San Diego State Aztecs vs. Army Black Knights (+6.5, 46)
Game to be played at Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas
Fans of the ground game won't want to miss San Diego State's Rashaad Penny match up against Army's vaunted run attack at the Armed Forces Bowl Dec. 23 in Fort Worth, Texas. Penny received five All-American awards after leading the country in rushing yards (2,027) and adding 19 touchdowns on the ground. The talented senior saved his best for last, stringing together four straight 200-yard rushing efforts while scoring nine touchdowns over that stretch. **video
The Black Knights are no slouches themselves when it comes to producing high-level rushing performances as their 355.8 rushing yards per game led the entire nation, and they joined Navy as the only FBS schools this season to surpass 4,000 total yards on the ground. Quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw was the most dangerous player for Army, rushing for 1,566 yards and 12 TDs. Eleven different Black Knights players had at least one rushing score this season.
Army comes into this one having played the role of cardiac kids a little too often for its own comfort in recent weeks, with five of its last six games decided by five or fewer points. And while the Black Knights are no worse for wear despite the spate of close games - going 4-1 in those contests - they were fortunate to escape with a 14-13 win against Navy in their annual December showdown to capture the Commander-in-Chief trophy for the first time in 1996.
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
LINE HISTORY: San Diego State opened as a touchdown favorite but the spread has dropped to just six points. The total opened at 46.5 and has since come down a half point to 46. View complete odds history.
WHERE THE ACTION IS: As of Monday night, 80 percent of the total number of tickets and 70 percent of the money was on San Diego State according to William Hill US.
INJURY REPORT:
San Diego State - OL Antonio Rosales (Ankle, Questionable), FB Grady Vazquez (Knee, Questionable), LB Temerick Harper (Foot, Questionable).
Army - DB Rhyan England (Undisclosed, Probable).
WEATHER REPORT: The forecast is calling for clear skies and game day temperatures between 37 and 50 degrees.
ABOUT SAN DIEGO STATE (10-2 SU, 8-4 ATS, 4-7-1 O/U): One-sided home losses to Boise State and Fresno State left the Aztecs searching for answers - and boy, did they find them in short order. Behind a highly motivated Penny, San Diego reeled off four consecutive routs to close the season, outscoring Hawaii, San Jose State, Nevada and New Mexico by a combined 110 points en route to their school-record eighth consecutive bowl appearance. Quarterback Christian Chapman will likely only be called upon to give Penny a rest, but acquitted himself well with 1,848 passing yards, 13 TDs and just three interceptions during the season.
ABOUT ARMY (9-3 SU, 6-6 ATS, 6-6 O/U): There isn't much more that can be said about the ultimate run-first offense - the Black Knights threw just 61 passes all year, completing 19 - but the defense is another story altogether, and one that Army fans should be pleased about heading into Dec. 23. Entering its date with Navy, Army allowed opponents to score points on just 70 percent of their red-zone visits - even with USC, and behind only Troy, TCU and Virginia Tech. The Black Knights were also one of the top teams in the country at securing the football, turning it over just nine times in 12 games - tied for third-fewest turnovers in Division I.
TRENDS:
*The Aztecs are 4-0 ATS in their last four games.
*The Aztecs are 2-7 ATS in their last nine games against teams with winning records.
*The under is 4-0 in Army's last four games against teams from the Mountain West Conference.
*The under is 4-1 in San Diego State's last five bowl games.
View the complete list of betting trends for San Diego State vs. Army here.
COVERS CONSENSUS: About 66 percent of Covers contest players like San Diego State to cover as a 6-point favorite on Saturday against Army. See all the consensus data on this matchup here.
