The 2017 San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl will host 21st-ranked Washington State Cougars and the 19th-ranked Michigan State Spartans. This exciting match-up is slated to get underway on Thursday, December 28th at 9 p.m. EST. The Pac-12 versus Big Ten battle can be seen on the FOX Sports 1 Network to close out a great day of college football. As of this write-up, the Cougars are a -2.5 point favorite and the contest’s over/under is now at 46.
The Washington Cougars claw their way into SDCCU Stadium on the heels of a 9-3 regular season. In the first half of the year, the Cougars were on top of the college football world. They earned an undefeated 6-0 start and looked like the front-runners for the Pac-12 crown. To their dismay, Washington State went only won three of their next six contests and didn’t even qualify for the conference finale. This will be their chance to capture the elusive 10 win season if they can defeat the Spartans on Thursday night.
The Michigan State Spartans fairly consistent throughout heir 2017 campaign. The end result was also a 9-3 record and a trip to the 2017 Holiday Bowl.The Spartans Lost to Northwestern, Notre Dame, and Ohio State which are some pretty good ball clubs. They also had victories over Iowa, Michigan and the Nittany Lions too. Michigan State finished off the year on a high note, winning their last two matches to get here.
(21) Washington Cougars (9-3)
The Washington State Cougars will bring one of the country’s best passing attacks into the Holiday Bowl on December 28th. They also have no problem putting up plenty of points. Quarterback Luke Falk was leaned on a lot this season and his numbers reflect just that. Overall, the prolific passer has connected on 67 percent of his passes for just under 3,600 yards. He also has racked up 30 touchdowns with 13 throws to the wrong team. The senior would love nothing more than to go out with a bang before he enters the NFL draft next year.
The running game that the Cougars bring to the table is there more for the purpose of keeping defenses honest. Jamal Morrow and James Williams have combined for 175 carries for just over 900 yards. Together, the two tailbacks have run for five touchdowns. What is special about these two is they are both exceptional receivers. Morrow has 56 catches for 479 yards and five scores. Teammate Williams captured 61 balls for another 417 yards and also three trips to pay-dirt.
Spreading the ball around the field to different receivers is an understatement for quarterback Luke Falk. In fact, nobody but Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield does it better. Eight pass catchers have tallied at least 30 catches in 2017. Even more impressive is that five of them have caught over 50 balls and seven have found the end zone at least twice. Tavares Martin Jr. leads this talented group with 70 catches for 831 yards and a team-high nine scores.
The Washington State defense has been a nice surprise for head coach Mike Leach. This year, the Cougars had some muscle to help back up their high-flying offense. In all, the defense finished the regular season ranked 14th in total yards allowed a game (313). They also surrendered only 24 points in an offensive-minded conference. They certainly have faced more potent offenses than what the Spartans will bring to the table in this game.
(19) Michigan State Spartans (9-3)
The Michigan State Spartans provide a big contrast to Washington State’s style of play. Michigan State has competed in four games where neither schools eclipsed the 20 point mark. Furthermore, most of those games were when the Spartans were in the friendly confines of their own stadium. In fact, they’ve held opponents to under 300 yards on average defensively and they also rely on a balanced offensive attack to control the game.
Sophomore quarterback Brian Lewerke brought a duel-threat to the Spartans’ offense this year. He completed 58.8 percent of his passes in 2017 for 2,580 yards with 17 touchdowns with 6 interceptions. He also a threat on the ground, running it for 489 yards on 110 attempts and added five scores. The Cougars are stout against the run so he will need to improve in the pocket to compete in this one.
Running back L.J. Scott was the work-horse out of the backfield for the Spartans. The tailback took 182 handoffs for 785 yards on the season. He also found his way into the back of the end zone on six different occasions. No other runners were a serious factor for Michigan State.
When Brian Lewerke did drop back to throw, he tossed the ball to three different wideouts. Together, the trio collected 131 passes for almost 1,700 yards and 12 scores. Felton Davis II was clearly their most productive receiver, catching a team-high 51 passes for 658 yards. He also was the biggest threat in the red zone, reeling in a team-high eight touchdowns.
The Spartan defense was the backbone of the team. They’ll bring the nation’s 9th-ranked defense in total yards into this bowl game. The front seven was one of the best in the country, finishing fifth in the FBS. The group only allowed opposing runners to gain 101 yards a contest. The secondary was also outstanding, surrendering only 196 yards a game (31st). This unit will have to be at their best against one of college football’s best passing offenses. Overall, the squad gave in to 20 points a game which was 21st after all the dust settled.
Prediction
Las Vegas seems to think that this game will be a low-scoring affair. The 46 point total is a testament to that. Both of these schools have a really good front seven. That means that both of these clubs will basically be one-dimensional in this match-up. With that being said, the Cougars should have a huge advantage. Stay away from the over/under 46 because it’s so low and play Washington State to find a way to beat the Spartans by a field goal. @EriktheHun
To place a wager on this bowl game or any other, head to BetDSI Sportsbook to get yourself going.
Trends
The Cougars are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
The Under is 5-1 in the Cougars last 6 non-conference games.
The Spartans are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 Bowl games.
The Over is 5-1 in the Spartans last 6 Bowl games.
