Arizona Bowl 2015, Nevada vs Colorado State preview, prediction, odds and live stream info
Nevada Wolf Pack vs. Colorado State Rams
The 2015 Arizona Bowl will feature a rare postseason matchup of two teams in the same conference when the the Nevada Wolfpack meet the Colorado State Rams on Tuesday evening at Arizona Stadium.
While the two teams did not meet this year, both will likely be disappointing to be facing a fellow Mountain West opponent. The Wolf Pack got off to a promising 4-2 start in Mountain West play, but dropped two in a row to end the regular season and finish 6-6 overall.
Nevada’s offense relies primarily on running the ball with a capable stable of backs. Both James Butler and Don Jackson went over 1,000 rushing yards in the regular season, as Nevada ran the ball nearly 200 more times than it passed.
Colorado State went 7-5 in head coach Mike Bobo’s first season following Jim McElwain’s departure to Florida. After playing the top Mountain West teams earlier in the season, the Rams won four in a row to end the year and secure bowl eligibility.
The Rams’ offense really got going later in the season to fuel the winning streak. Wide receiver Rashard Higgins wasn’t quite as prolific as last year, but is still a dangerous threat on every play.
Tuesday’s game is the first ever digitally-focused Bowl Game, as it will be only available by streaming on Campus Insiders for many. Further details for the 2015 Arizona Bowl are below:
Date: Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Start Time: 7:30 PM eastern
Location: Tucson, AZ
Stadium: Arizona Stadium
TV Info: American Sports Network
Live Stream: Campus Insiders
Radio: ESPN Radio
Ticket information: For ticket information, click here.
Keys to Victory
Colorado State is well aware of what the Nevada offense is going to do. The question is if they can stop it.
The Wolf Pack have both volume and efficiency with their run-heavy offense. That goes directly up against a major weakness of Colorado State, which gave up a miserable 5.2 yards per carry this season according to TeamRankings.
If the Rams are going to win the inaugural Arizona Bowl, they are going to need to be much better than that in run defense. The fact that Nevada is very one-dimensional could help, as the Wolf Pack don’t throw the ball particularly well.
While Colorado State could run into trouble defensively, it should be able to put some points on the board as well. Nevada’s defense struggled against decent competition on conference play, and the Rams’ offense was solid to end the season.
Nevada’s secondary hasn’t proven it can handle a receiver of Higgins’ caliber, so he will be the most important individual in the game. Colorado State has some options beyond that, including a capable run game led by Dalyn Dawkins.
A big key for the Rams will be taking care of the ball, as they had an awful turnover margin for much of the season but improved greatly by the end. If Nevada gets extra possessions and completely controls the clock, Colorado State will be in trouble.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Colorado State – 3
Moneyline: Nevada +140, Colorado State -160
O/U: 56
Nevada went 7-5 against the spread this season, including 4-1 over the final five games of the year. Colorado State posted a mark of 6-6 against a spread.
Predictions
Nevada’s run game is going to make this one close, but Colorado State’s balance will prevail in the end.
With a good mix of run and pass, the Rams will be able to move the ball effectively all game long against the slumping Nevada defense. In what could be his final college game, Higgins is poised to rattle off a couple of big plays.
Nevada should be able to run the ball effectively, as it has all season long, and control the time of possession. However, being so one-dimensional hurts the offense as a whole, and the Wolf Pack won’t be explosive enough offensively to keep up in a shootout.
Colorado State was playing better to end the season, and will be able to keep that up in a hard-fought bowl game between conference foes.
Final Score: Colorado State 34, Nevada 31.