2022 Fiesta Bowl Preview

The 2022 Fiesta Bowl features the 12-1 TCU Horned Frogs against the 13-0 Michigan Wolverines. Here is the 2022 Fiesta Bowl preview.

TCU Horned Frogs (12-1)

TCU won 12 games to qualify for their first College Football Playoff. They defeated eight bowl-eligible teams this year: SMU, Oklahoma, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Texas and Baylor. Their lone loss of the season came in the Big 12 Championship to Kansas State.

Their offense scores 40.3 points per game, which ranks them sixth in the country. They average 200 rushing yards (ranked 25th) and 273 passing yards per game (ranked 25th).

Max Duggan was the starter for three seasons before starting this season on the bench. He since has played well enough to be invited to the Heisman Trophy ceremony. Duggan has 3,321 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and four interceptions on 64.9 percent completion. Six pass-catchers have at least 200 receiving yards on the season. Their best receiver is Quentin Johnston, who is a matchup problem with his 6-foot-4 frame. He has 53 catches for 903 yards and five touchdowns.

Kendre Miller has been the top back for the Horned Frogs with 1,342 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns on the season. Behind him, Emari Demarcado and Emani Bailey have helped with 472 and 241 yards respectively. Duggan has also been a key contributor to the run game with 404 rushing yards and six touchdowns.

Defensively, they allow 25 points per game, which ranks 57th in the FBS. The Horne Frogs concede 149.5 rushing yards (ranked 67th) and 235.6 passing yards per game (ranked 84th). Johnny Hodges and Mark Perry lead the team with 76 and 74 tackles respectively. Dee Winters has the team-high with 7.5 sacks. Josh Newton has 12 passes defended and three interceptions in the secondary, while Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson has 11 passes defended and three interceptions.

Michigan Wolverines (13-0)

Michigan went undefeated to make their second-straight College Football Playoff. They won games against UConn, Maryland, Iowa, Penn State, Illinois, Ohio State and Purdue.

The Wolverines score 40.1 points per game, ranking them seventh in the country. They rush for 243 yards (ranked fifth) and pass for 210.5 yards per game (ranked 93rd).

J.J. McCarthy took over at quarterback this season from former starter Cade McNamara. He has passed for 2,376 yards, 20 touchdowns and three interceptions on 65.3 percent completion. Four players had at least 250 receiving yards on the season. Ronnie Bell has returned from injury to lead the team with 754 yards for three touchdowns.

Running back Blake Corum played well enough to be considered for the Heisman, but he is out for the season with a knee injury. All is not lost for the Wolverines though, as Donovan Edwards has played extremely well in his absence. Edwards has 872 rushing yards and seven touchdowns this season. C.J. Stokes and Isaiah Gash will back him up.

On defense, they allow 13.4 points per game, tying them for fourth in the country. They give up 85.2 rushing yards (ranked 3rd) and 191.8 passing yards per game (ranked 23rd). Linebacker Junior Colson has led the team with 92 total tackles. Mike Morris has seven sacks to pace the team. D.J. Turner has been great in the secondary with 10 passes defended and one interception.

Prediction

This has the makings of a close game, with both offenses being capable of putting up points. The difference will be Michigan’s defense, which is one of the best in the country. If they get the lead, they will be able to run the ball and control the clock to qualify for the National Championship Game.

Michigan Wolverines 31 TCU Horned Frogs 27

Make sure to check out our college football page for more content like 2022 Fiesta Bowl Preview!

You can like The Game Haus on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from great TGH writers!