College Football: First Weekend of Bowl Games Preview

College Football: First Weekend of Bowl Games Preview

Bowl Season begins Friday, and the non-playoff bowls continue almost every day through January 6. Today we’re previewing each bowl of the opening weekend.

Bahamas Bowl: Buffalo Bulls (7-5) vs. Charlotte 49ers (7-5)

Friday, Dec 20, 2:00 PM

A pair of Group of 5 teams with 7-5 records, Buffalo and Charlotte kick off bowl season in the Bahamas bowl. The two teams are within 0.1 points per game offensively at 31.5 and 31.6, respectively, but Buffalo’s defense is significantly better: Charlotte has allowed 32.5 points per game for 105th in the nation while Buffalo is a full ten points per game better as 22.3, good for 34th. However, Charlotte has been tested far more than Buffalo has, playing Clemson, Appalachian State, and FAU while Buffalo’s only opponent of note was Penn State. We’ll see how important that is Friday. 

Frisco Bowl: Kent State (6-6) vs. Utah State (7-5)

Friday, Dec 20, 7:30 PM

Utah State comes in with the superior record and superior numbers, beating Kent State in both points for and against per game. If Kent State wins this game, it will likely have to come from the play of their star quarterback, Dustin Crum. The junior leads the team in both passing and rushing yards, making him the engine that runs the offense. Utah State will likely counter with their own quarterback, Jordan Love. On one hand, Love is a 3000-yard passer, but on the other, he has 16 interceptions to only 17 touchdowns. If Crum has a good game, the Flashes should be able to at least keep it close. 

New Mexico Bowl: Central Michigan (8-5) vs. San Diego State (9-3)

Saturday, Dec 21, 2:00 PM

The story of this game is SDSU’s defense, fourth in the country at 12.5 points per game. If the Aztecs had an offense to complement it, we might be discussing their New Year’s 6 Bowl, but their offense is nearly as bad as their defense is good, managing a paltry 19 points per game, 109th in the nation. Central Michigan will likely try to beat SDSU on the ground with its pair of running backs, Kobe Lewis and Jonathan Ward. This is going to be grueling for the Chippewas, though, as SDSU is the second-ranked defense in the country in rushing yards allowed per play. Can Central Michigan quarterback Quinten Dormady compensate? 

AutoNation Cure Bowl: Georgia Southern (7-5) vs. Liberty (7-5)

Saturday, Dec 21, 2:30 PM

Georgia has the more impressive win by far, with a victory over #20 Appalachian State. It comes in with a run-centric attack that produced three separate runners with over 600 yards rushing. Liberty, meanwhile, has a quarterback in Stephen Calvert who has thrown for nearly 3400 yards passing and a 26:5 touchdown-interception ratio. Liberty’s defense is troubling, however: their defense is 96th in the country in rushing yards per play, at a 4.7 clip. Can a defense that is already weak against the run stop a running team like Georgia Southern? It could be incredibly difficult, and Liberty’s offense, while not terrible, may not be strong enough to make up for the defense’s deficiencies.

Boca Raton Bowl: FAU (10-3) vs. SMU (10-2)

Saturday, Dec 21, 3:30 PM

This might be the most fun bowl of the day. It’s a tale of two teams for SMU, which has the 6th highest-scoring offense in the nation, yet also 99th in points allowed per game (31.8). FAU, on the other hand, is in the top-35 in points scored and allowed per game but in the top-15 in neither. Theoretically, the balance of the Owls should beat the offensive imbalance of the Mustangs, but we’ve all seen the power of a dominant offense when it needs to cover for a weak defense. 

Camellia Bowl: Arkansas State (7-5) vs. FIU (6-6)

Saturday, Dec 21, 5:30 PM

Arkansas definitely has the advantage in offensive production, at 33.7 points per game versus 26.5 for FIU. But defense is where the Red Wolves falter, as they’re allowing 34.8 points per game, putting them at a miserable 117th in the country. FIU isn’t spectacular on defense either, allowing 26.7 points per game for a ranking of 61. Arkansas State will likely seek to ride a passing offense that is averaging over 300 yards per game, but FIU has held their opponents to only 178 yards per game through the air. Something has to give. 

Las Vegas Bowl: Boise State (12-1) vs. Washington (7-5)

Saturday, Dec 21, 7:30 PM

While Boise State is fairly consistently one of the best Group of 5 schools in the country, Washington was actually a disappointment this year, Starting the season ranked 12th in the AP Poll only to lose five games and see their coach retire. Both teams come in with strong defenses separated by only a tenth of a point per game allowed, but Boise State averages a full five points more per game than the Huskies. Boise State’s starting quarterback, Freshman Hank Bachmeier, is questionable for the game due to a shoulder injury, but his backup Jaylon Henderson has proved capable in his absence. It will be up to Washington to find a way to slow him down. 

New Orleans Bowl: #20 Appalachian State (12-1) vs. UAB (9-4)

Saturday, Dec 21, 9:00 PM

This game just doesn’t seem fair. Appalachian State is in the top 25 in both points for (39.4) and against (20.2), while UAB is an astonishing 100th in points per game (23.6). If anything is going to save the Blazers, it will be their defense, which is currently allowing only 20.8 points per game, good for 26th in the nation. But the Mountaineers are likely just too good, and I certainly won’t be betting against a top-20 team.

All Statistics and Bowl Information courtesy of sports-reference.com unless otherwise indicated

-Alex Spieldenner

Writer/Interviewer