Category: Las Vegas Bowl

Mountain West Football: Bowl Season Winners and Losers

We look at the biggest winners and losers from the Mountain West’s seven bowl games.

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Mountain West Football: Bowl Season Winners and Losers

We look back to take stock of the biggest winners and losers from the Mountain West’s seven bowl games.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

Some encouragement and some letdowns from the postseason that was.

Well, it had to end sometime.

The Mountain West wrapped up bowl season with a 4-3 record and certainly brought with it a great deal of excitement. While it’s naive to tease out a lot of meaning from what amounts to seven exhibitions, we can still look back one last time to see who stood out and who might be thinking a lot about what might have been in the long off-season.

Here are Mountain West bowl season’s winners and losers.

Winners

Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl – Utah State wide receiver Siaosi Mariner. He didn’t get all that much attention in the vacuum to replace all of last year’s pass-catching star power, but Mariner’s bowl performance — seven catches, 113 yards, two touchdowns — helped to put a bow on what was arguably the best season by an Aggie wide receiver in the last ten years.

New Mexico Bowl – San Diego State running back Jordan Byrd. The Aztecs thumping Central Michigan was easily the most surprising result of the Mountain West’s bowl season, but the most pleasant part of that surprise was the surge from a running game that often scuffled in 2019.

Byrd, making a return home to his native New Mexico, finally put up the kind of numbers (17 carries, 139 yards and a touchdown) we’d been accustomed to seeing from San Diego State in years past, providing a glimmer of encouragement that, along with a young receiving corp, the pieces are in place to make a leap forward next fall.

Mitsubishi Las Vegas Bowl – Boise State defensive end Chase Hatada.  A lot of things weren’t pretty in the desert, but the senior Hatada finished his collegiate career with perhaps his finest effort. While Curtis Weaver was relatively quiet against Washington, Hatada finished with six tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks.

SoFi Hawaii Bowl – Hawaii quarterback Cole McDonald. Despite being briefly benched for some reason, McDonald put on an aerial show that rivaled some of the best performances of Hawaii quarterbacks past. In the process, he set the new Mountain West record for passing yards in a bowl game by throwing for 493 yards and four touchdowns on 28-of-46 pass attempts. It seems almost certain, then, that something will have to give in the Warriors’ ongoing quarterback shuffle, but we’ll probably have to wait until summer to learn more.

Cheez-It Bowl – Air Force running back Kadin Remsberg. Tailbacks in the Falcons offense don’t often receive a typical RB1 workload, but if anyone doubted that Remsberg had played at an all-conference level for two straight years before Air Force’s win over Washington State, consider that doubt removed.

Remsberg’s 26 carries were both a career high and the most by a Falcons runner this year and he made them count, rushing for 178 yards and a late touchdown that sealed the deal against the Cougars.

Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl – Wyoming running back Xazavian Valladay. Well, this one is an easy call. Any time someone accounts for nearly 300 yards of total offense like Valladay did against Georgia State (204 yards rushing and 7.8 yards per attempt, 91 receiving yards on three receptions, and two touchdowns), that someone is definitely a winner.

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl – Nevada wide receiver Elijah Cooks. Like Mariner, Cooks quietly put together a strong 2019 and saved the best for last. While the Wolf Pack may have come up short against Ohio, you can’t place too much blame on the junior wide receiver, who finished with 14 catches, 197 yards and a touchdown on 17 targets.

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Las Vegas Bowl: Boise State Fails To Show Up In 38-7 Loss vs. Washington

Boise State had a very poor performance in the Las Vegas Bowl.

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Las Vegas Bowl: Boise State Fails To Show Up In 38-7 Loss vs. Washington

Broncos effort was lackluster in loss to former coach.

Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

What happened to the Broncos.

The Las Vegas Bowl had a lot of build up with it being Chris Petersen‘s last game as the Washington head coach and he was going up against his former Boise State team which he led to promise so many years ago.

As for the game itself, it was the Huskies who showed up to play in defeating Boise State 38-7 in the worst bowl loss in Broncos history, overall Boise State has a 12-8 bowl record.

As for this game vs. the Huskies not much went right for Boise State from start to finish in the 31-point loss. The quarterback situation seemed all but settled heading into the game with Jaylon Henderson primed to keep his undefeated streak on the line and freshman Hank Bachmeier healthy and ready when needed.

Bachmeier did have plenty of wins under his belt as he held a perfect 7-0 record, but maybe the rust was there with live game action. Head coach Bryan Harsin said the freshman quarterback was healthy the past few weeks. So, looking back maybe Bachmeier should have had played some live reps to prepare for this bowl game.

The plan from the start for Harsin to get Bachmeier reps

“It was getting Hank an opportunity to go out there and play, too,” Harsin said. “I think we forget Hank won seven games earlier in the season. It’s been so long, but he’s also been part of this, and Hank’s a good football player.”

Bachmeier did get in the game early on the first and had an errant interception that Washington turned into points. He ultimately had a pair of picks that both resulted in points for the Huskies. On the day, Bachmeier was 15 of 26 for 119 yards.

“I don’t have a crystal ball,” Harsin said. “It’s football, there’s no excuses … that’s just not how we operate. He was ready to play, we were ready to play him.”

The real issue was moving the ball past midfield which happened just once in the first half which was the opening drive that led to an interception, and that was only to the 47-yard line. They made it five total times past the Huskies 50-yard line.

The lack of crossing mid-field also was an issue due to the fact that Boise State was only 3 of 11 on third downs.

Getting behind early and not able to convert on third downs really limited what the Broncos offense and what they could do, specifically with the ground game. The longest run of the day was a 14-yard scamper, which happened twice, and George Holani ended the day rushing the ball 11 times for 35 yards.

“It definitely limited our offense to run (all) the plays we wanted to run,” true freshman running back George Holani said. “It was tough on us, and tough on the defense, not converting on critical downs.”

One item that had to be in the back of people’s mind is that when Henderson got in the game he showed to be able to move the offense as he led the only scoring drive for Boise State. He entered the game down 24-0 and led a touchdown drive but it was too little too late. Henderson was 5 of 10 for 48 yards and did have the lone touchdown. He was sick during the week with a fever but Harsin said that is not why Henderson was not the starter.

One item that Harsin tried to push aside in his opening remarks of his post-game press conference was about not having offensive coordinator Zak Hill, and one can rightfully question how the loss of Hill impacted the game.

It also didn’t help that the defense was missing tackles and getting beat on plays that are unlike Boise State, including a trick play that went for a touchdown.

Even without the two interceptions that went for touchdowns, Washington still had this game under control for what it was doing on offense. The Huskies only had a trio of three-and-outs and were 7 of 14 on third-down attempts. Even when Washington wasn’t scoring points they had plenty of drives that moved the ball down the field.

Overall, this game saw Harsin get outcoached by his predecessor, an offensive strategy that failed him and a defense that did not show up to play its best game.

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2019 Las Vegas Bowl Expert Picks

2019 Las Vegas Bowl Expert Picks Find out who likes between Boise State and Washington. Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire Bowl game picks Boise State takes on Washington in the Las Vegas Bowl and here are picks from our staff and across the …

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2019 Las Vegas Bowl Expert Picks

Find out who likes between Boise State and Washington.

Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

Bowl game picks

Boise State takes on Washington in the Las Vegas Bowl and here are picks from our staff and across the country. The line has the Huskies favored by three points.

Staff Picks

Jeremy: SU: Boise State | ATS: Boise State | Score: Boise State 31, Washington 27

Josh F: SU: Boise State | ATS: Boise State | Score: Boise State 38, Washington 27  

Matt K.: SU: Boise State | ATS: Boise State | Score: Boise State 24, Washington 20

Ted M: SU: Washington | ATS: Washington | Score: Washington 37, Boise State 34  

Brandon T: SU/ATS: Washington Score: Washington 28 Boise State 21

Roger Boise State 34 Washington 18

Erik: ATS/SU: Boise State

Sean: SU: Washington ATS: Washington Score: Washington 28 Boise State 24

USA TODAY

Five of the six writers take Washington. The one who voted for Boise State was Dan Wolken.

Los Angeles Times

This is the final game for Washington coach Chris Petersen, who announced his resignation at the start of December. Could the Huskies possibly be as focused as a Boise State team coming off a Mountain West championship with a chance to beat a Pac-12 power? Boise State 20-17

The Action Cookbook

For those on the ground out West, there was no decision but to fight. The enemy had darkened the skies before sunset on the winter solstice; the fires of the burning cities would light the horizon throughout the night. Those who survived came to refer to it as The Longest Night.

CBS Sports

This is destiny, right? Petersen is coaching the last game of his Washington career against the Boise State program that launched it. You can’t tempt fate by siding with the Broncos. Aside from destiny, the Broncos’ offense will struggle to move the football against a Huskies defense that’s third in the Pac-12 in scoring defense (20.4 points per game) and defensive yards per play (5.15). Washington will ugly this up, ride with their defense and hit enough big plays to pull away in the fourth quarter. Pick: Washington (-3.5)

ESPN

Washington 24, Boise State 21

Athlon Sports

Two of the three take Washington over Boise State. The one to go with the Broncos is Steve Lassan.


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Bowl Season: Mountain West Conference Simulated Results

A simulation run using updated rosters for the EA Sports NCAA 14 Football game was done to see how the Mountain West did this Bowl Year.

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How did the MWC fair this Bowl Season?

Thanks to the NCAA 14 Football Game- We have all the Bowl Insights!

Contact/Follow @Sean or @MWCWire

Earlier this fall, we covered how the NCAA Football Game Dynasty by EA Sports was still alive and well, even after production of the game stopped in 2014. If you missed it, take a look here.

Using the newly updated rosters for every team on the game, we were able to create real simulation results based on these 2019 teams. We matched-up every team in the Mountain West with their 2019/2020 Bowl Opponent, using the actual locations and players. The games were completely simulated with no user interaction.

Let’s go Bowl by Bowl and see how things shook out!

FRISCO BOWL, DEC. 20: UTAH STATE VS. KENT STATE

If the simulation is any indicator, folks who take in the Frisco Bowl are in for a treat. Jordan Love pulls a George Costanza, and leaves the Aggies on a high note (both puns intended) racking up over 300 yards passing to edge Kent State by three, with a 31-28 victory.

The Utah State defense also came up big holding the Golden Flash to 40% in the Red Zone and forcing two turnovers.

NEW MEXICO BOWL, DEC. 21: SAN DIEGO STATE VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN

Next up is the New Mexico Bowl which every Aztec fan would be thrilled to have the simulated results. The folks from Mt. Pleasant, Michigan may take umbrage with the notion of San Diego State racking up 41 points though.

I don’t question the Aztecs ability to pound the ball on the ground like the results reflect, behind a strong performance from Juwan Washington. But I do have to wonder what happened to ignite a 41 – 10 drubbing.

LAS VEGAS BOWL, DEC. 21: BOISE STATE VS. WASHINGTON

The kings of the (Mountain) West got reacquainted with their old coach, in most inhospitable fashion. Despite featuring the games most highly rated player in the MWC, Curtis Weaver, it wasn’t enough to knock off the Huskies.

I’m sure Jacob Eason of Washington would be very happy to showcase a near 400 yard passing performance in front of the scouts to increase his draft stock. Mountain West Wire’s resident Bronco, Raj may want to protest the results of this 13 point defeat.

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2019 Las Vegas Bowl Game Preview: Keys To A Boise State Win vs. Washington

Boise State wraps up the 2019 season against the Washington Huskies in the Las Vegas Bowl. Here’s how the Broncos can win.

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2019 Las Vegas Bowl Game Preview: Keys To A Boise State Win vs. Washington

Boise State wraps up the 2019 season against the Washington Huskies in the Las Vegas Bowl. Here’s how the Broncos can win.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

The Broncos look to finish strong against an old coach.

2019 MITSUBISHI LAS VEGAS BOWL: #19 Boise State Broncos (12-1, 8-0 Mountain West) vs. Washington Huskies (7-5, 4-5 Pac-12)

WHEN: Saturday, November 21 — 5:30 PM MT/4:30 PM PT

WHERE: Sam Boyd Stadium; Las Vegas, Nevada (35,500)

TV: ABC

STREAMING: You can get a free seven-day trial of FuboTV by clicking here.

RADIO: The Boise State broadcast can be found on the affiliates of the Bronco Sports Network, including the flagship 940 AM (KBOI), while the Washington broadcast can be found on the affiliates of the Washington Sports Network, which includes flagships 97.7 FM and 1000 AM (KOMO) in Seattle.

Alternatively, the radio broadcast can be streamed online via TuneIn.

SERIES RECORD: The series is tied 2-2. In the last meeting on September 4, 2015, the Broncos defeated the Huskies, 16-13, in Boise.

LAS VEGAS BOWL RECORD: Boise State is 4-0 all-time in the Las Vegas Bowl, most recently defeating Oregon in 2017. Washington won its lone previous appearance here in 2012, defeating Boise State.

WEBSITES: BroncoSports.com, the official Boise State athletics website | GoHuskies.com, the official Washington athletics website

GAME NOTES (PDF): Boise State | Washington

ODDS (via OddsShark): Washington -3

SP+ PROJECTION: Washington by 8.3 (68% win probability)

FEI PROJECTION: Boise State by 1.8

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After being a part of the game since its creation, the Mountain West Conference will bid farewell to the Las Vegas Bowl on Saturday afternoon when the Boise State Broncos face off with the Washington Huskies.

While the landing spot may feel like a snub after falling just short of earning the Group of 5’s New Year’s Six bowl bid, there is an opportunity for the Broncos to reach thirteen wins for the first time since their fabled 2009 campaign. To do it, they’ll have to go through former Boise State head coach Chris Petersen, who will lead the Huskies one last time before retiring.

Here’s how the Broncos can tally one last win against Washington.

Three Keys to a Boise State Victory

1. Get pressure on Jacob Eason.

When Pro Football Focus put together their most recent top-to-bottom quarterback rankings a month ago, they noted that Eason had a significant difference in performance when he worked from a clean pocket compared to when he had defenders in his face. He’s also generally struggled when the pressure to move the chains mounts, as his passer rating drops from 171.40 to 139.64 to 112.73 from first to second to third down, meaning that getting home early and often will be key.

Taken in tandem with the fact that left tackle Trey Adams will sit out the bowl game to prepare for the NFL Draft, this appears to be an angle in which Boise State has a sizable advantage.

2. Create big passing plays on offense.

The Broncos have been able to do this all year long, with 23 plays of 30-plus yards through the air, and it hasn’t mattered much who has been under center to do it. Against Washington, however, it’ll be a much tougher task because the Huskies have allowed just ten such plays this season, which is tied for eighth among FBS defenses.

It’ll be interesting, then, to see how the Broncos deploy John Hightower against a capable cornerback duo in Myles Bryant or Elijah Molden. Molden, in particular, has 13 pass breakups and rated as PFF’s best defensive back inside the numbers. It may be easier to attack the sidelines, in that case, putting a lot of pressure on Hightower and Khalil Shakir to bring down whatever deep shots the offense chooses to make.

3. Make Washington pay for their aggressiveness on offense.

One thing that the Huskies have in common with Hawaii, Boise State’s opponent in the conference championship game, is that they haven’t been shy about using all four downs to move the chains. Unlike the Warriors, however, a lot of that willingness to go for it has come from necessity: Washington has converted just 34.4% of their third-down tries, the worst rate in the Pac-12.

That does a lot to explain why, in drives beginning between their own 20- and 40-yard line, the Huskies have been one of the most effective offenses in the country and averaged 2.9 points per drive (13th nationally) in those situations. If the Broncos can duplicate their performance from two weeks ago on that front, they should be able to sit pretty and put their offense in a strong position to succeed.

Prediction

The way Boise State played down the stretch, it’s hard to imagine that anyone could topple them, but things have definitely broken in their favor during the downtime. With star tight end Hunter Bryant and two starting offensive linemen out for the game, it’s hard to imagine the offense will be able to replace all of that production at once and keep Curtis Weaver, Chase Hatada and company from wreaking havoc.

It would be naive to entirely dismiss Washington here, but the Broncos should be able to stay one step ahead of their old coach and put one last feather in the proverbial cap, an exclamation point on the program’s best Mountain West season to date.

Boise State 24, Washington 20

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Las Vegas Bowl: A Washington Q&A With Lauren Kirschman

We get to know Boise State’s Las Vegas Bowl opponent, the Washington Huskies, with Lauren Kirschman of the Tacoma News Tribune.

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Las Vegas Bowl: A Washington Q&A with Lauren Kirschman

We get to know Boise State’s Las Vegas Bowl opponent, the Washington Huskies, with Lauren Kirschman of the Tacoma News Tribune.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

The Broncos won’t have it easy in their 2019 finale.

The kickoff to college football’s bowl season is mere days away and the Mountain West’s seven-game slate kicks off, in part, this weekend when the Boise State Broncos and Washington Huskies face off in the Mitsubishi Las Vegas Bowl on Saturday, December 21.

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Three seasons removed from their lone appearance in the College Football Playoff, Chris Petersen’s Huskies fell off a bit in 2019 while replacing eight NFL Draft selections. Don’t let the win-loss record or the overwhelming narrative arc of this game fool you, though: Washington has been a tough draw for just about every opponent this season.

To learn more about the Huskies, we reached out to Lauren Kirschman of the Tacoma News Tribune.

Mountain West Wire: It seems like there has been some consternation in certain parts of the UW fan base about just how well quarterback Jacob Eason has played this fall. From your perspective, how much of the criticism is justified and what, if anything, may not be?

Lauren Kirschman: I don’t know how much criticism has gone directly at Eason. The bigger frustrations from the fan base have been directed at offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan and the offense as a whole, which has been inconsistent and often unproductive. Eason has struggled at times — he had a stretch of three games where he threw five interceptions and lost a fumble — and his biggest issues come when he’s forced out of the pocket. But while Eason has to take some of the blame, UW’s receivers have also struggled to create separation and have dropped more than their fair share of passes. The Huskies’ issues on third down and in the red zone carried over from last season. Eason was able to create some explosive plays, and his arm strength is as impressive as advertised, but he has overthrown receivers on several occasions.

MWwire: The Huskies have typically made their bones (no pun intended) with a tough defense in recent years, but losing so many stars from last year’s unit had to have been tough itself. Who is one player you believe has been a pleasant surprise and is worth watching closely in the bowl game?

Kirschman: I think it has to be freshman cornerback Trent McDuffie. He was a highly-rated, four-star recruit coming out of high school, but he was also facing an uphill climb when it came to getting on the field. The Huskies had several talented redshirt freshmen ahead of him, but he became a starter just a few games into the season. He’s earned high praise from both Chris Petersen and Jimmy Lake and has certainly looked the part of UW’s next great cornerback. McDuffie was given honorable mention for Pac-12 freshman defensive player of the year and will be a key piece of the Huskies’ defense for years to come.

MWwire: How will the Washington offensive line account for a pass rushing talent like Curtis Weaver? Who do you think will be primarily responsible for slowing him down?

Kirschman: Weaver will definitely be a challenge for UW’s offensive line, especially since the Huskies will be missing a few key pieces. Starting left tackle Trey Adams, who has been plagued by injuries throughout his college career, decided to sit out the Las Vegas Bowl as he starts preparing for the NFL Draft. Starting right guard Jaxson Kirkland left the loss to Colorado with an injury in late November. He didn’t make the trip to Las Vegas and won’t be playing on Saturday. UW has capable backups, but the experience of Adams and Kirkland will surely be missed. While the Huskies’ offensive line has been strong most of the season, they did allow five sacks in the loss to Colorado and four in the loss to Cal. As I mentioned before, Eason doesn’t handle pressure well so this will be an key factor to keep an eye on.

MWwire: It’s been a little while since the Broncos have had to scheme against a tight end like Hunter Bryant. How would you describe his overall skill set, or what he does best?

Kirschman: Boise State won’t have to contend with Hunter Bryant, who decided to sit out the bowl game after declaring for the 2020 NFL Draft. With Bryant out, Cade Otton will be the tight end to watch. While he’s primarily known for his blocking abilities, he has caught 29 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns this season. He’s averaging 11.4 yards per catch.

MWwire: It seems like many Boise State fans see the “Chris Petersen’s one last ride” narrative as somewhat blase, but how are people inside the Washington program and Huskies fans viewing this Las Vegas Bowl? Will motivation be a concern after an 0-4 record in one-score games left a strong impression of what might have been?

Kirschman: I don’t think a Las Vegas Bowl win will change how UW fans look at this season. There were high expectations for this group coming into the year, but turnover and inexperience seemed to catch up with them. The players have stressed the importance of treating this like any other game, but many of them have also admitted there is a little extra motivation to send Petersen out with a win. I think there is also some pride on the line for them considering how the season turned out. That’s especially true for seniors, who haven’t lost this many games in a season before.

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What Mountain West Bowl Games Provide A Betting Value?

What Mountain West Bowl Games Provide A Betting Value? Not all bowl games are created equal. Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire What games earns your cash? The Mountain West bowl season is approaching quickly and the odds for the games have …

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What Mountain West Bowl Games Provide A Betting Value?

Not all bowl games are created equal.

Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

What games earns your cash?

The Mountain West bowl season is approaching quickly and the odds for the games have fluctuated and finally have settled and with the lines fairly stable we will provide the best value of games to put a few bucks down for some college football betting. Since the betting season has started, we believe that this will be helpful for many of our readers.

There are seven Mountain West bowl games and we will rank these from the worst value to the best betting value in our opinion.

7. Frisco Bowl: Utah State vs. Kent State (+5)

This one would be much higher but with the news that a trio of Aggie players have been charged with possession of marijuana. There is no word yet on if Jordan Love, Gerold Bright and Sean L. Carter will play this Friday. If they play the five-point line seems like a good bet for the Aggies but now anyone looking to toss a few bucks may want to steer clear of this game.

6. Hawaii Bowl: Hawaii vs. BYU (-1.5)

Former WAC rivals meet on Christmas Eve. This one could be tight but only if the BYU offense can make waves against a Warriors defense that is just so-so. This Warriors offense is arguably the best passing attack BYU has seen all year. However, the Hawaii offense can get placed in check against teams with decent to solid defenses.

Also, to consider is that BYU ended the season pretty good but the final game was poor performance against San Diego State where they scored three points. If that team shows up then Hawaii should win big but if the good BYU team that beat Boise State then this will be a close one.

5. Cheez-It Bowl: Air Force vs. Washington State (+3)

Talk about contrasting styles. The pass-happy Cougars attack against a Falcons ground game that is one of a kind. The Falcons being a favorite is a slight surprise but Air Force has 10 wins, a quarterback in Donald Hammond III that not only runs well but passes well. The Falcons defense does give up 7.5 yards per attempt and Washington State averages 8.0 yards per pass attempt. This game will come down to what defense makes a stop against the opposing teams strength.

4. Las Vegas Bowl: Boise State vs. Washington (-3.5) 

This will be an emotional game for Chris Petersen who is stepping down as the Huskies head coach and it might be a bit awkward for him to go up against his former team.

Nov 29, 2019; Fort Collins, CO, USA; Boise State Broncos quarterback Jaylon Henderson (9) and offensive lineman John Ojukwu (70) celebrate a score in the second quarter against the Boise State Broncos at Sonny Lubick Field at Canvas Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

There is no word on what quarterback will play for Boise State but Jaylon Henderson has been playing at a high level in his starts in the final third of the season. The Huskies were a preseason top 20 team so there is talent there but they have not met expectations.

3. Arizona Bowl: Wyoming vs. Georgia State (+7.5)

The confidence level is high on this one since the Wyoming defense is one of the best in the nation. The offense has been good running the ball but the quarterback position is not in good shape.

Sean Chambers is out with an injury and Tyler Vander Waal announced he is transferring. It may not matter too much in this game but the line is pretty big and the Cowboys are not a team that will blow out other teams so expect it to be within a touchdown.

2. Idaho Potato Bowl: Nevada vs. Ohio (-7.5)

This is a lot of points for Ohio to be favored. They score a lot of points and put up 34.7 points per game. The Wolf Pack are only averaging 21.3 per game but they have had five games of scoring 30 or more points. Expect this to be a shootout as Ohio gives up 27 points per game and Nevada allows 32.1 points per game. Expect points but not a blowout.

1.New Mexico Bowl: San Diego State vs Central Michigan (+3.5)

San Diego State’s defense is really, really good and can shutdown nearly any defense they face. The Aztecs also are getting back QB Ryan Agnew who is expected to be healthy but the big question is still running back Juwan Washington who has been hobbled by an ankle injury most of the year. Central Michigan puts up nearly 32 points per game but they have not seen a defense like the Aztecs and will struggle to score. 

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First Look At The Las Vegas Bowl: Boise State Takes On Washington

First Look At The Las Vegas Bowl: Boise State Takes On Washington Coach Pete vs. Coach Harsin Contact/Follow @erik_smiley54 & @MWCwire Vegas Bowl got a nice matchup When the season started it is safe to say neither team thought that they would be …

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First Look At The Las Vegas Bowl: Boise State Takes On Washington

Coach Pete vs. Coach Harsin

Contact/Follow @erik_smiley54 & @MWCwire

Vegas Bowl got a nice matchup

When the season started it is safe to say neither team thought that they would be playing in the Las Vegas Bowl. Washington was ranked 13th in the preseason polls and though they would complete for the PAC-12 title and a Playoff sport or the Rose Bowl. While the Las Vegas Bowl is the usual landing spot for the Mountain West Champion, Boise State eyed a birth in the Cotton Bowl for most of the year but a loss to BYU and a good year put together the Memphis Tigers have landed them in Las Vegas.

All-Time Series:

Boise State and Washington have only played 4 times to date with the last meeting in 2015.  While the series is tied 2-2 Boise State won both the last matchup, 16-13 in Boise, and their 2012 Las Vegas Bowl matchup, 28-26.  Washington has won both games in Seattle by an average score of 31-8.

Boise St  (12-1, 9-0)

The Broncos won the Mountain West Championship game 31-10 for Hawaii for their second title in the last 3 years.  Boise State had to endure injuries at the quarterback position and ended up starting 3 different quarterbacks on the year. Hank Bachmeier started the year and lead the Broncos to a 6-0 start including the season-opening victory over Florida State in Tallahassee.

Chase Cord stepped in after Bachmeier was injured in the first matchup against Hawaii and was at the helm for the Lose at BYU. Bachmeier returned for the victory over San Jose State before Jaylon Henderson took over going 5-0, including the title game over Hawaii.

Washington (7-5, 4-5)

The Huskies struggled in close games this season with all five of their losses coming by 10 points or less.  Like Boise State, the Huskies had to replace a multi-year starter at quarterback who was one of the best passers in program history.  Washington turned to Georgia transfer Jacob Eason. Eason, who started 16 games at Georgia, played well in his first year at Washington but the team as a whole struggled to convert close games to victories. Last time out Washington beat Washington State 31-13, winning the Apple Cup for the 7th consecutive year.

Coach Petersen:

Although He wants the focus to be won the players, there would be no justice to lead out a quick bit about Chris Petersen.  He led the Broncos from 2006 until he left for Washington after the 2013 season. Petersen tallied a 92-12 record for Boise State and led them to two undefeated seasons, two Fiesta Bowl victories, and 5 conference championships. 

Since taking over Washington Peterson has led the Huskies to a pair of Pac-12 titles and a College Football Playoff berth in 2016. Peterson announced he would be stepping down at the end of the regular season bringing everything full circle as his last game at Boise State was the 2012 Las Vegas Bowl, a victory over the Washington Huskies.

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Mountain West Football: Every 2019 Bowl Gift Package, Ranked

Bowl games are important, but the swag for every player matters just as much. Which gifts are the best among the seven Mountain West bowls?

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Mountain West Football: Every 2019 Bowl Gift Package, Ranked

Bowl games are important, but the swag for every player matters just as much. Which gifts are the best among the seven Mountain West bowls?

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

If you won’t give the players money, at least make it worth their while.

It’s a well-established fact that every bowl game is precious (even if some games are a little more precious than others), but it is also true that this does not necessarily hold for the customary gift packages given to players instead of, you know, just paying them cash for their labor.

Sports Business Daily has the full rundown of what every single bowl is giving to its participants and what becomes readily clear is that the big time games give the best stuff. This makes it especially important for the lower-tier bowls to make their decisions count and, this year, some did a lot better than others.

Here are the indisputable swag rankings for this year’s slate of bowl games.

7. Mitsubishi Las Vegas Bowl

The swag: Gift suite; socks; beanie; portable charger

Do you remember the “Christmas Party” episode of “The Office” where, before Michael Scott suggests a game of Yankee Swap, Creed forgets to get Jim a gift for Secret Santa and just throws a dirty and too-small button-up in a plastic bag for him? That’s what this set of swag is. You should expect more from the conference’s premier bowl and hope next year’s replacement, the new bowl in Los Angeles, is taking notes.

6. Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl

The swag: Gift suite; Herschel Supply Co. Chapter travel kit; New Era insulated beanie

This is a fairly modest package overall, but it is worth noting it’s miles better than socks (seriously, don’t give socks as a gift during the holidays). One has to wonder, though, whether the travel kit is filled with even smaller travel swag. If so, then this ranking is perhaps a spot too low.

5. SoFi Hawaii Bowl

The swag: Gift suite; Kahala aloha shirt; Oakley backpack and sunglasses; performance T-shirt; beach towel; surf trunks

As usual, the participants here get a load of swag with the local flavor, which you might describe every year as a “high floor” gift package.

4. Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl

The swag: Gift suite; Justin cowboy hat; football; college football 150th anniversary coin; lapel pin; Blingware cup; beanie

The Frisco Bowl gets points for originality, especially with regards to swag that is unique to the locale. Whether everyone actually looks good in a cowboy hat is another question entirely, but outside of the purview of this thought exercise.

Blingware’s merchandise actually looks pretty neat, too, the kind of stuff you might consider giving to the diehards in your family for Christmas. A solid overall effort from the folks in Texas.

3. Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

The swag: Gift suite; Thule Achiever computer backpack; Herschel Supply Co. hip pack; beanie; coin

Computer backpacks are underrated, almost like a solid center for your offensive line, so Spuddy Buddy and his friends get props for recognizing that niche value. The package as a whole is also uniquely suited to the climate, so recipients will get immediate use out of everything right away and thereafter.

2. New Mexico Bowl

The swag: Gift suite; Oakley Holbrook sunglasses; Oakley Gearbox backpack; beanie; water bottle

The sunglasses and backpack are an impressive investment, and the latter gift gets extra points for being the kind of gift that has both utility and durability. Everyone else seems pretty nondescript, but this is a clear win for San Diego State and Central Michigan.

1. Cheez-It Bowl

The swag: GoPro Hero 7 with accessories and carrying case; Fossil watch; Oakley sunglasses; Ogio Shuttle Pack backpack; “History of The Bowls: Celebrating the Good of The Game” book; Ice Shaker insulated bottle; Branded Bills cap and travel case

The Cheez-It Bowl just gets it. Everyone else could learn something here.

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Mountain West Football: Every 2019 Bowl Game, Ranked

Every bowl game is precious, but we determine which of the Mountain West’s seven bowls are just a little more precious.

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Mountain West Football: Every 2019 Bowl Game, Ranked

Every bowl game is precious, but we determine which ones are just a little more precious.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

Which ones will be must-see television?

There weren’t a lot of surprises when the Mountain West Conference unveiled its slate of seven bowl games on Sunday afternoon but, all in all, there’s a lot of good football on our hands in December and January!

Mountain West Wire’s official stance is that “any bowl game is a good bowl game”, but that’s not going to prevent us from determining which bowl games are… better. Which matchups are the best ones over the next month?

Here’s what I think.

7. Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl – Utah State vs. Kent State

The Mid-American Conference in 2019 may be best described as an egalitarian paradise. Akron might have been the worst team in college football and just two teams managed eight wins overall, but ten of the 12 MAC teams had between three and six wins in conference play. It may be neat to have had such a wide-open field, but it also means there aren’t a plethora of truly inspiring teams in that field.

Utah State, meanwhile, didn’t have quite the season many imagined it might back in the summer, but at least Jordan Love will (presumably) have one last opportunity to light up the scoreboard. It’s fine, but fine doesn’t always equal exciting.

6. Famous Idaho Potato Bowl – Nevada vs. Ohio

Most of the excitement will derive from whichever Wolf Pack and whichever Bobcats team decides to show up on January 3. Ohio, like Kent State, clawed their way to a bowl from that same MAC morass but may have been the conference’s biggest disappointment, requiring two blowouts over Bowling Green and Akron just to get to 6-6 after losing a litany of heart-breakers.

If both offenses come out on fire, this bowl could easily surpass its standing here, but there’s also the danger that Nevada could fall victim to yet another lopsided defeat against one of the Group of 5’s most capable quarterbacks, Nathan Roarke. We’ll see.

5. New Mexico Bowl – Wyoming vs. Georgia State

 

4. SoFi Hawaii Bowl – Hawaii vs. BYU

For the second straight year, we get something of a WAC throwback and, even better, this bowl is back where it belongs on Christmas Eve. It’ll be a chance for the Warriors to even the overall score just a little bit, too, in a series that’s been particularly lopsided as of late.

The Cougars have also had a penchant for creating close games, with seven of their 12 contests being decided by ten points or fewer. If nothing else, it’s still the best excuse you’ll have to duck your family for a few hours right before the holiday.

3. Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl – San Diego State vs. Central Michigan

Now we’re talking. The Aztecs defense didn’t suffer the same November swoon that befell them in 2018 and while SDSU fell short of the division title, their reward is to face the very capable MAC runners-up.

After languishing with one of the worst offenses in the country last fall, Jim McElwain turned the Chippewas attack into one of the best in the conference, finishing third on a per-play basis while more than doubling the points scored per game. It will be an underrated “offense vs. defense” tilt in Tucson, so make sure you don’t overlook this game.

2. Mitsubishi Las Vegas Bowl – Boise State vs. Washington

“Chris Petersen’s last ride” is a fine narrative, but what’s more intriguing is the potential for a real defensive showcase. The Huskies may not have the big names like last year’s iteration, but young talents like Cameron Williams and Joe Tryon make for a fascinating contrast with established stars like Curtis Weaver and Kekoa Nawahine.

Alternatively, it could be a quarterback showcase. Jaylon Henderson has more than earned the right to start for the Broncos one last time, but perhaps Hank Bachmeier will find his way back under center to duel Jacob Eason, who’s been up and down this fall. Either way, it should be a fun one.

1. Cheez-It Bowl – Air Force vs. Washington State

The triple option and the Air Raid? Say no more.

The Cougars have perhaps never been more themselves than they were this year, leaning on the pass more than any other team in the country, while the Falcons’ ground game has rarely been more efficient than it has been this fall. It could be one of bowl season’s biggest point bonanzas when all is said and done.

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