Taking place on Saturday, the Arizona Bowl provides college football fans with a unique matchup. The Miami Ohio RedHawks find themselves taking on the Colorado State Rams. Starting at 4:30 pm Eastern, this bowl game is flying a bit under the radar. However, to the die-hard football fans, this game is worth watching. Pitting two eight-win teams against each other, this should be a hard-fought football game. Both teams suffered disappointment at the end of their seasons and will be eager to end on a high note. The RedHawks are currently sitting at 2.5-point favorites, proving that oddsmakers view this as a close game. With so many games on Saturday, many are unfortunately not paying attention to this one. If fans want a close game between two tough Group of Five teams, they should tune in.
Arizona Bowl Preview: Underrated Matchup
Unique Venue
Everything about the Arizona Bowl showcases an atmosphere like no other game. Taking place in sunny Tucson, fans should be greeted by beautiful weather. Considering the Winter weather in much of the country, this could be a welcomed sight. Not only is the venue unique but many fans will be surprised by the game’s new, full name. This isn’t just the Arizona Bowl; it is the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl. Hosting a pep rally the day before, this is an all-weekend event. With a festival tailgate taking place on the day of the game, fans will be hard-pressed to find a venue quite like this. Partnering with Snoop Dogg’s drink, this will be the first time that an alcohol brand is sponsoring a bowl game. This whole weekend should be a fun time for the fans, as they gear up for an underrated game.
Veteran Quarterbacks
Moving on to the actual game, this bowl features two high-end quarterbacks. For the RedHawks, they will be led by senior Brett Gabbert. Having quite a career at Miami (OH), he will be hoping to finish on top. In his senior campaign, Gabbert threw for 21 touchdowns and over 2700 yards. Despite the eight wins, this season was not smooth sailing. Starting 1-4, the team rallied behind Gabbert and rattled off seven straight wins. Making the MAC Championship, the RedHawks eventually fell short to the Ohio Bobcats. For the Colorado State Rams, they are led by sophomore Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi. Throwing for over 2400 yards and 13 touchdowns, the numbers are not eye-popping. However, he is incredibly efficient and helps run the offense smoothly. Starting the season 2-3, they also got hot late, finishing the year with an 8-4 record.
Respected Coaches
Both squads are led by well-known and respected coaches. The RedHawks are led by head coach Chuck Martin, who has been in charge since 2014. A long tenure, Martin has now led the RedHawks to four straight bowl games. Highlighted by an 11-win season in 2023, he has been keeping this program relevant in the MAC conference. Under his helm, Miami has won 6 or more games every season since 2017 (excluding the shortened COVID year). Looking for his ninth win, Martin has led his team to an impressive turnaround after the slow start. For the Rams, they are led by the upstart Jay Norvell. Formerly the head coach at Nevada, Norvell transitioned to Colorado State in 2022. Finding success with the Wolf Pack, he struggled early on with the Rams. This is the first season under his tenure that they have been bowl-eligible.
Weapons on Weapons
Starting with the Rams, they have plenty of talented players surrounding Fowler-Nicolosi. Running back Avery Morrow finds himself 44 yards away from a thousand yards on the ground. Rushing for 10 touchdowns, he should be in line to have a big day. Unfortunately for the Rams, their best receiver suffered a season-ending injury earlier in the season. With no true number-one target, plenty of players have stepped up. Fowler-Nicolosi will have the chance to spread the ball out evenly, making this offense even harder to defend. For the RedHawks, they have their 1,000-yard rusher in running back Keyon Mozee. A well-balanced offense, they have had success throughout the season. They will, however, be without top receiver Reggie Virgil, as he entered the transfer portal, committing to Texas Tech. Both offenses have their fair share of skill players, but the loss of Virgil will be pivotal.
Final Thoughts
The Arizona Bowl pits two teams that have had successful seasons with disappointing endings. Colorado State fans were certainly underwhelmed when the Rams blew their chances at the Mountain West Championship. Needing to win their last two, the Rams fell short against the 6-6 Fresno State Bulldogs. The late comeback was not enough, and due to the loss, the Rams were jumped in the standings by UNLV. With Colorado State and Miami (OH) both coming up short, each team should come in motivated. Both squads have shown flashes of great football but have also proven to be vulnerable. This should be a hard-fought close game, as both teams are littered with veterans. With Jay Norvell building something special, despite being slight underdogs, I’m leaning on the side of the Rams. Look for Fowler-Nicolosi to have a big day, with the Rams winning by a late field goal.
Prediction: Colorado State 27 Miami (OH) 24
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