Fiesta Bowl 2014: Spread, Injury Updates, Game Time and More

Arizona and Boise State enter the Fiesta Bowl following completely different conclusions to their seasons.

The Wildcats were riding high for a while, winning four consecutive games, which included victories against Utah and Arizona State, before being derailed by Oregon in the Pac-12 championship game. On the other hand, the Broncos suffered a tough loss to Air Force back in September but went on an eight-game winning streak to close out the season with a Mountain West title.

Despite those very different results, these teams have a number of similarities, including balanced offenses, good turnover margins and the ability to get after opposing quarterbacks. Those attributes make this impending contest even more compelling.

Will Boise State continue its success in the Fiesta Bowl, or will Arizona rise to the occasion in its own backyard? Before we get underway from Glendale, here's a look at the latest spread, injury updates, game schedule and final prediction for this highly anticipated showdown.

Game Information

When: Wednesday, December 31

Where: University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona

Time: 4 p.m. ET

Channel: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Betting Info (via Odds Shark):

• Over/Under: 67.5
• Spread: Arizona -3

Team Injury Reports

Player	Pos.	Date	Status
Jacob Arzouman	OL	08/28/2014	Out
Jerod Cody	DE	08/28/2014	Out
Brandon Dawkins	QB	08/26/2014	Suspended
Steven Gurrola	C	12/27/2014	Suspended
Dwight Melvin	DT	08/26/2014	Out
DeAndre' Miller	LB	12/27/2014	Questionable
Nate Phillips	WR	11/12/2014	Out
Adonis Smith	RB	12/27/2014	Questionable

Player	Pos.	Date	Status
Mat Boesen	DE	12/08/2014	Out
Tyler Horn	DT	09/05/2014	Out
Chanceller James	S	11/30/2014	Out
Taylor Loffler	S	08/25/2014	Out
Mercy Maston	CB	08/31/2014	Out
Matt Miller	WR	10/13/2014	Out
Connor Peters	TE	12/30/2014	Probable
Tanner Shipley	WR	09/14/2014	Out
Justin Taimatuia	DT	08/25/2014	Out

Injury reports courtesy of The Sports Network, via USA Today.

Preview and Prediction

USA TODAY Sports

Boise State's offense has a great chance to do some damage in the Fiesta Bowl. Arizona's defense ranks 73rd in points against, allowing an average of 27.5 per game. Much of that has been due to the team's ineffectiveness against the pass; Arizona ranks 117th in the nation, giving up an average of 279.1 passing yards per game.

This means Broncos senior quarterback Grant Hedrick really needs to step up. He has maintained his accuracy this season, completing 70.9 percent of his passes; however, he's also made his fair share of mistakes, tossing a career-high 13 interceptions.

There is good news for Boise State: Hedrick improved his ball security over the back half of the season. Since throwing four picks against Air Force, he's been mistake-free in five of his final eight contests, throwing more than one interception in just one game.

One big way for the Broncos to ensure their quarterback avoids turnovers and lights up a susceptible defense is to get the ground game going. Arizona isn't much better defending opposing rushing attacks, ranking 72nd in the nation and allowing an average of 170.4 yards per game. This is where Jay Ajayi comes in.

Ajayi has been the team's biggest offensive weapon this season, racking up 1,689 yards and 25 touchdowns while maintaining an average of 5.2 yards per carry. Getting him going early will help open up passing lanes for Hedrick and keep Arizona's pass rush at bay.

If the Wildcats are to find success against Boise State, quarterback Anu Solomon has to get back on track. The freshman separated himself from the pack early in the season and wound up completing 58 percent of his passes for 3,458 yards and 27 touchdowns against seven interceptions.

Solomon had some big games—he had two five-touchdown performances this season—but he was dreadful in the Pac-12 championship game against Oregon, finding himself under pressure often and completing six of his 12 passing attempts for 34 yards. He was benched as a result.

Boise State's pass rush is no joke, and Solomon will need help from his supporting cast to avoid another disastrous outing.

The quarterback's best defense against the rush is running back Nick Wilson. This freshman ball-carrier was stellar throughout the season, eclipsing the 100-yard mark in seven games while racking up 1,289 yards and 15 touchdowns. He's averaging 5.9 yards per carry and should be able to do some damage against a Broncos run defense that's seen a rather soft schedule this season.

If Wilson gets going early, he'll be difficult to stop. In the six games in which he received at least 20 carries this season, he rushed for at least 153 yards in five of them and scored a total of 11 touchdowns. Utilizing Wilson as an offensive workhorse is how Arizona will emerge victorious.

Taking everything into consideration, the upper hand here goes to Boise State. The Broncos enter the game with tons of momentum, and they have been the more consistent of the two teams of late. While defeating the Wildcats in Arizona will be a tall order, the well-rounded team will get the job done and remain undefeated in the Fiesta Bowl.

Prediction: Boise State 34, Arizona 31

All team statistics and rankings courtesy of NCAA.com and current as of December 31.