On Tuesday Dec. 18, the DXL Frisco Bowl will be played. The Moutain West and MAC will be up against each other when San Diego State and Ohio take the field. Here is the 2018 DXL Frisco Bowl Preview.
San Diego State Aztecs (7-5)
The Aztecs have a steady program under Rocky Long and have made another bowl game. This season they went 7-5, with three wins over bowl-eligible teams. Those included Boise State, Eastern Michigan and Arizona State. They do have a loss to UNLV, who didn’t qualify for a bowl game.
San Diego State has one of the worst scoring offenses in the country, ranking 112th in the country at 22.3 points per game. They have an average rushing attack at 162.4 yards per game and a below average passing attack that averages 191.6 yards per game.
Two quarterbacks have played for San Diego State this season, but Christian Chapman will likely take the snaps in the bowl game. In six games for action, Chapman has thrown for 774 passing yards, four touchdowns and one interception on 57.5% completion. Six receivers have over 100 receiving yards, but Fred Trevellion and Kahale Warring. Trevellion has tallied 22 catches for 598 touchdowns and three touchdowns, while Warring has 38 catches for 372 yards and three touchdowns.
San Diego State also has two main running backs that have contributed this season. Juwan Washington leads the team with 870 yards and 10 touchdowns. Chase Jasmin has helped with 592 yards and five touchdowns.
Long’s defense ranks 29th in scoring, allowing 21.8 points per game. They specialize in stopping the run and rank fourth in the country in rushing yards allowed at 94.5. Their pass defense is average at 232.9 yards allowed per game. Linebacker Kyahva Tezino has led the team with 120 total tackles and is a big part of their efforts to stop the run. He also has 8.5 sacks to lead the team.
Ohio Bobcats (8-4)
Frank Solich runs one of the most consistent programs in the MAC, which will mirror San Diego State well. The Bobcats beat two bowl-eligible teams in Western Michigan and Buffalo. Ohio did not lose a game to a team that was below .500.
They have the 10th best scoring offense in the country at 41.2 points per game. Ohio averages 262.2 rushing yards per game, ranking eighth in the country, but they are a below average passing team at 208.4 passing yards per game.
Quarterback Nathan Rourke has had a fantastic season for the Bobcats. He has thrown for 2,225 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions on 61.3% completion. Rourke has four main receivers who have produced, but Papi White is the most successful. He has 58 receptions, 897 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.
At running back A.J. Ouellette has done the most damage with 1,142 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. Maleek Irons has also had a good season with 831 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Rourke has run well too from his quarterback position with 816 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Ohio has a below average scoring defense that allows 26.7 points per game. They stop the run well, giving up 135.8 yards per game, which ranks 35th in the country. The Bobcats are susceptible to being beaten through the air, as they allow 263.8 passing yards per game, which ranks 112th in the country. Sophomore defensive back Jamal Hudson has 13 passes defended as he attempts to help their bad pass defense.
Prediction
This game will be decided in the matchup of Ohio’s rushing attack against San Diego State’s run defense. Rourke and Ouellette will do just enough to score a few touchdowns. The Aztecs won’t have the fire-power to keep up.
Ohio Bobcats 30 San Diego State Aztecs 22
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