Camellia Bowl 2014: South Alabama vs. Bowling Green TV Info, Spread, Time, More

Saturday is a day of firsts at the inaugural Camellia Bowl, which sees the South Alabama Jaguars make their first-ever bowl appearance in their sixth year of existence.

While perhaps not as impressive, South Alabama's opponent, Bowling Green, wound up in first place in the MAC East with a 7-6 record.

The scoreboard should be active when these two get together Saturday night. Both prefer different approaches but fill the stat sheet in impressive manners all the same.

For one team, the Camellia Bowl is a way to make a serious proclamation and build for the future in one swoop.

Different Preferences, Same Results 

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

Joey Jones' Jaguars love to run the football on the majority of their plays. The philosophy works, as the team ranks 48th in the nation with an average of 182.6 yards per game on the ground.

Senior back Kendall Houston leads the team in rushing this year with 652 yards and a score on a 4.9 per-carry average. Xavier Johnson is not far behind with 417 yards and a score, while even senior quarterback Brandon Bridge gets in on the action on a regular basis and has 254 yards and three scores.

Bridge can take care of business through the air, too, as his 1,648 yards and 14 touchdowns to six interceptions shows.

Counteracting the methodical Bridge-led offense is one of the nation's fastest attacks. Bowling Green averages 29.8 points and 427.8 yards per game. Collegiate fans in general will recall when the Falcons ran a season-high 113 plays in a 45-42 upset of Indiana.

James Knapke leads coach Dino Babers' offense, but his 2,805 yards and 13 touchdowns to 12 interceptions were enough to get him replaced late in the season.

The spread-it-out attack tends to favor the ground game out of necessity, which is fine, considering Travis Greene has 908 yards and 10 scores, Fred Coppet has 694 and six and Andre Givens has 474 and eight.

The obvious dynamic to watch, then, is whether South Alabama can keep Bowling Green off the field.

Righting the Ship

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There is a lot to like about what both of these teams have accomplished this season—minus their ability to finish.

The Jaguars lost four of their last five to close the season and almost missed out on bowl eligibility in the process. Jones' team will need to overcome this factor, not to mention the hurdle that is playing in a first-ever bowl game.

For his part, though, Babers does not buy into talk that suggests Saturday's opponent will be just happy to go bowling, per AL.com's Tommy Hicks: "I don't know about that. I would imagine they'll try to put some stars in other people's eyes. They'll be really excited, they'll be in front of their family and their home fans. I think that there's no doubt they're going to be ready to go.''

Bowling Green is certainly the more experienced of the two teams, but the season-ending stretch was downright embarrassing. The Falcons lost their last three contests, including a MAC Championship blowout at the hands of Northern Illinois, 51-17.

The team that can put woeful recent performances behind them figures to end the season on a happy note.

When: Saturday, December 20, 9:15 p.m. ET

Where: Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, AL

Television: ESPN

Betting Lines (via Odds Shark):

• Over/Under: 53.5

• Spread: South Alabama (-3)

Team Injury Reports

Player	Pos.	Date	Details	Status	Injury
Braedon Bowman	TE	12/14/2014	is questionable for the Camellia Bowl Saturday against Bowling Green	Questionable	foot
Qudarius Ford	CB	12/14/2014	is questionable for the Camellia Bowl Saturday against Bowling Green	Questionable	knee
Jay Jones	RB	10/19/2014	is expected to miss the remainder of the season	Out	knee
Corliss Waitman	P	08/28/2014	is expected to miss the entire season	Out	eligibility

Player	Pos.	Date	Details	Status	Injury
Zach Colvin	DT	08/28/2014	will miss the entire season	Out	illness
Jhalil-Nashid Croley	DE	12/14/2014	will miss the Camellia Bowl Saturday against South Alabama	Suspended	legal/disciplinary
Chris Gallon	WR	08/02/2014	is expected to miss the entire season	Out	knee
William Houston	RB	08/03/2014	will miss the entire season	Suspended	disciplinary
Matt Johnson	QB	09/03/2014	will miss the remainder of the season	Out	hip
Victor Osborne	CB	12/14/2014	is questionable for the Camellia Bowl Saturday against South Alabama	Questionable	undisclosed

Injury reports per The Sports Network, via USA Today.

Prediction

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Quarterback play is quite a concern for Bowling Green, especially against a South Alabama defense that only allows an average of 25.8 points per game. 

For comparison's sake, the Falcons rank 109th in the nation due to an average of nearly 34 points per game allowed.

The notion that the Jaguars will be ill prepared for such a prolific contest is incorrect considering major showdowns against Mississippi State and South Carolina this season. The offense's grind-it-out mentality with a relentless amount of effective rushers will eventually wear down the Falcons and produce a win for the first-timers.

Prediction: South Alabama 24, Bowling Green 20

Statistics and info courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified.