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Offenses expected to rule in Popeyes Bahamas Bowl (Dec 23, 2016)
There must be something in the chicken.
The Popeyes Bahamas Bowl has been a wide-open affair with lots of scoring and little defense. In two years of play, teams are averaging 43.3 points each.
Expect more of the same this in this year's game as the ingredients are in place for another shootout when Eastern Michigan of the Mid-American Conference and Conference-USA's Old Dominion tangle at 1 p.m. on Dec. 23 at Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau.
ESPN will broadcast the game.
The Eagles (7-5 overall, 4-4 in MAC play) will be making their first bowl appearance since the 1987 now-defunct California Bowl when Eastern Michigan beat San Jose State, 30-27.
Eastern Michigan comes into the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl with victories in two of its last three games and has victories over conference championship participants Ohio (MAC) and Wyoming (Mountain West).
Chris Creighton, in his third year at the Ypsilanti school, spread the credit and beamed like a proud new father when the Eagles were selected to play.
"For everybody who has been a part of this school, who has been a part of this program for years, decades, I hope everyone takes great joy and pride," he said.
"We said at the very beginning that our vision when coming here was to make Eastern Michigan football a source of pride -- in our department, in the university, in Ypsilanti and in the region. That is what kept me up at night. That is what I have been charged up about," he added.
There's a lot of pride and joy on the other side, too.
The Monarchs (9-3 overall, 7-1 in Conference USA) will be making their first bowl appearance of any kind having only recently made the transition from FCS to FBS. Old Dominion is led by Bobby Wilder, the only head coach the school has had since restarting the program in 2009.
"We are all thrilled to play in the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl," Wilder said shortly after the Monarchs accepted an invitation. "The coaches I spoke with about the bowl said it is a great experience for the kids, which is what this is all about. This is an historic moment for Old Dominion University and our football program."
Getting a bowl invite is pretty special for many of the seniors.
"It's been everything you could ever dream about," right guard Troy Butler told the Daily Press. "It's just been an awesome experience, and I'm glad to be a part of it. We're thankful to all the players who came before and set us up to be in this position."
While Old Dominion will be making history in Nassau, much of this past season already has been a milestone for the Monarchs.
ODU comes into the game with a five-game winning streak. The Monarchs boast the top rushing offense in Conference-USA and have a dangerous and balanced attack.
Running back Ray Lawry leads the Monarch rushing attack having compiled six 100-yard games on his way to 1,112 yards and 11 touchdowns this season.
Sophomore running back Jeremy Cox added another 685 yards and 13 touchdowns.
A dangerous tandem indeed.
Senior quarterback David Washington earns high praise for guiding an offense that turned the ball over a total of nine times.
Washington threw for 2,648 yards and 28 touchdowns with only four interceptions. He is one of four quarterbacks in the country with more than 25 TD passes and four or fewer interceptions. (The other three are Western Michigan's Zach Terrell, North Carolina's Mitch Trubisky and Oklahoma State's Mason Rudolph.)
"He's the epitome of a selfless player," Butler said. "He'll do whatever it takes to get the team a win."
His favorite target, wide receiver Zach Pascal, caught 63 passes for 893 yards and eight TDs. Pascal has caught a pass in 48 consecutive games, which is tied for the longest current streak in FBS.
Eastern Michigan quarterback Brogan Roback has compiled some pretty impressive statistics himself.
The three-time MAC Offensive Player of the Week guided an offense that set school records for total offense (5,447), passing offense (3,549) and total points (396).
Much of that success should be credited to the offensive line, which allowed the 12th-fewest sacks in the nation, as well as the second-fewest tackles for loss.
The one-two punch of sophomore running back Ian Eriksen and wide receiver Sergio Bailey II should lead to plenty of offense for the Eagles if Eriksen is healthy. He has been listed as questionable with a knee issue.
Eriksen rushed for 741 yards and nine touchdowns; Bailey caught 55 passes for 799 yards and six TDs.
The Eagles were among the top 20 teams in creating turnovers, but as mentioned earlier, the Monarchs are one of the top teams at taking care of the ball.
When it comes to Conference USA, the Monarchs' defense was one of the best having a plus-13 turnover margin and recording 34 sacks.
The Eagles and Monarchs have played twice since ODU's resurgence in 2011, as the teams had a home-and-home in 2014-15. Old Dominion won both times, winning the 2014 game in Norfolk, 17-3, and the return trip in Ypsilanti, 38-34, in the 2015 season opener.
