Huskies & Red Wolves At GoDaddy.com Bowl

Two of this season’s most exciting non-BCS teams meet in the GoDaddy.com Bowl Sunday night when the Arkansas State Red Wolves take on the Northern Illinois Huskies in Mobile, Alabama.

Arkansas State is currently a slight 1½-point favorite on the Don Best odds screen. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN and will begin at 9:00 p.m. (ET).

Anyone who favors offense over defense will have one more chance before Monday’s defense-heavy BCS National Championship Game to enjoy some shoot-out football. Arkansas State’s Ryan Aplin and Northern Illinois’ Chandler Harnish are both exciting dual-threat quarterbacks that have produced highlight-reel plays all season long.

Northern Illinois (10-3) started the season off 2-3 SU (1-4 ATS), but hit its stride after the conference loss to Central Michigan and went on to win the final eight games (4-4 ATS), including the MAC Championship over Ohio.

Harnish was magnificent both throwing and running the ball. His 2,942 passing yards with 26 touchdown passes to just five interceptions was impressive enough, but the senior quarterback also rushed for 1,382 yards (averaging 7.5 yards per carry) and 11 touchdowns. Along with running back Jasmin Hopkins who rushed for 932 yards and 15 touchdowns, Harnish led Northern Illinois to the eighth best rushing attack in the nation (247.6 points per game) and the 13th ranked scoring offense (38.3 points per game).

Arkansas State (10-2) was one of the best betting options of the 2011 season. After starting off the year 1-2 SU (but 3-0 ATS covering the spread in losses at Illinois and Virginia Tech), the Red Wolves finished the season with nine straight wins (7-2 ATS) to go undefeated in the Sun Belt Conference and lock up the title.

Fueled by Ryan Aplin’s 3,235 passing yards and 18 passing touchdowns (with 13 interceptions), the Red Wolves finished the season 18th in the nation in passing yards per game and 26th in the nation in scoring with 33.5 points per game. Aplin also added 605 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground on 151 carries. Wide receiver Dwayne Frampton should have a big day Sunday, hauling in 90 catches for 1,125 yards and six touchdowns this season.

While the Red Wolves had a strong season offensively, the key to their success this season, and perhaps the key to this game, was their defense. Just one year removed from an abysmal unit that gave up 31 points a contest, this year’s Arkansas State team finished 14th in the nation in scoring defense by allowing just 19.3 points per game. The defense was consistent too, as Arkansas State didn’t allow more than 24 points in any of its eight conference games.

Going up against a Northern Illinois team that finished 89th in the nation allowing 31.1 points per game, Arkansas State’s edge on defense could be the difference. That said, Northern Illinois has the slight edge on offense, so it may all just come down to the tempo of the game.

With Arkansas State’s strong defensive efforts this season, the total went ‘under’ in eight of its 12 games. The total has also gone ‘under’ in four of Northern Illinois’ last six games. Sunday’s total is currently set at 63.

Mother Nature isn't expected to interfere with the game.  There's just a 10 percent chance of rain Sunday in Mobile where cloudy skies and the thermometer in the upper-50s are in the forecast.