My Football DVD Collection
A library of original TV broadcasts of NFL and college football games
this site is not associated with any sports organization






Football > NCAA > 2008 > Motor City Bowl - Central Michigan Chippewas vs Florida Atlantic Owls college football DVD
2008 NCAA College Football Motor City Bowl

at
Motor City Bowl DVD - Florida Atlantic at Central Michigan football DVD

2008 Motor City Bowl NCAA college football DVD
recap / play by play / box score / 2008 December Bowls DVD list


2008 Motor City Bowl DVD
Florida Atlantic vs Central Michigan DVD

DETROIT - Florida Atlantic has played eight seasons of major college football and already has a winning streak in bowl games.

Howard Schnellenberger's championship experience must be rubbing off.

Rusty Smith threw for 307 yards and two second-half touchdowns to help the Owls beat Central Michigan 24-21 on Friday night in the Motor City Bowl.

Striving For Perfection
Florida Atlantic coach Howard Schnellenberger improved to 6-0 in bowl games, the most wins without a loss in bowl history.

Most Bowl Wins Without A Loss, FBS History Coach Record
- Howard Schnellenberger 6-0
- Howard Jones 5-0
- Mike Riley 4-0
- Butch Davis 4-0
- Jim Donnan 4-0


Florida Atlantic began playing in the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2001 but has won both its postseason games. The Owls defeated Memphis last year in the New Orleans Bowl.

"Certainly, this is going to go down as the most meaningful game we've had," said Howard Schnellenberger, who coached Miami to the 1983 national title and was hired to start Florida Atlantic's football program from scratch in 1998. "I can't tell you how proud I am of our entire football team."

The teams were tied 10-all midway through the third quarter when Rusty Smith hit Chris Bonner with a 52-yard scoring pass. Rusty Smith found Cortez Gent with an 18-yard strike early in the fourth to give the Owls (7-6) a bit of a cushion.

Fast Facts

  • Florida Atlantic improved to 2-0 in bowls, with both wins coming in the past two seasons.
  • The Owls closed the year by winning six of their last seven games.
  • Central Michigan was playing in a bowl for a school-record third straight season (fourth MAC team to accomplish the feat), falling to 1-2 in that span.
  • Central Michigan has lost three straight.

    Making their third straight Motor City Bowl appearance, the Chippewas (8-5) cut the lead to 24-21 with 3 minutes to play when Dan LeFevour hit Antonio Brown with a touchdown pass and then Kito Poblah for a 2-point conversion. Gent recovered the ensuing onside kick, however.

    Most of the 41,399 fans at Ford Field cheered the in-state Chippewas, but they were quiet as Florida Atlantic ran out the clock.

    "We've played in a whole lot worse places than this, the Swamp, Clemson, Texas, Michigan State, Oklahoma," Howard Schnellenberger said.

    It was the smallest turnout in the game's 12-year history, yet Motor City Bowl chairman Ken Hoffman said the game will return to Ford Field in 2009 despite Detroit's dismal economic forecast.

    Rusty Smith, selected the game's MVP, finished 20-for-35. Gent caught seven passes for 98 yards and Charles Pierre had 80 yards on the ground in a happy return to Michigan for Florida Atlantic, shut out at Michigan State on Sept. 13 during a game-long rainstorm.

    Howard Schnellenberger's sport jacket was wet at the end of Friday night's game, too, but only because his players doused him with a cooler as the final seconds ticked away.

    The Owls began the season 1-5 but won five of their final six to become bowl-eligible.

    "It's a great way to go out," linebacker Frantz Joseph said.

    LeFevour was 28-for-40 for 253 yards with two touchdowns and a first-quarter interception that led to the Owls' first touchdown. Central Michigan dropped its third straight.

    Central Michigan trailed 17-13 late in the third quarter when Antonio Brown sprang loose for what would have been a 72-yard touchdown run, but Poblah's facemask penalty negated it. The Chippewas were forced to punt a few plays later.

    "I think that hurt us and took away some momentum as well," coach Butch Jones said. "The disappointing thing is we felt like we left a lot of opportunities out there."

    The teams went to halftime tied at 10 after Florida Atlantic's Ross Gornall kicked a 36-yard field goal in the final minute of the second quarter.

    Dilvory Edgecomb scored on a 1-yard run in the first quarter for the Owls, but LeFevour answered in the second with a short touchdown pass to Poblah.

    Antonio Brown caught 11 passes for 91 yards for Central Michigan, which topped Middle Tennessee in the 2006 Motor City Bowl and lost a 51-48 shootout to Purdue last season. Antonio Brown DVD


    other Florida Atlantic Owls football DVDs
    other Central Michigan Chippewas football DVDs

    NFL football DVDs / NCAA college football DVDs / NBA basketball DVDs / Major League Baseball DVDs / NFL Europe DVDs / XFL football DVDs / Super Bowl DVDs / NFL draft DVDs / Canadian football CFL DVDs / USFL football DVDs / Arena football AFL DVDs / World Leage WLAF football DVDs / Japanese baseball DVDs / NCAA college basketball DVDs / NHL hockey DVDs / Olympics hockey DVDs / Sumo wrestling DVDs / contact


    this site does not support or condone the sale of sports telecasts in any form
    this site has no connection whatsoever with any sports league, professional or otherwise