The Miami Hurricanes face the Washington State Cougars in the Sun Bowl Saturday afternoon in El Paso, Texas. The Hurricanes finished in third place in the AAC Coastal division at 8-4, and interim head coach Larry Scott will look to end the season on a high note in his final game as head coach. The Cougars finished the season with a disappointing loss to in-state rival Washington, and head coach Mike Leach will look for his team to rebound with a big win over the Hurricanes on Saturday.
Washington State sophomore quarterback Luke Falk leads the Cougars offense and has thrown for 4,266 passing yards in Leach's system. Falk has thrown 36 touchdowns to eight interceptions, and he will look to rebound after having a season-low one-touchdown passing performance against Washington in their season finale.
The Cougars have two top-tier receivers in Gabe Marks and Dom Williams, and the combination of the two is difficult for any defense to cover. Marks leads the team with 1,125 receiving yards and has scored 14 touchdowns in his junior season. Williams caught the sole touchdown pass against Washington in their season finale, and he has 73 receptions and 11 touchdowns in his senior year.
The Hurricanes defense will surely be tested with Leach's high powered offense, and Miami will be missing a key player on defense, as defensive back Jamal Carter has been suspended for the bowl game for violating team rules. The junior defensive back is a big playmaker for their defense, and Scott will look for the rest of the secondary to pick up their play with Carter out.
The Hurricanes offense is led by talented sophomore quarterback Brad Kaaya, who looks to have a bright future under head coach Mark Richt. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound quarterback has thrown over 3,000 yards on the season with 15 touchdowns to four interceptions. Kaaya will likely need to throw the ball often on Saturday, as this game could turn into a shootout with the Cougars aerial attack.
Running back Joseph Yearby is likely to see some touches early, as Scott will depend on the ground game to open holes for the Hurricanes' passing attack. The sophomore running back leads the team with 939 rushing yards and has scored six touchdowns. Yearby is a dual threat out of the backfield and has received 23 passes for 273 yards with two touchdowns.
Both offenses can score points, and the Sun Bowl looks to be one of the more intriguing games to tune into this bowl season. The game starts a 2 p.m. Eastern time, and you can watch the live broadcast here. To listen to the Hurricanes' radio broadcast, click here, and for the Cougars' radio broadcast, go here.
