WHO: Miami (8-4) vs. Washington State (8-4)
WHAT: The 82nd Hyundai Sun Bowl
WHERE: Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, Texas
WHEN: 2 p.m. ET on CBS
THE SKINNY: If a team from Coral Gables, Fla., and a team from Pullman, Wash., were to meet in a mid-tier bowl game, wouldn’t it have to be in El Paso, Texas on the day after Christmas? (You’re not going to believe this, but today’s game marks the first meeting between the ‘Canes and Coogs.)
As always in these games, motivation is a key factor here. Washington State looks to wrap up its best season since 2003, while Miami more or less watches the scoreboard to officially end the Al Golden era and start the Mark Richt era.
Assuming Luke Falk plays, this should be a duel of gun-slingers in the middle of the desert. Falk led the nation with 387.8 passing yards per game, though he was forced to miss Wazzu’s Apple Cup loss to Washington after suffering a head and neck injury the week prior against Colorado. Prior to that, though, he turned in a vintage Mike Leach-quarterback season, hitting over 70 percent of his passes while hiring 36 touchdowns against eight interceptions. On the other side of the ledger sits Richt’s new ball of clay -- sophomore quarterback Brad Kaaya. He ranked ninth nationally among all underclassmen passers with a 144.17 rating after averaging nearly 275 yards per game with a 15-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Neither of these teams can stop the run (Wazzu ranks 101st nationally, Miami 107th), but neither is any good at running it, either (Miami 117th, Wazzu a dead last 128th). The advantage figures to go to which ever team challenges itself to dig deep and get its nose dirty, but without any evidence that either of these squads is capable or willing of doing that, let’s just lean back and let it rip.
THE PREDICTION: Miami 44, Washington State 37