Your trusty and semi-daily college football bowl preview that today takes a quick-hit look at a very light Dec. 24 bowl menu, one that, for the second-straight day, features just a single matchup.
WHO: Hawaii (9-5) vs. BYU (7-5)
WHAT: The 18th SoFi Hawaii Bowl
WHERE: Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii
WHEN: 8 p.m. ET on ESPN
BUY TICKETS: Click here
THE SKINNY: BYU will be playing in a bowl game for the 14th time the past 15 seasons. The Cougars are 8-6 in that stretch. ... In one of the most inexplicable and unexplainable coincidences in college football, eight of Hawaii’s last nine postseason appearances have come in the Hawaii Bowl. The Rainbow Warriors are an even .500 in those island appearances. ... Here’s to guessing that, because of that last note, I’m going to be rueing the fact that there is currently no sarcasm font in WordPress. ... The two football programs have played a total of 27 times, with the first meeting coming in 1974 and the most recent in 2018. The Cougars lead the all-time series 22-5, and the Rainbow Warriors have lost five in a row and 11 of 12 in the series. ... Hawaii is coming off its first-ever appearance in the Mountain West Conference championship game, a 31-10 loss to Boise State. BYU has won five of their last six games entering the postseason, including a 28-25 win over Boise State. ... In fact, nearly half of BYU’s wins came against quality/Power Five opponents -- Boise, Tennessee and USC. Hawaii started off the season beating a pair of Pac-12 teams -- Arizona, Oregon State. ... Cole McDonald has passed for 3,642 yards (fifth nationally) and 29 touchdowns (tied for 13th) this season, but the Hawaii quarterback’s 14 interceptions are also tied for fifth in the country. ... On a related note, BYU’s 15 passes intercepted on defense are tied for ninth in the FBS. The Cougars are also inside the Top 40 in giving up 203.8 yards per game through the air. ... Hawaii Bowl fact: six of the last seven games have been decided by 15 or more points.
THE LINE: Hawaii, +1½
THE PREDICTION: Hawaii 37, BYU 34