LendingTree Bowl
Eastern Michigan (7-5) vs. Liberty (7-5), Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, Ala., 5:45 p.m., ESPN
Liberty -7 – O/U 58.5
It’s so hard to take any MAC team seriously in a bowl, especially since the conference has gone a collective 12-37 in bowls in the past 11 seasons (including Toledo’s loss yesterday). The MAC hasn’t had a winning bowl season since going 4-1 in 2010-11. That goes double for Eastern Michigan, which hasn’t won a bowl game since the 1987 California Bowl (going 0-3 since then). Liberty, meanwhile, has gone to two bowl games in the past three years and won both of those. Neither team has been especially impressive as of late, as both teams closed the season by winning two of their last five games. Of course, Liberty played a higher caliber of opposition this season, and it looked better in the process. The Flames were at least a little competitive in a 27-14 loss to Ole Miss. Eastern Michigan was bounced off of the field in a 34-7 loss to Wisconsin. The key to this game will be Liberty QB Malik Willis, who is the Flames’ leading passer and rusher. If he limits (or eliminates) his mistakes and keeps Liberty moving consistently, the Flames should win this one with a little breathing room. Even so, expect a motivated Eastern Michigan squad to keep it close.
Prediction: Liberty 27-21
Result: Liberty 56-20
The MAC was exposed again as Liberty pulled away in the third quarter and turned the game into a laugher in the second half. It wasn’t even as close as the lopsided score indicates; Eastern Michigan was down 56-10 in the fourth quarter and scored the final 10 points against Liberty’s backups. Willis was, indeed, the star of the game with three touchdown passes and one on the ground.
Record:
Bowl season: SU – 3-4; ATS – 1-6-0; O/U – 4-3-0
Overall: SU – 597-186; ATS – 370-327-6; O/U – 337-354-12
Copyright © 2021 by Doug DeBolt.
