Game Notes
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Time and date: Saturday, December 27, 4:30 p.m. ET
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Place: Arizona Stadium — Tucson, Arizona
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spread: Fresno State (-5.5)
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Full time series: no previous games
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Miami (Ohio) Final Bowl: 2024 Arizona Bowl, 43-17 win over Colorado State
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Fresno State Final Bowl: 2024 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, lost to Northern Illinois 28-20
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2024 Arizona Bowl: Miami (Ohio) 43, Colorado 17
Set the scene
Be prepared to throw it away as hot as possible.
The 2025 Arizona Bowl is approaching, and Snoop Dogg is serving as host for the second consecutive year to promote its Gin & Juice brand. Only one college football team shared the podium with the legendary rapper, and that’s the Miami Redhawks. Miami defeated Colorado State 43-17 in last year’s Snoop Bowl, and now another Mountain West team will challenge the Redhawks in Tucson. Fresno State’s goal is to prevent Miami from celebrating with Snoopy again as the Bulldogs seek their sixth bowl win in their past seven attempts.
Miami (Ohio) Redhawks Outlook
Miami (7-6, 6-2 MAC) is a model of consistency in the MAC. In an era of even strength in the league, the Redhawks qualified for their third consecutive MAC Championship Game. However, Miami failed to win in Detroit for the second straight year, but Chuck Martin’s team can still bounce back with a coveted Arizona Bowl victory — just like they did last year by stifling Colorado State.
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Just like in 2024, the Miami Heat started 0-3 and bounced back in MAC play to qualify for the championship game. But even in MAC play, the Redhawks have been a rollercoaster this season, especially on offense. Starting quarterback Dequan Finn opted out of the season in November and starting running back Kenny Tracy went down with a season-ending injury, leaving a new crop of talent to lead the team.
Redshirt freshman Thomas Gotkowski started at quarterback in his second collegiate start in the MAC tournament. Gotkowski left that game with an injury and so far has completed 32 of 64 passes for 503 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions in limited action. He also showed off his mobility, rushing for 99 yards and an occasional touchdown. If Gotkowski can’t make the trip, or Martin wants to shake things up, senior Henry Hutson is another option. The senior started the 2023 Cure Bowl and played in the MAC Championship Game, earning an important Ph.D. after five years in the same system.
Size is a hallmark of Miami’s offense, with both running backs and tight ends known for this attribute. At running back, 6-foot-0, 233-pound Jordan Brunson led the way with 724 yards and rushed for 120 yards twice in a breakout season. Leading the team in touchdowns was linebacker D’Shawntae Jones, who used his 245-pound frame to get past defenses.
Another key figure in the RedHawks’ offense is first-team receiver Kam Perry. Pat Welsh’s offense always likes to run the ball deep, and Perry fits that game plan perfectly, with his 23.0 catch average — first among all 204 FBS receivers with at least 40 catches. The star receiver is 34 yards shy of a 1,000-yard season, and although he plans to enter the portal later, he’s expected to finish what he started with the Redhawks. Cole Weaver and Keith Reynolds will be Miami’s other top targets in this round.
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Defense has been the driving force throughout this great run for Miami, and that remains the case in 2025. The team’s all-conference talent was wiped out as star pass rusher Adam Trick left early to prepare for the door (which doesn’t open until January), and inside linebacker Corban Hondru suffered a season-ending injury. The biggest players to watch on defense are starting safeties Silas Walters and Eli Blakey, who are one of the nation’s top pass defense tandems (199 yards allowed per game). Blakey leads the team with 105 tackles and eight tackles for loss, while Walters has three interceptions and seven deflections.
Without Honduras, Jackson Kuwatch will be needed to make his presence felt among the linebacker corps. The standout running back has 101 tackles this season, including 9.5 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks – ranking fifth nationally in sacks. Tricking out the Redhawks’ leading pass rushers are Grant Lyons and Bai Jobe, who aim to maintain Miami’s tradition of knocking down quarterbacks.
Special teams are always important when Miami plays. The Redhawks’ reputation for successful kicking is maintained by Dom Dzioban, who is 19-for-22 on the year (10-for-10 from 40-49 yards) and will come in handy if the fourth quarter is competitive.
Fresno State Bulldogs Prospects
Fresno State (8-4, 5-3 Mountain West) has always been in transition, having gone through six different head coaching tenures over the past decade (including two separate stints under Jeff Tedford). The Bulldogs are aiming for more consistency in the Matt Entz era, who is off to a strong 8-4 start in Fresno.
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The former FCS national championship head coach can now make it a nine-win season by doing what Fresno State failed to accomplish last December – beat a MAC opponent in a bowl game.
Fresno State won eight games during the regular season, but when the Bulldogs lost, they lost badly. Fresno State lost all four of its games by double digits, but the team went just 2-0 in a single game — one-sided for much of the season. Entz’s team came off a strong midseason run, beating Hawaii and Boise State, picking up several quality wins along the way.
The biggest question for Fresno State is, who will start at quarterback? EJ Warner, a fourth-year starter, has held the No. 1 spot in nine games this season, passing for 1,811 yards, 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, posting a 69.4 completion percentage at his third school in three years. The Bulldogs also tested FCS Sacramento State transfer Carson Conklin in three more regular-season games, and Conklin threw for 354 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions with a 49.0 completion percentage. With the evaluation process extending into December, it wouldn’t be surprising to see two traditional pocket passing quarterbacks in Arizona.
The Bulldogs’ passing offense ranks 114th in the FBS, but their ground game is much better, ranking 55th in passing yards per game. It’s a two-man backcourt led by RayShon Luke and Bryson Donelson, who share the ball evenly. Luke led the team with 688 rushing yards and his yards per carry surged to 6.4, while Donelson rushed for 580 yards and averaged 4.3 yards per carry.
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No Fresno State receiver has reached 500 yards, but Josiah Freeman is one of the ways to reach that threshold and he’ll look to continue his strong performance in the regular-season finale against San Jose State. Outside of Freeman, the wide receiver corps hasn’t been utilized heavily this year, as tight ends Rich Anderson III and Luke are the second and third-leading receivers.
Fresno State has a lot to improve on offense, as the team ranks below 100 in the FBS in third-down offense percentage, fourth-down offense percentage, red zone scoring percentage and turnovers.
Despite turning the ball over 20 times, Fresno State still had a +4 turnover margin due to opportunistic defense. The Bulldogs, who ranked 11th in the FBS with 24 tackles for loss and fourth with 19 interceptions, were constantly turning the field over and stealing extra possessions. There are several ballhawks on the defense, with cornerbacks Alzilion Hamilton and Nick Simon Evans the most eye-catching. Hamilton had four picks and earned second-team Mountain West honors, while Evans had a league-best five interceptions in a stellar season.
Fresno State doesn’t use turnovers as a crutch, either. The pass defense is very strong, averaging 161 yards per game, which ranks eighth in the FBS, while holding opposing quarterbacks to 55.5 completion percentage. Fresno State’s coverage could get an extra boost from a stronger pass rush, something defensive end Finn Claypool aims to address. Claypool currently leads the team in sacks (6.5) and tackles for loss (10.0), with team-high marks.
prophecy
If you expect either team to score over 30 points, you’re watching the wrong game. Fresno State and Miami (Ohio) will likely be a four-quarter defensive rock battle that goes by quickly with both teams focused on establishing the run.
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Turnovers may be a common occurrence in Arizona, considering both the offense and defense generate their fair share of turnovers. Positional battles on the field are very important, and the words “complementary football” will be broadcast countless times on the CW TV station.
Ultimately, Fresno State’s pass defense is the best unit and makes the difference for Tucson. Miami kept fighting, but the Bulldogs escaped and earned the right to join Snoop Dogg on the podium.
Prediction: Fresno State 26, Miami (Ohio) 20
