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Bowl Breakdown: Las Vegas

Boise State (11-1) vs. Arizona State (6-6)Dec. 22, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN) Reason to watch: It's the final career game for Kellen Moore, the winningest quarterback in
Stewart Mandel|
Bowl Breakdown: Las Vegas
Bowl Breakdown: Las Vegas

Boise State (11-1) vs. Arizona State (6-6)Dec. 22, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Reason to watch: It's the final career game for Kellen Moore, the winningest quarterback in NCAA history, as well as for a host of other familiar Boise State seniors (tackle Nate Potter, running back Doug Martin, defensive linemen Billy Winn and Shea McClellin and others) who played integral roles in Moore's 49 victories over the past four years. On the other sideline, two-time national championship coach Dennis Erickson, 64, is coaching his last game for the Sun Devils following his Nov. 28 dismissal. Some college fans may also reasonably assume this will be the last time they see uber-talent/maniacal hot-head Vontaze Burfict, ASU's junior linebacker, but his draft stock has dropped this season and Erickson says it's not even certain Burfict will start against Boise.

Keep an eye on: Moore, obviously. He's completed 74.1 percent of his passes for 3,507 yards, 41 touchdowns and seven interceptions while spreading the ball around much more than he did during the Titus Young/Austin Pettis era. Six different receivers have at least 25 catches, led by senior Tyler Shoemaker (59 catches, 959 yards, 15 touchdowns). Of course, you can also mix it up and feast your eyes on perennially overlooked running back Martin. A leg injury kept him out of Boise State's Nov. 12 loss to TCU, but he came back with three straight 100-yard games to end the regular season.

Did you know: Broncos coach Chris Petersen's 61 victories in his first five seasons mark the third-most of any coach in history. Unfortunately he's not going to be able to match record-holder Walter Camp, who went 69-2-2 from 1888-92.

Final analysis: Neither team is thrilled with its postseason destination, but Boise is at full strength, while ASU is not. Boise did not lose four straight to end its regular season. Boise has 17 senior starters looking to go out on a high. And most importantly, Boise is just a much better team.

The pick: Boise State 34, Arizona State 17

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Stewart Mandel
STEWART MANDEL

Senior Writer, Sports Illustrated Stewart Mandel first caught the college football bug as a sophomore at Northwestern University in 1995. "The thrill of that '95 Rose Bowl season energized the entire campus, and I quickly became aware of how the national media covered that story," he says. "I knew right then that I wanted to be one of those people, covering those types of stories."  Mandel joined SI.com (formerly CNNSI.com) in 1999. A senior writer for the website, his coverage areas include the national college football beat and college basketball. He also contributes features to Sports Illustrated. "College football is my favorite sport to cover," says Mandel. "The stakes are so high week in and week out, and the level of emotion it elicits from both the fans and the participants is unrivaled." Mandel's most popular features on SI.com include his College Football Mailbag and College Football Overtime. He has covered 14 BCS national championship games and eight Final Fours. Mandel's first book, Bowls, Polls and Tattered Souls: Tackling the Chaos and Controversy That Reign Over College Football, was published in 2007. In 2008 he took first place (enterprise category) and second place (game story) in the Football Writers Association of America's annual writing contest. He also placed first in the 2005 contest (columns). Mandel says covering George Mason's run to the Final Four was the most enjoyable story of his SI tenure.  "It was thrilling to be courtside for the historic Elite Eight upset of UConn," Mandel says.  "Being inside the locker room and around the team during that time allowed me to get to know the coaches and players behind that captivating story." Before SI.com Mandel worked at ESPN the Magazine, ABC Sports Online and The Cincinnati Enquirer. He graduated from Northwestern University in 1998 with a B.S. in journalism. A Cincinnati native, Mandel and his wife, Emily, live in Santa Clara, Calif.

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