San Diego County Credit Union Poinsetta Bowl
BYU vs. San Diego State
The San Diego State Aztecs rebounded from a disappointing 2-3 start this season to earn a share of the Mountain West conference title.
The team is currently on a seven game win streak and will put that on the line when they take on the Brigham Young Cougars in the Poinsetta Bowl. The Aztecs went 7-1 in the conference this season and finished the year with a 42-28 victory over Wyoming on the road.
The Aztecs are ranked 16th in the nation in rushing yards and will rely heavily on running back Adam Muema against a BYU defense that is allowing just 14 points per game this season. The sophomore has rushed for 1,355 yards and 16 touchdowns and has been the most impressive player on the roster this season.
San Diego State has the 28th-highest scoring offense in the country, but will face one of the best defenses in BYU. The Cougars have allowed just 41 points over the past three games and finished the year with a 50-14 victory on the road against New Mexico State.
BYU has used a balanced offensive attack this season and is ranked 51si in passing offense behind quarterback Riley Nelson, who has thrown for 2,011 yards and 13 touchdowns. The senior missed the final game against New Mexico State, but threw for 335 yards the previous week and has thrown a touchdown in five straight games.
The Cougars will be aggressive in trying to stop the running game of San Diego State and also has a running back that can carry the load in Jamaal Williams, who has scored 11 touchdowns this season.
San Diego State might have a slight advantage since the game is on their home turf, but the Aztecs will not overlook the Cougars in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium.
Games in college football are won and lost based on position battles and whether one team or the other can take advantage of any deficiencies of their opponent. There are numerous interesting battles going on in between the sidelines on Thursday night, here are a look at some of the most notable ones that could chart the course of this game.
BYU QB Riley Nelson/James Lark vs. San Diego State Secondary
Both teams are dealing with quarterback issues, but not because of bad play. Cougars starter Riley Nelson has missed the regular-season finale with a rib injury and is still questionable for the bowl game. Lark started in his place and was very effective, leading the team to a 50-14 win at New Mexico State while throwing for 384 yards and six touchdowns on 34 of 50 passes in his first-ever start. Coach Bronco Mendenhall will have to decide which of the two to go with, but if he sticks with Lark, the cougars still have a great chance to win.
San Diego State has the 56th-ranked passing defense in the nation, giving up 234 yards per game, while BYU has the 50th ranked passing attack. The secondary will play a big part for the Aztecs and defensive back Leon McFadden will be the one player San Diego State tried to avoid. He leads the team with three interceptions and has two touchdowns this season on 124 return yards. Whoever starts the game for the Cougars will have to be on the watch for McFadden as well as Eric Pinkins and Derek Largent, who each have two interceptions on the year.
San Diego State QB Adam Dingwell vs. DB Daniel Sorensen and BYU Secondary
Quarterback Adam Dingwell has played very well for the Aztecs since taking over for starter Ryan Katz, who suffered a broken ankle five games ago in a 39-38 overtime win against Nevada. Katz went down in the first quarter of the game and Dingwell finished with 177 yards and three touchdowns.
The Cougars have the second-ranked rush defense in the nation, meaning that the Aztecs will likely have to rely on the passing game to win. Dingwell will need to connect with tight end Gavin Escobar and wide receiver Brice Butler, who have combined for 10 touchdowns this season.
Dingwell has led the Aztecs to five straight wins, including a 21-19 victory over Boise State on Nov. 3. Dingwell threw for only 105 yards in that game, but has been completing over 60 percent of his passes since taking over the starting job.
BYU gives up only 182 passing yards per game, ranked 12th in the nation and has skilled cornerback Daniel Sorensen, who leads the team with three interceptions. Sorenson had a season-high 10 tackles in the 17-14 loss to Notre Dame and has recorded at least three tackles in every game this season.
If the cornerbacks shut-down San Diego State's passing game, the Aztecs will be forced to play right into BYU's game-plan, which is to stop the run. Dingwell will be the key for the Aztecs. San Diego State ranks 102nd in the nation in passing offense and will need to step up for a chance to beat the Cougars.
PREDICTION: BYU 28, San Diego State 17. BYU was a disappointing 7-5 this season, but the defense has been stellar. The Aztecs are on a hot streak, but haven't played against a defense as tough as the Cougars.
HERE is the full schedule of college bowl games for the 2012 season.
WATCH the BYU vs. San Diego State LIVE STREAM by clicking HERE.
(**Sports World Report does not endorse the live streaming of the games of the sites it has linked to. It has no control over the content of the website and thus does not warrant that it is error or virus free or free of other harmful components.)