Little Caesars Pizza Bowl

Bowl History: The Bowl game was established in 1997 and was known as the Motor City Bowl until 2009 when Little Caesars took over sponsorship. The first five games (1997 to 2001) were played @ the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan, before being moved in 2002 to Fords Field in downtown Detroit. The Conference Tie-ins are the MAC and Big Ten… with the alternate being the Sun Belt. The first game in this bowl series took place on December 26, 1997… Ole Miss beat Marshall 34 to 31 and last year’s (2011) defending Champ Purdue, snuck by Western Michigan, 37-32. This year’s match-up pits the Sun Belt against the Mid-American.

Teams: Western Kentucky: Conference, Sun Belt; Overall Record 7-5; Conference Record 4-4;  .. vs .. Central Michigan: Conference, Mid American; Overall Record 6-6; Conference Record, 4-4; Divisional Record, West Division 1-4

Bowl Location: Detroit, Michigan …. the game is played annually @ Fords Field, which has a seating capacity of 65,000! The largest crowd to attend this bowl was in 2007 @ the Purdue /Central Michigan Game …. 60,624 were present …. for what turned out to be the best game as well …. a 51 to 48 Purdue win.

Day, Date, & Time: Wednesday, 12/26/12 @ 6:30 p.m.

Network: ESPN

Best Wins: Central Michigan; beat Iowa 32-31 , a loss that the Hawks never seemed to recover from … going 2-6 the rest of the way and don’t forget that Iowa…. beat …. Orange Bowl bound …. Northern Illinois, 18-17! While Western Kentucky beat Kentucky, 32-31 in OT (right … same score as Central’s victory over Iowa) as well as, handling the Sun Belt Champion, Arkansas State, 26-13!

Worst Losses: Western Kentucky lost to (3-9 Overall / 2-6 conference) Florida Atlantic 37-28 … Central Michigan lost to Western Michigan, a 2-6 MAC team, 42-31!

Common Opponents: None

Las Vegas Hotsheet: Opened at 6 …the Almighty Dollar flow has driven it down to 5

Offensive Team Data: Western Kentucky Total Yards, 392 YPG; Passing Yards, 206 YPG;  Rushing Yards, 186 YPG; Scoring Average 29 PPG, Turnovers, 2.0 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 48%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 81% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 65%

Offensive Team Data: Central Michigan Total Yards, 377 YPG; Passing Yards, 232 YPG;  Rushing Yards, 145 YPG; Scoring Average 29 PPG, Turnovers, 1.17 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 38.7%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 89% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 64%

Defensive Team Data: Western Kentucky Total Yards, 344 YPG; Passing Yards, 206 YPG;  Rushing Yards, 138 YPG; Scoring Average 26 PPG, Turnovers, 1.83 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 41.1%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 83% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 61%

Defensive Team Data:  Central Michigan Total Yards, 416 YPG; Passing Yards, 239 YPG;  Rushing Yards, 177 YPG; Scoring Average 33 PPG, Turnovers, 1.5 TPG; Percent of 3rd Down Conversions, 43.5%; Percentage of all scores in Red Zone, 87% & Percentage of TD’s in Red Zone, 66%

Sully’s Game Simulator:  is a statistical analysis / predictor of how these teams will preform, based solely on their numbers, when they face off on the gridiron! Keep in mind, these stats were established against different teams and conferences and these differences must be taken into account to get a complete picture when attempting to predetermine a winner. If you are interested in how the Simulator works … read this part … if not … skip it! The process used is … we take CM’s total yards on offense, add it to what WKU gives up on defense, …  get a total and then divide that number by 2 … to get the mean. We then invert the process by taking WKU’s total offense, add it to what Central Michigan gives up on defense, get a total and divide that number by 2  to get the second mean… the greater number (with the exception of Turnovers) is then determined to have the advantage ( please note …. statistical advantage). We repeat this process in each of the eight statistical categories assessed!  That said… here are the results of the Head to Head Analysis:

Total Yards:  Advantage WKU 404 to 361

Passing Yards: Advantage WKU 223 to 219

Rushing Yards: Advantage WKU 182 to 142

Scoring: Advantage WKU 31 to 28

Turnovers: Advantage CM 1.5 to 1.75

3rd Down Conversions: Advantage WKU 45.8% to 38.9%

Red Zone All Scores: Advantage CM 86% to 84%

Red Zone TD’s Only: Advantage WKU 66% to 63%

Individuals to Watch: CU’s QB Ryan Radcliff had passed for 2905 yards, 21 TD’s, 9 picks, & a 59% completion rate. He has two able receivers, Titus Davis (43 receptions, 860 yards, 8 TD’s & 20 yards per catch) & Cody Wilson ( 64 receptions, 739 yards, 2 TD’s, & 11.5 yards per catch). Central featured RB is, Zurlon Tipton, who has rushed for 1,391 yards, on 229 carries, while averaging 6.1 yards per carry and scoring 19 TD’s (2 more TD’s and Tipton will become CU’s all time single season leader)! Western Kentucky counters  with RB, Antonio Andrews, who has rushed for 1,609 yards, on 277 carries for and average of 5.6 yards  per carry and 11 TD’s! Andrews is challenging Barry Sanders NCAA Record for All-Purpose Yards as he has amassed 957 return yards this season for a total (receptions added in) of 2,977! Andrews needs 274 all purpose yards in this bowl game to break Sanders all tine record of 3,250, set in Barry’s Heisman year of 1988! STAY TUNED!!

Sully Says: For a Ho-hum bowl game this one has some interesting sideline stories. Tipton & Andrews chance to set records, as well as who will not play, Quanterus Smith, Sun Belt Defensive Player-of-the-Year, out with a knee injury. He will be missed! At least arguably, the MAC is better than the Sun Belt this season Toledo, NIU, Ball State, Ohio, Bowling Green, & Kent State all bowl eligible in 2012! …. AND …The Game is being played in CU’s back yard, Detroit with Central riding a three game win streak …. in which they have averaged 35 points per game! So things are looking good for the Chippewas in this game …  or …. is Lee Corso in the room as I hear …. not so fast my friend! CU’s three season ending wins were against Eastern Michigan, 34-31, Miami of Ohio, 30-16, & Massachusetts 42-12, three of the weakest teams in the MAC. Further, CU did not beat a FBS team with a winning record this season This marks the first ever Bowl game for Western Kentucky … meaning …. they could care less where the game is being played… Detroit ….  Kokomo …. would/will not matter to the Hilltoppers … they will be sky high! Sully’s CBP says .. look for WKU to win but not cover!