Fiesta Bowl 2014: Bold Predictions for Boise State vs. Arizona

This year's Fiesta Bowl features two evenly matched teams in the Arizona Wildcats and Boise State Broncos. However, when taking into consideration each squad's strength of schedule throughout the season, and their current momentum, it's difficult to ascertain which has the upper hand.

The Wildcats didn't have an easy path to the Fiesta Bowl. They faced four ranked opponents during the regular season, defeating Oregon, Utah and Arizona State and losing to UCLA. However, they lost all momentum—and plenty of confidence—following a 51-13 loss to the Ducks in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

On the other hand, the Broncos haven't had as difficult of a schedule this season, but they have been steamrolling opponents for most of the year. They lost in Week 1 to Ole Miss—the only ranked opponent they faced—but lit up scoreboards to win 11 of their next 12 games en route to the Mountain West Conference championship.

Many playmakers reside on both teams, and we should expect plenty of offense to take place in the Fiesta Bowl. So, as we await these high-octane squads to take the field, let's take a look at some bold predictions for this impending clash on New Year's Eve.

Boise State Bold Predictions

Grant Hedrick Tallies 400 Total Yards, Four Touchdowns

Otto Kitsinger/Associated Press

Hedrick has made his share of mistakes this season, tossing 13 interceptions, but he's been accurate for the most part, completing 70.9 percent of his passes to date. Along with his 22 touchdown passes, he's a threat to run, tallying 563 yards and eight rushing touchdowns on the year. This makes him a danger to Arizona.

The Wildcats have been terrible against the pass this season, ranking 118th in the nation, allowing an average of 279.1 yards per game and a total of 27 passing touchdowns. Dual-threat quarterbacks have taken advantage of this defense, and the latest example was Marcus Mariota's total of 346 yards and five touchdowns in the conference championship game.

While Hedrick struggles against tougher defenses—he had two four-interception games this year—he's been stellar against weaker units, passing for four touchdowns against BYU and New Mexico and another three against Wyoming.

Boise State's quarterback may not be the most prolific in the nation, but he's put up gaudy numbers at times this season, and Arizona is just bad enough in the secondary to allow him to do it again in the Fiesta Bowl.

Jay Ajayi Totals 200 Yards of Offense, Three Touchdowns

Otto Kitsinger/Associated Press

When fans of college football generally talk about the nation's best running backs, the likes of Melvin Gordon, Samaje Perine and Tevin Coleman are usually mentioned. Well, once the Fiesta Bowl is over, Ajayi will be entered into that conversation.

A dual-threat weapon out of the backfield, Ajayi rushed for 1,689 yards and 25 touchdowns while tallying 45 receptions for 526 yards and four scores. We already discussed Arizona's inability to contain the pass, but the Wildcats' 72nd-ranked run defense will have just as difficult of a time against this dynamic ball-carrier.

Arizona is allowing an average of 170.4 yards per game on the ground and has given up a total of 16 rushing touchdowns this year. The team hasn't gotten any better as the season went along, coming off a game in which it allowed Oregon to rush for 301 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 5.6 yards per carry as a team.

This season, Ajayi has carried at least 26 times in eight games. He's eclipsed the century mark and scored at least two rushing touchdowns in each of those contests. If Boise State feeds him early and often in the Fiesta Bowl, he'll do it again.

Arizona Bold Predictions

Nick Wilson Rushes for 200 Yards, Two Touchdowns

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Wilson's had quite a roller-coaster season with Arizona. He began the year with three consecutive 100-yard performances, but he failed to reach that mark over his next four games due to a decrease in carries. Once his workload increased, he finished the regular season with four consecutive 100-yard games. However, he tallied just 26 rushing yards in the Pac-12 championship against Oregon.

On paper, the running back doesn't appear to have a favorable matchup in the Fiesta Bowl against a Boise State defense that ranks 36th against the run, allowing an average of 141.5 yards per game. However, the Broncos are giving up 4.0 yards per carry and have allowed 22 rushing touchdowns this season.

The team's numbers are solid, but a back like Wilson, who is averaging 5.9 yards per carry on the season, is likely to produce a big performance. The Broncos have been burned by strong opposing ground games this season, most notably against New Mexico. The Lobos accumulated 505 rushing yards and six touchdowns while averaging 10.8 yards per carry against the Broncos on November 8.

Expect Arizona to get Wilson going early due to Anu Solomon's poor showing against Oregon. The Wildcats will want to establish a ground game to give their quarterback better opportunities through the air. Everything is setting up for a huge game for Wilson.

Arizona's Defense Forces Five Turnovers

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The Wildcats have been extremely good at pressuring opposing quarterbacks and forcing costly mistakes this season. They rank 21st in the league with 37 sacks through 13 games, an average of 2.85 sacks per contest. That's not good news for a Boise State team that's given up 27 sacks in 13 games.

If Arizona is able to sustain constant pressure on Hedrick, he'll be forced into making quicker decisions and that could lead to interceptions. After all, the Wildcats have been very good in that department this year, coming away with 12 picks in regular-season action.

Adding to Arizona's ball-hawking ability is its 12 fumble recoveries on the season. Many of these have come after the team knifed its way into an opposing backfield, accumulating one of its 92 tackles for a loss. With an average of 7.1 tackles for a loss per game, the Wildcats get plenty of opportunities to strip the ball from unsuspecting opponents.

Coming away with a positive turnover margin will be one of the keys to success for Arizona in the Fiesta Bowl, and it all starts with applying pressure to Boise State's backfield.

All team statistics and rankings courtesy of NCAA.com and current as of December 13.