Armed Forces Bowl 2015: Houston vs. Pittsburgh TV Info, Spread, Time and More
Fans all over the country are awaiting the College Football Playoff to finally kick off, but the games following the Rose and Sugar Bowls offer plenty of sizzle. The Armed Forces Bowl pits Houston and Pittsburgh against one another, with both teams looking to finish the season on a strong note.
Pittsburgh was hit hard with the loss of head coach Paul Chryst, who left the program for Wisconsin. Now, the Panthers are tasked with taking on a solid Houston team that finished the season with seven wins after Pat Narduzzi was named the head coach.
The Cougars are dealing with a coaching change of their own after hiring Tom Herman from Ohio State. Led by a potent running attack with Kenneth Farrow, Houston will still be up to the task against Pittsburgh.
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Prior to the game kicking off on Friday, here's a look at the full schedule and preview of the Armed Forces Bowl.
Game Information
Where: Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas
When: Friday, Jan. 2, 12 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Spread: Pittsburgh (-2); via OddsShark.com
Preview
Chryst left behind a program that appeared to be on the upswing, which is likely not the comforting words Pitt fans want to hear. However, it does leave an opening for the program to pull out a seven-win season with a win on Friday.
The Panthers offense is led by sophomores James Conner and Chad Voytik. The offensive tandem has a combined 2,101 rushing yards with 42 total touchdowns on the year. Conner alone has 24 of those on the ground while Voytik passed for 15.
Conner spoke about the future of the program heading into the matchup, via Pitt Football:
If the Panthers are going to come away with a seventh win on the season, it will have to be courtesy of great play from Conner. After toting the ball 277 times this year already, expect the young tailback to carry the load again for the Panthers.
On the other side of the ball, Kenneth Farrow will be asked to shoulder the load for the Cougars running attack.
The junior captain has rushed for 1,914 yards during his career, but his recent streak has been the most impressive. Farrow has over 100 yards in each of the last three games, including a four-touchdown performance against Tulsa.
Looking for a second straight eight-win season, Farrow is confident in the team. Via Drew Harris of KHOU.com, Farrow said, "We've put in a lot of work and been able to add another dimension that wasn't here in the past."
That extra dimension will have to be enough against a defense that allowed 25.6 points per game this season. In a battle of two teams looking to impress their new coaches, expect plenty of offensive fireworks in the Armed Forces Bowl.
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