Washington State vs Central Michigan: Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl Prediction, Game Preview
Washington State vs Central Michigan: Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl prediction, game preview, how to watch
Washington State vs Central Michigan: Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl How To Watch
Date: Friday, December 31
Game Time: 12:30 pm ET
Venue: Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, TX
How To Watch: CBS
Records: Central Michigan (8-4), Washington State (7-5)
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Washington State vs Central Michigan Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl Preview
– Central Michigan paid its ticket for the Arizona Bowl and it got an upgrade. Boise State couldn’t go, to the Chippewas moved from Tucson over to El Paso to get a shot at a Washington State team that’s had a wild and fun ride to get here.
– The Cougars fought through their own adversity to win three of their last four games and six of their last eight. After all of the drama with former head coach Nick Rolovich, Washington State kept on winning, and it rewarded its coach by making Jake Dickert the full-time head man.
– The Cougars are going to throw and throw some more, but it’s all to control the clock and the tempo – they led the Pac-12 in time of possession.
– The Chippewas are a whole lot of fun. They make big plays.
They make big plays on offense with the MAC’s second-best passing game. They make big plays on defense with the most sacks and plays in the backfield by anyone in the conference. They make big plays on special teams with the nation’s best punt return game.
Why Washington State, Central Michigan Will Win
Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl Top Players To Know
NEXT: Why Washington State Will Win, Why Central Michigan Will Win, Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl Prediction
Why Central Michigan Will Win The Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
The offense might do a whole lot in a variety of way, but it starts with the defense.
Washington State is a passing team – more on all of that in a moment – but it likes to balance things out a wee bit with the ground attack hitting 200 yards in each of the last two games. However, do-it-all star Max Borghi has opted out for the NFL.
He’s done, and so is all-star offensive tackle Abraham Lucas and corner Jaylen Watson. Not having Lucas and Borghi, though, is a problem against a Central Michigan defensive front that led the MAC in run defense and was outstanding at generating a pass rush.
The key against Wazzu will be getting the D off the field and changing up the game’s rhythm. Central Michigan can do that and then respond with a little bit of balance of its own.
Star RB Lew Nichols ran for a nation-high 1,710 yards and 15 touchdowns. Get him the ball, keep forcing Washington State to worry about him, and then Daniel Richardson and the passing attack should work.
But …
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Why Washington State Will Win The Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Here comes the passing game.
No, Washington State won’t bomb away down the field, and it’s not the old Mike Leach style of attack with 60 passes a game, but Jayden de Laura and will keep on firing. He’s not all that accurate on a consistent basis, but he’ll throw for at least 250 yards, he’ll average close to eight yards per throw, and he’s not going to press in this.
For all the good things the Central Michigan defense does, the secondary doesn’t come up with enough stops or big things. The teams that could throw well were able to do it on this group.
The Chippewas only picked off five passes – just two in the last seven games – can get dinked and dunked on all game long. Washington State and de Laura will be happy to do just that.
Washington State vs Central Michigan Preview
Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History
NEXT: What’s Going To Happen, Washington State vs Central Michigan Prediction, Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl History
Washington State vs Central Michigan: Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, What’s Going To Happen
Don’t just assume that Central Michigan is about to get ripped up because 1) it’s the MAC and 2) had to make the bowl switch.
This is a very good, very sound, very well-coached team, and Jim McElwain’s bunch has the guys to make this a fight. Even when his team had problems against the good passing teams, it was still usually able to run.
The starting 22 is in place to potentially pull this off if the Cougars start sputtering.
Washington State will be in for a fight for a full 60 minutes, but it’ll control the clock in the second half with a good balance to survive in a fun game to start out your 2022.
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl: Washington State vs Central Michigan Prediction, Lines
Washington State 31, Central Michigan 23
Line: Washington State -7, o/u: 57.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2
Expert Picks: CFP & NY6 | Dec 28-Jan 4
Must See Rating: 3
5: New Year’s Eve in a bar
1: New Year’s Eve watching a ball drop
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Sun Bowl History
2020 Canceled
Dec. 31, 2019 Arizona State 20, Florida State 14
Dec. 31, 2018 Stanford 14, Pitt 13
Dec. 29, 2017 NC State 52, Arizona State 31
Dec. 30, 2016 Stanford 25, North Carolina 23
Dec. 26, 2015 Washington State 20 Miami 14
Dec. 27, 2014 Arizona State 36 Duke 31
Dec. 31, 2013 UCLA 42 Virginia Tech 12
Dec. 31, 2012 Georgia Tech 21 USC 7
Dec. 31, 2011 Utah 30 Georgia Tech 27 (OT)
Dec. 31, 2010 Notre Dame 33 Miami 17
Dec. 31, 2009 Oklahoma 31 Stanford 27
Dec. 31, 2008 Oregon State 3 Pittsburgh 0
Dec. 31, 2007 Oregon 56 USF 21
Dec. 29, 2006 Oregon State 39 Missouri 38
Dec. 30, 2005 UCLA 50 Northwestern 38
Dec. 31, 2004 Arizona State 27 Purdue 23
Dec. 31, 2003 Minnesota 31 Oregon 30
Dec. 31, 2002 Purdue 34 Washington 24
Dec. 31, 2001 Washington State 33 Purdue 27
Dec. 29, 2000 Wisconsin 21 UCLA 20
Dec. 31, 1999 Oregon 24 Minnesota 20
Dec. 31, 1998 TCU 28 USC 19
Dec. 31, 1997 Arizona State 17 Iowa 7
Dec. 31, 1996 Stanford 38 Michigan State 0
Dec. 29, 1995 Iowa 38 Washington 18
Dec. 30, 1994 Texas 35 North Carolina 31
Dec. 31, 1993 Oklahoma 41 Texas Tech 10
Dec. 31, 1992 Baylor 20 Arizona 15
Dec. 31, 1991 UCLA 6 Illinois 3
Dec. 31, 1990 Michigan State 17 USC 16
Dec. 30, 1989 Pittsburgh 31 Texas A&M 28
Dec. 24, 1988 Alabama 29 Army 28
Dec. 25, 1987 Oklahoma State 35 West Virginia 33
Dec. 25, 1986 Alabama 28 Washington 6
Dec. 28, 1985 Arizona 13 Georgia 13
Dec. 22, 1984 Maryland 28 Tennessee 27
Dec. 24, 1983 Alabama 28 SMU 7
Dec. 25, 1982 North Carolina 26 Texas 10
Dec. 26, 1981 Oklahoma 40 Houston 14
Dec. 27, 1980 Nebraska 31 Mississippi St. 17
Dec. 22, 1979 Washington 14 Texas 7
Dec. 23, 1978 Texas 42 Maryland 0
Dec. 31, 1977 Stanford 24 LSU 14
Jan. 2, 1977 Texas A&M 37 Florida 14
Dec. 26, 1975 Pittsburgh 33 Kansas 19
Dec. 28, 1974 Mississippi State 26 North Carolina 24
Dec. 29, 1973 Missouri 34 Auburn 17
Dec. 30, 1972 North Carolina 32 Texas Tech 28
Dec. 18, 1971 LSU 33 Iowa State 15
Dec. 19, 1970 Georgia Tech 17 Texas Tech 9
Dec. 20, 1969 Nebraska 45 Georgia 6
Dec. 30, 1968 Auburn 34 Arizona 10
Dec. 24, 1967 UTEP 14 Mississippi 7
Dec. 24, 1966 Wyoming 28 Florida State 20
Dec. 31, 1965 UTEP 13 TCU 12
Dec. 26, 1964 Georgia 7 Texas Tech 0
Dec. 31, 1963 Oregon 21 SMU 14
Dec. 31, 1962 West Texas State 15 Ohio 14
Dec. 30, 1961 Villanova 17 Wichita State 9
Dec. 31, 1960 New Mexico State 20 Utah State 13
Dec. 31, 1959 New Mexico State 28 North Texas 8
Dec. 31, 1958 Wyoming 14 Hardin-Simmons 6
Jan. 1, 1957 George Washington 13 UTEP 0
Jan. 2, 1956 Wyoming 21 Texas Tech 14
Jan. 1, 1955 UTEP 47 Florida State 20
Jan. 1, 1954 UTEP 37 Southern Miss 14
Jan. 1, 1953 Pacific 26 Southern Miss 7
Jan. 1, 1952 Texas Tech 25 Pacific 14
Jan. 1, 1951 West Texas State 14 Cincinnati 13
Jan. 2, 1950 UTEP 33 Georgetown 20
Jan. 1, 1949 West Virginia 21 UTEP 12
Jan. 1, 1948 Miami Univ. 13 Texas Tech 12
Jan. 1, 1947 Cincinnati 18 Virginia Tech 6
Jan. 1, 1946 New Mexico 34 Denver 24
Jan. 1, 1945 Southwestern 35 Mexico 0
Jan. 1, 1944 Southwestern 7 New Mexico 0
Jan. 1, 1943 Second Air Force 13 Hardin-Simmons 7
Jan. 1, 1942 Tulsa 6 Texas Tech 0
Jan. 1, 1941 Western Reserve 26 Arizona State 13
Jan. 1, 1940 Arizona State 0 Catholic 0
Jan. 2, 1939 Utah 26 New Mexico 0
Jan. 1, 1938 West Virginia 7 Texas Tech 6
Jan. 1, 1937 Hardin-Simmons 34 UTEP 6
Jan. 1, 1936 Hardin-Simmons 14 New Mexico St. 14
Jan. 1, 1935 El Paso H.S. All-Stars 25 Ranger H.S. 21
Washington State vs Central Michigan Preview
Why Washington State, Central Michigan Will Win
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl Top Players To Know
