Hyundai Sun Bowl 2015: Preview, Predictions for Miami vs. Washington State
Five years ago, Miami fired its head coach and finished its season in the Sun Bowl. History has repeated itself. The 8-4 Hurricanes got rid of Al Golden following a 58-0 loss to Clemson and have replaced him with former Georgia coach Mark Richt, who’ll get his first real-time look at his new team in El Paso. The ‘Canes will face a resurgent Washington State team, which rebounded from a 3-9 2014 season with a very solid 8-4 record under coach Mike Leach.
Miami has won four of its last five games under interim coach Larry Scott, with the only defeat coming to ACC Coastal champion North Carolina. It's led by talented sophomore quarterback Brad Kaaya, who has 3,019 yards passing with 15 touchdowns against four interceptions.
The ‘Canes’ defense will have to slow down a potent Washington State offense. The Cougars won six of their last eight games but are coming off a 45-10 Apple Cup loss to rival Washington. Leach’s bunch leads the nation in passing at 397 yards per game, and sophomore quarterback Luke Falk has 4,266 passing yards with 36 touchdowns against eight interceptions.
Expect plenty of points to be scored in El Paso.
Keys to Victory for Miami
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Stop Luke Falk
Washington State quarterback Falk is one of the nation’s best passers and is fourth nationally in passing yardage. He has been held to less than 300 yards passing just twice this season (a season-opening loss to FCS foe Portland State and 199 yards after being knocked out of a win over Colorado with a concussion). The Cougars struggled without him in a 45-10 loss to Washington. If Miami can limit his effectiveness, it bodes well for the ‘Canes’ chances.
Get Brad Kaaya going
Kaaya has only 15 touchdown tosses this season, but here’s an interesting fact: When he has more touchdowns than interceptions, Miami is 7-1. When he doesn’t, the Hurricanes are 1-3, including blowout losses to ACC division champions Miami and Clemson.
When Kaaya is good, the ‘Canes are special. If he can find room against Washington State’s pass defense, it’ll be huge for Miami’s hopes of victory.
Keys to Victory for Washington State
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Pass, pass, pass
A key to Washington State’s 2015 turnaround has been sophomore quarterback Falk, who has thrown for 4,266 yards with 36 touchdowns against eight interceptions. Falk has thrown at least 40 times in every game he’s finished this season. You know the Cougars are going to throw. To beat Miami, he’ll need to be effective. One of his “worst” games came against Stanford, when he threw for 354 yards with two touchdowns against two interceptions but completed only 57.4 percent of his passes.
Limit Brad Kaaya
Miami is best when Kaaya gets going in a strong groove. Washington State has struggled to stop opponents, allowing 28.8 points per game (No. 83 nationally). But if the Cougars can create turnovers against Kaaya and keep Falk on the field, their chances of winning will increase exponentially.
Players to Watch for Miami
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QB Brad Kaaya
Sophomore quarterback Kaaya was the ACC’s Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2014, and while he has only 15 touchdowns this season, Kaaya is a dangerous passer with 3,019 yards passing. He is a steady passer with an NFL-ready arm and is clearly one of the Hurricanes’ most dangerous weapons.
CB Artie Burns
Junior cornerback Artie Burns had an excellent season and was a second-team All-ACC selection. He led the ACC with six interceptions, fifth-best nationally. That’s the most interceptions by a Hurricane since the late Sean Taylor had 10 in 2003. He also had picks in three consecutive games, the first Miami player to turn that trick since Taylor did so in 2003.
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Players to Watch for Washington State
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QB Luke Falk
It’s unlikely that Washington State would be an eight-win team without sophomore quarterback Falk. He has been one of the nation’s most prolific passers. He has thrown for 4,266 yards with 36 touchdowns against eight interceptions and been held to less than 300 yards passing just twice. Leach needs a quarterback who can throw the ball to make his Air Raid system go, and Falk fits the bill.
WR Gabe Marks
Every good quarterback needs a reliable target, and Falk has one in junior receiver Gabe Marks. Marks has 99 receptions for 1,125 yards with 14 touchdowns. He has made at least five catches in every game and has four games of double-digit receptions. If the Cougars need to make a play, the ball is coming Marks’ way.
What They're Saying
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Miami Interim Coach Larry Scott from an official release:
“We are thrilled for the opportunity to compete against a talented team in Washington State. To compete in the Sun Bowl is a special opportunity for our student-athletes to gain valuable postseason experience as we continue to move our program forward.”
Washington State Coach Mike Leach from an official release:
“We are excited to play another football game and spend our holiday week at the Sun Bowl. Our players and coaches have worked extremely hard to get to a bowl game and we are proud to be playing in one of the nation’s longest-standing bowls."
Prediction
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Washington State has been one of 2015’s most pleasant surprises under Mike Leach’s watch. The Cougars don’t play a lot of defense, but they pass, pass, pass. Miami has been very good following Al Golden’s firing and has a talented run-pass duo in tailback Joseph Yearby and quarterback Kaaya.
The Cougars will be excited to be in a bowl game, while Miami players will be auditioning for new coach Richt. Expect Falk to pass plenty and Washington State to win a high-scoring affair.
Washington State 42, Miami 34
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