The 2015 Aloha Bowl in Honolulu, Hawaii, is once again slated to take place on Christmas Eve.
This years match-up will feature a clash of teams with totally different styles.
The Aztecs from San Diego State will look to keep doing what they do best, run the ball effectively and keep Cincinnati’s potent passing attack grounded on the sidelines.
The Bearcats from Cincinnati put points on the board through the air. Cincinnati ranks 4th in the country in yards gained in the passing game, collecting over 370 yards a contest.
Bowl: Hawai’i Bowl
Teams: San Diego State Aztecs vs cincinnati Bearcats
Date/Time: December 24, 2015 – 8 PM EST on ESPN
Location: Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI
Vegas Line/Total: Cincinnati -2 / O/U 57
Written by: Erik the Hun
10 – 3 Record – 7 – 5 Vs Spread Over – Under: 6 – 6 Season Results 12/05/15 Air Force W 27-24 L -3.5 O 46.5 |
7 – 5 Record – 6 – 6 Vs Spread Over – Under: 6 – 6 Season Results 11/28/15 @ East Carolina W 19-16 W -2 U 68.5 |
December 23, 2014 – Poinsettia Bowl – SD State 16 – 17 Navy December 21, 2013 – Famous Idaho Potato Bowl – SD State 49 – 24 Buffalo December 20, 2012 – Poinsettia Bowl – SD State 6 – 23 BYU December 17, 2011 – New Orleans Bowl – SD State 30 – 32 LA–Lafayette December 23, 2010 – Poinsettia Bowl – SD State 35 – 14 Navy |
December 27, 2014 – Military Bowl – Cincinnati 17 – 33 Virginia Tech December 28, 2013 – Belk Bowl- Concinnati 17 – 39 North Carolina December 27, 2012 – Belk Bowl – Cincinnati 48 – 34 Duke December 31, 2011 – Liberty Bowl – Cincinnati 31 – 24 Vanderbilt January 1, 2010 – Sugar Bowl – Cincinnati 24 – 51 Florida |
San Diego State Outlook:
The Aztecs were predicted to finish in the middle of the pack in the Mountain West, but instead, swept their way through the competition, going 9-0 in conference play, and a Mountain West Title to show for it. Nobody could stop San Diego States ground onslaught. With heavy emphasis on the run, they hope their efficient Quarterback play can continue, but this could all depend on the health of starting quarterback Maxwell Smith, who injured his left ACL in the season finale against Nevada.
The passing game was not spectacular for the Aztecs this year, but it didn’t need to be. Smith was asked to manage the games by limiting turnovers and keep the chains moving on key third and longs. He did just that. Smith only accumulated 1529 yards through the air, and threw 13 touchdowns, while only serving up two picks. If the starting quarterback cannot play due to his ACL, the Aztecs will once again call upon red shirt freshman Christian Chapman, who lead his team to victory in the Mountain West Championship by going 9 of 14 for 203 yards and a touchdown.
The workhorse for San Diego State resides in the backfield. Donnel Pumphrey, the Mountain West’s Offensive Player of the Year, racked up 1554 yards on 284 attempts and 16 touchdowns. Chase Price spelled Pumphrey quite well, running for 940 yards on 177 attempts with six scores. The one-two punch of Pumphrey and Price, help set a school-single season record, totaling 3061 yards.
Micah Holder was the only receiver on the roster that had more receiving yards than Donnel Pumphrey this season. Holder grabbed 23 catches for 425 yards and five touchdowns. Pumphrey, out of the backfield, was the leading receiver with 26 catches and added three more touchdowns via the pass.
Defensively the Aztecs were formidable all season long. San Diego State ranked in the top 15 in all four major defensive categories. They were fifth in FBS this season, limiting opponents to 287.9 yards a game, and especially stout against the run, allowing only 111.2 yards a game. Maybe the most impressive stat, considering the talent they faced in conference play, was limiting opposing teams to only 17.2 points a game.
Cincinnati Outlook:
The Bearcats were expected to sweep through the AAC’s East Division, but an early loss to Temple and three more conference losses, had the Bearcats limping into the post-season with a 7-5 record. Despite losing their quarterback Gunner Kiel to a neck injury in September, they still managed one of the best passing offenses in NCAA Division I football this year.
Before giving way to back-up Hayden Moore, Kiel was stacking up yardage through the air quite impressively. Gunner Kiel had 2777 yards on 316 attempts with 19 touchdowns and 11 INTs. Moore, then came in after Kiel’s injury and it was more of the same. Moore threw for 1683 yards and nine more TDs, but was intercepted eight times during his time as the signal caller.
The running game was in the hands of three different Bearcats, who shared the load throughout the entire season. Senior Hosey Williams led the rushing attack in yardage with 727 yards on 129 attempts and reached the end zone on four different occasions. Mike Boone with his 96 carries, gained 717 yards and eight touchdowns, and Tion Green led the attack with 141 carries, and reached pay dirt eight times as well. The three backs totaled over 2000 yards and kept the opposing defenses honest.
The wide outs were similar to the running backs, in the fact that they compiled their yardage and scores by committee also. Leading this group of receivers is the 5’9, 174 pound spark plug, Shaq Washington, who nabbed 88 balls for 971 yards and six TDs. Chris Moore and Max Morrison combined for 1386 yards and 10 touchdowns respectively.
The Bearcats defense had a hard time stopping anybody, ranking in the bottom third in three of the four major defensive categories. They were 84th in total yards allowed and 89th in points per game out of 127 FBS teams. Troubling as these stats are, the stat that may stand out relating to this match-up, is the fact that Cincinnati struggles to stop the run, ranking 92nd in the nation, giving up 190.8 yards, that could mean a big day for the Aztec’s ground game.
Matchup Analysis & Prediction
Analysis:
The porous defense that the Bearcats field, and the consistently dominating defense the Aztecs will have at their disposal, could spell big problems for Cincinnati. San Diego State will once again look to take advantage of its opponent by running in bunches. Whichever quarterback starts for the Aztecs, the game plan will remain the same, pound that rock. Las Vegas native Donnel Pumphrey will possibly be playing in his last collegiate game, and I fully expect he will rack up yards in bunches. Moore and the passing attack will need to expose the Aztec secondary to keep pace, but this will not be an easy task, considering San Diego State’s defense averages more than two turnovers a game.
Prediction:
To get further analysis from Ej the Rainmaker and Erik the Hun, check out our audio preview of the Bowl using the audio file below…
