Need a brief primer before you attempt to watch all 40 bowl games this season? We’ve got you covered. Here are three things you need to know about the Las Vegas Bowl.
LAS VEGAS BOWL
Houston (9-3) vs. San Diego State (10-3)
Dec. 17, 3:30 p.m. ET
ABC
– San Diego State running back Donnel Pumphrey is on the verge of history. The Aztecs senior currently has 6,290 yards rushing in his career, meaning he is just 108 yards shy of Ron Dayne’s all-time rushing mark. Pumphrey, who finished 10th in the Heisman voting and has a career-high 2,018 yards so far this year for the Mountain West champs, faces a big challenge against Houston. The Cougars, led by freshman defensive tackle Ed Oliver, boast the third-best rushing defense in the nation, allowing 97.9 yards per game.
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– This is Houston’s first game without Tom Herman, who left the Cougars for the head-coaching job at the University of Texas. But on the other hand, this game will be the first glimpse at Major Applewhite as UH’s head coach. After Herman left, the school promoted Applewhite from offensive coordinator to the top spot on the staff. Many of the team’s assistants followed Herman to UT, so the staff will be a bit short-handed to prepare for a 10-win SDSU team. Keeping Applewhite in the fold provides familiarity for the Cougars, who have have had three coaches since 2014.
– Like Pumphrey, this is the final collegiate game for Houston quarterback Greg Ward, who has thrown for 3,328 yards and 22 touchdowns while completing 67.6 percent of his passes this year. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Ward has also rushed for 518 yards and nine scores on the year. Ward has had an awesome career for the Cougars. He ranks fifth in school history in passing touchdowns (52) and passing yardage (8,476) and has three veteran receivers — Linell Bonner, Chance Allen and Steven Dunbar — to distribute the ball to. Houston ranks 15th nationally in passing offense, but the Aztecs allow just 208.2 yards per game and have only allowed more than 300 passing yards in one game this year.
[Yahoo Sports College Bowl Pick’em is open: Make your picks here!]
Mascot fight prediction: This is a tough one. Cougars are obviously ferocious, but an Aztec is (or was, I suppose) a literal human being. Does the Aztec have a weapon? If there’s a weapon, the human gets the edge. If this is just a one-on-one deal without a performance-enhancing weapon, the cougar takes this one.
Real predictions:
Graham Watson: San Diego State 35, Houston 24
Nick Bromberg: Houston 33, San Diego State 30
Sam Cooper: Houston 34, San Diego State 30
Chris Herbert: Houston 38, San Diego State 35
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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
