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Bowling Green went 2-10 in the 2010 college football season, and just two years later, coach Dave Clawson has rebuilt the Falcons into a bowl-worthy team. The 8-4 season for Bowling Green could end on a high note on Thursday, when the Falcons head to Washington, D.C., to play the San Jose State Spartans in the 2012 Military Bowl.
Similarly, San Jose State has experienced a rise in the past year. The Spartans went 5-7 last season and they come into the game ranked No. 24 in the nation and with a 10-2 record that led to coach Mike MacIntyre leaving for the Colorado head coaching opening.
MacIntyre leaves behind a talented team. Junior quarterback David Fales was seventh in the nation with 3,798 yards, 31 touchdowns and nine interceptions on the year. He has talented targets in 1,000-yard receiver Noel Grigsby and running back De'Leon Eskridge for the nation's 11th-most prolific passing offense.
The Spartans' defense will have to play with the same success as Bowling Green's, the latter of which ranks eighth in the nation by giving up just 15.8 points per game. Outside of the Falcons' last loss, a 31-24 defeat at the hands of Kent State, they haven't allowed more than 14 points in a game since a Sept. 22 loss to Virginia Tech.
Game date and time
Thursday, Dec. 27, 3 p.m. ET
Location
Washington, D.C., RFK Memorial Stadium
Spread
San Jose State opened as 7.5-point favorites against Bowling Green, according to OddsShark.com.
TV schedule
ESPN
Watch online
WatchESPN will stream the game here.
Radio schedule
San Jose State radio: KLIV (1590 AM, San Jose), KION (1460 AM, Salinas), KFIV (1360 AM, Modesto)
Bowling Green radio: Falcon Sports Radio Network
Last year’s game
The 2011 Military Bowl was a nailbiter. Air Force fell to Toledo, 42-41, after scoring a touchdown with less than a minute to play and failing to win by way of a two-point conversion.
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