Friday, December 21, 2012, 7:30 p.m.
Beef O'Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg
UCF vs. Ball State
The Beef O'Brady's Bowl offers a slight home game of sorts as the University of Central Florida Knights take on the Ball State Cardinals in St. Petersburg.
Ball State finished the season 9-3 after defeating Miami (OH) 31-34 in the final game of the year. The Cardinals finished second in the MAC West division standings with a 6-2 record and finished the season with six straight wins.
The offense has been consistent all season and has produced a 2,800-yard passer, 1,300-yard rusher and a 1,000-yard receiver. The Cardinals are ranked 72nd in scoring but averages over 130 yards rushing per game.
UCF has one of the better defenses in the nation, so the Cardinals will attempt to play aggressive and quick on the edges to avoid the Knights' pass rush.
Running back Jahwan Edwards has been one of the best running backs in the MAC this season, rushing for 1,321 yards and 14 touchdowns. The sophomore rushed for three touchdowns in the final win against Miami and has gained at least 105 yards in five of the past six games. He has also scored a touchdown in four straight games.
For UCF to be successful against Ball State, the team will have to slow down Edwards and rely on a defense that was rated ninth in the country in scoring this season, allowing just 18 points per game.
The Knights started off the season just two and two after opening with a 56-14 win against Akron, but then won six games in a row, including a 54-17 win on the road against Marshall. UCF finished the season with a 33-27 overtime loss in the Conference USA championship game to Tulsa on the road and lost two of their final three games.
The team has been successful running the ball this season, ranking 43rd in rushing with 168 yards per game. Running back Latavius Murray has rushed for 1,035 yards and 14 touchdowns this season, including 71 yards in the final loss against Tulsa.
Murray had a streak of four straight 100-yard games during the season and rushed for 192 yards and four touchdowns in the team's 35-17 win on the road against Memphis. He has scored a touchdown in eight straight games and has had a least one touchdown in every game but one this year.
UCF went 7-1 in Conference USA this season and finished with a 9-4 record overall. The Knights are greatly improved from last year when the team went just 5-7 and finished fourth in Conference USA with a 3-5 record.
Knights quarterback Blake Bortles has a good matchup against a weak Ball State secondary that gives up over 240 yards per game. The sophomore has passed for 2,787 yards and 22 touchdowns with just seven interceptions. He is completing over 62 percent of his passes and threw for two touchdowns in the championship game against Tulsa.
PREDICTION: UCF 28, Ball State 16. The Cardinals have playmakers on offense, but the UCF defense has been stellar all season and should continue in the bowl game. Apart from the championship loss against Tulsa, UCF has not given up more than 24 points in six straight games.
Saturday, December 22, 2012, Noon
MAACO Bowl Las Vegas
Boise State vs. Washington
One of the more interesting matchups taking place this college postseason is taking place in Nevada as the Boise State Broncos take on the Washington Huskies in the MAACO Bowl in Las Vegas.
The Broncos have won the past two MAACO Bowls and have been in the BCS conversation over the past few years, but lost out on any chance of making it in after losing their second game of the season against San Diego State 21-19 on Nov. 3.
Boise State will get a chance at redemption against the Huskies, a team they will play three times over the next three seasons, including the opening game at Washington next season.
"I think it can become one of those classic rivalries that get set up," Washington coach Steve Sarkisian said to the Associated Press. "Everybody loves a good rematch, you know? Somebody's going to win and somebody's going to lose this first one. Then we are going to come back nine months later to see who can win the second one."
The Broncos were an impressive team on defense this season, ranking ninth in scoring with just 14.9 allowed per game. The team hasn't allowed more than 21 points since winning against New Mexico on Sept. 29 and held opponents to single digits twice.
Boise State will focus heavily on Huskies quarterback Keith Price and running back Bishop Sankey, who have been the two leaders on offense for Washington this season. The Broncos are scoring over 30 points per game and are ranked 52nd in rushing yards with 173 yards per game.
Quarterback Joe Southwick has stepped in nicely for Heisman finalist and departing starter Kellen Moore, throwing for 2,466 yards and 17 yards and just seven interceptions. He is completing over 66 percent of his passes and has led the team to three straight wins to finish the year, including a 27-21 win against Nevada to clinch a share of the Mountain West Conference title.
The Washington Huskies bounced back from a disappointing season last year and are making their third straight bowl appearance after going 7-5. The team has "won four straight and have one more chance to post their highest victory total since going 8-4 in 2001," according to the Associated Press.
The Huskies will rely on running back Bishop Sankey against the Broncos, who have the toughest defense of anyone Washington has faced this year. The sophomore has rushed for 1,234 yards and 15 touchdowns this season and had two touchdowns in the season-ending loss against Washington State.
PREDICTION: Boise State 28, Washington 21. The Broncos defense has been one of the most consistent all year and will keep the Huskies at bay. Sankey will rack up some yards against Boise State, but will be kept out of the endzone. Boise State will play aggressive against Keith Price and allow the offense to stay on the field. This should be a good rivalry over the next few seasons.
HERE is the full schedule of college bowl games for the 2012 season.
