Michigan State football: 5 bold predictions for the Holiday Bowl vs Washington State

3. Luke Falk has another road clunker

Quarterback Luke Falk finished third in the Pac-12 this season in passing yards. His poor performances on the road are a big reason why the Cougars finished with a Holiday Bowl bid instead of a New Years Six bowl.

Falk threw for nearly 3,600 yards, 30 touchdowns and 13 interceptions this season. He led the Cougars to the third ranked passing offense in the country, only behind Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Falk attempted and completed more passes than any other quarterback in the FBS.

Now here is the other side of the coin. Removing the Cougars first road game against Oregon, where Falk was solid, here is his stat line in his other four road games: 118 completions in 190 attempts, 1,059 yards, five touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

The interception number particularly stands out when he threw only three interceptions in the other eight games. Against California, he threw five and the entire team looked completely lost in the blowout. Against Arizona, he was benched late in the first half after throwing only 93 yards.

Washington State’s “Air Raid” offense relies heavily on Falk to be consistent and on his game. Even though the bowl is considered a neutral site, Falk’s road woes will continue. The Spartans have a decent secondary, led by safety David Dowell, who has five interceptions on the year. Look for Dowell and the Spartan secondary to take advantage of Falk being out of sync.