Arizona State @ Boise State preview

MAACO BOWL LAS VEGAS STORYLINES

1. No. 6 Boise State is back in this contest for the second straight year after once again missing out on a BCS bid. Arizona State is lucky to be anywhere after collapsing with four straight losses to end the regular season, which led to the firing of Dennis Erickson, who will coach in the bowl game.

2. Both teams have prolific quarterbacks. Boise State’s Kellen Moore (49-3) is the winningest quarterback in NCAA history and is second on the career touchdowns list with 140. Arizona State’s Brock Osweiler is a gunslinger who passed for 3,641 yards and 24 touchdowns.

3. Boise State’s pass defense ranks 25th nationally at 195.5 yards per game; Arizona State could try the long-ball route that worked well for TCU in its victory over the Broncos when the Horned Frogs had touchdown plays of 75, 74 and 69 yards. The Sun Devils rank 11th in passing offense (310.2), and Osweiler has a big-time target in Gerrell Robinson (64 receptions for 1,156 yards).

4. Boise State is 7-4 in bowl games, including last year’s 26-3 victory over Utah in Las Vegas. Arizona State is 12-11-1 and in its first bowl game since losing to Texas in the 2007 Holiday Bowl.

TV: ESPN Line: Boise State -14

ABOUT BOISE STATE (11-1, 6-1 Mountain West): The Broncos are back in Las Vegas due to the same formula that hurt them in 2010 – a weak schedule and a missed field goal. Boise State went 1-1 against the two tough teams on its schedule (Georgia and TCU) and lost to the Horned Frogs 36-35 when Dan Goodale missed a game-winning 39-yard field goal attempt. A year earlier, it was Kyle Brotzman missing two chip-shot kicks in a loss to Nevada. Moore passed for 3,507 yards and a school-record 41 touchdowns, and receiver Tyler Shoemaker caught a school-best 15 touchdowns. Doug Martin has rushed for 1,370 yards, fourth most in school history.

ABOUT ARIZONA STATE (6-6, 4-5 Pac-12): The Sun Devils were cruising toward a berth in the Pac-12 title game when they were 6-2 in late October before the four-game November skid in which they allowed 144 points. The highlight of the season was a 43-22 shellacking of USC. Erickson is 31-30 in five seasons at Arizona State entering his finale. Running back Cameron Marshall (1,038) has 18 rushing touchdowns to tie the school record shared by Woody Green (1972) and Terry Battle (1996). Linebacker Vontaze Burfict (team-high five sacks) has been practicing on the second team after he finished the regular season poorly and reportedly refused to re-enter the season finale against California after being pulled.

PREDICTION: Boise State 45, Arizona State 23 – No telling whether the Sun Devils will be inspired for Erickson’s final game or go through the motions, but Boise State will be looking for a rout in Moore’s final game.