2013 College Football Bowl Picks: Gildan New Mexico Bowl Odds and Predictions – Washington St vs Colorado St 12/21/2013

2013 College Football Bowl Picks: Gildan New Mexico Bowl Odds and Predictions – Washington St vs Colorado St 12/21/2013: College football bowl seasons kicks off Saturday when the Washington State Cougars (6-6, 4-5 Pac-12) face the Colorado State Rams (7-6, 5-3 MWC) in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl. Both teams finished in the middle of the pack in their respective conferences, and for the Rams, the game will mark their first bowl appearance since 2008. It will be the Pac-12 versus the Mountain West, and the Cougars enter the game as a 3 ½-point favorite.

For the Cougars, a high-powered passing attack has been backed by a shaky defense. Quarterback Connor Halliday has thrown for 28 touchdowns and almost 4,200 yards for the fourth-best passing offense in the country. On the flip side, Washington State’s rushing offense has been abysmal, and the defense ranks 92nd in the country in points allowed. In fact, the Cougars are allowing more points per game than they are scoring for the season.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Rams have been balanced across the board. Colorado State ranks in the top 40 nationally in both passing and rushing and rank in the top 30 in points per game. Quarterback Garrett Grayson has thrown for 21 scores, and running back Kapri Bibbs leads the country with 28 touchdowns. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Colorado State defense is allowing 28.6 points per game and ranks 79th in the country. The lone bright spot for the unit is linebacker Shaquil Barrett, who ranks third in the country with 12.0 sacks.

The Cougars Win If:

If the Cougars are going to win the game, their defense has to be able to keep Bibbs in check. Washington State’s defense isn’t going to suddenly going to fix its issues, but the unit can’t afford to let the Rams control the pace and the clock with their ground game in order to have a chance. On the offensive side of the ball, the Cougars can’t afford any turnovers. If Washington State can turn this game into a battle of passing attacks, Halliday has enough firepower at his disposal to win a shootout.

The Rams Win If:

For the Rams to win the game, they have to establish Bibbs and their rushing attack early in the game. Neither side has a great defense, but the Rams do have a powerful running attack that gives them a chance to both put points on the board and somewhat control the pace of the game. Defensively, Colorado State needs a big performance form its pass rush in order to make life difficult on Washington State passing attack. If the Rams can disrupt Halliday even a bit, it should be enough to tip the scales in their favor.

Bottom Line:

On one hand, Colorado State has struggled to score points against teams from power conferences and against the better defensive-minded teams from the Mountain West. That being said, the Cougars defense is one of the worst in the country, and the unit has already been torched by strong backs like Washington’s Bishop Sankey and Arizona’s Ka’Deem Carey. Bibbs should have plenty of running room against Washington State’s shaky defense, and when the Rams are able to establish their running game, it helps them on both sides of the ball. Not to mention the fact that Colorado State’s only real strength on defense happens to be its pass rush, and the Rams should be able to stay in attack mode most of the game since the Cougars average less than 60 yards per game on the ground. Expect a high-scoring affair, but Colorado State’s ground game and pass rush should allow them to emerge with the win.

Prediction: Colorado State Rams (+3 ½) Cover the Spread

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