LAS VEGAS BOWL PREVIEW

LAS VEGAS BOWL
Thursday, December 22nd 8:00 PM ET - Sam Boyd Stadium - Las Vegas, NV

BYU Cougars vs. California Golden Bears

The BYU Cougars were the big surprise of the Mountain West Conference with a second place finish as 5-3. Things did not start out well for BYU as it started the season 1-3 with the only win coming against 1-AA Eastern Illinois. The offense finally found its groove as the Cougars won five of their final seven games. One of those losses was at Notre Dame while the other came in the season finale against rival Utah in overtime. BYU won three of its final four road games on the year.

California started the season 5-0 and it looked as though another special season could be in the works. However, a devastating last minute loss to UCLA sent the Bears in a tailspin where they lost four of five games before ending the season with a win over Stanford. It's hard not to overlook the fact that Cal did not defeat anyone with a winning record but it has an offense that can keep up with the best of them. The Bears rely on their strong rushing offense as the passing game is non-existent.

Cal is 10th in the country in rushing offense, averaging 234.7 ypg and 5.9 ypc. The Bears were held to fewer than 200 yards only three times all season and averaged over six yards per carry in five different games. The Bears are 89th in passing offense as they have completed only 50.7 percent of their passes this year, the fourth lowest percentage of any bowl team competing this year. Cal averaged only 23.8 ppg in its final five games after averaging 40.2 ppg in its first six games.

The Cougars were up and down on defense this season but their biggest weakness might not be exposed by Cal. BYU finished 105th in the country in passing defense and 104th in passing efficiency defense. The Cougars allowed 23 touchdowns while intercepting only nine passes. Cal had its four best passing games against defenses ranked 113th, 111th, 108th and 101st so the Bears could actually have a decent game through the air. BYU ranked 49th in rushing defense but allowed at least 200 yards four times.

The Bears defense finished 47th in the country in total defense a big dropoff from their 13th ranking a year ago. They held two opponents to three points combined within their final seven games but they allowed 34 ppg in the five games between. The Cougars ended up 13th in the country in total offense and 8th in passing offense which is the downfall for the Bears who allow 230.4 ypg through the air, 75th in the country. BYU completes 64.1 percent of its passes while the Bears allow just 54.7 percent.

Cal snapped a streak of five straight losses against the number with its cover against Stanford. The Bears dropped the cash in three of their last four on the road and seven of their last nine overall. They went 7-2 under in their final nine games and also went 7-2 under with a total of 49 or more. The Cougars ended the year with a 5-2 ATS run after failing to cover in their first three lined games. That included a 3-1 ATS mark on the road. BYU went over in its final five games.

PIONEER LAS VEGAS BOWL
Las Vegas, Nevada
December 22, 2005, at 8 p.m. ET : ESPN
Sam Boyd Stadium: 40,000
BYU (6-5) vs. California (7-4)

Las Vegas Bowl Betting Sites | 2005 Las Vegas Bowl Sportsbooks

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