The college football bowl season offers all types of games and matchups that teams normally would never see during the year. The battle on Thursday night is the third bowl game of the season and includes the Mountain West Conference champion San Diego State Aztecs and the defensive-minded Brigham Young Cougars.
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.
San Diego State RB Adam Muema vs, BYU Front Seven
If Adam Muema can get going against the top-ranked Cougars defense, the Aztecs will have a chance to win. If not, it might be a long day for San Diego State and quarterback Adam Dingwell.
Muema has been stellar this season, rushing for 1,355 yards and 17 touchdowns, but he is facing a team that allows just 266 yards per game, including 84 on the ground. The sophomore had a career-high 255 yards and four touchdowns in the regular-season finale against Wyoming and has rushed for seven touchdowns in the past three games.
BYU has one of the toughest defenses in the nation and is giving up only 14 points per game. The Cougars gave up only 29 rushing yards in the regular-season finale against New Mexico State and have held opponents to 14 points or less in four of the past five games.
BYU WR Cody Hoffman vs. Aztecs Secondary
Hoffman has been the top target for the Cougars this season, making 90 receptions for 1,134 yards and 11 touchdowns. Over the past three games he has scored eight touchdowns and has made 34 receptions.
The Aztecs defense gives up 24 points per game is ranked 56th in the nation in pass defense, averaging 234 yards. Hoffman has good speed and has averaged 12.6 yards per catch this season. In the regular-season finale against New Mexico State he made 12 receptions for 182 yards and scored a season-high five touchdowns.
Hoffman will likely find double coverage from the Aztecs, including matchups against Derek Largent and Leon McFadden, who have combined for five interceptions this season.
HERE is the full schedule of college bowl games for the 2012 season. This round of Bowl Predictions from Sports World Report can be found here and includes the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl and National Championship game.
