Sun Bowl 2019: FSU vs. ASU TV Schedule, Time and Odds
The Florida State Seminoles will challenge the Arizona State Sun Devils in the 2019 Sun Bowl, a New Year's Eve showdown played in El Paso, Texas.
Despite a frustrating path to 6-6, Florida State heads into the postseason game filled with optimism. New head coach Mike Norvell has arrived from Memphis and helped in preparing for the Sun Bowl, though longtime FSU assistant Odell Haggins will coach the game.
Arizona State, meanwhile, ended Herm Edwards' second season at 7-5 with a marquee upset win over Oregon. The Sun Devils are seeking to snap a three-game bowl losing skid.
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The contest will be the fifth matchup between the programs but the first since 1984. Florida State owns a 3-1 edge in the series.
2019 Sun Bowl Information
When: Thursday, Dec. 31, at 2 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Odds (Caesars): Arizona State -4
Season Reviews
Florida State
Hurricane Dorian altered the plans for Florida State's opener, which was scheduled to be played in Orlando. The storm pushed the contest against Boise State to Tallahassee, and the Seminoles coughed up an 18-point lead in the 36-31 loss.
The result foreshadowed a season full of disappointment.
Louisiana-Monroe recovered from a 17-point deficit in the following game, only to gift FSU a 45-44 overtime win because of a missed extra point. The 'Noles then lost on the road to eventual ACC Coastal Division winner Virginia.
After toppling Louisville and North Carolina State, the season really went south. Clemson smashed FSU 45-14, Wake Forest earned a 22-20 win and—following a victory over reeling Syracuse—the 'Noles lost to rival Miami 27-10 in embarrassing fashion.
On the next day, Florida State fired second-year coach Willie Taggart. His brief tenure ended with a 9-12 record.
Haggins assumed interim duties, and the Seminoles clawed their way to bowl eligibility. They clipped Boston College and crushed Alabama State before falling to Florida 40-17.
The school announced Norvell's hiring immediately after Memphis won the American Athletic Conference Championship Game. Although several top-rated commits left after Taggart's dismissal, FSU still has the No. 21 class in the nation.
Florida State is looking to end an irritating year on a high note, though it will be without star running back Cam Akers. He's declared for the 2020 NFL draft and won't play in the Sun Bowl.
Arizona State
Outstanding defense propelled the Sun Devils to three consecutive wins at the beginning of the season. They allowed seven points to each of Kent State, Sacramento State and Michigan State.
After a 34-31 letdown to Colorado, Arizona State responded with a victory at Cal and a win over Washington State.
The praise came flooding in for Edwards following that 5-1 start, but it felt premature and preceded some frustration.
Arizona State dropped four straight games, beginning with a 21-3 loss at Utah in which the offense mustered only 136 yards. UCLA—which was 2-5 at the time—then knocked off Arizona State before USC and Oregon State did the same.
So, with two games remaining, the Sun Devils held a 5-5 record with Oregon and Arizona left to play. They'd have been favored against Arizona but earned the win over Oregon anyway. Without question, it was the highlight of the season.
ASU took a 24-7 lead and held off a late charge thanks to Brandon Aiyuk's 81-yard score in the closing minutes for a 31-28 upset.
The Sun Devils wrapped up the regular season with a 24-14 victory and earned a seventh win for the third straight year.
Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.
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