It’s almost Christmas, and aside from a loaded NFL slate and fantasy playoffs, there is college goodness to be had. The first game takes us to tropical warmth while most of our readers will be under a cold, nasty winter storm. The rest of the slate is after Christmas, so you have plenty of options to check out some college football while trying to figure out how to put all the toys your children received together.
EasyPost Hawai’i Bowl 12/24 @ 8 p.m. ESPN
Middle Tennessee State (7-5) vs. San Diego State (7-5)
The Blue Raiders reached seven victories but did not defeat a bowl-eligible team. They scored nearly 30 points a game with the 32nd-ranked passing attack of 267.2 yards a contest. The defense allowed 28.1 points a game, 82nd in the FBS. They win by virtue of their offense.
The Aztecs notched seven wins by route of a strong defense, which only allowed 20.2 points a game, good for 20th in the country. Scoring has been a premium, and the attack hasn’t featured any player good for CFF or C2C. Five players rushed for over 200 yards, but the leader only had 389 yards (Jordan Byrd). The rushing attack ranked 68th, and the passing attack was 119th.
Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders
- Chase Cunningham, QB RS SR – As far as college quarterbacks go, Cunningham is a decent one. He threw for over 400 yards in MTSU’s upset of the Miami Hurricanes this season and completed over 67% of his passes. The attack is balanced, but if you need to favor a WR, sophomore Jaylin Lane was the leading receiver with 829 yards. Keep an eye out for him next season.
- Frank Peasant, RB SO – If you are watching for a back in this game and someone who could play a bigger role next season, check out Peasant. His YPC was only 4.5 as he rushed for 750 yards and scored nine times on the ground. Peasant also caught 26 passes, and that aspect of his game increased as the season wore on. He finished as a top 50 RB in CFF and has good size at 5’10” and 215 pounds.
San Diego State Aztecs
- Despite having some of my favorite uniforms in college football, there isn’t much to check out on the offensive side of the ball for the Aztecs. Former Alabama and Mississippi State WR Tyrell Shavers, a former four-star, leads the offensive weaponry. I’m not targeting anyone on SDSU for DFS and CFF.
Quick Lane Bowl 12/26 @ 2:30 p.m. ESPN
New Mexico State (6-6) vs. Bowling Green (6-6)
Both of these teams were projected to be amongst the worse in the FCS and far exceeded expectations. Each will be vying to throw the ball and challenge the other’s porous defenses.
New Mexico State defeated Liberty on their path to Detroit, and their offense averaged 25.6 points per game. The passing attack ranked 120th, and the rushing ranked 65th. The defense ranked 52nd in the FBS, and their passing defense only allowed 183.7 yards a game, good for 13th best in the nation.
Bowling Green defeated Marshall, Miami of Ohio, and Toledo – three bowl-eligible teams. Veteran QB Matt McDonald leads the offense. The Falcons’ offense is pedestrian, only scoring 23.8 points a game in the MAC, and their defense ranks 116th in the country. The pass defense is particularly atrocious.
New Mexico State Aggies
- Coached by Jerry Kill, the Aggies would love to run the ball and overpower Bowling Green. QB Diego Pavia is a dual-threat guy who started to throw the ball better over the second half of the season. They can move the ball and will need to keep up.
Bowling Green Falcons
- The player to watch on the Falcons is veteran QB McDonald. He threw for over 2,600 yards with 22 TDs to only eight INTs this season and spreads the ball around. Senior WR Odieu Hiliare is his favorite target, and the veteran duo is the key to this game.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday season to all of you that read, listen, and partake in all we have to offer at Campus2Canton! We appreciate everyone and couldn’t do all we do without you!
