford, dl; Alex Knipp, db.

ABOUT THE SCARLET KNIGHTS:

• The Scarlet Knights are in their third consecutive bowl under Greg Schiano after playing in just one post season contest in the first 131 years of its football program. Rutgers won last year’s Texas Bowl with a 37-10 triumph over Kansas State.
• Rutgers began the season ranked No. 16 in the nation and climbed as high as No. 10 until a late Sep. loss to Maryland. On Oct. 18 the Scarlet Knights knocked off No. 2 ranked South Florida 30-27.
• Running back Ray Rice, a junior, averages 163 rushing yards per game (16th in the nation) and has scored 21 rushing touchdowns. Rice’s 4,646 career rushing yards is second in the nation among active players, behind only Michigan senior Mike Hart (4,911). Quarterback Mike Teel has 2,844 passing yards and 17 touchdowns. Rutgers features two 1,000-yard receivers in Kenny Britt (1,107) and Taquan Underwood (1,028), both all-conference selections.
• Rutgers leads the BIG EAST in pass defense, allowing a league-low of 160 passing yards per game and just 11 touchdowns via the air this season.

All-BIG EAST Selections:
First Team: Tiquan Underwood, wr; Jeremy Zuttah, ot; Ray Rice, rb; Eric Foster, dl. Second Team: Kenny Britt, wr; Pedro Sosa, ot; Courtney Grace, s.

Nick’s Pick: Ball State 35 – Rutgers 34

Ball State has played a very difficult non-conference schedule which should have prepared them well for this contest. Going against a solid run-oriented Navy team as well as Nebraska and two Big Ten teams will have prepared the Cardinals for a very physical Rutgers football team. While the Scarlet Knights have been successful against the pass this season, they have faced predominately run-oriented teams so those stats are a little inflated. Also, Rutgers has yet to face a quarterback as good as Nate Davis. Expect a high scoring affair with BSU earning their first bowl win in school history.

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