College football bowl season is well underway. We’ve also already seen the first round of the College Football Playoff played. However, the bowl game with the best trophy (other than maybe the National Championship Trophy) is yet to be played. That specific game would be the Pop-Tarts Bowl, played in Orlando. This year’s Pop-Tarts Bowl gives us Miami vs Iowa State, in the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
Miami Takes on Iowa State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl
To make things better, this year’s trophy won’t just be a football that has slots that make it look like a toaster. This year, those slots will actually serve as a functioning toaster. However, more importantly, the real question is which mascot flavor will get eaten after the game. With two additional mascots this year, the options are now Wild Berry, Hot Fudge Sundae, and Cinnamon Roll (based on those, the clear option should be Hot Fudge Sundae, right?)
But that’s enough about what to expect from the postgame festivities. Now, let’s look at what to expect on the field.
How Does Miami Respond to Late Season Loss?
For Mario Cristobal and the Miami Hurricanes, the biggest question seems to be how they respond to a late-season loss to Syracuse. Heading into the season finale, they were one win away from the ACC Championship Game and a likely spot in the College Football Playoff. Instead, a loss to Syracuse now has them in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
The other side of the equation for Miami is that it has lost 11 of its last 12 bowl games. The last bowl win came eight years to the day, in the same stadium, as this game. Needless to say, that’s less than ideal for a program of Miami’s pedigree.
The good news for the Hurricanes is that they haven’t seen many players opt out of the bowl game. Davey O’Brien award winner and Heisman finalist Cam Ward has already come out and said he’s going to play one final game as the Miami quarterback. It also looks like wide receiver Xavier Restrepo plans to play his last game in the green and orange, as well. With Restrepo being the school’s all-time reception and receiving yards leader, having him play in the bowl game is huge news for the Hurricanes. With both of these guys playing, the Miami offense that leads the country in yards and points per game should continue to put up big numbers, even against an Iowa State defense that ranks third nationally in passing yards allowed per game.
The problem for Miami is going to be the defense. It has had problems getting off the field all season long, and that likely won’t change in this one. Despite playing against an offense that has been mediocre at times this season, expect the Hurricanes to give up plenty of yards.
Can the Cyclones Regain Their Footing?
Similar to Miami, the Iowa State Cyclones found themselves one win away from the College Football Playoff. Then came the Big 12 Championship Game. Against Arizona State, the Cyclones simply couldn’t get a stop on the defensive side of the ball. They also made too many mistakes on offense, en route to a 45-19 thrashing. Now Matt Campbell is going to have to get his guys ready for a Miami team that can also put points on the board in a hurry.
For Iowa State, quarterback Rocco Becht is going to have to find ways to get the ball to receivers Jayden Higgins or Jaylin Noel. Both Higgins and Noel have eclipsed 1,000-yard seasons, and are both averaging over 13 yards per completion. Against an extremely suspect Hurricane defense, this shouldn’t be all that tall of a task.
But on the other side of the ball, the Cyclone defense remains a question. Their passing defense has been solid, but the rushing defense has been abysmal, to put it mildly, ranking outside the top 100 in the country. And while Miami is a pass-first offense, it does average 179 yards per game on the ground. If Iowa State wants to have a chance in this one, the rushing defense is going to have to step up in a big way.
Pop-Tarts Bowl: Bottom Line and Prediction
This game is one of the more exciting bowl games of the year, outside of the College Football Playoff. It features two similar football teams that were both only a few plays away from playoff berths. Yet, for both, their defenses largely let them down. What that means is that we should get a high-scoring, exciting game in this one.
In the end, the Miami offense is going to prove to be too much. Early success from the rushing attack should open up chances downfield for Ward to find Restrepo as the game goes on. Expect this one to come down to the wire, but a late touchdown ultimately pushes the Hurricanes over the edge, giving them their first bowl win in eight years.
Miami 38, Iowa State 34
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