NEW ORLEANS BOWL
Nevada (7-5) vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (8-4)
10 a.m. Central (ESPN)
LINE — Louisiana-Lafayette by 1
SERIES RECORD Nevada leads 1-0.
KEY MATCHUP Louisiana-Lafayette’s running game, which is led by Alonzo Harris and Elijah McGuire, against Nevada’s defensive front. The Ragin’ Cajuns are averaging 229.4 yards per game on the ground. Nevada has allowed more than 200 yards rushing in a game five times.
PLAYERS TO WATCH Nevada: Quarterback Cody Fajardo runs the Pistol offense, which suits his dual-threat ability. Fajardo accounted for 3,371 yards from scrimmage and 31 touchdowns this season (2,374 yards and 18 TDs passing, 997 yards and 13 TDs rushing). Louisiana-Lafayette: Running back Elijah McGuire, who has rushed for 1,165 yards and 14 TDs this season, averages 141.3 all-purpose yards per game and 7.8 yards per carry.
NOTEWORTHY Since switching from Division I-AA to Division I (now FBS) in 1992, Nevada has appeared in 11 bowl games, going 3-8. … The Wolf Pack averages 13.25 points off of turnovers per game, most in the nation. … Nevada Coach Brian Polian, 39, is in his first head coaching job and is among the youngest head coaches at the FBS level. Polian is the son of former longtime NFL executive Bill Polian. … Louisiana-Lafayette Coach Mark Hudspeth’s 35 victories are the most by a Ragin’ Cajuns coach in a four-season span. … Cajuns defensive lineman Christian Ringo, who has 10 ½ sacks, is only a half-sack short of tying a single-season school record of 11 and one sack short of tying the school career record of 21.
NEW MEXICO BOWL
Utah State (9-4) vs. Texas-El Paso (7-5)
1:20 p.m. Central (ESPN)
LINE — Utah State by 10
SERIES RECORD Utah State, 2-0
KEY MATCHUP UTEP’s rushing offense vs. Utah State’s rushing defense. The Miners have rushed for 2,552 yards and 27 touchdowns this season and have rushed for an average of 212.7 yards per game. Utah State ranks 26th in the nation in rushing defense. The Aggies also have forced 29 turnovers in their past 12 games.
PLAYERS TO WATCH Utah State: Brothers Zach and Nick Vigil, both linebackers, have combined for 181 tackles. Senior Zach Vigil is tied at 12th nationally in tackles for loss with 11.2 per game. Sophomore Nick Vigil is tied for fifth nationally in forced fumbles with .42 per game. UTEP: Sophomore running back Aaron Jones has 1,233 yards rushing this season. He is ranked 23rd nationally in rushing yards per game, averaging 112.1. Quarterback Jameill Showers has tried to balance the run game with 1,732 yards passing and 12 touchdowns.
NOTEWORTHY UTEP Coach Sean Kugler and Utah State Coach Matt Wells are both in their second seasons and both are graduates of their respective schools. … Utah State is the only team in the nation with five players who have thrown at least two touchdown passes this season. That’s because it has used four quarterbacks, and wide receiver Ronald Butler has thrown two touchdown passes. … UTEP’s Aaron Jones has rushed for at least 100 yards nine times during his career. … Aggies kicker Nick Diaz is 29th nationally with a field goal percentage of .800.
LAS VEGAS BOWL
No. 23 Utah (8-4) vs. Colorado State (10-2)
2:30 p.m. Central (ABC)
LINE — Utah by 3
SERIES RECORD Utah leads 55-22-2
KEY MATCHUP Utah’s pass-rushing defensive front vs. Colorado State’s passing offense. The Utes led the country with 52 sacks, and defensive ends Nate Orchard and Hunter Dimick will have to find a way to contain Rams quarterback Garrett Grayson, who threw for more than 3,700 yards and 32 touchdowns. Together, Orchard and Dimick had 27 1/2 sacks and 34 1/2 tackles for loss.
PLAYERS TO WATCH Utah: Orchard led the country with an average of 1.46 sacks per game. He’ll be matched against Rams left tackle Ty Sambrailo, whom Coach Dave Baldwin predicts will be a first- or second-round pick in the NFL draft. Orchard is fast and physical, and his ability to pressure Grayson will bear watching. Colorado State: Wide receiver Rashard Higgins had seven consecutive games of 100 yards receiving, making him a potent offensive threat. His ability to get open quickly could play a major role in nullifying Utah’s physical pass rush.
NOTEWORTHY Utah sold out its allotment of 7,500 seats in just a few days. … Colorado State is 16-4 over its past 20 games, but it’s worth noting that the Rams didn’t play a ranked opponent this season and have lost their past 15 games against Top 25 teams. … Utah quarterback Travis Wilson, a junior, has 40 career touchdown passes and finished this season with 17 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. He didn’t throw a pick in his first eight games. … Colorado State is making consecutive bowl appearances for the first time since 2002-2003.
IDAHO POTATO BOWL
Western Michigan (8-4) vs. Air Force (9-3)
4:45 p.m. Central (ESPN)
LINE — Air Force by 1
SERIES RECORD First meeting.
KEY MATCHUP Air Force’s run game vs. Western Michigan’s run defense. Air Force focused on being more efficient passing this season, but ultimately the Falcons’ offensive success relies on their run game. Air Force was seventh in the country with an average of 272.2 yards per game on the ground. Western Michigan had one of the better run defenses in the MAC, giving up an average of 142.7 yards per game. Only one of the Broncos’ past seven opponents rushed for more than 150 yards. PLAYERS TO WATCH Western Michigan: Running back Jarvion Franklin set a load of records in his first season for Western Michigan. He set the MAC record for yards rushing by a freshman (1,525). He set Western Michigan records for single-season touchdowns
(25) and total points scored (150), and he became the first MAC player to be named freshman of the year and offensive player of the year. Air Force: Senior quarterback Kale Pearson missed the season finale against Colorado State because of an ankle injury suffered the previous week. Backup Nate Romine started against the Rams, but Pearson has been practicing and should get the start in his final college game. Pearson had 14 touchdown passes and six touchdowns rushing in the regular season.
NOTEWORTHY Air Force’s last bowl game victory was the 2010 Independence Bowl, 14-7 over Georgia Tech. … This will be the Broncos’ second trip to the state of Idaho this season. Western Michigan won 45-33 at Idaho in September. … Western Michigan’s last bowl appearance was the 2011 Little Caesar’s Bowl. The Broncos are 0-5 all-time in bowl games. … Air Force is 0-2 all-time in games played in Boise, both against Boise State.
CAMELIA BOWL
Bowling Green (7-6) vs. South Alabama (6-6)
8:15 p.m. Central (ESPN)
LINE — South Alabama by 3
SERIES RECORD First meeting.
KEY MATCHUP South Alabama’s offense vs. Bowling Green’s defense. South Alabama is averaging 22.1 points and 372.8 yards per game. Bowling Green is giving up 33.9 points and 499.6 yards on average. The Jaguars have a new offensive coordinator since Coach Joey Jones hired Bryant Vincent from the now-defunct UAB program to replace Robert Matthews, who was fired after the final regular-season game.
PLAYERS TO WATCH Bowling Green: Wide receiver Roger Lewis appears poised to become the school’s first freshman in school history to reach 1,000 yards. The All-MAC performer has 956 yards and 5 touchdowns on 69 catches. South Alabama: Linebacker Maleki Harris is a second-team All-Sun Belt Conference player who leads the league in fumbles forced (four) and recovered (three). He also has 77 tackles.
NOTEWORTHY Both teams are trying to reverse losing streaks, three games for Bowling Green and two for South Alabama. … The Falcons are seeking their third consecutive season with at least eight victories … No team has reached a bowl game as fast as South Alabama, which is in its second year as a full-fledged FBS member after starting the program in 2009. … The Jaguars, who were 6-6 last season, are trying to secure their fifth winning record in six seasons of competition.