Our 2013 bowl predictions continue on Thursday, January 3rd with the Fiesta Bowl, and we are set to make our Fiesta Bowl predictions, tips, and keys to the game for the duel between the Oregon Ducks and the Kansas State Wildcats.

2013 Fiesta Bowl: Oregon Ducks vs. Kansas State Wildcats
2013 Fiesta Bowl Location: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ
2013 Fiesta Bowl Date/Time: Thursday, January 3rd, 8:30 p.m. (ET)
2013 Fiesta Bowl On TV: ESPN, Watch ESPN

Click Here For The Rest Of The 2012-13 Bowl Game Schedule And Other Bowl Game Previews

Key #1: The Wildcats have to put their best foot forward along the defensive line
The Ducks obviously have one of the best rushing teams on the planet, as they are averaging 323.2 yards per game on the ground. That ranks second in the nation, and it is the top mark amongst non-triple option teams. We know that RB Kenjon Barner is remarkable, and he rushed for 1,624 yards and 21 TDs this year. QB Marcus Mariota rushed for 690 yards, WR De’Anthony Thomas rushed for 686 yards, and RB Byron Marshall had 445 yards as well. These three men averaged 43.5 rushes per game over the course of the year. Kansas State though, has figured out how to stop the run this year to the tune of just 119.2 yards per game, and we have seen Oregon get the stopped before on the ground as well recently, against the Stanford Cardinal. The Wildcats held some of the best teams in the Big XII down in the teens and 20s in scoring, and a lot of that was thanks to that awesome 17th ranked rush defense. Perhaps the most impressive display is when the Oklahoma Sooners were kept to just 19 points in Norman when the Wildcats were 15.5-point underdogs. This isn’t quite the same game, but it has the same type of feel to it.

Fiesta Bowl Odds at WagerWeb Sportsbook
Oregon Ducks -8
Kansas State Wildcats +8
Over/Under 73.5
Click Here to Bet Your Fiesta Bowl Picks!

Key #2: Marcus Mariota has to play like a senior in spite of the fact that he is a frosh
The Ducks will only go as far as their freshman quarterback takes them. We’ve already spoken about what Mariota has done on the ground with his legs this year, as he averaged 7.0 yards per rush and often got himself out of some trouble when he was under pressure from oncoming defenders. Mariota also threw the ball for 2,511 yards and 30 TDs against just six picks. He completed 69.9 percent of his passes and averaged 8.0 yards per pass attempt. We have seen the Wildcats get thrown upon this year, and they conceded 255.2 passing yards per game. The question is whether Mariota is going to be able to be the whole package. It’s not about the passing yards, it’s not about the passing touchdowns, and it’s not about his legs. It’s about doing it all and not turning the ball over against a defense that allowed a shade over three touchdowns per game on average this year. The stage is huge. Mariota has to embrace that and play like a senior, and not just the freshman that he is.

Key #3: The Ducks have to avoid all of the distractions going on around them
The Ducks did win the Rose Bowl last year, but they haven’t really historically played all that well in bowl games under Head Coach Chip Kelly. That’s a huge distraction in itself, as is the fact that it has been over a month and a half since the last time that the team played a game. What’s worse for the Ducks is that Kelly is clearly on his way out of the school. The university is going to be under NCAA scrutiny here in the next several months, and bowl sanctions could be on the way. The time is here for Kelly to go to the NFL, and it almost seems like a given that someone is going to pay to bring his genius to the big boy league. Can the Ducks get past all of this and put together a fantastic game plan against a great team? It would be a heck of a lot easier if the BCS National Championship was on the line, but it isn’t. Is the Fiesta Bowl a big enough prize? Those are a heck of a lot of questions for the Ducks to be answering with a heck of a lot going on around them.

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