Bowl Game Previews: December 16th
The first slate of bowl games is finally here and we will get to see some of the top prospects in the country on the national stage for their final appearance of the year. This could be our last look at some of these prospects until they participate at the combine in February.
This is an exciting time for devy and draft enthusiasts, because we will get to see some of our favorite collegiate players compete against some of the best competition in the country. Keep an eye on these top prospects, because some of these players could rise on NFL teams’ draft boards come April.
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Troy Trojans vs. North Texas Mean Green
ESPN, 1:00 p.m. EST
The Troy Trojans finished their season with a 10-2 record while posting a 7-1 record in conference play. Their best win of the season came in week five when they beat a tough LSU Tigers team 24-21. The Trojans’ defense ranks 11th in the nation against the run with 1,377 yards allowed, averaging 114.8 yards per game. They will be playing the North Texas Mean Green who finished their regular season with a 9-4 record while registering a 7-1 conference record, placing them first in the Conference USA West Division.
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The player in this game to watch for the Trojans is Senior running back Jordan Chunn. He has rushed for 774 and ten touchdowns this year. In 2016 he eclipsed the 1,000-yard barrier while churning out 16 touchdowns. At 6-foot-1 and 235-pounds, Chunn has the size to be a short yardage and goal line back at the NFL level.
Sophomore wide receiver Jalen Guyton is the player to keep an eye on for the Mean Green. He led the team with 764 receiving yards and nine touchdowns while owning a 20.20 percent market share of the team’s passing offense. His best game of the season came against Southern Mississippi when he caught 14 passes for 211 yards and one touchdown.
Senior running back Jeffery Wilson is another player to lookout for. He rushed for 1,215 yards this season, ranking third amongst running backs in Conference USA. Wilson also reached the end zone 16 times this season which was second most amongst running backs in Conference USA.
AutoNation Cure Bowl
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs. Georgia State Panthers
CBS Sports Network, 2:30 p.m. EST
One of the main attractions of the Care Bowl is how the game draws awareness towards the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. With over 40 bowl games, including the College Football Playoffs, it’s good to see a bowl game geared towards raising money and promoting breast cancer awareness.
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers finished the regular season with a 6-6 overall record while placing fourth in the Conference USA East Division Standings with a 4-4 conference record. They rank 66th in the nation with 4,797 yards in total offense and their defense ranks 52nd in the nation with 4,484 yards allowed. They will be playing the Georgia State Panthers who are making their second Cure Bowl appearance. The Panthers 6-5 overall record allowed them to place fourth in the Sun Belt Conference. They also charted a 5-3 record in conference play. Their offense ranks 102nd in the nation with 4,232 total yards while their defense ranks 38th in the nation with 4,305 yards allowed.
Western Kentucky is led by senior quarterback Mike White, who has passed for 3,826 yards and 24 touchdowns while completing 65.6 percent of his passes. White is one of the most under-appreciated quarterback prospects in the 2018 draft class. He has the size at 6-foot-4 and 225-pounds and the arm strength to be the prototypical starting quarterback at the NFL level. His best performance came against Middle Tennessee when he passed for 485 yards and five touchdowns, completing 72.2 percent of his pass attempts while also finishing the game with a 178.2 quarterback rating.
Sophomore wide receiver Penny Hart is Georgia State’s leading receiver with 73 receptions for 1,094 yards and eight touchdowns on the season. He’s a dangerous weapon out of the slot, because he has the speed to take the top off the defense. Hart is also a sufficient route runner who utilizes his quickness to get in and out of his breaks while running his routes.
Las Vegas Bowl
Boise State Broncos vs. Oregon Ducks
ABC, 3:30 p.m. EST
This bowl game used to be called the California Raisin Bowl from 1981-1991 and ultimately switched to the Las Vegas Bowl in 1992 when the game relocated to Las Vegas.
The Boise State Broncos finished their season with a 10-3 overall record while logging an 8-1 record in conference play. They beat the Fresno State Bull Dogs in their conference title game to become the 2017 Mountain West Champions. Boise State will be playing the Oregon Ducks who finished their season with a 7-5 overall record while going 4-5 in conference play, placing them fourth in the PAC-12 North Division. Their most notable victory came in Week 12 when they beat the Arizona Wildcats 48-28.
Senior wide receiver Cedrick Wilson is Boise State’s leading receiver with 73 receptions for 1,290 yards and six touchdowns while owning a 39 percent market share of Boise State’s passing offense. His best game of the season came during Week four when he caught 13 passes for 209 yards and one touchdown in a 42-23 loss to Virginia. He has two straight seasons with over 1,000 yards receiving.
Sophomore running back, Alexander Mattison, is the team’s feature running back. He has rushed for 1,074 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season. He’s a three-star prospect who signed with Boise State in February of 2016. At 5-foot-11 and 214-pounds, Mattison has the requisite size to be a three-down back at the NFL level.
It feels like Brett Rypien has been the quarterback for the Broncos for at least a decade, mainly because he’s been the team’s starting QB for the last three seasons. Keep an eye on him as he’s the nephew of former NFL quarterback Mark Rypien, and could potentially come out for next year’s draft.
Senior running back Royce Freeman is the Oregon Duck’s main weapon on offense, but he will sit out the game. It’s a shame for today, but he is going to be a strong NFL prospect. He owned an astounding 30.06 percent market share of the team’s offensive production this year. Freeman ranked eighth in the nation with 1,475 yards rushing. He also found the end zone 18 times this season. As one of the most productive backs in college football, he eclipsed the 100-yard-mark nine times this year.
Freeman is a 5-foot-11 and 231-pound back who is very talented at catching the ball out of the backfield with 79 receptions during his four-year collegiate career. During the last few years, he has been a very popular commodity in devy leagues due to his size adjust athleticism and his production. Look for his name to be called on day two or three of the 2018 NFL draft.
Keep a lookout for sophomore wide receiver,Dillon Mitchell. He has only caught 33 passes for 374 yards and four touchdowns on the season, but he’s a four-star recruit who could breakout if Oregon’s passing offense improves in the next few years.
GILDAN New Mexico Bowl
Marshall Thundering Herd vs. Colorado State Rams
ESPN, 4:30 p.m. EST
The Marshall Thundering Herd finished their season with a 7-5 overall record while going 4-4 in conference play. They rank third in the Conference USA East Standings. The Thundering Herd ranks 90th in the nation with 4,437 yards in total offense and their defense ranks 25th in the country with 4,052 total yards allowed. They will be playing the Colorado State Rams who have a 7-5 overall record while going 5-3 in conference play. They finished their season placed third in the Mountain West’s Mountain Division Standings. This will be the first ever meeting between these two teams.
Tyre Brady is the player to watch for Marshall. He was the team’s leading receiver, catching 56 passes for 777-yards and seven touchdowns on the season while owning a 27.23 percent market share of Marshall’s passing offense. Brady was named first team All-Conference USA. He was a three-star recruit who signed with the Miami Hurricanes after high school but later transferred to Marshall after two seasons with the Hurricanes. His most notable game this season came against North Carolina State in week two when he caught 11 passes for 248 yards and one touchdown. At 6-foot-3 and 208-pounds, Brady’s size and catch radius allows him to take advantage of smaller defensive backs.
Colorado State has one of the most decorated draft prospects in the country in wide receiver Michael Gallup. This season, he caught 94 passes for 1,345 yards and seven touchdowns, ranking him fifth in the nation in receiving yards. He owned a remarkable 38.66 percent market share of Colorado State’s passing offense while eclipsing the 100-yard-mark six times. His best game came against Nevada when he caught 13 balls for 263 yards and three touchdowns. Ever since he caught 14 touchdowns last year, he has been on the radar of a lot of draft analysts.
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders vs. Arkansas State Red Wolves
ESPN, 8:00 p.m. EST
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders finished their season with a 6-6 overall record while boasting a 4-4 record in conference play, placing them fifth in the Conference USA East Standings. Middle Tennessee ranks 70th in the nation with 4,762 total offensive yards while averaging 252.7 passing yards per game. They will be playing the Arkansas State Red Wolves who have a 6-2 record in conference play leading them to finishing their season with a 7-4 overall record. They placed third in the Sun Belt Conference this year while ranking 26th in the nation with 5,475 total offensive yards.
Junior wide receiver Richie James is the golden boy for Middle Tennessee, but unfortunately, he won’t be suiting up for this game. His season ended abruptly when he broke his collarbone playing against Marshall in week eight. James is the all-time leader in Middle Tennessee history in receptions (243), receiving yards (3,249) and receiving touchdowns (23). Sophomore wide receiver Ty Lee has picked up the slack in James’ absence, catching 31 catches for 385 yards in his last four games.
Arkansas State’s junior wide receiver, Justin McInnis, is one of the most physical specimens on the team. He stands at 6-foot-6 and weighs 202-pounds. His size alone will draw looks during the draft process, because there aren’t many wide receivers in the country with his catch radius. McInnis leads the team with 693 receiving yards while owning an 18.49 percent market share of Arkansas State’s passing offense. His best game of the season came against Louisiana Monroe when he caught nine passes for 211 yards.
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