2009 Armed Forces Bowl Air Force vs. Houston Start Time, TV Guide & Odds
Fort Worth, TX – It's not hard to see why organizers wanted to see Houston and Air Force match up in the Armed Forces Bowl again after they played an exciting game in last year's edition.
Bet The 2009 Armed Forces Bowl
The Cougars and their top-rated passing offense led by Davey O'Brien Award finalist Case Keenum look to overcome the Falcons' top-ranked passing defense in Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 31.
Oddsmakers from online sports book Sports Interaction have made Houston -5 point spread favorites (View College Football odds) for the Thursday, Dec. 31 game (Game Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 69% of bets for this game have been placed on Houston -5 (View College Football bet percentages).
Houston (10-3) ended an eight-game losing streak in bowl games with a 34-28 victory over Air Force (7-5) last year. Keenum threw for one score and ran for two more as the Cougars avenged a 31-28 home loss to the Falcons in the regular season.
"We had a great experience last year and we played in a great game against a formidable opponent," Houston coach Kevin Sumlin said. "We look forward to another great game this season, and we expect a great challenge from a very good Air Force team."
After throwing 44 touchdowns as a sophomore, Keenum will enter the final game of his junior season leading the nation in total offense (429.3 yards per game), passing (419.2) and touchdown passes (43). The Cougars have the top-rated pass offense with 450.0 yards per game, led by the player who lost to Texas' Colt McCoy for the O'Brien award as the nation's top quarterback.
Keenum had a total of 614 yards passing in the two games against Air Force last season, but the Falcons have improved to own the nation's top-rated pass defense, yielding 148.7 yards per game.
"I think this is only the (seventh) time in bowl history that there has been a rematch and I feel it is a positive," Armed Forces Bowl director Brant Ringler said. "We always have a strong military fan base at the game and we feel very fortunate to have Air Force. It is great to have such a potent passing attack in Houston against the No. 1 pass defense in the country, Air Force."
Last season, Air Force ranked 50th in the nation in pass defense at 199.9 yards per game. The Falcons are well aware of Keenum's ability.
" Houston is an incredibly talented team," coach Troy Calhoun said. "They have great size and skill people. They have a great quarterback. They are absolutely loaded at receiver."
Keenum threw five touchdown passes four times, including in a 38-32 loss to East Carolina in the Conference USA title game. Keenum completed 56 of 75 passes for 527 yards but threw a season-high three interceptions.
Keenum fell two completions shy of tying the NCAA single-game record set by Eastern Michigan's Andy Schmitt in November 2008.
Three Cougars have at least seven touchdown receptions, led by Iowa transfer James Cleveland's 14. Cleveland, Tyron Carrier and Patrick Edwards all had at least 985 yards receiving.
"We like having the ball in our hands with a chance to win it," Keenum said. "We've got guys that can make plays downfield."
Houston was ranked most of the season and went 3-0 against teams from BCS conferences ( Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Mississippi State).
"I have seen them play several times this season and they are impressive," Calhoun said. "To go into Stillwater, Oklahoma, and beat Oklahoma State is a difficult task and to do so in dominant fashion is no easy thing to do."
The Falcons have lost back-to-back Armed Forces Bowls under Calhoun. They have lost three straight bowls since beating Fresno State in the Silicon Valley Bowl in 2000.
"We never take that for granted," Calhoun said. "It is a great opportunity to play in a bowl game, but we aren't just content to play, we are going to play to win."
Air Force's offense offers a complete contrast to Houston, featuring the fourth-ranked rushing attack in the country at 273.6 yards per game. That's clearly a bad matchup for the Cougars, who rank 112th in allowing 213.1 yards per game on the ground.
Jared Tew and Asher Clark each gained more than 700 yards and combined for 12 touchdowns. Tew rushed for 149 yards and two scores in last year's bowl as Air Force held the ball for more than 38 minutes.
The Falcons are 0-6 at Fort Worth's Amon G. Carter Stadium, falling four times to TCU in addition to their losses in the Armed Forces Bowl.
This is the first bowl rematch since South Carolina and Ohio State met in consecutive Outback Bowls from 2001-02.
"To lose to a great team like Houston the way we did last year, you always want a second chance," guard Nick Charles said. "You don't always get second or third chances, but we have one."
2009 Armed Forces Bowl
Teams: Air Force vs. Houston
Kickoff: Dec. 31, 2009 at Noon ET
Venue: Amon Carter Stadium
TV: ESPN
Odds:
Air Force +5 Over 61 (+170)
Houston -5 Under 61 (-200)
2009 Armed Forces Bowl Air Force vs. Houston Picks & Predictions
Two very different but very effective offenses meet Thursday in the 2009 Armed Forces Bowl as Air Force collides with Houston at Noon ET from Amon Carter Stadium.
Air Force is 7-5 on the season and 6-4-1 against the spread. The Falcons won and covered in three straight before losing and failing to cover against BYU in the season finale.
Houston is 10-3 this season and 8-4 against the spread. The Cougars lost to East Carolina 38-32 in the Conference USA Championship game. The Cougars have scored no less than 29 points in each game this year.
Oddsmakers from online sports book SPORTSBETTING.com have made Houston 5-point favorites over Air Force on Thursday afternoon. The over/under total for this game has been established at 63.
Air Force has one of the top rushing attacks in the country, totaling 3,283 yards on the ground this year. The rushing game is a combined effort as the Falcons have seven different players with at least 40 carries this season. With that, Air Force has just 988 passing yards on the season. The Falcons average 28.3 points per-game on offense. Houston is giving up 28.8 points per-game on defense and has been torched for 2,770 yards rushing on the season.
Houston has the top offense in the nation, scoring 43.9 points per-game while racking up 581.2 yards per-outing. Quarterback Case Keenum has thrown for a nation’s-best 5,449 yards and 43 touchdowns this year. On defense, Air Force is holding opponents to just 15.3 points and 284 yards per-game.
This game should have plenty of offense as Air Force will be able to run all over Houston, and Keenum has proven he can throw on any defense. The key to this game will be if the Falcons can control the clock offensively and keep Keenum off the field long enough to make a run. Air Force seems to have a toughness that is lacking in Houston and trends show that Air Force has been better at covering the spread in recent history. We suggest a pick of Air Force with the over in this bowl game.
Our Armed Forces Bowl Free Pick for this matchup is: AIR FORCE +5 and OVER 63.
College Football Bowl Season Betting Trends
Top Trends for this game.
AIR FORCE is 53-76 ATS (-30.6 Units) after playing a conference game since 1992.
AIR FORCE is 16-40 ATS (-28.0 Units) off a loss against a conference rival since 1992.
AIR FORCE is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 1-1 against the spread versus AIR FORCE over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 1-1 straight up against AIR FORCE over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
Air Force is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Air Force is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Houston is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games
Houston is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games
Bowl Season College Football Injury Report
AIR FORCE
[CB] 09/18/2009 - PJ Adeji-Paul out indefinitely ( Leg )
[QB] 12/28/2009 - Connor Dietz is upgraded to probable Thursday vs. Houston U ( Hand )
[LB] 11/07/2009 - Ken Lamendola out indefinitely ( Knee )
[LB] 10/16/2009 - Patrick Hennessey out for season ( Shoulder )
[WR] 12/28/2009 - Kyle Halderman is upgraded to probable Thursday vs. Houston U ( Knee )
HOUSTON
No significant injuries.
Armed Forces Bowl Odds
Air Force Falcons +5 Over 63 (+180)
Houston Cougars -5 Under 63 (-220)