HOLIDAY BOWL - Qualcomm Stadium – San Diego, CA
Kickoff: Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. ET
Line: Washington State -10.0, Total: 61.0

Washington State will be hoping to end the year with a victory over a depleted Minnesota team in the Holiday Bowl.

When Minnesota takes the field on Tuesday, the Golden Gophers will not be anywhere near full strength. 10 players will not be playing due to suspension, and that almost caused Minnesota to boycott this game. Fortunately for the university and its fans, the Golden Gophers have decided to play in this one. They’ll be happy to get out there, as they definitely want to wash the taste of their most recent game out of their mouths. Minnesota led Wisconsin at the half, but the team ended up losing 31-17 as a 14.5-point road underdog. The Gophers imploded in that game, so they’ll be eager to put up a better effort on Tuesday. The Cougars also looked miserable the last time they played, as Washington State lost 45-17 as a six-point home favorite against Washington in the Apple Cup. The week before, the Cougars lost 38-24 as six-point underdogs in Colorado. This is a good football team, and they really shouldn’t lose three straight. Expect them to come out with a ton of energy in this one. One trend favoring Minnesota in this game is the fact that the team is 6-0 ATS versus teams that complete 58% or more of their passes over the past two seasons. Washington State, meanwhile, is 6-0 ATS after gaining 75 or fewer rushing yards in its previous game in that span.

If the Golden Gophers are going to find a way to keep up with this high-scoring Washington State team then QB Mitch Leidner (2,040 yards, 7 TD, 12 INT) better step his game up. Leidner was downright awful against Wisconsin, completing 34.6% of his passes for only one touchdown. He also threw an embarrassing four interceptions in that game. Leidner must be more careful with the ball on Tuesday, as any of his mistakes can easily turn into seven points for an explosive Cougars passing game. Minnesota’s offense is, however, built around the run, and RB Rodney Smith (1,084 yards, 15 TD) could find some success in this game. He has not rushed for over 100 yards in three straight games, but this one should be different. Washington State’s rushing defense is more than capable of being gashed, and the Gophers know that they have no chance of winning this game if Smith is not picking up first downs. Defensively, Minnesota better be ready to defend the pass. Washington State has attempted 50 or more passes in three straight games, so the Gophers need to be on their toes.

Washington State has one of the nation’s top offenses and QB Luke Falk (4,204 yards, 37 TD, 10 INT) will be looking to put the cherry on top of a fantastic season on Tuesday. Falk did, however, struggle against Washington in the Apple Cup. He threw three picks in that game, and those mistakes really prevented his team from having a chance to pull off the upset. Still, this Minnesota defense is nowhere near as good as Washington’s. It’d be surprising if Falk can’t throw for at least 300 yards and three touchdowns in this one He had done exactly that in each of the five games before facing the Huskies. When going to air, Falk will do his best to find WR Gabe Marks (85 rec, 867 yards, 13 TD). Marks had 11 receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown against Washington last game. He should be able to put up similar numbers against the Gophers in this one. Defensively, the Cougars are going to need to shut down the run. If they can force Minnesota to throw the ball with Leidner often then they should blow them out in this game.