Bowl Game:
Motel 6 Cactus Bowl
Boise State (10-2) v Baylor (6-6)
Matchup:
Its been nearly a month and a half since Baylor won a football game and stumbled to a six game losing streak after a promising undefeated start. The Bears will take on the Broncos in the Motel 6 Cactus Bowl — which sounds suspiciously like the location you’d find in the middle of nowhere within the plot of a Stephen King novel. Boise State also had a hot start, opening 7-0 before falling to 3-2 with losses against Wyoming and Air Force; impressive victories include triumphs over Washington State and BYU.
Both teams are dealing with coaching situations in their own ways; Jim Grobe is retiring, but motivating a team without any competitive spirit doesn’t seem likely considering how Baylor has played teams lately — discombobulated with their cleats firmly stuck in the artificial turf. Boise State’s Bryan Harsin is a front runner for the Oregon vacancy, and is 38-13 with the team. A former Texas coach, Harsin is familiar with the Big-12 recruiting landscape, and should use that knowledge to his advantage in his plight for the Broncos’ third consecutive bowl victory.
Eight Bears are likely out for the Cactus Bowl due to injuries or ineligibility; the most devastating loss is Seth Russell, who endured a gruesome leg injury Week 9 against Oklahoma. Russell finished the season 2,126 passing yards and an 6-3 record on the season. Replacing him is Zach Smith — a true freshman from Grandview HS that hasn’t won a collegiate game in his career, and has 530 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions this year.
The Broncos enter the contest healthy. Sophomore quarterback Brett Rypien has completed 61.8 percent of his passes for 3,341 yards and 23 touchdowns. Boise State receivers are deep, highlighted by Thomas Sperbeck and Cedrick Wilson — both combining for 2,234 yards and 19 scores. Tailback Jeremy McNichols continues to be the most efficient weapon on the offense, tallying 1,663 rushing yards and 23 rushing touchdowns; he’s also grabbed 32 passes for 450 yards and four scores.
The obvious black eye to the bowl is the ghost of Baylor player Sam Ukwuachu, who played for the Broncos for two seasons before being dismissed; he was recently released from prison for sexual assault, and is one of the culprits responsible for the Bear’s Title IX scandal. Then-Boise State coach Chris Petersen informed former Baylor head coach Art Briles about Ukwuachu’s unethical decisions before transferring, but Briles’ ignored the caution — an error that lead to his eventual firing and numerous other claims brought on by Waco women accusing players of violent sexual misconduct.
Tale of the Tape:
Yards per game: Advantage Baylor (495-473 yards)
Rushing yards per game: Advantage Baylor (247-182 yards)
Passing yards per game: Advantage Boise State (298-257 yards)
Rushing yards per game allowed: Advantage Boise State (180-196 yards allowed)
Passing yards per game allowed: Advantage Boise State (200-214 yards allowed)
Yards Allowed: Advantage Boise State (366-395 yards allowed)
Points per game: Advantage Boise State (36-28 ppg)
Statistical advantage: Boise State (5-2)
Baylor Texas players:
91
Baylor Texas HS Football standouts:
KD Cannon (Junior, Mount Pleasant 5-star WR)
One of the brightest spots on a floundering Bears team, Cannon finished the season strong, grabbing 33 receptions for over 400 yards and five scores over the past four games. In total, the junior has 181 receptions for 2,887 receiving yards and 25 TDs. With Cannon likely to declare for the draft, keep an eye out for Ishamael Zamora moving forward; the sophomore totaled 102 yards and a touchdown against West Virginia in the regular season closer.
As a Texas student athlete, Cannon garnered numerous All-American awards, and was listed as a top ten Texas athlete in all recruiting publications. In each high school season, he totaled over 1,000 yards and lead Mount Pleasant to the bi-district round in 2012.
Shock Linwood (Senior, Linden-Kildare 3-star RB)
The fifth-year senior is Baylor’s all-time rushing leader, totaling 4,213 yards and 36 touchdowns; the previous mark was set by Walter Abercrombie (3,665). Linwood has had a mildly productive season as compared to the past two years — 751 yards and two scores on the season is his lowest since 2013. In the absence of Seth Russell, the Bears will rely heavily on a deep running game behind JaMycal Hasty and Terence Williams.
The all-state running back was a jack of all trades for Linden-Kildare High School, playing quarterback, kick returner, linebacker, and defensive back.
Boise State Texas players:
13
Boise State Texas HS Football standouts:
Ben Weaver (Senior, Klein 3-star ILB)
Weaver garnered All-Mountain West Second Team (2016) and was named 3x Academic All-Mountain West through his collegiate career. He’s compiled 178 solo tackles and 140 assisted for 318 total, as well as three sacks for loss and three interceptions.
A graduate of Klein, Weaver finished his senior year with 111 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and forced three fumbles.
Dylan Sumner-Gardner (Sophomore, West Mesquite 4-star S)
Gardner was suspended for the first four games of the season after failing to meet NCAA football academic eligibility requirements. In his career with the Broncos, he has totaled 60 tackles and one interception through two plus years of eligibility.
With West Mesquite, he graduated with 165 tackles and three interception — leading the Wranglers to the second round of the 2014 5A DI playoffs, where they fell to McKinney North.
Texas HS Staff Prediction:
7-3 votes for Boise State
My Prediction:
Boise State
The Broncos will get their 15th win in 20 tries against Power Five opponents. Obviously, neither team are great at run defense (Boise State allows 180 rushing yards per game, as compared to Baylor’s 196 rushing yards), but without Russell, the Baylor offense will be one-dimensional, relying entirely on a ground-and-pound run scheme. Boise State will beat the Bears through the air, averaging nearly 300 passing yards on the season. The Baylor defense is spiritually broken, allowing an average 43.7 points in their losing streak.
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