The 2026 Holiday Bowl features the 9-3 Arizona Wildcats and the 8-4 SMU Mustangs. Here is the 2026 Holiday Bowl Preview.
Arizona won nine games to make their first bowl game since 2023. They defeated four bowl-eligible teams this season: Hawai’i, Kansas State, Cincinnati and Arizona State. All three of their losses were to teams that made bowl games: Iowa State, Houston and BYU.
The Wildcats score 32.6 points per game, ranking 27th in the nation. They pass for 254.4 yards (ranked 38th) and rush for 150.4 yards (ranked 77th) per game.
Noah Fifita returned at quarterback this season for the Wildcats and has had a great season. He has passed for 2,963 yards, 26 touchdowns and five interceptions on 64.2 percent completion. Six players have at least 250 receiving yards on the season. Kris Hutson is the top receiver, as he has 740 yards and four touchdowns.
Three players have over 300 rushing yards on the season. Ismail Mahdi is the leading rusher for the Wildcats with 791 yards and four touchdowns. Kedrick Reescano and Quincy Craig have chipped in with 394 and 335 rushing yards this season.
On defense, the Wildcats allow 18.92 points per game, ranking 20th in the country. They give up 145.7 rushing yards (ranked 63rd) and 155.9 passing yards (ranked third) per game. Dalton Johnson leads the team with 97 tackles. Chase Kennedy paces the team with four sacks. Michael Dansby, Ayden Garnes and Genesis Smith each have made plays on the ball with eight passes defended and one interception this season.
The Mustangs won eight games this season, making their fourth-straight bowl game. They defeated four bowl-eligible teams this season: Missouri State, Clemson, Miami and Louisville. One of their four losses was to a team that didn’t make a bowl game: Baylor.
SMU scores 32.9 points per game, tying them for 26th in the country. They pass for 283.5 yards (ranked 11th) and rush for 135.5 yards (ranked 90th) per game.
Kevin Jennings returned at quarterback for the Mustangs after leading them to the CFP last season. He has passed for 3,363 yards, 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on 66.1 percent completion. Six players have over 250 receiving yards on the season. Jordan Hudson caught 56 passes for 749 yards and six touchdowns.
Two running backs did most of the work for the Mustangs. TJ Harden has rushed for 747 yards and seven touchdowns this season to lead the team. Chris Johnson Jr. has also been impactful with 463 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
The Mustangs’ defense concedes 20.67 points per game, tying for 32nd in the FBS. They allow 105.9 rushing yards (ranked 19th) and 284.7 passing yards (ranked 133rd) per game. Ahmaad Moses has led the team with 91 total tackles. Isaiah Smith has the team-high with 8.5 sacks. Isaiah Nwokobia has been impressive in the secondary with seven passes defended and two interceptions.
Arizona has enough offensive firepower to keep up with and beat SMU. Noah Fifita will play cleaner football than Jennings, which will give them the win.
Arizona Wildcats 42 SMU Mustangs 38
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