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It should come as no surprise that the collective fanbase of college football is obsessed with the sport’s first-ever Final Four. Between the extreme freshness of a true, four-team competition and the underlying storylines surrounding both semifinal matchups, just about everyone seems to have an opinion on who will ultimately emerge victorious in the pursuit of a possible national championship.
Nevertheless, there are plenty of other postseason games that also offer the opportunity for prime entertainment. One of those contests figures to the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio where Kansas State and UCLA are preparing for a potentially mouthwatering matchup.
Each squad is coming off highly successful seasons in the Big 12 and Pac 12 and would like nothing more than to send out their respective campaigns on a high note. Who has the advantage? In the truest sense, their impending meeting on Jan. 2 appears to be a toss-up.
Both teams carry potent offenses and defenses capable of making plays when needed. But make no mistake — this one should be a high-scoring affair. Each team’s ability to make explosive plays through the passing game assures there won’t be any lack of offense once the two teams take the field inside the Alamodome.
Kansas State is led by quarterback Jake Waters, who is coming off a big regular season for the Wildcats. He piled up 3,163 yards through the air and 20 passing touchdowns. Waters is the unquestioned trigger-man of an offense that averaged more than 37 points per contest and can score in a hurry. The senior signal-caller has also benefited from having two highly-skilled wideouts to throw to in Tyler Lockett and Curry Sexton. The dynamic duo has combined for 162 catches and more than 2,300 yards through the air to go along with 14 touchdowns.
On the ground, Kansas State doesn’t push the pace very often, although running back Charles Jones did end up with 13 rushing touchdowns in just 124 carries. Defensively, the Wildcats are also solid, having finished 33rd nationally by giving up 361.2 yards per contest in the pass-happy Big 12.
Like the Wildcats, UCLA also has a standout quarterback in Brett Hundley. The versatile performer finished with 21 TDs and just five interceptions during a campaign that yielded 3,019 yards passing. Running back Paul Perkins also put up big numbers for Bruins with 1,381 rushing yards. Through the air, UCLA’s top target is Jordan Payton, who hauled in 63 catches for 896 yards and seven TDs. UCLA is balanced through the passing game, however, with seven different players who caught at least 20 balls in 2014.
Defensively, the Bruins haven’t been as stout, allowing more than 400 yards per game. Nevertheless, Eric Kendricks is considered the nation’s best linebacker after winning the Butkus Award and racking up 139 total tackles this season.
The biggest issue for the Bruins will be their ability to stop Kansas State’s potent passing game. UCLA surrenders better than 243 passing yards per game through the air, which should lead to some big plays for Waters, Lockett and Sexton. On the flip-side, the Bruins also figure to move the ball with efficiency against the Wildcats, who gave up 236.8 passing yards on average.
Getting stops will therefore make the difference between winning and losing in this one. While punts may be at a premium, whichever side manages to force a few will be sitting pretty by the time all is said and done.
If UCLA can find a way to put some heat on Waters, their chances improve dramatically. Kansas State made their way through the year with a running back by-committee approach that allowed Waters to keep defenses off balance. If UCLA can disrupt that rhythm, it will pay big-time dividends as the contest moves on. The task for Kansas State’s defense is also challenging due to the versatility UCLA has shown both through the air and on the ground. Don’t be surprised if both Waters and Hundley also make some plays with their feet as the two quarterbacks each rushed for more than 400 yards this season.
While UCLA may have surrendered more overall yardage, the Bruins have an elite, playmaking linebacker in Kendricks and enough versatility to keep pace with the Wildcats in an offensive shootout. At the end of the day, that versatility will make all the difference as UCLA pulls out a thrilling victory in their final outing of 2014-15.
Prediction: UCLA 37, Kansas State 34
Matt Johnson is a sports writer for rantports.com. Follow him on Twitter at mattytheole or “like” him on Facebook.
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