SoFi Hawaii Bowl (Honolulu, Hawaii): Hawaii (8-5) vs. Louisiana Tech (7-5)
Saturday 12/22, 10:30pm ET on ESPN
How They Got Here: Hawaii
Hawaii started the season very strong at 6-1 and looked to pose as a threat in the Mountain West Conference. However, they would go on to lose their next four games in a row. Despite this road block, they were able to rally late in the season and win their last two games, including an OT win over San Diego State. This ensured a winning season for the Rainbow Warriors and has them entering their bowl game with some momentum. This is a big improvement from their 3-9 finish last year and is head coach Nick Rolovich’s first winning season at Hawaii.
QB Situation
Sophomore QB Cole McDonald was off to a hot start at the beginning of the season but would miss the Wyoming victory due to injury and was benched late against UNLV after throwing two interceptions. He came back the next game however and threw for 452 yards and three touchdowns against San Diego State. For the season, McDonald has completed 59.3 percent of his passes for 3,790 yards and 35 TDs with eight interceptions, along with 370 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.
How They Got Here: Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech started off 2-1, holding their own in a loss against #6 LSU. However, for the most part the Bulldogs have had a very up and down season. They had a three-game winning streak at one point but ended up losing three of their last four games to finish 7-5. With a bowl game victory, they can finish 8-5 which would put them one game better than their 7-6 record from the previous season. This is Louisiana Tech’s 5th Straight year with a winning season.
QB J’Mar Smith’s favorite target will be wide receiver Adrian Hardy who has 69 catches for 1052 yards and six touchdowns on the season. Hardy had a career-high 181 yards and two touchdowns when the Bulldogs faced off against LSU.
Player to Watch: John Ursua
The Junior wide receiver led the FBS in touchdown catches with 16. Ursua also hauled in 89 receptions for 1,343 yards, which are both ranked top sixth nationally. Look for a lot of McDonald’s passes to go in his direction.
Gambling Stats
The over/under for this game is 65.5 points, with Louisiana Tech being a one-point favorite.
Prediction
I’m picking Hawaii to win this game for two reasons. The first one being that this is literally a home game for Hawaii and they are 5-2 at home this year. The second reason is that Hawaii is coming into this game with momentum, winning their last two games, while Louisiana Tech is coming in having lost three of their last four games.
