| Featured Game | ||||||
| San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl | ||||||
| Navy | (9-3) | vs | San Diego St. | (8-4) | Thursday 12/23 5:00 PM PT | (ESPN) |
This is a bowl pairing that the Poinsettia Bowl founders had always dreamed of. San Diego is a Navy town, full of veterans and current naval personnel and it is also home to many Aztec fans that have been hoping to see their team in the college postseason for years. On top of that, the game is in San Diego, which is a great destination for out-of-town Navy fans and wayward Aztec alums to come see a great matchup.
Navy runs a triple option style offense built around their Senior QB Ricky Dobbs, FB Alexander Teich, RB Gee Gee Greene and RB Aaron Santiago. SDSU got some preparation for playing against this disciplined style in a win over Air Force at Qualcomm Stadium. The big threat of this offense is that all that running can leave a defense vulnerable to a passing game that features two WRs in Greg Jones and Brandon Turner who are excellent at selling run before going deep. That's a situation that SDSU CBs Leon McFadden and Josh Wade need to be prepared for.
SDSU's offense is also full of weapons. Ryan Lindley is an experienced Junior QB who has two experienced WRs to throw to in Vincent Brown and Demarco Sampson. He also has a talented freshman RB in Ronnie Hillman to hand off to. If those options are occupied then 6'6 Freshman TE Gavin Escobar and Senior FB Brandon Sullivan have proven to be effective safety valves who can pick up first downs. Navy has some decent CBs in Kwesi Mitchell and Kevin Edwards along with some excellent safety-play from Wyatt Middleton, but that may not be enough against all those weapons from Montezuma Mesa.
| BFTB Scouting Targets: | |||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight |
| Vincent Brown | San Diego St. | WR | Sr. | 5'11 | 197 lbs |
| Formerly injury-prone WR came up big in senior season. He's an above average route runner with average hands and average speed. He's good at blocking, running after the catch and using his hands and burst to elude defenders. He doesn't have size to project as a #1 WR in the NFL, but would be a useful offensive weapon. He's likely to get picking up in the middle rounds of the draft. Original Writeup | |||||
| Demarco Sampson | San Diego St. | WR | Sr. | 6'2 | 209 lbs |
| Sampson had shown inconsistency catching the ball, but in the last few games seemed to show that his abilities on the field were catching up with size, talent and athleticism that projects him as an NFL prospect. His biggest strength is using his size to shield defenders and win the ball in the air. He's still a developmental project and may not get drafted, but will at least be a priority free agent that some NFL team will see as a future contributor. Original Writeup | |||||
| NFL Prospects: | |||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight |
| Ronnie Hillman | San Diego St. | RB | Fr. | 5'10 | 175 lbs |
| Hillman is only a freshmen, but has put himself on the NFL radar with a solid season as a full time starter. The injury problems are a bit of a concern, but scouts love his balance and quickness enough to overlook it. He's dangerous when he enters the second level of defenses and finds open field. He's also an adequate route runner and pass catcher making him an all around threat. | |||||
| Ryan Lindley | San Diego St. | QB | Jr. | 6'4 | 215 lbs |
| I'm not as sold on Lindley as a pro QB prospect as others due to some of his decision making and my questions about his arm. However, he has prototypical size and has shown he can run a pro-style offense. This year he has benefited from some outstanding weapons on offense. He'll have a little less to work with his Senior season and will really show his worth then. | |||||
| Sleepers: | |||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight |
| Ricky Dobbs | Navy | QB/RB | Sr. | 6'0 | 200 lbs |
| Kevin Edwards | Navy | CB | Sr. | 6'0 | 185 lbs |
| Wyatt Middleton | Navy | S | Sr. | 6'1 | 192 lbs |
| Other Games | ||||||
| Sheraton Hawaii Bowl | ||||||
| Hawaii | (10-3) | vs | Tulsa | (9-3) | Friday 12/24 5:00 PM PT | (ESPN) |
| Little Caesar's Bowl | ||||||
| Florida Int'l | (6-6) | vs | Toledo | (8-4) | Sunday 12/26 5:30 PM PT | (ESPN) |
| AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl | ||||||
| Air Force | (8-4) | vs | Georgia Tech | (6-6) | Monday 12/27 5:00 PM PT | (ESPN2) |
|
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Hawaii vs. Tulsa |
||||||
| BFTB Scouting Targets: | ||||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight | |
| Greg Salas |
Hawaii | WR | Sr. | 6'1 | 207 lbs | |
| Adequate route runner with good hands. Average speed and lack of burst keep his projection from making him anything more than a pick in the middle rounds. Not the strongest WR and can get pushed around at times including getting off the line and fighting for jump balls. |
||||||
| NFL Prospects: | ||||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight | |
| Charles Clay | Tulsa | FB | Sr. | 6'3 | 232 lbs | |
| A smallish fullback who had versatility as a route runner and pass catcher. He is strong, but as a runner and a blocker, but needs work on his blocking techniques. |
||||||
| Sleepers: | ||||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight | |
| Alexander Green |
Hawaii | RB | Sr. | 6'0 | 227 lbs | |
| Laupepa Letuli |
Hawaii | OG | Sr. | 6'3 | 327 lbs | |
| Rodney Bradley |
Hawaii | WR |
Sr. | 5'11 | 195 lbs | |
| Lametrius Davis |
Hawaii | CB | Sr. | 5'10 | 189 lbs | |
| Kealoha Pilares |
Hawaii | WR | Sr. | 5'10 | 215 lbs | |
| Mike Such | Tulsa | P | Sr. | 6'2 | 209 lbs | |
| Odrick Ray | Tulsa | DE | Sr. | 6'3 | 258 lbs | |
| Demaris Johnson | Tulsa | OLB | Sr. | 6'3 | 177 lbs | |
| Tanner Antle | Tulsa | WR | Sr. | 6'3 | 222 lbs | |
| Aj Whitmore | Tulsa | WR | Sr. | 5'8 | 172 lbs | |
| Jamad Williams | Tulsa | RB | Sr. | 5'8 | 202 lbs | |
| Little Caesar's Bowl: Florida International vs. Toledo | ||||||
| Sleepers: | ||||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight | |
| Anthony Gaitor | Florida Int'l | CB | Sr. | 5'9 | 176 lbs | |
| Cedric Mack | Florida Int'l | OT | Sr. | 6'3 | 351 lbs | |
| Greg Ellingson | Florida Int'l | WR | Sr. | 6'3 | 199 lbs | |
| Kevin Kowalski | Toledo | C | Sr. | 6'3 | 295 lbs | |
| Archie Donald | Toledo | ILB | Sr. | 6'0 | 243 lbs | |
| Douglas Westbrook | Toledo | DE | Sr. | 6'2 | 232 lbs | |
| AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl: Air Force vs. Georgia Tech | ||||||
| NFL Prospects: | ||||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight | |
| Anthony Allen | Georgia Tech | RB | Sr. | 6'0 | 230 lbs | |
| A bigger back who shows good burst through the hole. Could be used some as a fullback since he was asked to block and did it well in the Georgia Tech triple-option offense. Shows good hands and could be a decent option out of the backfield in the receiving game, but needs work. | ||||||
| Sleepers: | ||||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight | |
| Reginald Rembert | Air Force | CB | Sr. | 5'7 | 174 lbs | |
| Mario Butler | Georgia Tech | CB | Sr. | 6'0 | 184 lbs | |
| Mario Edwards | Georgia Tech | S | Sr. | 6'1 | 219 lbs | |
| Brad Jefferson | Georgia Tech | ILB | Sr. | 6'1 | 241 lbs | |
| Josh Nesbitt | Georgia Tech | QB/RB | Sr. | 6'0 | 218 lbs | |
| Anthony Barnes | Georgia Tech | OLB | Sr. | 6'2 | 241 lbs | |
| Robert Hall | Georgia Tech | DE | Sr. | 6'2 | 274 lbs | |
| Austin Barrick | Georgia Tech | OT | Sr. | 6'2 | 274 lbs | |
| Anthony Egbuniwe | Georgia Tech | DE | Sr. | 6'4 | 256 lbs | |
| Ben Anderson | Georgia Tech | DT | Sr. | 6'1 | 270 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 | 12 rec. 147 yds. 1 TD. | |
| 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 | 6 rec. 64 yds. 3 car. 9 yds. | |
| 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) | |
| 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. |
| 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) | |
| Allen Bailey | Miami | DE | Sr. | 1st rd | Notre Dame (12/31) | |
| Da'Quan Bowers | Clemson | DE | Jr. | 1st rd | South Florida (12/31) | |
| Adrian Clayborn | Iowa | DE | Sr. | 1st rd | Missouri (12/28) | |
| Cameron Jordan | California | DE | Sr. | 1st/2nd rd | ||
| Karl Klug | Iowa | DE | Sr. | 5th rd | Missouri (12/28) | |
| J.J. Watt | Wisconsin | DE | Jr. | 2nd rd | TCU (1/1) | |
| Pierre Allen | Nebraska | DE/OLB | Sr. | 4th rd | Washington (12/30) | |
| Jeremy Beal | Oklahoma | DE/OLB | Sr. | 2nd rd | Connecticut (1/2) | |
| Ryan Kerrigan | Purdue | DE/OLB | Sr. | 1st rd | ||
| 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) |