Camellia Bowl 2015: Ohio vs. Appalachian State TV Schedule, Time and Odds

The Appalachian State Mountaineers have a chance to etch out some history Saturday against the Ohio Bobcats in the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl.  

For head coach Scott Satterfield, Saturday represents a chance for Appalachian State to no longer be that one team that beat the Michigan Wolverines in 2007 but instead morph into an annual postseason contender by earning a win in its first bowl game in program history.

It's a tall order against an 8-4 Ohio team that has personified resilience while dealing with one of the longest injury lists in recent memory. The Bobcats, like the 10-2 Mountaineers, are riding a three-game winning streak into what should be an offensive-minded showdown.

Before kickoff, here's a look at everything you need to know about the encounter.

Game Details

When: Saturday, December 19, 5:30 p.m. ET

Where: Cramton Bowl; Montgomery, Alabama

Television: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Tickets: ScoreBig.com

Over/Under: 55

Spread: Appalachian State (-7.5)

Injury Reports

Name	Position	Status
Blair Brown	LB	Probable
Keith Heitzman	TE	Questionable
Trent Smart	DE	Questionable
Dorian Brown	RB	Questionable
Maleek Irons	RB	Probable
Connor Brown	TE	Doubtful
Daz'mond Patterson	RB	Probable
Jared McCray	OL	Questionable
JD Sprague	QB	Probable
Blake Scipio	DB	Doubtful
Nathan Carpenter	S	Doubtful
Aaron Macer	S	Probable
Papi White	WR	Probable
Devin Bass	CB	Out
Grant Cunningham	S	Probable
Kylan Nelson	CB	Out
Joe Anderson	OL	Questionable
Joe Lowery	OL	Out
Troy Mangen	TE	Out

Name	Position	Status
Bobo Beathard	WR	Questionable
Shaedon Meadors	WR	Out
Beau Nunn	OL	Out
Antonious Sims	DL	Out
Jaquil Capel	WR	Out
Thomas Bronson	DL	Out
Brandon Pinckney	DB	Out
Jake Easter	QB	Out

Grinding It Out

The next-man-up philosophy usually applies to one or two guys, but a glance at the Ohio injury table shows a silly amount of names, including four of the team's five running backs with 10 or more carries, a starting tight end, a starting linebacker and a starting cornerback, among others.

Looking at the schedule, it's not hard to see when the injury bug bit. Ohio started off as winners in five of its first six contests, only to hit a three-game skid before cleaning up its play to become bowl-eligible.

The offense features a hodgepodge of approaches. Running back A.J. Ouellette leads the way with 642 yards and five scores, while complement Daz'mond Patterson has 497 yards and nine touchdowns.

At quarterback, Derrius Vick and JD Sprague, who have combined for 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions, figure to split the load in hopes of keeping the Mountaineers offense off the field.

Said offense is head coach Frank Solich's main concern, as he told Chris Manning of the Athens News: “They run outside stretch a lot; they’re really good at it. They execute it very well, and that part is going to be a challenge, and they’ll come off it with really good play-action passes.”

Ohio allowed 41 or more points in each contest during its three-game skid with key players hurt. With any luck, though, the combination of a healthier defense and a deep offense will help the Bobcats play the role of spoiler in their opponent's first bowl game.

Seizing the Moment

Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press

This is it for Appalachian State.

The Mountaineers sacrificed two years' worth of postseason play to join the FBS for a shot at a bowl game. The result was a 10-win season, with the only losses coming to No. 1 Clemson and Arkansas State, the only team to finish ahead of them in the Sun Belt.

"I told our guys in our meeting that this is a reward," Satterfield said, according to ESPN.com. "A reward for a great season. We're gonna have fun. We're gonna enjoy it."

The Mountaineers use a balanced approach to pound opponents into submission. Quarterback Taylor Lamb has completed 61.1 percent of his passes this year with 29 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Behind him, lead back Marcus Cox is averaging 5.8 yards per carry for 1,261 yards and eight scores.

Most of the attention goes to the defensive side of the ball, though. Thank Ronald Blair, the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year, who leads a run defense that ranks 28th in the FBS, allowing an average of just 133.6 rushing yards per game.

It's hard to not throw most of your attention toward the defense when Blair brings home eye-popping highlights such as this one, courtesy of the Sun Belt Conference:

Blair and the rest of the unit's next task is to get the team's underrated offense on the field early and often by slowing a dynamic Ohio attack.

Prediction 

RICHARD SHIRO/Associated Press

Las Vegas seems to have the right idea with this one.

What Ohio's been able to do despite a slew of injuries has been impressive, but Solich's approach over the years hasn't translated well outside of MAC play, hence his 2-4 bowl record with the team.

It will be hard to contain the explosive Mountaineers offense and account for a player of Blair's caliber. Furthermore, the team will be emotionally charged after sitting on its hands for years, waiting for this shot at a bowl game before graduation.

Look for Appalachian State to come out firing on all cylinders and never look back. The Lamb-Cox duo is too potent and Blair is too disruptive for the Mountaineers to stumble against a hobbled opponent in their historic debut.

Prediction: Mountaineers win 38-28.

Statistics courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified. All betting information courtesy of Odds Shark.