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Saturday's bowl games

 
Published Dec. 20, 2014

Today's bowl games

New Orleans

Nevada (7-5, 4-4 Mountain West) vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (8-4, 7-1 Sun Belt), 11 a.m.

TV/radio: ESPN; 620-AM

Line: Nevada by 1

Notable: Louisiana-Lafayette is averaging 229.4 yards a game on the ground, 23rd in Division I-A. Nevada QB Cody Fajardo accounted for 3,371 yards from scrimmage and 31 touchdowns this season.

New Mexico

Utah State (9-4, 6-2 MWC) vs. UTEP (7-5, 5-3 C-USA), 2:20 p.m., Albuquerque

TV/radio: ESPN; 620-AM

Line: Utah State by 10

Notable: The Miners, seeking their first bowl victory since 1967, have rushed for 212.7 yards a game, 32nd in the nation. The Aggies rank 26th in the nation in rushing defense (129.2 ypg).

Las Vegas

No. 23 Utah (8-4, 5-4 Pac-12) vs. Colorado State (10-2, 6-2 MWC), 3:30

TV: Ch. 28

Line: Utah by 2½

Notable: This is the 80th meeting between the former longtime conference rivals. The Utes led I-A with 52 sacks (DE Nate Orchard leads the nation at 1.46 a game) and face the Rams' Garrett Grayson, who passed for 3,779 yards (sixth in I-A) and 32 touchdowns.

Idaho Potato Bowl

Western Michigan (8-4, 6-2 MAC) vs. Air Force (9-3, 5-3 MWC), 5:45, Boise

TV/radio: ESPN; 620-AM

Line: Western Michigan by 1

Notable: These two teams, along with TCU, tied for the best turnarounds in the nation; each increased their win total from 2013 by seven. WMU's P.J. Fleck, a former Bucs assistant, is the youngest coach in I-A at 34. Air Force is seventh in the country in rushing at 272.2 ypg.

Camellia

Bowling Green (7-6, 5-3 MAC) vs. South Alabama (6-6, 5-3 Sun Belt), 9:15, Montgomery, Ala.

TV/radio: ESPN; 620-AM

Line: South Alabama by 2½

Notable: South Alabama, which started its program in 2009, makes its bowl debut. No team has reached a bowl as fast as the Jaguars, in their second year in Division I-A. Bowling Green is giving up 499.6 yards a game (119th among 125 I-A teams) and 33.9 points a game (107th).

Times wires