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The Washington State Cougars take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers meet in the 2016 Holiday Bowl on Tuesday. The Cougars finished the regular season 8-4, with all eight wins coming in a win streak that stretched from an 0-2 start until the final two losses against Washington and Colorado. The Gophers also come into the game 8-4 after starting the year 3-0 then putting together five wins in Big Ten play.
This game is a clash of styles. Wazzu will be looking to throw the ball on most downs, while the Gophers will favor the run more than most teams. Minnesota will need that run game to be effective to keep the ball out of WSU’s hands, because the Gopher defense is depleted after mass suspensions in connection to an alleged sexual assault incident.
Those suspensions nearly kept Minnesota out of the game, as the players boycotted football in protest. They eventually dropped the boycott after hearing the detailed report of the case brought forth by Minnesota’s student conduct board.
As for football, the Cougs are favored by nearly a touchdown. Considering Minnesota’s current state with suspended players, WSU should win and win easily.
Game time: 4 pm PT
TV channel: ESPN
Online stream: WatchESPN
Radio feed: Washington State IMG Sports Network