Motor City Bowl: FAU vs. Central Michigan

By J.J. PESAVENTO

December 26 * 7:30 PM * ESPN

All eyes will be on quarterback Dan LeFevour as he leads his 8-4 Chippewas against Florida Atlantic. LeFevour can hurt a defense with his arm or his legs and led the MAC Conference in total offense in 2008. When he looks downfield, LeFevour will be targeting Antonio Brown and Bryan Anderson. When LeFevour is not moving the offense himself, look for running back Ontario Sneed to tote the rock for the Chippewas. Central Michigan has two standout defensive performers in Nick Bellore and Frank Zambo, but the defense ranks near the bottom of the pack in both pass defense and total defense. During the second half of the 2008 season, quarterback Rusty Smith threw 17 of his 22 touchdown passes and led the Owls to five wins in six games to gain a spot in the Motor City Bowl. The Owls have allowed only 12 sacks all season which has given Smith more than enough time to find receivers Cortez Gent and Jamari Grant, as well as tight end Rob Housler. The Owls live by the pass, but when they do run, Charles Pierre will get the call. The Owls have a stud defender in linebacker Frantz Joseph who ranks second in the nation in tackles. But like CMU, the defense as a whole is a weakness.

Inside the Numbers – Pass, Run & Catch

Central Michigan Chippewas (8-4, 6-2)
Pass: Dan LeFevour – 2,531 yards, 19 TDs
Run: Dan LeFevour – 536 yards, 6 TDs
Catch: Antonio Brown – 82-906-6 TDs

Florida Atlantic Owls (6-6, 4-3)
Pass: Rusty Smith – 2,918 yards, 22 TDs
Run: Charles Pierre – 937 yards, 8 TDs
Catch: Cortez Gent – 53-837-8 TDs

Photo Credit: Central Michigan University