| Featured Game | ||||||
| MAACO Las Vegas Bowl | ||||||
| Utah | (10-2) | vs | Boise St. | (11-1) | Wednesday 12/22 5:00 PM PT | (ESPN) |
Fans of the Mountain West Conference may find this game a little confusing. It features one team from the the Mountain West, Utah, who was widely considered the second best the conference vs. a team that has become perennial power from the Western Athletic Conference, Boise St. However, this the last football game Utah will ever play as a Mountain West team as they are moving to the Pac-10 next year. Similarly, Boise St. is no longer going to be part of the WAC and instead will join the Mountain West next year.
The game itself features two very successful Quarterbacks in Utah Senior Terrance Cain and Boise State's Junior Heisman Finalist Kellen Moore. Kellen More has two great weapons to throw to BFTB Scouting Targets Austin Pettis and Titus Young. The also have a bruising stout running back in Doug Martin. Utah is up for some of that challenge. They had a very skilled junior CB in Brandon Burton and a solid, if undersized, run defense. However, aside from Burton there isn't a lot of help on pass defense. Against San Diego St. there were plenty of deep throwing options against the Utes all game long and I would expect the Broncos to take advantage of that like the Aztecs did. Utah can run the ball with a RB tandem of Eddie Wide and Matt Asiata, but that probably won't be enough to keep up with the talented Boise St. offense.
| BFTB Scouting Targets: | |||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight |
| Austin Pettis | Boise St. | WR | Sr. | 6'2 | 204 lbs |
| Productive WR with good size. He can make the spectacular catches, but can sometimes struggle on the routine ones. May not have the speed or burst to separate in the NFL. Why not necessarily similar to Boise St. alum and current Charger Legedu Naanee, his upside could be similar. | |||||
| Titus Young | Boise St. | WR | Sr. | 5'11 | 172 lbs |
| Speedy deep threat, but isn't a great route runner and will struggle with man coverage at the next level. He also lacks ideal height. He's a tough, competitive player. | |||||
| NFL Prospects: | |||||
| Brandon Burton | Utah | CB | Jr. | 6'0 | 187 lbs |
| Talented, physical, tall cornerback who can matchup well against receivers that lack great top end speed. Still a junior and unlikely to declare for the draft, but one to watch for next year. | |||||
| Nate Potter | Boise St. | OT/OG | Sr. | 6'6 | 293 lbs |
| Plays LT for the Broncos, but scouts don't see him staying at that position in the NFL. He's an excellent run blocker who has trouble against good edge pass rushers. Went into the year as a Day 1 or Day 2 prospect, but stock has been slipping. Original Writeup | |||||
| Sleepers: | |||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight |
| Caleb Schlauderaff | Utah | OG | Sr. | 6'3 | 298 lbs |
| Zane Taylor | Utah | OC | Sr. | 6'1 | 298 lbs |
| Joseph Phillips | Utah | K | Sr. | 5'10 | 189 lbs |
| Eddie Wide | Utah | RB | Sr. | 5'9 | 197 lbs |
| Matthew Asiata | Utah | RB | Sr. | 5'11 | 226 lbs |
| Antoine Smithson | Utah | WR | Sr. | 5'10 | 212 lbs |
| Brandyn Thompson | Boise St. | CB | Sr. | 5'9 | 182 lbs |
| Ryan Winterswyk | Boise St. | DE | Sr. | 6'3 | 269 lbs |
| Jeron Johnson | Boise St. | S | Sr. | 5'10 | 197 lbs |
| Derrell Acrey | Boise St. | ILB | Sr. | 6'0 | 233 lbs |
| Thomas Gallarda | Boise St. | TE | Sr. | 6'5 | 253 lbs |
| Daron Mackey | Boise St. | ILB | Sr. | 5'11 | 232 lbs |
| Winston Venable | Boise St. | OLB | Sr. | 5'11 | 217 lbs |
| Jeramy Avery | Boise St. | RB | Sr. | 5'8 | 175 lbs |
| Other Games | ||||||
| Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl | ||||||
| Southern Miss | (8-4) | vs | Louisville | (6-6) | Tuesday 12/21 5:00 PM PT | (ESPN) |
| Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl: Southern Miss vs. Louisville | ||||||
| NFL Prospects: | ||||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight | |
| Bilal Powell | Louisville | RB | Sr. | 5'11 | 216 lbs | |
| Very productive runner this year for the Cardinals and has one high rushing totals in the country this year. Got his first opportunity to take the bulk of the carries in his final season. Before that he was mainly a goal line option, which he could also be in the NFL. He's a downhill runner who can churn out yards even against stout defenses (just like the Golden Eagles defense he faces in this game). | ||||||
| Sleepers: | ||||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight | |
| Anthony Gray | Southern Miss | DT | Sr. | 5'11 | 314 lbs | |
| John Henderson | Southern Miss | DT | Sr. | 6'0 | 296 lbs | |
| Martez Smith | Southern Miss | OLB | Sr. | 5'11 | 219 lbs | |
| Justin Wilson | Southern Miss | S | Sr. | 5'10 | 191 lbs | |
| Johdrick Morris | Southern Miss | WR | Sr. | 6'2 | 222 lbs | |
| Cameron Graham | Louisville | TE | Sr. | 6'3 | 250 lbs | |
| Johnny Patrick | Louisville | CB | Sr. | 5'11 | 188 lbs | |
| Troy Pascley | Louisville | WR | Sr. | 6'1 | 201 lbs | |
Tracking Prospects Mentioned In Previous Articles:
| Prospect Name | College | Position | Class | Proj. Draft Position |
Bowl Game Opponent (Date) |
Notes |
| Noel Devine | West Virginia | RB | Sr. | 3rd/4th rd | North Carolina St. (12/28) | |
| Kendall Hunter | Oklahoma St. | RB | Sr. | 3rd/4th rd | Arizona (12/29) | |
| LaMichael James | Oregon | RB | So. | 2nd rd | Auburn (1/10) | |
| DeMarco Murray | Oklahoma | RB | Sr. | 2nd rd | Connecticut (1/2) | |
| Jacquizz Rodgers | Oregon St. | RB | Jr. | 3rd rd | ||
| Brandon Saine | Ohio State | RB | Sr. | Late rds | Arkansas (1/4) | |
| Shane Vereen | California | RB | Jr. | 3rd rd | ||
| Jonathan Baldwin | Pittsburgh | WR | Jr. | 1st/2nd rd | Kentucky (1/8) | |
| Armon Binns | Cincinnati | WR | Sr. | 5th rd | ||
| Vincent Brown | San Diego St. | WR | Sr. | 4th rd | Navy (12/23) | |
| Ryan Broyles | Oklahoma | WR | Jr. | 1st/2nd rd | Connecticut (1/2) | |
| Michael Floyd | Notre Dame | WR | Jr. | 3rd rd. | Miami (12/31) | Stock is down. May stay in school. |
| A.J Green | Georgia | WR | Jr. | 1st rd. | UCF (12/31) | |
| Leonard Hankerson | Miami | WR | Sr. | 4th/5th rd | Notre Dame (12/31) | |
| Jerrel Jernigan | Troy | WR | Sr. | 2nd rd | 7 rec. 48 yds. 1 TD. 3 car. 16 yds. 1 TD. Returned kicks and punts. | |
| Ron Johnson | USC | WR | Sr. | 4th/5th rd | ||
| Derrell Johnson-Koulianos | Iowa | WR | Sr. | 3rd/4th rd | Dismissed from team after arrest on drug chargers | |
| Julio Jones | Alabama | WR | Jr. | 1st rd | Michigan St. (1/1) | |
| Jeremy Kerley | TCU | WR | Sr. | 5th/6th rd | Wisconsin (1/1) | |
| Greg Little | North Carolina | WR | Sr. | 2nd-4th rd | NCAA ruled him permanently ineligible. | |
| Niles Paul | Nebraska | WR | Sr. | 3rd/4th rd | Washington (12/30) | |
| Austin Pettis | Boise St. | WR | Sr. | Late rds | Utah (12/22) | |
| DeVier Posey | Ohio State | WR | Jr. | 2nd/3rd rd | Arkansas (1/4) | |
| DeMarco Sampson | San Diego St. | WR | Sr. | Late rds | Navy (12/23) | |
| Terrance Toliver | LSU | WR | Sr. | 4th/5th rd | Texas A&M (1/7) | |
| Nick Toon | Wisconsin | WR | Jr. | 4th/5th rd | TCU (1/1) | |
| Titus Young | Boise St. | WR | Sr. | 3rd/4th rd | Utah (12/22) | |
| Gabe Carimi | Wisconsin | OT | Sr. |
1st/2nd rd |
TCU (1/1) | |
| Demarcus Love | Arkansas | OT | Sr. | 2nd rd | Ohio State (1/4) | |
| Jason Pinkston | Pittsburgh | OT | Sr. | 3rd rd | Kentucky (1/8) | |
| Derek Sherrod | Mississippi St. | OT | Sr. | 1st/2nd rd | Michigan (1/1) | |
| Christian Ballard | Iowa | DE/DT | Sr. | 4th rd | Missouri (12/28) | |
| Jared Crick | Nebraska | DE/DT | Jr. | 3rd rd | Washington (12/30) | |
| Nick Fairley | Auburn | DE/DT | Jr. | 1st rd | Oregon (1/10) | |
| Stephen Paea | Oregon St. | NT | Sr. | 1st rd | ||
| Ian Williams | Notre Dame | NT | Sr. | Late rds | Miami (12/31) | Torn MCL. Will probably miss bowl game and combine. |
| Adrian Clayborn | Iowa | DE | Sr. | 1st rd | Missouri (12/28) | |
| J.J. Watt | Wisconsin | DE | Jr. | 2nd rd | TCU (1/1) | |
| Cameron Jordan | California | DE/DT/OLB | Sr. | 1st/2nd rd | ||
| Pierre Allen | Nebraska | DE/OLB | Sr. | 4th rd | Washington (12/30) | |
| Allen Bailey | Miami | DE/OLB | Sr. | 1st rd | Notre Dame (12/31) | |
| Jeremy Beal | Oklahoma | DE/OLB | Sr. | 2nd rd | Connecticut (1/2) | |
| Da'Quan Bowers | Clemson | DE/OLB | Jr. | 1st rd | South Florida (12/31) | |
| Ryan Kerrigan | Purdue | DE/OLB | Sr. | 1st rd | ||
| Karl Klug | Iowa | DE/OLB | Sr. | 5th rd | Missouri (12/28) | |
| Cliff Matthews | South Carolina | DE/OLB | Sr. | 3rd/4th rd | Florida St. (12/31) | |
| Pernell McPhee | Mississippi St. | DE/OLB | Sr. | 2nd rd | Michigan (1/1) | |
| Brooks Reed | Arizona | DE/OLB | Sr. | 2nd/3rd rd | Oklahoma St. (12/29) | |
| Greg Romeus | Pittsburgh | DE/OLB | Sr. | 3rd rd | Torn ACL done for the year. | |
| Jabaal Sheard | Pittsburgh | DE/OLB | Sr. | 2nd rd | Kentucky (1/8) | |
| Kelvin Sheppard | LSU | DE/OLB | Sr. | 3rd rd | Texas A&M (1/7) | |
| Akeem Ayers | UCLA | OLB | Jr. | 1st rd | ||
| Bruce Carter | North Carolina | OLB | Sr. | 2nd rd | Torn ACL. Will miss bowl game and probably combine. | |
| Brandon Hicks | Florida | OLB | So. | 5th rd | Penn St. (1/1) | |
| Von Miller | Texas A&M | OLB | Sr. | 1st rd | LSU (1/7) | |
| Dontay Moch | Nevada | OLB | Sr. | 3rd rd | Boston College (1/9) | |
| Jonas Mouton | Michigan | OLB | Sr. | Late rds | Mississippi St. (1/1) | |
| Kennth Wright | Mississippi St. | OLB | Sr. | 4th rd | Michigan (1/1) | |
| Obi Ezeh | Michigan | ILB | Sr. | Late rds | Mississippi St. (1/1) | |
| Ross Homan | Ohio State | ILB | Sr. | 4th rd | Arkansas (1/4) | |
| Mike Mohamed | California | ILB | Sr. | Late rds | ||
| Nate Irving | North Carolina St. | ILB | Sr. | 3rd rd | West Virginia (12/28) | |
| Greg Jones | Michigan St. | ILB | Sr. | 3rd rd | Alabama (1/1) | |
| Casey Matthews | Oregon | ILB | Sr. | Late rds | Auburn (1/10) | |
| Quan Sturdivant | North Carolina | ILB | Sr. | 2nd rd | Tennessee (12/30) | |
| Chris White | Mississippi St. | ILB | Sr. | Late rds | Michigan (1/1) | |
| Travis Lewis | Oklahoma | LB | Jr. | 2nd rd | Connecticut (1/2) | |
| Colin McCarthy | Miami | LB | Sr. | 3rd rd | Notre Dame (12/31) | |
| Prince Amukamara | Nebraska | CB | Sr. | 1st rd | Washington (12/30) | |
| Chykie Brown | Texas | CB | Sr. | 4th rd | Broken forearm. Done for season. | |
| Curtis Brown | Texas | CB | Sr. | 2nd rd | ||
| Rashad Carmichael | Virginia Tech | CB | Sr. | 3rd rd | Stanford (1/3) | |
| Chimdi Chekwa | Ohio State | CB | Sr. | 3rd/4th rd | Arkansas (1/4) | |
| Marcus Gilchrist | Clemson | CB | Sr. | 3rd rd | South Florida (12/31) | |
| Brandon Harris | Miami | CB | Jr. | 2nd rd | Notre Dame (12/31) | |
| Brandon Hogan | West Virginia | CB | Sr. | 5th rd | North Carolina St. (12/28) | |
| Janoris Jenkins | Florida | CB | Jr. | 1st rd | Penn St. (1/1) | |
| Patrick Peterson | LSU | CB | Jr. | 1st rd | Texas A&M (1/7) | |
| Aaron Williams | Texas | CB | Jr. | 2nd rd | ||
| Shareece Wright | USC | CB | Sr. | 4th rd | ||
| Mark Barron | Alabama | S | Jr. | 2nd/3rd rd | Michigan St. (1/1) | |
| Ahmed Black | Florida | S | Jr. | 4th rd | Penn St. (1/1) | |
| Quinton Carter | Oklahoma | S | Sr. | 2nd rd | Connecticut (1/2) | |
| Jermale Hines | Ohio St. | S | Sr. | Late rds | Arkansas (1/4) | |
| DeAndre McDaniel | Clemson | S | Sr. | 3rd rd | South Florida (12/31) | |
| Rahim Moore | UCLA | S | Jr. | 2nd rd | Most likely returning to school. | |
| Robert Sands | West Virginia | S | Jr. | 2nd rd | North Carolina St. (12/28) | |
| Deunta Williams | North Carolina | S | Sr. | 3rd rd | Tennessee (12/30) |