Cactus Bowl 2014: Preview, Prediction for Oklahoma State vs. Washington
When the New Year's Day bowls conclude, that doesn't mean the bowl action stops because Washington and Oklahoma State will do battle in the Cactus Bowl on January 2.
The Huskies had a solid year under first-year head coach Chris Petersen, as they finished the regular season with an 8-5 record. They started the season 4-0 before losing five of the next seven games in conference play. They finished the season with wins against Oregon State and Washington State to reach the postseason for the fifth consecutive year.
They are going up against an Oklahoma State team that finished the regular season at 6-6. The Cowboys became bowl-eligible after a wild and emotional win over archrival Oklahoma in the season finale. After winning five of the first six games, the Cowboys lost the next five before winning against the Sooners. Oklahoma State will look to get its 16th bowl win and sixth bowl win for head coach Mike Gundy.
Date: Friday, January 2, 2015
Time: 10:15 p.m. ET
Place: Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
TV: ESPN
Radio: ESPN Radio
Tale of the Tape
1 of 7Here are stats for each team.
Oklahoma State Keys to Victory
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One of the keys for an Oklahoma State win is to ride the momentum it had at the end of the season. It has not been a great year for the Cowboys, as they are ranked near the bottom of the conference in total offense and total defense. But the win against an Oklahoma team that was ranked 20th at the time was needed just to get the confidence back for the players.
However, the most important thing is not to turn the ball over. The Cowboys are minus-eight in turnover margin, which is the eighth-worst in the Big 12. One of the big reasons for the mistakes was the play of quarterback Daxx Garman, who threw 12 interceptions in nine games. He hasn't started the final two games, and Mason Rudolph has done a great job taking his place, including a strong performance against the Sooners.
Washington Keys to Victory
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The biggest thing the Huskies need to do is run, run and run. They did a good job of that this season, averaging 195 yards on the ground, which ranks third in the Pac-12. Dwayne Washington and Lavon Coleman have been key players in Petersen's offense, as both players have rushed for over 560 yards.
Another key for a Huskies victory is to rattle Rudolph, who will be making his third start and is coming off a very strong game against Oklahoma. If the Washington defense can apply pressure on Rudolph, that will lead to more possessions for the Huskies, and they can control the clock with their run game.
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Oklahoma State Players to Watch
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As mentioned, Rudolph will be a player to watch. The true freshman threw for 273 yards and two touchdowns in the season finale and has thrown four touchdowns in two games this season. It looks like he's the future for the Cowboys, and it will be interesting to see how he plays against a nonconference opponent in a postseason game.
On defense, linebacker Ryan Simmons will be a player to watch. He's second on the team with 93 tackles, and he has 11 tackles for loss as well as two sacks. Simmons is a smaller linebacker at 235 pounds, but he's aggressive, never makes mistakes and always seems to be around the football. That's why the players look at him as a leader for the unit.
Washington Players to Watch
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Quarterback Cyler Miles has had a solid season for the Huskies. The sophomore signal-caller has thrown for a little over 2,000 yards with 16 touchdowns and three interceptions. He has also completed 66 percent of his passes, which ranks fifth in the Pac-12. He was strong in the Washington State game, where he threw for 249 yards and two scores.
Danny Shelton will be the player to watch on defense. The senior defensive lineman has 89 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks and four fumble recoveries. Another player on defense to mention is linebacker Hau'oli Kikaha, who leads the Pac-12 with 18 sacks. He's also second in the conference with 24 tackles for loss, and he has forced two fumbles. Because of Shelton and Kikaha, the Huskies are second in the nation in sacks with 49.
What They're Saying
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Cowboys coach Mike Gundy is happy with the way his team finished out the season, and it now has the chance to play in the Cactus Bowl. Here's what he told OKState.com:
"We are extremely happy to be going to the TicketCity Cactus Bowl. We should have awesome weather and it's a great bowl site. This will be a tremendous trip for our team and I'm really happy for our seniors. A January bowl allows us another 12 practices and still gives us a chance to be home with our families for Christmas.
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Petersen looks to end a successful season on a high note, and he's glad his team made strides this year. Here's what he told NCAA.com before the Washington State game about his first year at Washington:
"Nothing's easy early on and it takes a while, like we talk about, this process. You can't snap your fingers. They don't just get it. To their credit, they've been trying, they've been buying in, they've been working hard. They haven't ever backed down and it's just starting to come together.
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Prediction
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Both Washington and Oklahoma State are coming off big wins against their rivals and are looking to end their seasons with a bowl victory.
The Cowboys have found their quarterback of the future with Rudolph. The players have rallied around him, and he will be much improved from where he was against Oklahoma. However, Washington's Miles has been steady all season and shows no signs of taking any steps back.
What this game comes down to is defensive play. The Cowboys don't have the firepower on defense to stop the Huskies rushing attack while the defensive front for Washington should be able to get after the Cowboys all game long. And that's why Petersen and the Huskies will get their ninth win of the year at the start of 2015.
Washington 31, Oklahoma State 24
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