Fiesta Bowl 2014: Arizona vs. Boise State Schedule, TV Info, Predictions, More
The Pac-12 may dominate the scene when it comes to football out West, but Boise State has the opportunity to knock off one of the conference’s division champions in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl.
Boise State entered the college football consciousness when it beat Oklahoma in a similar matchup in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. Another upset over a Power Five conference team in Arizona would set the Broncos up for the 2015 season and give them a 12-win campaign.
Here is a look at the essential information for the 2014 Fiesta Bowl.
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2014 Fiesta Bowl
Matchup: Boise State vs. Arizona
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 31
Time: 4 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Preview/Prediction
Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez discussed the notion that his team is seen as the favorite in this game, via Kevin Gemmell of ESPN.com:
"When you win as many games as they do, including some really big games, I don’t know if you can consider them an underdog. Heck, we’re probably more of an underdog than they are. When was the last time Arizona was in a Big-Six game? We’re probably more of a surprise than they are.
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Part of the reason Boise State is seen as the underdog in this one is the difference in schedules. Arizona pulled off arguably the biggest win of the college football season when it went to Oregon and beat the Ducks, but it also won at Utah and beat Arizona State. Throw in close losses to USC and UCLA, and the Wildcats are battle tested coming into the Fiesta Bowl.
Boise State, on the other hand, was blown out of the water by Ole Miss in its only game against a Power Five conference school. Eight straight wins is certainly an impressive stat, but the Wildcats have played much better competition throughout the year.
What’s more, the Broncos are only 1-4 in their last five games against major conference opponents after going 8-1 in those games from 2006-11.
If Boise State is going to change that narrative, it will need a big day from running back Jay Ajayi.
Ajayi was fifth in the country with 1,689 rushing yards, fourth in all-purpose yards (171.2 per game) and a threat in both the running and passing games. The matchup between Ajayi and Arizona linebacker Scooby Wright, who took home the Nagurski and Bednarik Awards as arguably the best defensive player in the nation, is one of the most intriguing battles of any bowl game.
All Wright did this season was rack up 153 tackles, a nation-best 27 tackles for loss, a conference-best six forced fumbles and 14 sacks.
He is a one-man wrecking crew who will shadow Ajayi all game long.
If the Broncos are going to beat Arizona, they will have to neutralize Wright with quick-hitting passes. That could work against a secondary that was 118th in the country in opponent completion percentage and allowed 489 passing yards to Washington State and 313 in its last game against Oregon.
Boise State quarterback Grant Hedrick led the nation with a 70.9 completion percentage, so this is an ideal matchup for the Broncos.
On the other side, Arizona brings a balanced offensive attack to the table led by quarterback Anu Solomon’s 3,458 passing yards and running back Nick Wilson’s 1,289 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns.
That could be a problem for a Boise State defense that proved particularly vulnerable this season when it finished 64th in the country in points allowed per game and 61st against the pass. Solomon could have his way against a decidedly mediocre secondary, especially if he targets wide receiver Cayleb Jones.
Colin Becht of Sports Illustrated believes that Solomon will play a major role in an Arizona victory:
"Although Solomon struggled moving the ball through the air in the second half of the season, many of those games came against the some of the strongest defenses in the Pac-12. Expect him to bounce back after a month of preparation, while Wright disrupts the Broncos’ running game and pressures Hedrick into some interceptions.
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If Solomon consistently leads his team down the field, that will put more pressure on Hedrick to respond. That will be an issue for a quarterback who threw 13 interceptions on the season, especially when Wright is bearing down on him in the pocket.
Ultimately, Hedrick will make a costly mistake and throw a late interception. That will set Solomon up in ideal field position against a beatable Boise State defense, and he and the Wildcats offense will take full advantage to put the game away.
Arizona will prove its mettle from the Pac-12 and come away with an impressive bowl victory.
Prediction: Arizona 38, Boise State 24
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