Pop-Tarts Bowl: No. 18 Iowa State (10-3) vs. No. 15 Miami (10-2), Dec. 28 at 3:30 p.m. EST.
BetMGM College Football Odds: Miami by 1.
KEY MATCHUP
The Hurricanes are a highly-ranked rushing attack in terms of yards per carry (13th in college football at 5.5), and will have a favorable matchup against the 112th-ranked defense in that category, as the Cyclones give up 5.1.
Iowa State has the 67th-ranked rushing offense in the FBS (161.7 yards per game). It takes on Miami (FL)’s 16th-ranked rushing defense, which gives up 110.1 on the ground per game.
LAST GAME
Miami (FL) fell to Syracuse 42-38. Cameron Ward threw for 349 yards on 25-of-36 attempts (69.4%) with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Damien Martinez carried the ball 10 times for 84 yards and scored one touchdown. Xavier Restrepo had nine receptions for 148 yards and one touchdown.
Iowa State fell 45-19 to Arizona State. Rocco Becht led the Clones with 214 yards on 21-of-35 passing (60.0%) for two touchdowns and one interception. He also carried the ball five times for 23 yards. Carson Hansen had 52 rushing yards on 10 carries, adding four receptions for one yard and one touchdown. Jayden Higgins had seven receptions for 115 yards.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Miami (FL): Ward is third in college football with 4,123 passing yards (343.6 per game) while completing 67.4% of passes (293 for 435), with 36 touchdowns (second in CFB) and seven interceptions. He has 196 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns, averaging 16.3 per game. Martinez has 145 carries for 823 rushing yards (68.6 yards per game) and nine touchdowns. He also has 16 catches for 198 yards. Restrepo is ninth in the country with 1,127 receiving yards (93.9 per game) on 69 catches with 11 touchdowns (sixth in CFB).
Iowa State: Becht ranks 13th in the country with 3,235 passing yards (248.8 per game) while completing 59.4% of passes (250 for 421), with 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He has 295 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns, averaging 22.7 per game. Hansen has 135 carries for 670 rushing yards (51.5 per game) and 11 touchdowns. He also has 12 catches for 75 yards and one touchdown. Higgins has 87 receptions to rank fifth in the country with 1,183 yards (91 per game) and has nine touchdowns (17th in CFB).
FACTS & FIGURES
Miami (FL) has outscored opponents by 20.3 points per game this season, and Iowa State has outscored opponents by 8.7 per game.
Miami (FL) ranks 51st in pass defense this year (209.8 yards allowed per game), but has been playing really well on the other side of the ball, ranking second-best in college football with 359.3 passing yards per game.
Iowa State ranks 67th in college football with 161.7 rushing yards per contest on offense, and it ranks 102nd with 179.2 rushing yards ceded per game on the defensive side of the ball.
Copyright © 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
