Hawaii @ Louisiana Tech preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 1, 2011 ) Hawaii 44, Louisiana Tech 26

SOFI HAWAI'I BOWL STORYLINES

1. Bowl matchups are the most fun when teams come in with conflicting styles, and Hawai'i and Louisiana Tech fit the bill. The high-flying Rainbow Warriors will try to find a way to light up the scoreboard when they take on the defensive-minded Bulldogs in the SoFi Hawai'i Bowl in Honolulu on Saturday, Dec. 22. Hawai'i averages 32.2 points while Louisiana Tech limited opponents to an average of 23.8 points.

2. The Rainbow Warriors are making their eighth appearance in the Hawai'i Bowl and second in three years and expect to enjoy a home-field advantage. "The University of Hawai'i is honored to be participating in the 2018 Hawai'i Bowl," athletics director David A.K. Matlin told reporters. "This is a special holiday tradition and an amazing experience for our student-athletes who continue to inspire our state. This game gives us one last chance to thank our fans for all the support they've given us throughout the season and a great send-off for our senior class." The Rainbow Warriors are 4-3 in the Hawai'i Bowl, including a 52-35 win over Middle Tennessee State in 2016.

3. Louisiana Tech is making its fifth consecutive bowl appearance and is looking for its fifth straight win in its fifth different bowl game. The Bulldogs have some history playing in hostile territory after winning the Armed Forces Bowl over Navy in 2016 and taking the Frisco Bowl from SMU last season. "We could not be more excited to represent Louisiana Tech in the Hawai'i Bowl," Bulldogs coach Skip Holtz told reporters. "I want to thank the Hawai'i Bowl committee, the people of Hawaii and everyone involved for giving us this incredible opportunity to play our final game of the 2018 season in the great state of Hawaii. I am very excited for this football team to experience the culture and hospitality of the Hawai'i Bowl while also having the opportunity to face off against a great opponent in such a historic stadium."

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Hawai'i -1.

ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (7-5, 5-3 C-USA): Bulldogs defensive end Jaylon Ferguson led the bowl subdivision with 15 sacks and was named the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year. The senior will spend his final collegiate game terrorizing the Rainbow Warriors offensive line and hoping his offense can get just enough done to win the game. That offense is guided by junior quarterback J'Mar Smith, who threw for five touchdowns and four interceptions over the team's final eight games and is completing 57 percent of his passes on the season.

ABOUT HAWAI'I (8-5, 5-3 Mountain West): Rainbow Warriors quarterback Cole McDonald threw for 3,790 yards and 35 TDs in the regular season and was at his best in the finale at San Diego State on Nov. 24, when he threw for 452 yards, three TDs and no interceptions in a 31-30 overtime victory. McDonald could find himself scrambling away from Ferguson and got some practice by rushing for a score in each of the last two games. McDonald's favorite target is wide receiver John Ursua, who owns 89 catches for 1,343 yards and 16 TDs.



PREDICTION: Hawai'i 31, Louisiana Tech 24