Frisco Football Classic Bet Preview: Miami (OH) vs. North Texas

The Frisco Football Classic is slated for December 23rd, and there will be plenty of attention from Ohio sports fans as the Miami (OH) RedHawks are set to take the field. The North Texas Mean Green will be the opponent on Thursday afternoon in a game that looks pretty even on paper. 

North Texas actually comes into this game with a ton of momentum as they have won five straight games. The Mean Green needed to win all five of those games to get their record to 6-6 and reach bowl eligibility to even appear in this game.

Miami (OH) have had an up and down season, and playing in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) tends to have that effect on most teams. The RedHawks enter the Frisco Bowl Classic with a record of 6-6 as well, but they were expected to be a better team this season.

The RedHawks are 2.5-point betting favorites over the Mean Green in the Frisco Football Classic.

Mean Green Great on the Ground

The North Texas offensive attack is focused on the ground game, and the Mean Green have been able to put up some impressive numbers in that category. North Texas is averaging 246 rushing yards per game, and they tend to dominate time of possession with that attack.

Running back Deandre Torrey leads North Texas with 1,215 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on the year, and he will be a key in this game. The Mean Green don’t really pose much of a threat when throwing the ball, and that will give Miami a break in the secondary.

If North Texas isn’t able to establish the rushing attack, then this could be an easy win for the RedHawks.

RedHawks Have to Get Stops

The biggest problem for Miami this season has been on the defensive end of the field as they are giving up nearly 24 points per game. That number actually looks good on the surface, but the RedHawks are allowing over 150 rushing yards per game.

Quarterback Brett Gabbert has been a start for the RedHawks this season, throwing 24 touchdown passes to just six interceptions. Miami does have the ability to move the ball in a variety of ways, and they are facing a North Texas team that struggles at times defensively.

Look for the RedHawks to try to speed up the tempo in this game, and that should allow them to create some separation.

Miami Picks Up Bowl Game Win

North Texas can really run the football, but Miami has faced a number of teams in the MAC that love to play offense the same way. The Mean Green don’t really have much of a passing attack, and that will allow the RedHawks to load up the box to stop the run.

The RedHawks have shown the ability to be explosive on offense this season, and that should show up in this game. Miami doesn’t come into the Frisco Bowl with as much momentum, but they have put together a more complete season from start to finish.

Bet the Miami (OH) RedHawks -2.5 as they take complete control of this game in the second half and win the Frisco Football Classic over the North Texas Mean Green.