Our 2012 bowl predictions continue on Monday, December 31st with the Liberty Bowl, and we are set to make our Liberty Bowl predictions, tips, and keys to the game for the duel between the Iowa State Cyclones and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.

2012 Liberty Bowl: Iowa State Cyclones vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricane
2012 Liberty Bowl Location: Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, TN
2012 Liberty Bowl Date/Time: Monday, December 31st, 3:30 p.m. (ET)
2012 Liberty 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 Golden Hurricane have to do more on the ground
When Tulsa is at its best, this is a team that can run all over the place. The offense operates at a breakneck speed, and the team runs the ball a ton. In fact, the squad averaged 47.3 rushing attempts per game this year, one of the top marks in the entire country. All three of the team’s top backs, RB Trey Watts, RB Ja’Terian Douglas, and RB Alex Singleton carried the ball at least 10 times per game this year, and each averaged at least 58.8 yards per game. Both Watts and Douglas averaged at least six yards per carry, while Singleton was the moose near the goal line, rushing for a whopping 21 touchdowns. The first time that these two teams met though, matters weren’t good for the Tulsa rushing attack. These three men only combined for 24 total carries, and the Golden Hurricane only had a total of 160 rushing yards. That just doesn’t cut it for a team that just doesn’t have a great passing game. We expect to see at least double the carries in this one for Tulsa that we saw from those backs the first time around, and if that turns out to be the case, the Golden Hurricane should be in good shape.

Liberty Bowl Odds at WagerWeb Sportsbook
Iowa State Cyclones -1.5
Tulsa Golden Hurricane +1.5
Over/Under 51
Click Here to Bet Your Liberty Bowl Picks!

Key #2: The moment can’t be too big for Sam Richardson
QB Sam Richardson has to be on Cloud Nine right now on the eve of his first ever bowl game. Just last year, he was still in high school in Central Florida, and he had to think that he was either going to redshirt this year or play sparingly. Instead, he has jumped over both QB Steele Jantz and QB Jared Barnett and is now the starting quarterback for the team. There is always a question as to how a freshman plays in a big game like this one, and this could be problematic. Remember that this is only going to be the third start for Richardson in his career. His numbers are good, as he has completed 62.1% of his passes for 412 yards and seven TDs without a pick, and he has rushed for 187 yards and a TD as well. However, he needs to keep his emotions in check and take his time against a Tulsa defense that has made its share of big plays on the season.

Key #3: The Iowa State offensive line has to be careful against a huge pass rush
Part of the problem that Richardson is going to have in this game is that his offensive line is going to have its hands full. Tulsa ranks third in the nation in sacks this year, and the team ended up with 48 sacks on the campaign. The Golden Hurricane also picked off 10 passes, had 55 pass deflections, and ultimately just made big play after big play. Granted, we know that Tulsa has allowed its share of big plays as well, and Richardson is going to have the opportunity to make some big time plays against this defense as well. When it was Jantz that was under center when these teams played at the outset of the season, he ended the day with -9 rushing yards on 13 carries. If Richardson ends up in this same type of a situation, it could be a long day for him and for this offense. If the Golden Hurricane get four or five sacks in this game, they should be in a situation to get the ‘W’.

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The Hawaii Bowl is the early Christmas gift for NCAA football betting fans each and every season, and this year is no exception. For those on the Big Island, the chance to see the home team play at Aloha Stadium is the perfect present. The Hawaii Warriors will take on the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. Ready to make your college football picks in this one? Be sure to take a look at the three big time keys to this game that will help determine the winner.

Key #1: Tulsa’s pass defense absolutely has to find some sort of help
This was the Achilles heel for the Golden Hurricane all season long, and this is absolutely the worst possible matchup for them to take on in this bowl season. They were one of the few teams in the land that allowed at least 300 yards per game to opposing aerial assaults, and there were several games this year in which teams dropped at least 400 yards on them. To make matters worse for Tulsa, Hawaii has a passing game that has averaged over 380 yards per game this year, and QB Bryant Moniz is the only man in the country that has the ability to throw for 5,000 yards. WR Greg Salas has 1,675 yards and 12 scores this year, but there is no doubt that WR Kealoha Pilares is the best No. 2 receiver in the land, WR Royce Pollard is the best No. 3 receiver in the land, and WR Rodney Bradley is the best No. 4 receiver in the land. Pilares had 15 TDs this year, one of the highest marks in major college football, while Pollard and Bradley combined for 1,283 yards on 104 receptions with seven TDs, numbers which most teams would be thrilled to have out of their first and second receivers. If there’s no stopping Moniz, there’s no stopping Hawaii, particularly at home where the team really shined.

Key #2: Hawaii needs to keep its offense well rounded
The Warriors aren’t just a one dimensional team. They did rank No. 1 in the country in the passing game, but they weren’t without their abilities to run the football either. RB Alex Green had the highest yards per carry average against qualified running backs at 8.8 yards per rush. He had just 133 attempts this year, but he made the most of them, rumbling for 1,168 yards and 17 TDs. The beauty for Green was that he really blew up at the end of the season, accounting for 453 yards and four TDs over the course of the last two games of the season. Only the best well rounded teams have really torched this Tulsa defense, though everyone had its licks. This is going to be the man that really has to be stopped for the Golden Hurricane to at least have a half of a chance to beat the Hawaii Bowl lines.

Key #3: GJ Kinne has to be virtually perfect
It’s really easy to say that a quarterback playing a perfect game is going to be the key to victory, but for Tulsa, this isn’t an exaggeration whatsoever. He really might have to play a perfect game to cover up the inevitable blunders of his defense. We know that the Warriors are going to score. The question is whether or not the Golden Hurricane can keep up or not. The ball was in Kinne’s hands 574 times this season, one of the highest totals in the land. He was the team’s top passer with 3,307 yards and 28 TDs against ten picks, and he was also the leading rusher with 557 yards and seven scores. However, perhaps even more importantly, Kinne has to make the decision about who he wants to get the ball in the hands of. There wasn’t a legitimate running back on this team that had even 400 yards on the ground, and the top rusher aside from him was WR Damaris Johnson, who had 462 yards on 50 carries, mostly on sweeps from the outside. Mistakes just cannot be made from the point that the snap is taken to the point that the ball leaves his hands, as every decision is crucial. This was a Hawaii defense that was great at forcing turnovers this year. DB Mana Silva had eight picks this year and led a ‘D’ that allowed just 341.8 yards and 22.7 points per game. Though these numbers only ranked No. 40 and No. 42 respectively in the country, they were more than good enough to beat up opponents thanks to an offense that has the ability to be picture perfect.