Las Vegas Bowl: Can Boise State upend another favored Power Five foe?
Las Vegas Bowl
Oregon (7-5) vs. Boise State (10-3)
Dec. 16, 3:30 p.m. ET, Las Vegas (ABC)
Oregon -7.5, O/U: 61
HOW THESE TEAMS GOT HERE
Oregon: The Ducks’ roller-coaster season was marred by injuries. And, now, the departure of coach Willie Taggart to Florida State. Mario Cristobal, the team’s new coach, was promoted to interim coach after Taggart left and was anointed the permanent replacement last week. After a three-game losing streak to Washington State, Stanford and UCLA, Oregon won three of its last four games to close out the season.
Boise State: The Broncos lost to Fresno State in the final week of the season and came back to beat the Bulldogs in the Mountain West title game. The Fresno loss snapped a seven-game win streak that followed a massive home loss to Virginia. Fun fact: Boise State gave up 14 points in four-straight games during that win streak.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon: Herbert is the top-grade oil that makes Oregon’s offense run smoothly. Oregon scored 42 or more points in six of the seven games Herbert played in. He missed five games in the middle of the season because of a collarbone injury.
The QB is 113-170 passing for 13 touchdowns and three interceptions so far this season. The sophomore has also improved his completion percentage three points from 2016 and his yards per attempt has increased 2.7 yards from a year ago.
Cedrick Wilson, WR, Boise State: Wilson enters the Las Vegas Bowl with three-straight games of over 100 receiving yards. He had eight catches for 148 yards in the Broncos’ MWC title game win, a week after he had seven catches for 134 yards in the prematch against Fresno State.
He hasn’t scored a touchdown, however, in his last four games and before having 107 yards against Air Force on Nov. 18, Wilson had gone six-straight games without cracking triple digits.
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH: This has the potential to be one of the most entertaining games of the bowl season — and definitely on Saturday. Oregon’s offense is healthy with Herbert ready to roll (though star RB Royce Freeman won’t play). And Boise State’s found success utilizing both quarterback Brett Rypien and QB Montell Cozart.
WHAT’S ON THE LINE: An eight-win season for Oregon will be a rebound after a disastrous 2017 and give Cristobal some momentum heading into the early signing period. Boise State is looking to move to 12-6 in bowl games in its first Las Vegas Bowl appearance in five years.
PREDICTIONS
Nick: Oregon 41, Boise State 34
Sam: Oregon 34, Boise State 28
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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
