Hawaii Bowl First Look: Cincinnati vs. San Diego State

The 2015 Hawaii Bowl will feature a matchup between the Cincinnati Bearcats and San Diego State Aztecs.

Hawaii Bowl Broadcast Info

Date: Thursday, December 24
Time: 8:00 pm ET
Network: ESPN
Venue: Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI

San Diego State The Hot Team

Last year, the Mountain West champion ended up in the New Year’s Six, with Boise State beating Arizona in the Fiesta Bowl. This time around, San Diego State wasn’t even close to getting in, but it’s the hottest Group of Five team coming in on a nine-game winning streak after pitching a perfect Mountain West season. Unbeaten in conference play, on through to a Mountain West championship over Air Force, the Aztecs bring one of the best defenses you probably haven’t seen, a great ground game, and the weight of carrying the league’s flag as a team worthy of playing in something bigger.

The regular season didn’t quite go as planned for Cincinnati

The Bearcats were the preseason favorites to win the American East Division. High-powered offense and all. And while the attack did generate occasional fireworks behind the passing of Gunner Kiel, the team as a whole failed to deliver against the four best conference opponents on the schedule, Temple, Memphis, Houston and South Florida. The Cats were essentially out of the divisional hunt before September ended. Both Cincinnati’s peak and low-point of 2015 occurred against Sunshine State opponents; the team upset Miami on Oct. 1, yet was embarrassed on national TV a month later by USF, 65-27.

For complete College Football Playoff coverage, visit our CFP home.