Central Michigan vs San Diego State 12/21/19 - College Football Picks & Predictions

By: Anthonoy-deleo |

Last Updated: 12/21/2019 at 7:39 PM ET

The Central Michigan Chippewas and San Diego State Aztecs are set to visit Dreamstyle Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico as they will meet in the New Mexico Bowl. The Central Michigan Chippewas come into this matchup with an 8-5 record, and they will be looking to rebound after dropping the MAC Championship Game against the Miami (OH) RedHawks, 26-21. Senior QB Quinten Dormady had a solid game through the air for Central Michigan as he connected on 26 of his 41 pass attempts for 232 yards, 1 TD, and 1 interception. Backup QB Tommy Lazzaro had a productive game on the ground for the Chippewas as he ran for 48 yards and 2 TDs.

The Central Michigan Chippewas were solid on the defensive side of the ball against the Miami (OH) RedHawks as they held them to 26 points and a total of 272 yards of offense. Senior LB Michael Oliver led the way for the Central Michigan defense with 9 tackles, 1 pass deflection, and half a TFL. The Chippewas were able to get into the RedHawks backfield a handful of times as sophomore LB Troy Brown, freshman DL Laquan Johnson, and freshman DL Jacques Bristol combined for 5.5 TFL.

The San Diego State Aztecs come into this matchup with a 9-3 record, and they will be looking to continue their success after winning their recent home game against the BYU Cougars, 13-3. Freshman QB Carson Baker had an efficient game through the air for San Diego State as he connected on 19 of his 24 pass attempts for 172 yards and 1 TD. Junior RB Chase Jasmin had a productive game on the ground for the Aztecs as he compiled 44 yards on 7 carries.

The San Diego State Aztecs were good on the defensive side of the ball against the BYU Cougars as they held them to 3 points while forcing 3 turnovers. Junior safety Tariq Thompson led the way for the San Diego State defense as he contributed 9 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack, and 1 interception. The secondary had a productive outing for the Aztecs as sophomore CB Darren Hall and senior CB Luq Barcoo combined for 6 pass deflections while junior safety Dwayne Johnson Jr. hauled in an interception.

The San Diego Aztecs looked like they were a Mountain West favorite as they were sitting inside the top 25 with a 7-1 record, but they didn’t close out the season on a positive note as they went 2-2. San Diego State has traditionally been very good in bowl games under Rocky Long, and I expect them to be well prepared against a good Central Michigan offense. San Diego State has one of the best defenses in the country as they are holding their opponents to an average of 12.8 PPG, and their strength is their run defense which is exactly what Central Michigan bases their offense on. San Diego State will win the field position battle by shutting down the Central Michigan offense, and they will get enough production from their 4 different RBs to help put them over the top here. The San Diego State defense is coming off a game where they held BYU to 3 points, and they were able to win with little offensive production, don’t be surprised to see similar results. Final Score Prediction, San Diego State Aztecs win and cover ATS 20-10.

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