The Sports Corner

2008 Las Vegas Bowl Preview

BYU 10-2 (6-2) vs. Arizona 7-5 (5-4)

Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Saturday, December 20, 5 p.m. PST.

Mountain West #3 vs. Pac 10 #5

Coaches: Bronco Mendenhall (38-12) vs. Mike Stoops (24-34)

Quarterbacks: Max Hall vs. Willie Tuitama

The line: Arizona -3

Payout: $1 million

So little Mikey Stoops finally got to a bowl game… now what? Well he had better win that bowl game, that’s what. Because the Pac-10 is reeling. BYU and the Mountain West Conference have lit up the Pac 10 this season. From Jake Locker’s “celebration” penalty, to BYU handing UCLA their worst loss, maybe ever. This game will be about saving face for the Pac 10 more than it should be. And let’s not forget a brain cramp these Wildcats endured at the hands of Mountain West foe New Mexico, yes that New Mexico, the one that went 4-8 this season. Arizona needs to win for respectability, but that might not be within their power.This is Arizona’s first bowl game since the 1998 season, when they beat Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl. BYU, on the other hand, has had a disappointing season with losses to TCU and Utah, who are both quality opponents, but BYU had bigger fish to fry this season and couldn’t get it done. 

It could really depend on how excited BYU is to play this game. If they go down early, they’ve got the weapons to come back on Arizona but its possible they could get demoralized and let the game get away from them. BYU is going to air it out. Quarterback Max Hall has been prolific and he has five players with at least 20 catches. Arizona needs to take away wide receiver Austin Collie and tight end Dennis Pitta, forcing someone else to beat them. They had 95 and 78 catches this season, respectively. Arizona’s junior corner Devin Ross will probably draw the match-up with Collie more often than not, and he may be the most important player in this game. 

However, BYU has the ability to run the football. Harvey Unga, a 240 pound sophomore, has run for over 2,000 yards in his career. One more 1,000 yard season as a junior and he will be the all-time rushing leader at BYU. Arizona should worry about his ability to work the clock. But I think taking away the deep threats of Collie and Pitta will keep them in the game and give their offense a chance to win. 

There won’t be much defense in this game. We’re talking possibly 50+ points a piece in defensive wizardry. Much of that has to do with the firepower on offense, and Arizona certainly isn’t lacking in that area. 

Four of quarterback Willie Tuitama’s receivers have at least 39 catches this year. They’re led by Mike Thomas, who has had at least 50 catches in each of his four years at Arizona. Between Thomas, Delashaun Dean, Terrell Turner and tight end Rob Gronkowski, they have great balance in the passing game. BYU is going to have major match-up problems (Dean is 6′4, Gronkowski is 6′6). 

When they want to run, it’s going to be sophomore Nic Grigsby and freshman Keola Antolin, both smallish quick-twitch backs who can make people miss in space. The kind of players you would expect to see in a CFL backfield. Though between the two of them they’ve only combined for 17 catches. Nevertheless, they’re a threat to go the distance whenever they get their hands on the ball. 

Whoever does a better job of protecting their quarterback has the best chance to win this game, as both teams will drop back 60 per cent of the time. 

It’s BYU’s fourth straight trip to the Las Vegas Bowl. Will they care? In September they were thinking BCS. I think coming into the game as a three-point underdog will give them enough to play for. 

BYU wins 45-42