ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The winner of the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl will finish with 10 victories this season. That is a major step forward for growing programs such as Ball State and Central Florida.
The Cardinals and Knights meet tonight at Tropicana Field in a game Ball State coach Pete Lembo and UCF’s George O’Leary view as an opportunity to set a nice tone for next season.
Ball State (9-3) is seeking its first bowl win in eight tries, while UCF (9-4) hopes to rebound from a loss in the Conference USA championship game in its final game before moving into the new-look Big East.
“I think one of our coaches mentioned this week that only 25 teams have the chance to win 10 games, so that would be huge,” UCF safety Lyle Dankenbring said. “A great way to go out.”
In two seasons at Ball State, Lembo has led an impressive turnaround that includes a pair of victories this season over members of BCS conferences. The Cardinals have won six straight following 3-3 start featuring losses to Clemson, Kent State and Orange Bowl-bound Northern Illinois.
The Cardinals improved to 6-6 in Lembo’s first season. This year they rode an explosive offense to a surprising 6-2 record in the Mid-American Conference, as well as wins over Indiana from the Big Ten and South Florida of the Big East.
The three teams that beat them — Clemson and MAC rivals Northern Illinois and Kent State — are headed to bowl games and finished have a combined record of 33-5. Beating UCF will give the Cardinals the third 10-win season in school history.
O’Leary is impressed with film he has watched of Ball State quarterback Keith Wenning, who’s thrown for 2,878 yards, 22 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. His favorite target, Willie Snead, has 82 receptions for 1,070 yards and seven TDs, while Jahwan Edwards has averaged 6.1 yards per carry while rushing for 1,321 yards and 14 touchdowns.