Boise State vs. Arizona: Complete Fiesta Bowl 2014 Preview, Odds and Pick

In the past, the Fiesta Bowl would have taken on an air of grand importance as a showcase of the BCS. The 2015 version featuring Boise State and Arizona may not be at the old level because of the College Football Playoff, but it is the first of the four old major bowls to ring in the big games. 

Boise State returns to the game that made it famous eight years ago. In 2006, the Broncos finished a 13-0 season with a stunning victory over Oklahoma. This year, first-year coach Bryan Harsin has brought the program back to those roots following an 11-2 season. 

Arizona is making its first trip to the Fiesta Bowl since 1993. Head coach Rich Rodriguez has done a masterful job of rebuilding the Wildcats in three years, going from eight wins each of his first two seasons to 10 in 2014. They have a chance to end the season ranked in the top 10 for the first time since 1998. 

There's no shortage of drama or storylines to find in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl, so here is all the information you need to know heading into the Boise State-Arizona showdown. 

Date	Matchup	Start Time	Network	Odds
December 31, 2014	Boise State Broncos (11-2, 7-1 in Mountain West) vs. Arizona Wildcats (10-3, 7-2 in Pac-12)	4 p.m. ET	ESPN	Arizona (-3)

Preview

Otto Kitsinger/Associated Press

Despite its return to a premier bowl game, Boise State is still looking for a signature win in 2014. The Broncos' lost their only game against a ranked team when Mississippi beat them 35-13 in the season opener but did go 11-1 after that. 

If you want to know what direction the game will go for Boise State, keep an eye on quarterback Grant Hedrick. The senior has been solid this season with 3,387 yards, 22 touchdowns, 13 interceptions and an NCAA-best completion percentage of 70.9. 

However, when you go over what Hedrick has done in the Broncos' losses, it's not pretty. He has one touchdown and eight interceptions in those two games against Mississippi and Air Force. The latter game served as the impetus for Boise State's turnaround, per Kevin Zimmerman of Fox Sports Arizona:

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A game after the loss to Air Force, Hedrick completed 26 of 31 passes for 346 yards, three total touchdowns and one interception in a win over Nevada. Since the Air Force loss, he's thrown 17 touchdowns to four picks as Boise State has won eight games in a row behind Hedrick and running back Jay Ajayi.

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Hedrick isn't the only reason Boise State has been rolling lately. Running back Jay Ajayi has been tremendous with 1,132 yards and 20 of his 25 rushing touchdowns in the last eight games. 

Rodriguez has compared Ajayi's running style to his former running back at Arizona Ka'Deem Carey, via Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic. 

There are going to be points galore in this matchup, as Boise State ranks ninth with 39.8 points per game and Arizona is 28th at 34.8 per game. 

However, the Wildcats can become one-dimensional because their quarterback Anu Solomon has had six games this season in which he completed less than 56 percent of his passes, including five of the last six. 

One thing Solomon does have working in his favor is the presence of big-play threat Samajie Grant. Cayleb Jones led Arizona in receptions (65), yards (902) and touchdowns (nine), but Grant had the highest yards per reception average (15.8). 

Dean Hare/Associated Press

Neither defense offers much, allowing a combined 54 points per game, but Arizona does have the best player on that side of the ball. Linebacker Scooby Wright is a playmaker extraordinaire and might also be the angriest star in the country, based on comments Rodriguez made to Shane Dale of Arizona Sports 98.7:

Whatever Wright needs to do for motivation seems to be working, as he leads the nation with 153 total tackles and added 14 sacks, via Sports-Reference.com. 

Given the balance Boise State has on offense, it's essential that Arizona has at least one defensive player capable of attacking the line to stop the run and get after the quarterback. 

Arizona may not be the sexiest team on offense, yet it has an explosive element that Boise State lacks. The Wildcats aren't afraid to be on this stage after defeating Oregon in October. 

As nice as it is to see Boise State back in a prominent position during bowl season, the Broncos don't have enough of a resume against quality competition to expect an upset happening in this spot. 

Arizona 38, Boise State 31

Stats via ESPN.com unless otherwise noted