Miami Beach Bowl:
BYU (8-4) vs. Memphis (9-3)
Where: Marlins Park, Miami (36,742)
Time: 2 PM ET/1 PM CT
ESPN
Dave Flemming, Danny Kanell and Allison Williams
Refs: C-USA Wayne Winkler- head ref-C-USA refs can struggle a times
Line: Memphis by 1 1/2 to 2
Take:
Memphis has the fifth best scoring defense in the country allowing 17.1 ppg, but that’s deceiving as they haven’t played a scoring offense over 94th in the country in the last two months. BYU can score and will against an overrated defense. BYU defeated PAC-12 team Cal the final game of the season, 42-35, at Cal, which if you study it, is pretty impressive as Cal has been highly competitive with some of the better Pac-12 teams in the country this season. Cal lost 36-34 to UCLA, lost to Oregon, 59-41, but obviously moved the ball, lost to USC, 38-30m, and defeated Northwesfern, 31-24, Washington State, 60-59, and Colorado, 59-56. So BYU plays some defense. BYU quarterback Christian Stewart has completed 58.7% of his passes (176-of-300) for 2,273 yards, 22 TDS and 6 ints. BYU is on a four game win streak and Stewart has thrown for 1,281 yards, 14 TDs and one int in that streak. BYU is in their 10th consecutive bowl appearance and had won four in a row before last year’s 31-16 loss to Washington in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. I like BYU to get it back together this season in this bowl game. Their offense is good and will get it done today.
