Washington State vs. Miami Odds
| Washington State Odds | +1.5 |
| Miami Odds | -1.5 |
| Over/Under | 59.5 |
| Date | Dec. 31 |
| Location | Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas |
Washington State is set to take on Miami in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31 at Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. Find our expert's projected odds, a recap of each team's seasons, plus more information on the Sun Bowl below.
Washington State vs. Miami Projected Odds
| Washington State Spread | -4.5 |
| Miami Spread | +4.5 |
| Over/Under | 56.8 |
These Washington State vs. Miami projections are based on Collin Wilson's college football power ratings, which help power our PRO Projections — they compare all of his projections to real-time college football odds in order to easily identify betting edges.
How Washington State Reached the Sun Bowl
Possibly the least-talked-about bizarre story in college football could be found in Pullman, Wash.
Washington State was embroiled in controversy from the start of the season due to Nick Rolovich refusing to be vaccinated. When he refused to comply with a state guideline to do so, he was dismissed on Oct. 19.
The Cougars proceeded to go 3-2 under new head coach Jake Dickert, with the losses coming at the hands of BYU and Oregon, to finish out the season 7-5 and earn a bowl appearance. One of those wins under Dickert, who was Rolovich’s defensive coordinator, was a comprehensive 40-13 win in the Apple Cup over Washington.
Running back Max Borghi is the team’s top offensive weapon. He ran for 880 yards averaging five yards per carry this past season. Cougars quarterback Jayden De Laura improved as the season progressed and led the Pac-12 in both passing yards per game (250.1) and touchdown passes (23).
The Cougars were awesome against the spread, going 8-4 on the season and covering the number in eight of their last nine games.
How Miami Reached the Sun Bowl
There’s yet to be a breakthrough for the Hurricanes under Manny Diaz, whose latest 7-5 stint gives him a 21-16 overall record at the post.
Miami’s second-place Coastal finish looks good on paper, but it’ll finish as a what-if type of year.
The Hurricanes lost three games as favorites, two of which were out of conference.
Quarterback and former Houston standout D’Eriq King only lasted three games before hitting the shelf with a season-ending injury.
Tyler Van Dyke filled in well under center, posting close to 3,000 yards for the nation’s 10th-ranked passing offense.
However, the defense was porous against pass-heavy teams — and the ACC features a plethora.
The ‘Canes notably lost Rhett Lashlee to SMU after two solid seasons as OC.
Washington State vs. Miami Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Washington State and Miami match up statistically:
Washington State Offense vs. Miami Defense
 |  Offense |  Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 65 | 66 |  |
| Line Yards | 61 | 41 | |
| Pass Success | 56 | 42 | |
| Pass Blocking** | 9 | 100 | |
| Big Play | 44 | 39 | |
| Havoc | 86 | 73 | |
| Finishing Drives | 42 | 114 | |
| ** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.) | |||
Miami Offense vs. Washington State Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 122 | 121 | |
| Line Yards | 127 | 111 | |
| Pass Success | 13 | 78 | |
| Pass Blocking** | 5 | 88 | |
| Big Play | 44 | 56 | |
| Havoc | 75 | 70 | |
| Finishing Drives | 46 | 79 | |
| ** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.) | |||
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 89 | 128 |
| Coverage | 43 | 79 |
| Middle 8 | 78 | 46 |
| SP+ Special Teams | 49 | 31 |
| Plays per Minute | 106 | 100 |
| Rush Rate | 47.8% (109) | 47.2% (116) |
Sun Bowl Date, Time, TV, More Info
- Date: Dec. 31
- Time: Noon ET
- Location: Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas
- TV Info: CBS
The Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl will be held on Friday, December 31st in a matchup between Pac-12 and ACC teams in El Paso at The Sun Bowl stadium.
The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl, is the second-oldest bowl game behind only the Rose Bowl as it has been played since 1935.
This is one of the few bowl games that will not be broadcasted on ESPN as the Sun Bowl's contract with CBS Sports is the longest continuous relationship between a bowl game and a TV network.
The Sun Bowl was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, and in its last game in 2019, the Arizona State Sun Devils defeated the Florida State Seminoles 20-14.
