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Heart of Dallas Bowl 2015, Washington vs Southern Mississippi preview, predictions, odds and live stream info

By Connor Muldowney

Nov 27, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; The Washington Huskies celebrate their win over the Washington State Cougars at Husky Stadium. Washington beat Washington State 45-10. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; The Washington Huskies celebrate their win over the Washington State Cougars at Husky Stadium. Washington beat Washington State 45-10. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Washington Huskies vs Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles

The Washington Huskies hired Chris Petersen two years ago with hopes of making the program elite just as he did with the Boise State Broncos. Playing against a team in Southern Miss that hasn’t been this successful in years, the Huskies have a chance to prove to the country that they’re more than just a middle-of-the-pack Pac-12 squad.

Southern Miss is also looking to prove that it’s not just a once-in-a-decade type of solid team at 9-4 this season and a loss to Western Kentucky in the Conference-USA title game. After starting the season 3-3, the Golden Eagles had won six in a row before the conference championship and that has given Southern Miss hope for the future.

This is one of those games that might be a toss-up between a team that hasn’t really played against elite competition and two that are looking to gain momentum heading into next season.

Details for Saturday’s Heart of Dallas Bowl are below:

Date: Saturday, Dec. 26
Start Time: 2:20 p.m. ET
Location: Dallas, TX
Stadium: Cotton Bowl
TV Info: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: For Washington radio affiliates, click here. For Southern Miss radio affiliates, click here

Keys to Victory

Washington Huskies

This game is going to come down to the defense of Washington who will need to try to stop the Golden Eagles from gaining their average 500-plus yards per game. If Washington can hold the Golden Eagles to under 30 points, the Huskies will have a good chance to beat Nick Mullens and the 12th-best passing offense in the nation.

Just because the Huskies have the ability to slow down the passing attack of Southern Miss, doesn’t mean that their mid-level offense can be content with average play. Jake Browning will need to do more than average 235.5 passing yards per game — Jaydon Mickens will need a big game.

Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles

Washington has a hard-nosed defense that doesn’t give up many points or yards, but Mullins will need to have a big game in order to lead the Golden Eagles past a Power-Five conference team.

This Southern Miss offense is one of the best in the country, averaging over 500 yards per game with a 4,000-yard passer and two 1,000-yard rushers as well as a 1,000-yard receiver. If Southern Miss wants to pull off a big-time win for its 10th win of the season, the Golden Eagles will need to play toward their strength.

Betting Odds

Point Spread: Washington -8.5
Moneyline: Washington -330, Southern Miss +275
O/U: 54.5

Predictions

The Washington Huskies will have a solid defensive against one of the best offenses they have faced all season, but the contests against teams like Cal, Oregon, USC, Stanford, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah have prepared them for this one. Southern Miss will put up a solid fight, though, as this one will come down to a late touchdown by Washington to win.

Final Score: Washington 28, Southern Miss 24

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