Big Ten Bowl Season Preview: Foster Farms Bowl

The Foster Farms Bowl features the Arizona Wildcats and the Purdue Boilermakers.

Breakout star Khalil Tate and the Wildcats will square off against first year head coach Jeff Brohm and the Boilermakers on December 27 in Santa Clara, CA at Levi’s Stadium.

Game: Foster Farms Bowl
TEAMS: Purdue Boilermakers 6-6, 4-5 Big Ten) vs Arizona Wildcats (7-5, 5-4 Pac 12)
TIME: December 27, 2017 8:30 p.m. EST
LOCATION: Levi’s Stadium – Santa Clara, California
TV: ESPN

The home field advantage belongs to Arizona, and their fans should travel to see the sensational sophomore quarterback Tate.

Purdue has had a very up and down season. Brohm compiled a 6-6 record, leading the Boilermakers to their first bowl game since 2012. While Arizona is favored to win the game, it is Purdue who seemed to be gelling in the final weeks of the regular season.

The Boilermakers finished the season with wins at Iowa and versus Indiana, and they looked very good in both contests.Close losses to Rutgers and Nebraska are two games Purdue wishes they could have back.

Elijah Sindelar was called upon to lead the Boilermakers after quarterback David Blough suffered a season ending injury. Sindelar went 2-1 in his starts this season, and will determine if Purdue has a chance to win the game.

He will look to wide receivers Jackson Anthrop who has 44 catches on the year, and Anthony Mahoungou who has developed a rapport with the new quarterback.

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Ja’Whaun Bentley is Purdue’s standout defender. The linebacker leads the team in tackles with 89, but he will have the most difficult assignment, arguably, of his career in the Foster Farms Bowl.

Khalil Tate is that assignment, and he’s more difficult than calculus.

Tate is an early Heisman candidate for next season, and for good reason. In his sophomore campaign, he has thrown for 1289 yards, and has rushed for 1353. They call that a dual-threat.

The gospel truth is Tate will only need to be an average passer against Purdue for Arizona to win. As long as he doesn’t throw a bunch of interceptions, he will be able to carry the Wildcats with his legs.

If you could care less about Purdue or Arizona, I sincerely urge you to watch this game for Tate. If you’re on the east coast, chances are you haven’t seen much of him this year.

He is the definition of a highlight reel, and starting in his first bowl game, Tate will give the Boilermakers all they can handle and then some.

Tate has had rushing performances of 230, 206 and 327 yards this season. He has the ability to leaves jaws dropped to the turf.

If there is something for Purdue to hang their hats on though, it’s the fact that ‘Zona has struggled as of late.

They closed out the season with losses to Arizona State and Oregon, in which Tate was held in check.

Both of those opponents were able to score with Arizona, and Tate didn’t have the opportunities he was used to.

The key for Purdue will be to stop Tate early and score first. If he gets going and Arizona can build a lead, it will be a long day for the Boilermakers.

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