MIAMI, FL, Sporting Alert – College football postseason continues on Monday with another bowl game, as Western Kentucky battle with South Florida here in Miami for the Miami Beach Bowl.
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Brandon Doughty will play in his last game for Western Kentucky when the Hilltoppers (11-2) go in search of their 12th victory of the season.
Doughty, who is regarded as one of the best passers in college football, has thrown for 4594 yards and 45 touchdowns for a quarterback rating of 85.6.
He broke Western Kentucky program records for career completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns, with ESPN Stats and Info revealing that Doughty “enters this bowl season second in the FBS in passing yards (4,594) and first in passing TDs (45).”
The senior from Davie, Florida, has tallied 12,394 yards passing and 108 touchdowns for his college career entering this battle, and he will unquestionably be hoping to close out this chapter of his career on a winning note.
Meanwhile, South Florida head coach Willie Taggart, who led Western Kentucky to back-to-back seven-win seasons, will battle against his former program after he left the Hilltoppers for the Bulls, following the 2012 season.
ESPN is reporting that Taggart “personally paid for 500 students” to watch this Miami Beach Bowl contest at Marlins Park, which is without a doubt, a very a pleasant gesture on his part.
The Oddsmakers are backing the Hilltoppers as 3-point favorites defeat the Bulls, while they are also expecting a high-scoring game, with the total sitting at 68.
Led by the impressive Doughty, Western Kentucky, which has won five in a row and nine of its last 10 games, is averaging 44.2 points per games, while passing for 365.4 yards in each contest.
Its defense is holding teams to 25.2 points per contest.
On the other hand, South Florida is only averaging 185.8 passing yards per battle, but only allowing 21.1 points this season.
Taggart’s team is somewhat higher than WKU in the running game, as it is averaging 242.9 yards per game, compared to Western Kentucky’s 154.4.
The experts believe that if South Florida is going to win this game, the team will need to keep Doughty away from his receivers, as well as controlling the clock by implementing the running game, something the Bulls are strong at doing.
