Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Northern Illinois (7-5) vs. Fresno State (6-6), Dec. 23 at 2:30 p.m. EST.
BetMGM College Football Odds: Northern Illinois by 1.5
KEY MATCHUP
The Huskies average 176.1 yards through the air per game (118th in the FBS). The Bulldogs rank 64th, allowing 215.9 passing yards.
The matchups don’t favor Fresno State’s offense in this game as it has the No. 123 rushing attack in the FBS (98.6 yards per game), and will be up against the No. 19 defense in that category. Northern Illinois allows 112.1 yards per game on the ground.
LAST GAME
Northern Illinois beat Central Michigan 24-16. Ethan Hampton threw for 169 yards on 19-of-29 attempts (65.5%) with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He also carried the ball two times for 13 yards and one rushing touchdown. Telly Johnson Jr. carried the ball 20 times for 84 yards and scored one touchdown. Trayvon Rudolph had nine receptions for 97 yards.
Fresno State lost 20-13 to UCLA. Mikey Keene passed for 219 yards on 30-of-43 attempts (69.8%) with one touchdown and no interceptions. Bryson Donelson carried the ball six times for 41 yards, adding nine receptions for 44 yards. Mac Dalena recorded 47 yards on seven catches.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Northern Illinois: Hampton has 1,600 passing yards (145.5 per game) while completing 58.5% of passes (144 for 246), with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. He has 129 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, averaging 11.7 per game. Gavin Williams has 135 carries for 741 rushing yards (61.8 per game) and four touchdowns. He also has 22 catches for 138 yards and one touchdown. Rudolph has 392 receiving yards (39.2 per game) on 37 catches with one touchdown.
Fresno State: Keene has 2,887 passing yards (240.6 per game) while completing 70.2% of passes (276 for 393), with 18 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Elijah Gilliam has 121 carries for 466 rushing yards (38.8 per game) and eight touchdowns. He also has 29 catches for 190 yards. Dalena has 58 receptions for 941 yards (78.4 per game) and has eight touchdowns.
FACTS & FIGURES
Northern Illinois has outscored opponents by 5.9 points per game this season, and Fresno State has outscored opponents by 2 per game.
Northern Illinois has been a tough matchup for opposing teams in the running game, ranking top-25 in both rushing offense (16th-best with 207.3 yards per game) and rushing defense (19th-best with 112.1 yards allowed per game) this year.
From an offensive perspective, Fresno State is accumulating 244.7 passing yards per contest (45th-ranked). It ranks 64th in college football on the other side of the ball (215.9 passing yards allowed per game).
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