CFB - Hawaii Bowl - E CAROLINA vs. BOISE ST (8:00 PM ET – ESPN)

After spending last bowl season amongst the elite of the BCS


2007-12-21

After spending last bowl season amongst the elite of the BCS, Boise State settles for a Hawaii Bowl bid in 2007, taking on Conference USA foe East Carolina.

The Broncos still enjoyed a solid year at 10-2 SU & 5-6 ATS but their loss on this same field just weeks ago cost them any shot at back-to-back BCS bowls. They’ve been installed as a 10-1/2 point favorite in this game vs. a ECU team that was 7-5 SU & ATS in ’07 but owns a stellar 16-6 ATS record as an underdog under HC Skip Holtz. Boise meanwhile,
owns a 25-9 ATS record in its L34 games vs. teams with a winning record, and will test the Pirates defense with an offense that scored 42.7 PPG and gained 477 YPG this season. ECU’s opportunistic defense forced 2.2 turnovers per contest.

BOISE STATE
Well, this is not quite the Fiesta Bowl, but who’s going to complain about a December trip to Hawaii? Ironically, the Broncos positioned themselves for this bowl game by losing to Hawaii in November, enabling the Warriors to stay eligible for a BCS game. The Broncos may or may not have climbed high enough to return to the BCS if they had upset Hawaii, but they’ll never know. Meanwhile, the hometown Humanitarian Bowl officials understood BSU’s desires to go and play elsewhere, specifically Honolulu. So here are the Broncos, a year after their unbeaten season and dramatic finish against Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, owning a 10-2 record that most teams would envy. They still have a high-powered offense that ranks 15th in the country at 457 yards a game. Running back Ian Johnson did not match his 2006 statistics, but still averaged 103 yards. Senior quarterback Taylor Tharp, a first-year starter, has been a pleasant surprise. He ranks eighth in passing efficiency, thanks partly to the explosiveness of receiver Jeremy Childs. Defensively, the Broncos are solid all around, allowing 326 yards a game to rank 21st.

EAST CAROLINA
The Pirates are a classic case of a team that was really good against the downtrodden clubs in Conference USA and less impressive against the top teams. Mixing in a fairly tough non-conference schedule against three ACC teams and West Virginia, it all added up to a 7-5 record that was good enough to give the Pirates a long trip to a very nice bowl destination. Statistically, ECU is not imposing. The Pirates have scored 34 or more points seven times, thanks mostly to a running game that features Chris Johnson. He averages 100 yards on the ground and has scored nearly two touchdowns a game, with receiving ability as well. But overall, the Pirates average only 377 total yards to rank 71st. Defensively, coach Skip Holtz’s team is especially vulnerable against the pass. The Pirates have allowed 290 yards a game through the air, the fifth-worst figure in the country. Their rushing defense is considerably better, giving up 145 yards. If the Pirates are not focused and aggressive on defense, they could be in for a long night against Boise State’s offense. But they also may be able to do enough with their running game to slow things down and limit the total number of possessions, which might help.

THE GAME
Nobody’s saying this game will match last season’s Fiesta Bowl for entertainment value, but it does have the potential to be high-scoring and worth watching. You just know the Broncos will have another batch of trick plays worked up for a national TV audience that has come to expect such things from them, after what they did against Oklahoma. Even without gimmicks, the Broncos should be able to move the ball and score a lot against ECU’s defense. They will be eager to perform better after their regular season ended with a loss to Hawaii in this stadium. On the other side, BSU built up some good defensive statistics against some poor teams in the Western Athletic Conference, but a decent Conference USA offense like ECU’s should be able to exploit some things. One key variable is that Boise State’s players have traveled to the islands every other year, including one month ago, and know how to prepare themselves to play a football game there. It could be another story for the Pirates, who rarely travel east of Texas, and certainly not to a place like this. If the Pirates are not careful, they could have their trip to paradise turn into a disaster.

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