San Diego State vs UTSA: Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl prediction, game preview, how to watch, Tuesday, December 21
San Diego State vs UTSA: Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl How To Watch
Date: Tuesday, December 21
Game Time: 7:30 pm ET
Venue: Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX
How To Watch: ESPN, Live stream on ESPN+
Records: San Diego State (11-2), UTSA (12-1)
San Diego State vs UTSA Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl Preview
– Give the bowl types credit for seeing the possibility of this matchup being between two of the best Group of Five teams not named Cincinnati.
UTSA did its part by surviving the WKU offensive avalanche to win the Conference USA championship, and with all due respect to Utah State, San Diego State was probably the best team in the Mountain West, but a Covid outbreak kept 20 players out of the conference championship game.
– Now the Aztecs should be just fine, and you’re being warned in advance. If they’re playing like they’re supposed to, there’s nothing fun about it.
However, they’re brutally effective with one of the nation’s most dominating defenses, a killer power running attack, and a punting game that’s otherworldly. They’d love to grind this game down to a nub.
– UTSA is able to adapt to any style. There’s a good offensive balance, it doesn’t turn the ball over like San Diego State might need, and it also has an amazing punting game and tough run defense.
There’s enough of a passing attack to press and be balanced, but it’ll be more than happy to grind it up and rely on its excellent offensive backfield and great line to try winning this.
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NEXT: Why San Diego State Will Win, Why UTSA Will Win, Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl Prediction
Why UTSA Will Win The Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl
Get up fast on San Diego State and take your chances.
No, that didn’t work for Boise State, but San Diego State isn’t built to crank up a high-powered passing game to get back into games.
To play a fully healthy Aztec team – and not the version Utah State got in the Mountain West Championship – you have to be very, very patient. UTSA can do that.
It would be nice to have a great punting game to help control the field position battle. UTSA led Conference USA in net punting.
You need to be really, really careful with the ball and not give the San Diego State offense any easy chances. UTSA is second in the nation in turnover margin.
You need to be able to stop the run. The Roadrunners allowed just three yards per carry and 112 yards per game on the year.
However …
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Why San Diego State Will Win The Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl
North Texas and UAB ran wild on the UTSA defense.
It’s possible to run on the Roadrunners, but there weren’t a lot of teams on the slate that could do it. To be sure, they’re fantastic at holding up against the run, but the raw numbers aren’t going to mean as much to San Diego State as the control, the field position, and the time.
UTSA is okay when it comes to time of possession – the stats are a tad skewed by playing WKU twice along with a few other quick-paced teams. San Diego State lives off the number.
The Aztec run defense is a rock, the pass defense is dominant, and this group will come into Frisco in a very, very bad mood after what happened against Utah State in the Mountain West Championship.
This game will be a grind, and San Diego State does that a whole lot better.
Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History
NEXT: What’s Going To Happen, San Diego State vs UTSA Prediction, Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl History
San Diego State vs UTSA: Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl, What’s Going To Happen
UTSA fans will show up in Frisco to bring a good energy, but all of the excitement will be sapped out by a tough – but interesting – game that will come down to field position and mistakes.
Don’t expect a whole lot of points, and watch for a totally different – and healthy – San Diego State team that will be flying around defensively from the start.
No, this isn’t going to be one of the most exciting, high-powered offensive games that America might like in its early bowls, but it’s going to be a great game in one of the best bowl matchups of the season.
If you like low-scoring defensive fights and brilliant punting, this will be for you.
Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl: San Diego State vs UTSA Prediction, Lines
San Diego State 26, UTSA 23
Line: UTSA -2.5, o/u: 49.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2
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Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl History
2020 Canceled
Dece 20, 2019 Kent State 51 Utah State 41
Dec 19, 2018 Ohio 27 San Diego State 0
Dec 20, 2017 Louisiana Tech 51 SMU 10
San Diego State vs UTSA Preview
Why San Diego State, UTSA Will Win
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