Arizona State Football: Las Vegas Bowl preview vs. Fresno State

Mountain West champion Fresno State gets a date with a Pac-12 opponent in the Las Vegas Bowl. Here’s how to watch the Bulldogs against Arizona State football.

More: Picks and predictions for every college football bowl game with confidence points

Fresno State pulled off an overtime upset of home team Boise State in the Mountain West championship game. A blocked extra point prevented the hosts from taking a lead, and Ronnie Rivers punched in an overtime touchdown after Boise State managed only a field goal. In the process, the Bulldogs knocked off the Broncos on the snow-covered Smurf Turf 19-16 and claimed the league crown.

With the win, the Bulldogs also earned themselves a date with a Pac-12 opponent in this year’s Las Vegas Bowl. This year, the Power Five foe facing the Mountain West champ is Arizona State, making their first appearance in Sin City in seven years. The Sun Devils showed great promise in their first season under new head coach Herm Edwards, and they will be looking to set up for a strong 2019 campaign by avoiding a loss to a Group of Five opponent.

Jeff Tedford’s team won the Mountain West thanks in large part to their skill both passing the ball and defending against opponents’ aerial attacks. The Bulldogs were especially adept at preventing interceptions when they had the ball, ranking third nationally with only four picks all year. Marcus McMaryion’s experience was critical in this regard. But the secondary also did a stellar job ballhawking, as they picked off 17 passes to rank in the top five nationally in interceptions gained.

Arizona State, on the other hand, went 7-5 to finish a game behind Utah for the Pac-12 South title. But in all five losses, the Sun Devils fell by seven points or less. In total, Arizona State went 4-5 in one-score games as they played opponents close but struggled to put games away. Their success on offense was fueled by a passing game that focused on not making mistakes and a running game fueled by superstar Eno Benjamin, who ranked fourth in rushing yards per game.

Can the Bulldogs take down another Pac-12 opponent after routing UCLA 38-14 at the Rose Bowl back in September? Here’s how you can watch the Las Vegas Bowl between Mountain West champion Fresno State and Pac-12 foe Arizona State:

Date: Saturday, Dec. 15
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Las Vegas, Nev.
Venue: Sam Boyd Stadium
TV: ABC
Live Stream: WatchESPN | FuboTV

Keys to Victory

Arizona State, facing the top red zone defense in the entire FBS, needs to put points on the scoreboard every time they get inside the Fresno State 20 in the Las Vegas Bowl. Eno Benjamin needs to score at least two touchdowns, and they need to prevent the Bulldogs from picking off any Manny Wilkins passes.

Fresno State, meanwhile, has to contain Benjamin with the 27th-ranked rushing defense. Getting more pressure at the line of scrimmage and breaking into the backfield for negative-yard plays will be crucial for the Bulldogs. A strong game by Ronnie Rivers on the ground will also help to balance out an offense that can’t rely exclusively on the pass against the Sun Devils.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of oddsshark.com

Point Spread: Fresno State -4
Over/Under: 53.5

Prediction

Fresno State is going to have a lot more motivation to put on a good showing, as they look to extend the Mountain West winning streak in the Las Vegas Bowl to three years and counting. McMaryion is going to have one more incredible game against a Pac-12 team before closing out his college career, throwing for at least 300 yards and three touchdowns in a double-digit win.

Final Score: Fresno State 34, Arizona State 23