NCAA College Football: Arkansas State-Middle Tennessee meet in Camellia Bowl

[Seminole Indian]

Camellia Bowl: Arkansas State (7-4) vs. Middle Tennessee (6-6), Dec. 16, 8 p.m. Eastern (ESPN)

Line: Arkansas State by 4.

Series Record: Middle Tennessee leads 9-5.

WHAT'S AT STAKE

Arkansas State is trying to rebound from a 32-25 loss to Troy when a share of the Sun Belt Conference title was on the line. Middle Tennessee wants to continue a strong finish after winning three of its final four games to become bowl eligible.

KEY MATCHUP

Middle Tennessee's defense against an Arkansas State team that leads the Sun Belt Conference in total, scoring and passing offense. The Blue Raiders have one of the better defenses in Conference USA but has only picked off four passes. Arkansas QB Justice Hansen presents a major challenge, having thrown for 3,630 yards and a Sun Belt-record 34 touchdowns. Hansen has been intercepted 15 times.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Middle Tennessee: QB Brent Stockstill, coach Rick Stockstill's son, led the team to a 3-1 finish after missing six games with a left (throwing) shoulder injury. He has thrown for at least one touchdown in 22 consecutive games, the third-longest active streak in the nation.

Arkansas State: DE Ja'Von Rolland-Jones needs one more sack to break the career FBS record of 44 held by Terrell Suggs and Jonathan Peterson. The two-time Sun Belt player of the year has 13 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss this season while forcing three fumbles.

FACTS & FIGURES

The first three Camellia Bowls have gone down to the final minute and been decided by a combined eight points. ... Arkansas State is playing in its seventh consecutive bowl and eighth overall. Middle Tennessee is in its seventh bowl under Rick Stockstill and fourth in five years. ... The teams are former rivals in the Sun Belt, where Middle Tennessee was a member from 2001-2012. ... Middle Tennessee players have missed a combined 125 games due to injury, including Stockstill and top receiver Richie James. Only four players started every regular season game. ... Arkansas State has held five of its last six opponents to less than 100 rushing yards. ... Stockstill has passed for a combined 759 yards and seven touchdowns in two bowl games.


https://collegefootball.ap.org/ap/article/arkansas-state-middle-tennessee-meet-camellia-bowl

[widespreadsooie]

ASU should roll, line is way off.

[Seminole Indian]

MTSU went 4-2 when their QB was healthy and I think he is healthy.

[hawginbigd1]

Ho-hum Blake's superior talented most undisciplined team finds another defeat to snatch from the jaws of victory. They have lost more games they should win than the Hogs have in the past 3 years. Dude puts together a great roster, I like their offense pretty well, love the aggressive defense, but all the penalties and turnovers just make me nuts. They should be at or near the top of the G5, but they just bumble it away. Hansen had a pretty poor passing performance tonight, several bad throws that slowed the offense.

[GolfNut57]

Hansen just isn't as good as he's hyped to be. He gets too rattled at times to be consistently effective.

[Seminole Indian]

IMO the only team beating A-State is A-State.

[GolfNut57]

IMO the only team beating A-State is A-State.

And it seems we get better at doing just that with every passing game. 

[holeinthewall]

Might be time for Anderson to move on.  That is at least 3 games this year they should have won but lost

[GolfNut57]

Might be time for Anderson to move on.  That is at least 3 games this year they should have won but lost

That's become the general consensus on the ASU board.

[Seminole Indian]

They should have won 9-10 games this year and really have not looked like a very well coached team in most of their games.  That does not go over well with fans, at any level.

[PossumFan]

Really underwhelming season considering the talent on this team.

[Ugly Uncle]

So frustrating watching that game.  I kept telling my son that A State kept beating themselves.  Obviously had more talent.

Also, how can you keep taking those sacks at the end?

[Seminole Indian]

So frustrating watching that game.  I kept telling my son that A State kept beating themselves.  Obviously had more talent.

Also, how can you keep taking those sacks at the end?

This is has just been a strange year in Arkansas football, and no, he should not have taken those sacks.

This game just like every game they lost except SMU, when Hansen missed most of the game, they should not have been in that position to began with.