Cure Bowl
Citrus Bowl Stadium - Orlando, FL
Kickoff: Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET
Line: San Jose State -3, Total: 55.5

Georgia State will play in its first-ever bowl game when it travels to Orlando on Saturday to tangle with sub-.500 San Jose State in the Cure Bowl.

The Spartans (7-5 ATS) are one of three 5-7 teams to go bowling this season, but they failed to win consecutive games all year. They haven't dropped a bowl game since 1987, but they did plenty of losing this season with five of their defeats coming by at least two touchdowns. The Panthers (8-3-1 ATS) were 1-23 in their first two FBS seasons, but finished the 2015 campaign with four straight wins (SU and ATS). All four victories came by double-digits despite the spread in three of those contests being by a field goal or less. Both schools have positive betting trends for their season finale, as SJSU is 22-9 ATS in non-home games after gaining 6.25+ yards per play in its previous contest since 1992, and is also 15-5 ATS in this same timeframe on the road versus poor rushing teams (3.25 or less YPC). However, Georgia State is 12-3 ATS under Trent Miles after a game that went Under the total, including 7-0 ATS this season, and is also 9-1 ATS on the road under Miles after an ATS victory. The only two significant injuries for this matchup are both for the Spartans with TE Brad Kuh (undisclosed) doubtful and S Chad Miller (eye) questionable.

Can Georgia State pick up the victory in its first-ever FBS bowl game? For the answer, connect to College Football Best Bets for all the StatFox Experts picks throughout the bowl season. The experts enter bowl season on a roll with a combined 57% ATS (52-39) Best Bets record over the past three weeks, highlighted by StatFox Scott's 66% ATS mark (19-10). StatFox Brian is 58% ATS (11-8) and StatFox Dave has a 55% ATS (12-10) record during this timeframe.

San Jose State has a high-powered offense that averaged 28.0 PPG and 415 total YPG this year, and those numbers have jumped to 33.0 PPG and 472 total YPG in the past three contests. The team has a slight preference to keep the football on the ground with 56% running plays, which has resulted in 182 YPG on 4.6 YPC. The air attack is also efficient with 233 YPG on 7.5 YPA and 68% completions. Senior RB Tyler Ervin (1,469 rush yds, 5.6 YPC, 13 TD) is the best offensive weapon the Spartans have. Not only did the senior rack up six games with 110+ rushing yards, but he also caught 44 passes for 337 yards and 2 TD. The second leading rusher is junior QB Kenny Potter (346 rush yds, 3.5 YPC, 6 TD), who has galloped for 216 yards and two scores in the past three games. Potter (69% completions, 1,895 pass yds, 14 TD, 6 INT) has also been throwing the football with great accuracy, completing at least 65% of his throws in five straight games where he has totaled 11 TD and only 2 INT. There isn't a clear No. 1 receiver between TE Billy Freeman (581 rec yds, 6 TD) and WRs Hansell Wilson (464 rec yds, 4 TD) and Tim Crawley (424 rec yds, 5 TD). Freeman had 109 receiving yards in the season finale versus Boise State, but Wilson had 98 and a touchdown while Crawley caught five passes and found the end zone for the third straight game. The San Jose State defense hasn't been terrible this season in allowing 28.2 PPG and 369 total YPG, but those numbers have slipped to 33.3 PPG and 440 total YPG over the past three games. Although the pass defense is outstanding, allowing the second-fewest yards in the nation (154 passing YPG), opponents have steamrolled the front seven to the tune of 216 YPG on 5.2 YPC. Due the high volume of running plays, the Spartans have been unable to generate many turnovers, tallying only 11 takeaways all season. Their Saturday opponent does have seven games of multiple giveaways though.

Despite its 22 turnovers this year, Georgia State has still averaged a strong 27.8 PPG and 450 total YPG this season, including 32.5 PPG and 511 total YPG during its four-game win streak. The Panthers love to throw the football with strong-armed QB Nick Arbuckle, who averages 347 passing YPG (4,160 pass yds) with 26 TD and only 11 INT. He has three great pass catchers in WRs Penny Hart (1,095 yds, 8 TD), Robert Davis (979 yds, 6 TD) and Donovan Harden (662 yds, 4 TD). The freshman Hart has five games of at least 110 receiving yards in 2015, and has also scored a touchdown in four straight games. Georgia State is not a strong running team with only 103 YPG on 3.2 YPC this season, but sophomore RB Kyler Neal has rushed for 64 yards on 11 carries (5.8 YPC) and two touchdowns over the past two games. Defensively, the Panthers have been excellent the past three weeks in limiting opponents to 12.7 PPG and 287 total YPG, but they still give up 28.4 PPG and 416 total YPG for the season. They haven't stopped many opposing quarterbacks with allowing 234 passing YPG on 6.5 YPA, and they also surrender 182 rushing YPG on 4.4 YPC. But the unit does have at least one takeaway in all 12 games this season, including 11 forced turnovers during the past six contests.