Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Prediction: Eastern Michigan and San Jose State Face Off on the Blue Turf
Big props to San Jose State and Eastern Michigan for not only their success this season in making their way from the Group of 5 ranks to a postseason game, but also for the success level each program has achieved in recent seasons.
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San Jose State enters this game with a 7-4 record and is making its second bowl appearance in the last three seasons. The Spartans had an unbeaten regular season in 2020 before they fell in the Arizona Bowl to Ball State.
The Hurons, nay… the Eagles have now made a bowl game in four of their last five seasons. Consider that this program has only played in five bowl games in its history, and that is a pretty impressive recent spike in quality. They come into this game with an 8-4 mark, having tied Toledo at 5-3 in the West Division of the Mid-American Conference.
But here is the big news about this showdown; the Spartans have fire shooting out of their eyes because they are looking for some major payback after EMU dropped SJSU 30-27 in the 1987 California Bowl. Man, revenge is a dish best served cold.
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Eastern Michigan (8-4) vs. San Jose State (7-4)
Kickoff: Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 3:30 p.m. ET
Where: Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho)
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: fuboTV (Start your free trial)
Spread: San Jose State -3.5
Tickets: As low as $5 on SITickets.com*
When Eastern Michigan Has the Ball
Although the Eagles feature quarterback Taylor Powell (65 percent completion rate and 1,813 passing yards), who has started games for both Missouri and Troy before doing the portal thing to EMU this season, the big key will be how the Eagles establish the run in this one. Samson Evans has racked up 1,084 rushing yards this season and has been a big indicator of the success of the Eagles. In their four losses, Evans only ran for a combined 163 yards. In the seven wins he took part in (he missed the Ball State game), he rushed for 921 yards, including an epic 258-yard day in the upset of Arizona State in Tempe.
The Spartans have a pair of really talented defensive linemen in Viliami Fehoko and Cade Hall, both of whom are future NFL draft picks. The fire in the cleats of these two heat seekers will be key to how comfortable Powell is in the pocket. Unlike Cordeiro, Powell doesn't get out and run much, so he relies on pocket protection much more, and Fehoko and Hall will be huge keys to the Spartan D and how this game ends up. The Spartans rank fifth nationally with 36 sacks on the season, and the Eagles ranked 85th in pass protection after giving up 30 sacks for 223 yards in losses. So you can do the math on this one.
When San Jose State Has the Ball
Keep a keen eye on whether Spartan quarterback Chevan Cordeiro keeps his uniform clean. Well, never mind because they are playing on the blue turf here, but you get the idea. Cordeiro is a dynamic hyper-talented dual-threat behind center, and if he is given some time, he has a real knack for doing some damage through the air. The EMU defense features edge rusher Jose Ramirez, the MAC Defensive Player of the Year, who can wreak havoc on opposing O-lines leading the nation with 1.09 sacks per game. He earned four sacks in Eastern's 45-23 win at Western Michigan.
Of course, a large part of Cordeiro's game is tucking the ball and running for big yards too (he's gained 508 yards on scrambles). But he has also lost a ton of yards (293 yards in sacks and tackles for loss), so if his running numbers are in the positive, that will be a key indicator of how the Spartan offense is doing.
Hand-in-glove with that will also be whether or not the Spartan receivers can create some separation between themselves and the Eagles' defensive backs. EMU had the second-best pass defense in the MAC this season, giving up just 209 yards per game through the air. Elijah Cooks is the big target for the Blue and Gold, hauling in 63 catches for 983 yards. In his last time out, the 6-foot-4 Cooks pulled in 10 catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns vs. Hawaii.
Final Analysis
Neither team is anything to write home about on offense as they rank 95th (EMU, 360.2 yards per game) and 96th (SJSU, 365.5 yards per game) in total offense. But the Spartans do have the better defense (26th nationally, giving up 333 yards per game compared to EMU's 54th ranking, giving up 367 yards per game). The Spartans also have the more dynamic playmaker in Chevan Cordeiro, who has the ball in his hands on every play. And lastly, the Spartans are fourth nationally in turnover margin as Cordeiro and Co. have only turned the ball over six times all season. Six. They rank fourth nationally in turnover margin.
That points to a slight edge on the Spartan side of things.
Prediction: San Jose State 38, Eastern Michigan 31
Podcast: Remembering Mike Leach, Preview of Bowl Games Dec. 16-21, Recapping the Heisman Race and Purdue's Hire of Ryan Walters
— Written by Eric Sorenson, who is part of the Athlon Contributor Network. He is a college football, college baseball and college hockey addict... and writer. Follow him on Twitter @Stitch_Head.
*Price as of publication.
