MOBILE, Ala. — Austin Boucher threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns in his fourth career start as Miami of Ohio capped a historic turnaround season with a 35-21 victory Thursday night over Middle Tennessee in the Bowl.
The RedHawks (10-4) are the first team in Football Bowl Subdivision history to win 10 games one season after losing 10. Miami finished a dismal 1-11 in 2009, but recovered to win the Mid-American Conference title and finish this season on a six-game winning streak.
The Blue Raiders (6-7) won three games in a row to become bowl-eligible but was hurt by five turnovers. Miami’s Dayonne Nunley was responsible for two of them, recovering a fumble and returning an interception 52 yards for a touchdown.
Middle Tennessee 14 0 7 0 — 21
Miami (Ohio) 7 7 14 7 — 35
First quarter:MTSU — Tanner 18 run (Gendreau kick), 4:37. MiO — Merriweather 3 run (Cook kick), 2:29. MTSU — Dasher 49 run (Gendreau kick), :40. Second quarter:MiO — Merriweather 3 run (Cook kick), 13:11. Third quarter:MiO — Nunley 52 interception return (Cook kick), 13:22. MTSU — Tanner 54 run (Gendreau kick), 12:32. MiO — Givens 17 pass from A.Boucher (Cook kick), :54. Fourth quarter:MiO — Harwell 5 pass from A.Boucher (Cook kick), 5:25. A — 38,168. MTSU MiO
First downs 15 21
Rushes-yards 32-208 40-118
Passing 162 298
Comp-att-int 18-29-4 23-37-2
Return yards 0 168
Punts-avg. 6-40.2 6-28.8
Fumbles-lost 1-1 2-0
Penalties-yards 6-58 6-53
Time of possession 21:15 38:45
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Middle Tennessee, Dasher 17-90, Tanner 11-87, Kyles 3-24. Cunningham 1-7. Miami (Ohio), Merriweather 27-100, Robinson 4-23. A.Boucher 6-1, Woods 1-0, Team 1-(minus 1), Harwell 1-(minus 5).
PASSING — Middle Tennessee, Dasher 18-29-4-162. Miami (Ohio). A.Boucher 22-35-2-289, Scherpenberg 1-1-0-9, Team 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING — Middle Tennessee, Tanner 5-34, Andrews 4-36. McDonald 3-43, Beyah 2-24, Blissard 2-20, Drake 2-5. Miami (Ohio). Harwell 7-86, Robinson 4-81, Givens 4-60, Paine 3-33, Merriweather 2-13. Bruton 1-14, Woods 1-7, Ju.Semmes 1-4.
Today’s game: Cotton Bowl
NO. 11 LSU (10-2) VS. NO. 18 TEXAS A&M (9-3), 6:30 p.m., KDVR-31
Line: LSU by 2
Series record: LSU leads 26-20-3
Last meeting: Texas A&M 33-17 in 1995
What’s at stake: LSU is going for its sixth 11-win season, and fourth under sixth-year coach Les Miles, who is again being mentioned for the coaching vacancy at Michigan, his alma mater. Texas A&M, playing in January for the first time since the 2005 Cotton Bowl, has a six-game winning streak since losing three in a row, a stretch that included a loss to Arkansas in Cowboys Stadium.
Key matchup: Texas A&M WRs Ryan Swope and Jeff Fuller vs. LSU All-America CB Patrick Peterson. Swope set an Aggies record with 67 catches this season, while Fuller has 65 catches and 12 TDs. Peterson, a junior likely playing his last game before going to the NFL, is the only player in LSU history with touchdowns on an interception return, a blocked field goal and a punt return.
Facts & figures: Ryan Tannehill is 5-0 since taking over as A&M’s starting quarterback. The last Aggies QB to win his first five games was Bucky Richardson, whose streak included the 1988 Cotton Bowl. . . . Before these border rivals quit playing regularly, this often was the season opener. Their only bowl matchup was LSU’s 19-14 win in the 1944 Orange Bowl. . . . LSU’s next game also will be at Cowboys Stadium; it opens the 2011 season vs. Oregon. . . . The Cotton Bowl marks its 75th anniversary with its latest game ever in date and the prime-time kickoff.
