Poinsettia Bowl Preview: BYU versus San Diego State

BYU

(7-5, 2-4 away)

San Diego St

(9-3, 7-1 MWC)

A 7-5 BYU Cougar team travels to San Diego to play the 9-3 San Diego State Aztecs in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.

Offense:

The offenses of these two teams ended the regular season within 2 yards per game of total offense. BYU ended the season with 409.1 yards per game on the season with 47 offensive touchdowns while the Aztecs of San Diego State ended the season with 407.75 yards per game but 57 offensive touchdowns on the year. SDSU brings one of the most efficient rushing games in the country with 229 yards on the ground per game and 30 of their 57 touchdowns coming on the ground. The Aztecs averaged just over 5 yards per carry on the season. BYU was much less successful on the ground with the 62nd ranked rushing attack in the country putting up 161 yards per game and 21 touchdowns. The Cougars ran for 1 full yard fewer per carry than the Aztecs with a 4 yards per carry average. BYU brings the stronger passing attack of the two teams with 247 yards per game in the air and 25 touchdowns. The troubling part for the Cougars is two-fold in that they will be playing two different quarterbacks in the game and both quarterbacks have a bit of a problem with throwing the ball to the wrong team. Even with their passing game problems, BYU is head and shoulders better at passing the ball than San Diego State. The Aztecs ended the regular season with 187 yards per game in the air but an impressive 21 passing touchdowns on the year. The Aztecs also threw 8 interceptions on the season. The Aztecs used their impressive rushing game to the tune of 35 points per game, good for 28th nationally. BYU could only put up 29 points per game, good for 65th nationally.

Advantage: San Diego State. The Aztecs only do one thing well but they are great at it. The rushing game is the best single aspect offensively of either team especially considering the issues at quarterback with the Cougars.

San Diego State

LEFT TACKLE (LT) 78 Bryce Quigley, 6-5, 295, Jr.**

LEFT GUARD (LG) 65 Japheth Gordon, 6-3, 295, Jr.-SQ

CENTER (C) 71 Alec Johnson, 6-3, 300, Sr.**

RIGHT GUARD (RG) 68 Nik Embernate, 6-4, 300, Sr.***

RIGHT TACKLE (RT) 64 Zach Dilley, 6-5, 295, So.-SQ

WIDE RECEIVER (X) 3 Ezell Ruffin, 6-1, 205, So.-SQ

RUNNING BACK (TB) 4 Adam Muema, 5-10, 205, So.*

QUARTERBACK (QB) 6 Adam Dingwell, 6-4, 210, So.*

FULLBACK (FB) 40 Chad Young, 5-10, 230, Jr.**

TIGHT END (TE) 88 Gavin Escobar, 6-6, 255, Jr.**

WIDE RECEIVER (Z) 24 Colin Lockett, 6-0, 180, Jr.**

BYU

QB 13 Nelson/7 Lark

FB 27 Foote

RB 21 Williams

ZWR 2 Hoffman

XWR 1 Apo

RT 75 Brown

RG 79 Vaiti

C 54 Tushaus

LG 73 Kafu

LT 72 Mathews

TE 82 Friel

Defense:

Defensively, the BYU Cougars are one of the best teams in the nation. BYU finished the regular season ranked 3rd nationally in total defense behind only Alabama and Florida State with 266.33 yards allowed per game. The Cougars held opponents to only 84.2 yards per game on the ground and only 5 touchdowns allowed. With the strength being the SDSU rushing game, this is the key to the game. San Diego State gave up 140 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns on the season and a paltry 3.69 yards per carry as compared to the 2.71 yards per carry allowed by BYU. The Cougars are also quite effective versus the pass ranking 13th in the nation with only 182 yards per game allowed in the air. That number could be even better with the lack of a strong passing game from SDSU. The Aztecs struggle a little bit more at stopping the passing game giving up 234 yards per game and 23 touchdowns on the season in the air. The Cougars are one of the best defenses in the nation at keeping opponents off of the scoreboard giving up 14.7 points per game, good for 5th nationally. The Aztecs give up 24.5 points per game giving BYU a 10 point advantage in that category.

Advantage: BYU. The Cougars bring one of the scariest defenses in the nation that was gouged only once on the season by a very talented Oregon State squad. The rest of the season was dominant including giving up only 17 points to #1 Notre Dame.

San Diego State

DEFENSIVE END (DE) 59 Jordan Thomas, 6-1, 255, Jr.**

DEFENSIVE TACKLE (DT) 98 Sam Meredith, 6-4, 275, So.* 94 Robert Craighead, 6-3, 265, Fr.-RS

DEFENSIVE END (DE) 47 Cody Galea, 6-3, 265, So.*

LINEBACKER (LB) 36 Nick Tenhaeff, 6-2, 225, Jr.**

MIDDLE LINEBACKER (MLB) 42 Jake Fely, 5-10, 210, So.*

LINEBACKER (LB) 50 Derek Largent, 6-4, 235, So.-TR

CORNERBACK (CB) 2 Leon McFadden, 5-10, 190, Sr.***

WARRIOR (WAR) 26 Marcus Andrews, 6-0, 190, Jr.**

AZTEC (AZ) 20 Nat Berhe, 5-10, 190 Jr.**

WARRIOR (WAR) 27 Eric Pinkins, 6-3, 215, Jr.**

CORNERBACK (CB) 12 Josh Wade, 6-0, 190, Sr.**

BYU

DE 47 Ansah

DT 98 Fuga

DE 52 Tialavea

LB 2 Hadley

LB 4 Kaveinga

LB 44 Ogletree

LB 3 Van Noy

DB 6 Johnson
DB 9 Sorensen
DB 20 Bills
DB 7 Hadley

Special Teams:

The Aztecs and the Cougars both have quality special teams that are quite hard to differentiate. Both teams averaged approximately the same in kickoff returns while SDSU had two kickoff return touchdowns and the Cougars had none. BYU was slightly better on punt returns by nearly a yard per return but nothing overwhelming. One part of special teams that BYU excels in is punting with punter Riley Stephenson ending the season second nationally in punting behind La. Tech's Ryan Allen. Stephenson's punting average is 5 yards superior to the Aztecs and may be the difference in a field position game. The Cougars struggled in the kicking game with the Cougars making 9-17 field goal attempts with a long of 35 yards. The Aztecs were better in the kicking game making 8 of 12 attempts with a long of 46 yards. Kicker Chance Marden also made 51-52 extra point attempts.

Advantage: BYU. While the Aztecs do have 2 return touchdowns on the season, the X-factor in the game is the punting of Stephenson. His ability to swing the field position in BYU's favor could be a turning point in the game.

San Diego State

PUNTER (P) 17 Seamus McMorrow, 5-11, 190, Fr.-HS

PLACEKICKER (PK) 43 Chance Marden, 6-1, 175, Sr.-HS

KICKOFFS (KO) 17 Seamus McMorrow, 5-11, 190, Fr.-HS

HOLDER (H) 6 Adam Dingwell, 6-4, 210, So.*

LONG SNAPPER (LS) 60 Jeff Overbaugh, 6-2, 240, Fr.-HS

KICKOFF RETURNS (KOR) 24 Colin Lockett, 6-0, 180, Jr.** AND

PUNT RETURNS (PR) 41 Tim Vizzi, 5-10, 170, Jr.-TR

BYU

PUNTER (P) 99 Stephenson

PLACEKICKER (PK) 37 Sorensen

HOLDER (H) 12 Falslev

LONG SNAPPER (LS) 96 Hornung

KICKOFF RETURNS (KOR) 12 Falslev

PUNT RETURNS (PR) 12 Falslev

Prediction: BYU 24, San Diego State 13.