Minnesota (8-4 overall, 5-4 Big Ten) vs. Washington State (8-4 overall, 7-2 Pac-12)
When: Tuesday, 6:00 p.m. CT – San Diego, Calif.
Stadium: Qualcomm Stadium (70,561)
TV/Radio: ESPN, KFAN 100.3 FM
Coach: Mike Leach (5th season)
Spread: Washington State -10, o/u: 61
INSIDE THE GAME
Cougars at a Glance
WSU and Minnesota have met five times, with the Gophers winning twice. Interestingly, all the games were played in Minneapolis.
Washington State has been extremely efficient on third downs, converting 48.3% of the time.
A key reason WSU is so potent passing is its ability to spread the ball around to numerous pass catchers. The Cougars have seven players with over 300 yards receiving, including three with over 700 yards.
Not only is Hercules Mata’afa an incredible name, he’s quite the player, as well. Mata’afa has 12.5 tackles for loss from his defensive-end position, good for sixth in the conference.
STORYLINE CENTRAL
Much of the conversation around the Holiday Bowl has centered around the Gophers’ off-the-field issues, with the actual game taking a back seat. Tod Leonard of the San Diego Union-Tribune has a good outsider look of the ongoing controversy, as well as the actual game.
The biggest thing the Gophers have to prepare for is dynamic quarterback Luke Falk. The Maroon and Gold haven’t seen a quarterback like Falk this year, and have a big task in shutting him down with a depleted secondary. Kirk Kenney profiles Falk, a former walk-on who’s turned into one of the country’s best signal-callers.
The AP has a nice round-up on the latest from San Diego. The most interesting part? Washington State head coach Mike Leach saying he’d cut his players if they boycotted.
If you’ve ever traveled to a bowl game, you know how fun it is to spend a couple days with fellow fans and participating in events. The Star Tribune has a small gallery of this week’s Holiday Bowl festivities.
WHO WINS?
The Gophers Win If…
They can limit Luke Falk. The formula to win may sound simple, the execution will arguably be the Gophers’ tallest task of the season. Minnesota will attempt to limit a QB who runs the second-highest passing offense in the nation (370 ypg), and who has completed 71 percent of his passes, again, good for second in the country. To make matters worse, the Gophers secondary is decimated by suspensions.
When two prominent DBs sat against Rutgers, the Big Ten’s worst passing offense put up 222 passing and three touchdowns through the air. It’s obviously a much tougher test on Tuesday, but if the Gophers inexperienced secondary can fulfill the “next man up” philosophy of the team, it could give the Minnesota offense a chance to wear down Washington State’s defense.
The Cougars Win If…
They can protect the quarterback. With Washington State averaging over 50 passing attempts per game, they’ll need to keep Falk on his feet. The Gophers are second in the Big Ten with 2.8 sacks per game, while the Cougars are seventh in the Pac 12 allowing over two sacks per contest. If Falk can stay upright, it’ll give the talented quarterback plenty of time to dissect Minnesota’s young secondary.