College Football Bowl Games What to Watch

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Legendary college football coach, Lou Holtz, once said “Motivation is simple. You eliminate those who are not motivated.” When it comes to the college football bowl season, there are always going to be teams both encouraged by their success or disappointed and thinking about what could have been. However, getting to a bowl game is a chance to finish the season on a high note. The coach needs to keep motivation high, even if the season didn’t go according to plan. In the next group of games, we see programs ravaged by injuries, as well as up and coming collegiate programs.

Miami Beach Bowl – Dec. 22 – 2:00 PM ET
BYU vs. Memphis
For the Cougars from BYU, the season started off on a high note. They rolled to a 4-0 start, which included a 41-7 dismantling of the Texas Longhorns on the road. However, it was at this time when potential Heisman candidate, Taysom Hill, was lost to injury. After dropping four in a row, quarterback Christian Stewart managed to lead the Cougars on a four game winning streak to close out the season. BYU will need the running game to be effective in order to open up the field for the passing attack.

Memphis, 9-3, boasts an impressive defensive squad that surrendered only 17.1 points per game. Their offense is not nearly as impressive, but can produce a balanced effort between passing and rushing. Quarterback Paxton Lynch threw for 18 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions, while Brandon Hayes led the rushing game with 900 yards. Memphis will need to be prepared, as they haven’t faced too many quality opponents outside of UCLA and Ole Miss.

Prediction: This is a classic matchup between opposing strengths. Memphis is led by a stout defense, while BYU is known for their offensive firepower. Despite the absence of star Taysom Hill, I still think the Cougars defense can make enough plays to let Christian Stewart handle the rest.
BYU: 37 – Memphis: 27

Players to Watch (both in the game and in terms of the NFL):
Memphis DE Martin Ifedi ­– Since missing the first four games of the season, Ifedi has been a big part of Memphis’ defensive success. He’ll likely be a late round pick, but could be a steal under those standards. At 6’3 265 lbs, he possesses athleticism and versatility to be a viable NFL defensive lineman. After considering entering the NFL draft last year, Ifedi has shown the talent despite the early season knee injury. Look for Ifedi to attempt to create havoc against BYU’s passing attack. He has already accepted an invite to participate in the East-West Shrine Game.

Boca Raton Bowl – Dec. 23 – 6:00 PM ET
Marshall vs. Northern Illinois
Marshall nearly pulled off a perfect season if it weren’t for a 67-66 overtime loss to Western Kentucky. While some might chalk up this 12-1 season to weak competition, as they never played a Power-5 school, but they did prove to be impressive throughout their Conference-USA schedule. They possess a potent offense that ranked 18th in passing yards per game and 7th in rushing yardage per game. With Marshall, it all starts with senior quarterback Rakeem Cato, who had a stellar season posting a line of 3622 passing yards and 37 touchdowns.

Going against Marshall will be the Mid-American Conference Champion Northern Illinois Huskies. For a seventh straight year, the Huskies will be competing in a bowl game. While Marshall has a little more balanced attack, Northern Illinois relies heavily on the running game. In his first year taking the reins from Jordan Lynch, quarterback Drew Hare proved to be an effective dual threat. Hare threw for 2097 yards and 17 touchdowns, while running for 850 and 8 more touchdowns.

Prediction: Despite being one of the lower bowl games, this years’ Boca Raton Bowl features a couple of conference champions with plenty of experience. This should be a high-scoring affair, so it may come down to whether the defenses can get stops at the right time. While Marshall’s defense has shown to be beatable, I think they’ll make enough plays to allow Cato to come out victorious in his final collegiate game.
Marshall: 44 – Northern Illinois: 37

Players to Watch (both in the game and in terms of the NFL):
Marshall QB Rakeem Cato – As mentioned before, Marshall’s offense runs through Cato. At exactly 6-1 176 lbs, his size can be considered an issue. While this may force him to be an undrafted free agent, I like his leadership and athleticism. He is a smart player that even set the record for consecutive games with a touchdown pass. Cato has proved his passing ability over the course of his four year career as witnessed by his three straight seasons of at least 37 passing touchdowns and will be difficult to contain for the Northern Illinois’ defense.

Northern Illinois FS Dechane Durante – Durante looks to be a solid bet for being a late-round pick in this upcoming draft. He covers plenty of area and was a nice complement to 2014 first round pick Jimmie Ward. At 6-2 196 lbs, he has a lengthy frame and is considered by many to one of the top prospects coming out of the MAC. Throughout his stay at Northern Illinois, Durante has received consistent playing time each season and will be a tough opposition for Marshall’s extensive passing attack.

S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl – Dec. 23 – 9:30 PM ET
Navy vs. San Diego State
With Navy, you can safely project a lot of running plays. The Midshipman ran for 345 yards a game, good for 2nd in the nations. Meanwhile, their passing offense is nearly non-existent, only producing 87 yards a game. Look for the rushing attack to be led by quarterback Keenan Reynolds, who ran for 1182 yards and 21 touchdowns. Defensively it’s been a struggle for Navy, so they will need their offense to drag out some long possessions.

San Diego State, 7-5, exhibited a similar style of play, although a tad more balanced. While having a characteristically average season, the Aztecs relied heavily on the rushing game as well. They put up the 30th most rushing yards per game, while throwing for just the 106th most. Sophomore Donnel Pumphrey is the workhorse back in this offense, accumulating 1755 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground. San Diego State was much more effective on defense and ranked 14th in scoring defense.

donnel pumphrey
Donnel Pumphrey has been a huge part of the Aztecs’ success this season.

Prediction: The Poinsettia Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium will without a doubt feature plenty of rushing plays. The Aztecs will have plenty of time to prepare for the triple option offense of Navy. Meanwhile, the Navy defense will need to try to get some turnovers on San Diego State quarterback Quinn Kaehler. In the end, I think the Aztecs’ defense will prove to be the difference.
San Diego State: 34 – Navy: 21

Players to Watch (both in the game and in terms of the NFL):
San Diego State WR Ezell Ruffin – For a run-heavy team like the Aztecs, it isn’t always easy to get attention as a receiver. Ruffin hasn’t had quite the year expected after a breakout junior year, but part of this can be attributed to a broken collarbone that sidelined him five weeks. He has the athleticism and consistent hands to be a potential slot receiver at the next level. Since his return, Ruffin has provided a tremendous spark to the passing attack and will be a player to watch in the run-heavy Poinsettia Bowl.

Popeyes Bahamas Bowl – Dec. 24 – 12:00 PM ET
Central Michigan vs Western Kentucky
Win or lose, both teams will come out of the Christmas Eve bowl with a free trip to the Bahamas. The Chippewas from Central Michigan played multiple power-5 teams on their way to a 7-5 year. One of these included a 38-17 victory at Purdue. While Purdue is not great, they are in the Big 10. Another impressive road performance saw Central Michigan take down Northern Illinois by 17 points. Their offense is mediocre and will be led by quarterback Connor Rush and running back Thomas Rawls. However, the Chippewa defense will look to limit the points allowed, as they’ve given up just 23.2 points per game.

Out of the Conference-USA, Western Kentucky is a polar opposite of Central Michigan. The Hilltoppers will look to air it out early and often to try to offset the horrendous defense. They averaged the 3rd most passing yards in the nation at 365 per game, while the defense allowed nearly 40 points a game. A couple of quality wins on their resume include Marshall and Bowling Green. Back to the explosive passing attack, it is led by quarterback Brandon Doughty, who threw for 4344 yards and 44 touchdowns.

Prediction: With Western Kentucky, they score a lot but also give up a lot. However, I don’t think Central Michigan is as strong as someone like Marshall, which should allow the Hilltoppers to limit the damage to closer to 35 points. If they are able to do this, Doughty and Co. should be able to score even on a solid Chippewa defense.
Western Kentucky: 45 – Central Michigan: 34

Players to Watch (both in the game and in terms of the NFL):
Western Kentucky CB Cam Thomas – The 6-1 190 lb Hilltopper defensive back is arguably the top prospect in this bowl game. Thomas is a physical corner that possesses the size to get the job done in the NFL. He has already accepted an invite to the East-West Shrine Game and it appears his main focus should be on a technique. Thomas is already stout against the run and plays with a sort of edge that any NFL team would love to have. Look for Thomas to potentially be a day-2 pick and make some plays in the Bahamas.

Hawaii Bowl – Dec. 24 – 8:00 PM ET
Fresno State vs Rice
Even with a win in this bowl game, Fresno State will still only finish this season with a 7-7 record. However, they were effective in conference play this season after playing a difficult non-conference schedule that included USC, Utah, and Nebraska. As their record would indicate, their offensive numbers are average, while they struggle mightily on defense. Quarterback Brian Burrell has been turnover prone, but has proved to be successful throwing to Josh Harper heavily. Running back Marteze Waller had a solid season, putting up 1292 yards and 11 scores.

Much like Fresno State, Rice played a potent non-conference schedule consisting of Notre Dame and Texas A&M. Although each team fell off over the course of the season, at the time Notre Dame was #17 and A&M was #7. Rice can score points as evidenced by their 28.7 points per game, but the defense is definitely a question mark after averaging 30.3 a game and in particular, giving up 76 in their final game to Louisiana Tech. On offense, look for quarterback Driphus Jackson to spread the ball around, while Jowan Davis and Darik Dillard will primarily get the carries.

Prediction: This game looks to be one of the closer games of the day. Both offenses are capable of scoring some points, but the defenses are from impressive. However, I think the Mountain West Conference is much tougher and after the way Rice’s defense has played recently, I have to go with Fresno State.
Fresno State: 38 – Rice: 28

Players to Watch (both in the game and in terms of the NFL):
Fresno State FS Derron Smith – In this year’s class, it is clear the two elite free safeties are Smith and Louisville’s Gerod Holliman. Smith has exhibited the ability to make plays in the run game, while also serving as an extremely talented player against the pass in a center-field type role. In his junior season, he nabbed eight interceptions and this season as a senior, Smith was first team All-Mountain West. He’s drawn comparisons to Seattle Seahawks’ star Earl Thomas and should pose a strong threat to make some plays in this bowl game.

Fresno State DT Tyeler Davison – Davison is one of 2 talented defensive tackles that are on these teams with the other being Rice’s Christian Covington. The latter, Covington, won’t be active for this matchup after having season-ending surgery. Many see Davison as being a potential middle round pick. He’s received plenty of playing time over the course of the season and racked up 8 sacks this season. Davison is a former wrestler and proved to be an effective run stopper in years past before racking up an impressive sack total this season.

Follow me on Twitter @_BrandonOgle

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