One of my favorite bowl games of the year, the Hawaii Bowl on Christmas Eve. You just got done with your Christmas Eve dinner, you are looking for something to watch on tv, and there it is, the Hawaii Bowl.
How They Got Here: Hawaii
Possibly one of my favorite teams to watch. Not only are they always fun to watch, but they also have their own primetime slot of midnight. Hawaii finished the season 9-5 including wins against Arizona and Oregon St. They finished first in the MW-West but lost the conference championship against Boise St.
Hawaii will rely on their dangerous trio of wide receivers. Cedric Byrd II (1,068 yards,) Jared Smart (987 yards,) and JoJo Ward (925 yards,) is among the best in college football.
Along with their lethal pass-game, they are averaging 143.0 YPG on the ground behind Miles Reed. Hawaii will rely on their explosive offense as they have the 91st ranked defense in football.
How They Got Here: BYU
BYU finished the season 7-5 with some very impressive wins against Tennessee, USC, Boise St, and Utah St. With a 5-1 finish to end the season, they were able to lock-up a bowl bid.
In that final stretch of the season, BYU’s offense finally came alive. Averaging 520 YPG, 323 through the air and 197.6 on the ground. Which is a huge increase from the 380.1 YPG they were averaging before that end of the season stretch.
Their defense is a little better than Hawaii’s but still has its flaws. Giving up 385.1 YPG with teams averaging 5.5 yards per play. They do have the 62nd ranked defense which, is 29 spots better than Hawaii, but is still not good.
Players To Watch:
Hawaii: JoJo Ward
Ward is Hawaii’s best deep threat. With over 16.8 yards per reception and 11 TDs on the season, he will be crucial in picking apart BYU’s average defense. If Hawaii can play their game (all offense) they should be in a good spot to win.
BYU: Austin Lee
On the other side, BYU needs its defensive backfield to be on their game. If not, they will be staring at the back of the receiver’s jerseys all game. If BYU can shut down the explosive Hawaii offense, they will win this game easily. It will all be because of their graduate transfer from Utah, Austin Lee.
Betting Lines: BYU -2 O/U 64
I am a big fan of Hawaii and the points. I think Hawaii will win, and by a lot. That also means to take the over. There is something that just feels so natural about a Hawaii game and the over hitting.