Arizona Bowl 2016: South Alabama vs. Air Force TV Schedule, Time and Odds
The South Alabama Jaguars and Air Force Falcons create one of the more interesting matchups this year in Friday's 2016 Arizona Bowl.
The Jaguars (6-6) came out of nowhere to put on a strong performance outside of Sun Belt play. As a result, the team has plenty of confidence heading into what it hopes will be its first bowl win.
As for Air Force (9-3) and a veteran roster, going against a game opponent on a national stage offers the chance to finish the season on a six-game tear.
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Two contrasting styles get together in this one, an almost odd encounter made possible by bowl season. Here's everything to know.
Arizona Bowl 2016
Date: Friday, Dec. 30
Time (ET): 5:30 p.m.
Location: Arizona Stadium, Tucson, Arizona
Watch: American Sports Network
Live Stream: AmericanSportsNet.com
Tickets: ScoreBig.com
Over/Under: 57
Spread: Air Force (-14)
Team Injury Reports
| Troy Thingstad | OL | Questionable |
| Tyreis Thomas | RB | Out for season |
| Steven Foster | OL | Out for season |
| Curtis Williams | OL | Questionable |
| Kalen Jackson | S | Questionable |
| Jimmie Gipson III | DE | Out for season |
| Tre Alford | DL | Out for season |
| Dewayne Alford | DE | Out for season |
| Nate Romine | QB | Questionable |
Injury reports courtesy of USA Today.
Keeping the Trend Alive
The Jaguars went just 2-6 in Sun Belt play; that's an odd turn of events, as one would think the program is familiar with conference opponents and would find some success there.
Instead, South Alabama put on a show outside of the conference, securing notable wins against Mississippi State out of the SEC and eventual Mountain West champion San Diego State.
Against then-No. 19 San Diego State, the Jaguars got three passing scores from Cole Garvin and rushed for two more in the 42-24 romp. The defense held the Aztecs to one passing score and a 3.8 yards-per-carry average on the ground.
The Jaguars will need to trot out the same strong defense against a monster Air Force rushing attack. Jaguars head coach Joey Jones stressed the importance of his guys keeping the goal in sight.
"We're excited about the practice we're getting, and the kids have taken advantage of it," Jones said, according to Stats LLC (via ESPN.com). "We've had some real good practices. They realize one of our goals is to go win a bowl game, and they still have that opportunity ahead of them."
Jones' team will also need production from starting quarterback Dallas Davis, who threw 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions on the year. A strong day from him will help the Jaguars overcome a great Air Force rush defense.
The oddsmakers may not like the Jaguars, but they haven't blinked in the face of upset bids often.
Farewell Tour
It's no wonder the Falcons have hit on a five-game streak to close the season. The roster features 32 seniors.
Other than a three-game skid in October, the Falcons have looked great behind their rushing attack, even taking down then-No. 19 Boise State in 27-20 fashion to close the season.
Not even an injury to quarterback Nate Romine has caused the Falcons to skip a beat, with Arion Worthman coming in and throwing three touchdowns against two interceptions while riding the ground game.
It's much easier to detail the deep rushing attack in table form:
| Jacobi Owens | 125 | 785 | 6.3 | 59 | 3 |
| Timothy McVey | 80 | 667 | 8.3 | 38 | 10 |
| D.J. Johnson | 143 | 617 | 4.3 | 35 | 2 |
| Arion Worthman | 109 | 603 | 5.5 | 54 (TD) | 6 |
| Shayne Davern | 116 | 475 | 4.1 | 26 | 4 |
| Nate Romine | 95 | 279 | 2.9 | 41 | 3 |
The running game is a big reason why even major teams like Boise State had a hard time keeping pace. Against the Broncos, the Falcons ran 77 times for 314 yards and two scores on a 4.1 yards-per-carry average while chewing 41 minutes, 27 seconds of game time.
Rest assured the Falcons will look to do the same against a Jaguars defense that permits 212.1 yards per game on the ground. Most opponents have had problems stopping Air Force's assault despite knowing what the offense would do.
Prediction
Based on the spread, Las Vegas hates the idea of a South Alabama win here.
It's a bit odd, given how the Jaguars showed up big with a backup quarterback to take down San Diego State. But the terrible mark against conference foes and general level of competition help explain it.
If Air Force didn't look so unstoppable right now, it might be easier to go with the upset pick. But the Falcons can grind out the clock here as they did against Boise State, especially because the Jaguars don't have a notable way to score points through the air.
Prediction: Air Force 28, South Alabama 20
Statistics courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified. All betting information courtesy of OddsShark.
Follow Chris Roling (@Chris_Roling) on Twitter.
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