College Football Bowl Preview (Part I)

Fight Hunger Bowl (December 27 9:30 p.m. ET)

BYU vs. Washington

Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

Two of the best offenses in the country meet in the Fight Hunger Bowl. This game is sure to be a shootout, something that Washington should be used to, having played in the Alamo Bowl against Baylor two years ago. That one ended with the Huskies losing in an offensive battle, 67-56. Both of these teams showed promise, but finished with disappointing records of 8-4.

The Huskies enter this one with an interim head coach after Steve Sarkisian left to take the job at USC. However, don’t expect the offense to miss a beat. Running back Bishop Sankey, one of the best in the nation, is a threat to break a big play every time he touches the ball. Sankey rushed for 1,775 yards and 18 touchdowns.

What makes Washington so tough is the fact that if all the attention is put on stopping Sankey, quarterback Keith Price can beat you with his receiving weapons. Price threw for 20 touchdowns this season, with seven of them going to talented tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins.

Washington has put up 38.5 points a game this season and rank 19th in that category.

The BYU Cougars also have a top offense, especially when it comes to the running game. BYU ranked 10th in the country this year, averaging 274.6 yards per game on the ground. The Cougars had two rushers go over 1,200 yards for the season. Taysom Hill lead the team with 1,211 yards and nine touchdowns. Fellow running back Jamaal Williams also had a solid season, rushing for 1,202 yards and seven touchdowns.

What makes BYU so tough is the fact that the defense is as good as the offense. The Cougars rank 23rd in the nation, allowing just 21.3 points per contest.

I expect this game to be tight, with Washington pulling out a close victory.

Prediction: Washington 27  BYU 20

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