Stanford and TCU are both conference runner ups and will meet in the 2017 Valero Alamo Bowl. Both teams have good defenses and solid offenses. Here is the 2017 Valero Alamo Bowl preview:
Bryce Love (Photo by mercurynews.com)
The Cardinal had an up and down season, but were still able to reach the Pac-12 Championship Game. They had a tough schedule and had to beat six bowl eligible teams to get their nine wins. Their big wins include Notre Dame, Washington and Utah.
Offensively, Stanford averages 32 points per game, which is above average. They run the ball extremely well with Bryce Love leading the charge. Love has 1,973 rushing yards. and 17 touchdowns this season. The Heisman finalist had a great season, which saw him average 8.3 yards per carry.
While the running game is great, the passing game isn’t always pretty. K.J. Costello is the starter now and has thrown for 1,361 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions. He has protected the football well for Stanford, which is important given they have a workhorse running back. J.J. Arcega-Whiteside is the leading receiver on the team with 720 yards and six touchdowns.
The defense is solid as usual, allowing 21.5 points per game. They rank 71st against the run and 70th against the pass. Harrison Phillips is the defense’s best player with 89 total tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks.
Kenny Hill (Photo by twitter.com)
TCU got to the Big 12 Championship Game, but were not able to beat Oklahoma. The Sooners accounted for two of TCU’s losses, with Iowa State causing the other. They beat six teams who are bowl eligible. Their biggest wins were over Oklahoma State and West Virginia.
The offense scores 33.2 points per game, which is a good mark. They run for 176 yards per game, which ranks 52nd in the country. A lot of players contribute to the running game, with four players having at least 200 yards, but Darius Anderson leads the way with 768 yards and eight touchdowns.
Kenny Hill leads the offense from the quarterback position. He is efficient, completing 67% of his passes. In total, Hill has 2,838 passing yards, 21 touchdowns and six interceptions. Like the running game, a lot of receivers contribute to the success of the passing game. John Diarse is the leading receiver with 543 yards and three touchdowns. Jalen Reagor, Desmon White and KeVontae Turpin all have over 300 receiving yards as well.
The Horned Frogs’ defense jumps out, with only 17.6 points per game. They are fourth against the run and 72nd against the pass. Senior defensive lineman Matt Boesen is one of the best pass rushers in the country with 11.5 sacks on the season.
The more balanced team will win the game. TCU has a good offense and defense. They also run and pass the ball decently well. The Horned Frogs will sell out to stop Bryce Love and K.J. Costello will not be able to beat them with his arm.
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