The 2024 Hawai’i Bowl features the 6-6 South Florida Bulls against the 7-5 San Jose State Spartans. Here is the 2024 Hawai’i Bowl Preview.
South Florida Bulls
The Bulls won six games to qualify for a bowl game. They didn’t defeat a bowl-eligible team this season. Five of their six losses were to teams that made bowl games, with the other being to Rice.
USF scores 31.4 points per game, ranking 42nd in the country. They pass for 226.8 yards (ranked 69th) and rush for 190.6 yards per game (ranked 28th).
Byrum Brown was the starting quarterback at the beginning of the season. He dealt with injuries and managed just 836 passing yards this season. Bryce Archie has played a lot of snaps at quarterback, passing for 1,679 yards, nine touchdowns and nine interceptions on 58 percent completion. Five players have at least 200 receiving yards on the season. Sean Atkins has been the leading receiver with 68 catches for 677 yards and two touchdowns.
Three running backs carry the rushing load for the Bulls. Kelley Joiner has the team-high with 766 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. Nay’Quan Wright and Ta’Ron Keith have each helped out with 494 and 414 rushing yards respectively.
On defense, the Bulls give up 29 points per game, ranking 98th in the country. They conceded 157.9 rushing yards (ranked 84th) and 278.7 passing yards per game (ranked 127th). Mac Harris leads the team in tackles with 74. He also paces the team with four sacks. Brent Austin has made an impact in the secondary with nine passes defended and two interceptions.
San Jose State Spartans
The Spartans won seven games to make their bowl game. They did not defeat a bowl-eligible team this season. All five of their losses were to bowl-eligible teams.
San Jose State scores 27.5 points per game, ranking 71st in the country. They pass for 325.2 yards (ranked fifth) and rush for 82 yards per game (ranked 131st).
Walker Eget has been the most productive passer for the Spartans with 2,224 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions on 57.4 percent completion. Six players have 200 receiving yards n the season. Leading receiver Nick Nash, who had 1,382 receiving yards, is opting out of this game to prepare for the NFL Draft. That means Justin Lockhart will need to step up even more after having 973 yards on the season.
Two running backs have most of the production out of the backfield. Floyd Chalk IV has led the team with 661 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. Behind him, Jabari Bates has rushed for 249 yards and one touchdown.
The Spartans’ defense allows 26.42 points per game, ranking 80th in the FBS. They give up 232.7 passing yards (ranked 90th) and 155.4 rushing yards per game (ranked 79th). Jordan Pollard has been all over the field for the Spartans with 110 total tackles. Soane Toia has the team-high with five sacks. The top two corners DJ Harvey and Michael Dansby are in the transfer portal.
Prediction
Even with Nash opting out for the Spartans, the spread-and-shred offense has worked wonders this season. They will be able to move the ball against a bad USF pass defense.
San Jose State Spartans 35 USF Bulls 24
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