Date: Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Where: Honolulu, Hawaii

When: 8:00 PM Eastern Time

TV: ESPN

Line: Oregon State -2.5, Over/Under is at 63

Boise State Broncos (8-4 Overall, 6-2 in Mountain West, Finished 2nd in Mountain Division)

It was another good year for Boise State as they finished 8-4 in the regular season despite an injury to their quarterback Joe Southwick early in the Nevada game on October 19. Grant Hedrick has performed admirably in place of Southwick leading the Broncos to a 4-2 record. The main story for Boise State is they will be without Chris Petersen who has moved on to be the Head Coach of the University of Washington. Linebackers coach Bob Gregory will lead the Broncos in the Hawaii Bowl. Another interesting twist to the story is Southwick, who was going to be able to start this game, has been suspended by the school for improper behavior, violating team rules. Southwick has evidence that the allegations aren't true, but the school has already sent him home. Here are the Broncos stats for the 2013 season:

Last Bowl Game: 2012 Las Vegas Bowl vs. Washington (28-26 Win)

Passing Offense: 269 yards per game (31st in the FBS)

Rushing Offense: 201.8 yards per game (32nd)

Points Scored per Game: 38.8 points per game (17th)

Passing Defense: 248.4 yards per game (91st)

Rushing Defense: 161.6 yards per game (63rd)

Points Allowed per Game: 23.8 points per game (37th)

Player to Watch: Running Back Jay Ajayi. He has been the rock of the Boise State offense especially in the immediate aftermath of quarterback Joe Southwick's injury. He has rushed for 1328 yards and 17 touchdowns this season.

Oregon State Beavers (6-6 Overall, 4-5 in Pac-12, Finished T-4th in North Division)

Oregon State started the season with an opening loss to FCS Eastern Washington at home, 49-46. They followed that shock loss up with 6 straight victories. Unfortunately for Oregon State, they lost the last 5 games of the season and finished 6-6. That losing streak included the 69-27 loss to Washington in which they gave up 530 yards of rushing to the Huskies. Here are the Beavers stats for the 2013 season:

Last Bowl Game: 2012 Alamo Bowl vs. Texas (31-27 Loss)

Passing Offense: 382.1 yards per game (3rd in the FBS)

Rushing Offense: 86 yards per game (118th)

Points Scored per Game: 34.5 points per game (32nd)

Passing Defense: 235 yards per game (T-74th)

Rushing Defense: 193.2 yards per game (91st)

Points Allowed per Game: 32.1 points per game (96th)

Player to Watch: Wide Receiver Brandin Cooks. In the first 7 games for Oregon State he had 76 catches for 1176 yards and 12 touchdowns. In the 5 game losing streak to end the season he had 44 catches for 494 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Prediction

This is an interesting matchup. Oregon State has the 3rd best passing offense while Boise State the 91st ranked passing defense. On the flip side, Boise State has a good offense, ranked 24th in total offense, against Oregon State's 94th ranked total defense. This game has the potential for a shootout. Let's go with Boise State to win in a thriller, 45-40.

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About the author
Matthew Dixon
I follow College Football at all levels; FBS, FCS, Division II, and Division III. In addition, I am a horse racing enthusiast.