Cactus Bowl 2017: UCLA vs. Kansas State TV Schedule, Time and Odds
The College Football Playoff and the race for the national championship dominates discussion throughout the bowl season, but the final games elsewhere across the country give teams opportunities to establish momentum heading into the 2018 campaign.
The 2017 Cactus Bowl will provide that chance for Pac-12 and Big 12 representatives when the UCLA Bruins clash with the Kansas State Wildcats.
UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen figured to be the star attraction before potential NFL superstardom, but he will not play in the contest, per Tracy Pierson of 247Sports. Bruce Feldman of FS1 reported doctors ordered him to sit out after he suffered a concussion.
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That means the Bruins will be tested by one of the most consistent programs in the country without their leader. With that in mind, here is a breakdown for the upcoming showdown.
Schedule and Information
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 26
Time: 9 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Location: Chase Field in Phoenix
Odds: Kansas State -3, per OddsShark, as of Sunday at 4:30 p.m. ET
Preview and Prediction
UCLA enters this contest in a state of transition after it fired head coach Jim Mora and hired former Oregon coach Chip Kelly to take over the program.
The future looks good with Kelly aboard, but the Bruins will focus on finishing their 6-6 campaign with a win after failing to live up to elevated expectations with a top draft prospect under center. UCLA needed to beat California in its last regular-season game just to become bowl-eligible and was blown out by Stanford (58-34) and Washington (44-23) before losing by five to rival USC.
Jeff Fisch will serve as the interim coach and stressed the focus on the here and now before transitioning to Kelly, per Kellis Robinett of the Wichita Eagle:
"We are playing this game as the 2017 Bruins, not the 2018 Bruins. All of our focus will be on what we have done, what we have built, what we have established and what we have done schematically offensively and defensively over the last six years. In terms of that aspect of it, we are fully on board as the staff that is coaching the 2017 team."
That 2017 team will face a steady Kansas State program preparing for its eighth straight bowl game under the guidance of head coach Bill Snyder.
The Wildcats finished 7-5 but just missed on an even more impressive 2017 with a double-overtime loss to Texas, a seven-point loss to Oklahoma and a five-point loss to West Virginia.
They have experience facing top-notch quarterbacks considering they played Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield but won't have to contend with Rosen in Arizona. Instead, Devon Modster figures to see the field after he completed 30 of 45 passes this season for 376 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Kansas State's methodical rushing attack will look to keep Modster on the sidelines and control the clock. Running backs Alex Barnes, Justin Silmon and Dalvin Warmack all figure to see carries, while quarterback Skylar Thompson ran for 263 yards while completing 63.2 percent of his passes on the season.
Thompson, a freshman, was the primary quarterback for his team's final three games. He won two of them, including a head-turning victory over Oklahoma State where he threw for 204 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 93 yards and another score.
He will go up against a UCLA defense that finished the regular season an abysmal 129th in the country in rushing yards allowed per game (282.7). The Bruins won't be able to consistently get the Wildcats off the field, which will keep their offense sidelined for extended stretches.
That will be key because Kansas State's defense was 129th in the country in passing yards allowed per game (310.3) and could certainly give up its fair share of big plays even with Rosen sidelined.
The difference will come down to the Wildcats' ability to control the clock, set the tempo and minimize the time its shoddy secondary is facing Modster. Their rushing attack will allow them to do just that, and Thompson will make a critical throw when UCLA's defense is forced to put additional players in the box.
Prediction: Kansas State 31, UCLA 24
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