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| Who will win in paradise? |
This match-up features Fresno State (6-7) going up against Rice (7-5)
By: Michael Hanley (@Magic20099)
Game Information
Date: December 24
Time: 8 PM EST
Place: Aloha Stadium- Honolulu, Hawaii
Broadcast: ESPN
Fresno State
It was a rough beginning for the Bulldogs to their season as they opened up 0-3 on their 2014 campaign. Even worse was those early losses were not close ones that would lead to believe that they were just snake bitten by some bad luck or a bounce of the ball.
Fresno State lost those first three games by an average margin of 35.6 points. That type of adversity early in a season to a team could completely ruin and unravel their season before it really even got fully going.
To their credit though, the Bulldogs stayed the course. They regrouped and started to pickup wins thanks in large part to the improved play of their defensive unit. This defense was plain awful in the first three weeks of play as they gave up an average of 55.3 points, a dubious mark that could eat away at the mental strength of a unit and cause them to make further regression.
Thankfully, in their case they got a whole lot better and played with more focus and edge as they went from that 55.3 average and cut it all the way down to 25.8 points per game given up in the last ten games.
The Bulldogs feature an offense that can be very difficult to defend once they get into a rhythm. It features first year starter Brian Burrell who has an up and down season to say the least. Though his 22 touchdown passes were impressive and good enough to tie for second in the Mountain West conference in that category.
The flip side of this is he also had 16 interceptions which was the second highest amount among conference quarterbacks. He will need to find some consistent form in order to lead his team to victory against an aggressive Rice defense.
Look for wide receiver Josh Harper to be involved early and often in the game plan for the offense in this game as he is capable of making some game breaking plays with his speed and ball skills. He has had a terrific season as he has 86 catches for 1,072 yards so far this year.
Rice
The Owls had the exact same start to the season that Fresno State experienced as they went 0-3 out of the gate. Their margin of defeat was slightly less than that of the Bulldogs, as they lost by an average of 23 points per game in those defeats.
They were able to rally and find their bearings as they went 7-2 in their last nine games to make it to this bowl game and have an opportunity to make what looked like a lost season at first into a memorable one for the school.
This is a school record third consecutive bowl game appearance they are not just happy to enjoy the sun, surf and beaches of Hawaii, they want to finish this season off on a high note and get a postseason win for their program.
They have a defense that has a jackal and hyde complex to it. Case in point, in the seven wins they have accumulated this season this unit has only given up an average of 16.6 points and 274.4 yards in those games, which is very solid and marks that any defense would love to boast about.
On the other hand, in the four losses this defense has leaked allot of oil. They have given up an average of 49.6 points and 568.2 yards in those defeats, which are hard to figure when this defense has shown what they can do when they are playing with focus and discipline.
They are in for a real tough test as the Bulldogs will test them throughout the game and just how much they can hold up against the up tempo style of Fresno State.
The Owls feature a wide receiver who will be the guy for Fresno State's defense to worry about in Jordan Taylor. The senior play maker has 49 catches on the season for 781 yards and six touchdown catches all in just nine game she has played in. You can be sure that the Owls will look to get him started early and into a rhythm against the Bulldogs.
Game Pick
I think Rice's inconsistent defense will not be able to contain an explosive offense like Fresno State has. Their are too many weapons to cover and the Bulldogs could wear down the Owl's defense if they can get into a tempo early and stay in it. The Bulldogs defense will be able to slow down Rice's offensive attack and create some turnovers with their pressure that will help them pull away in this one. I am going with Fresno State as the winner, defeating Rice 51-31.
