If you love offense, you’re gonna want to tune into the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl on Dec. 18. SoFi Stadium, the host of the first ever LA Bowl and home of the Los Angeles Chargers, will bring no shortage of electricity on the field when the high-flying offenses of the Utah State Aggies and the Oregon State Beavers take the field.

How We Got Here:

Both of these teams were not expected to be bowl eligible entering the season, and both have shattered expectations and reset the trajectory of their programs.

Utah State, in its first year with head coach Blake Anderson, won 10 games in a season in which the Aggies were expected to finish as the doormat of the Mountain division. The Aggies kicked off the year by walking into Pullman and knocking off the Washington State Cougars thanks to a fourth-quarter rally. That victory seemed to instill a belief within the team that they can prove a lot of doubters wrong and do something magical this season.

Many record books had to be dusted off and updated when the Aggies kicked off their Mountain West conference schedule with a 49-45 victory over Air Force in Colorado Springs, beating the Falcons for the first time since 2013. With the victory, Utah State improved to 3-0 for the first time since 1978!

But a daunting schedule lay ahead for Blake Anderson’s team, but it was a challenge for them to learn if they were legitimate enough to contest the best of the Mountain West for a title. First was the Boise State Broncos, who had owned the Aggies for two and a half decades. Utah State had only beaten Boise State once in its previous 18 meetings before the late September joust.

The Aggies got bounced 27-3 despite outgaining the Broncos in total yards, but three turnovers, two turnovers on downs, and a missed field goal killed their chances of staying close.

Next was the battle for the Old Wagon Wheel against No. 13 BYU, who was undefeated and was coming off of two impressive performances against ranked Utah and Arizona State teams. BYU was another team that had dominated Utah State for years — the Aggies were just 4-16 in their previous 20 meetings with their in-state rivals.

The Cougars won 34-20 in Logan, and it was clear the Aggies had been woken up by the back-to-back losses. They rattled off five straight wins in conference play, including three by more than 20 points. After a blowout loss to Wyoming, the Aggies bounced back with a dominant win over New Mexico to clinch their first division title since their first season in the Mountain West in 2013.

In the Mountain West Championship Game, the Aggies were heavy underdogs, going up against No. 19 San Diego State on the road. The Aztecs were short-handed, but they were still the favorites to win it all. After a scoreless first quarter, the Aggies jumped all over Brady Hoke’s team, putting up a MW title game-record 46 points to clinch the program’s first-ever Mountain West title.

The champions of the Mountain West will face the Oregon State Beavers, another team that few expected to be in a bowl game in 2021. The Beavers had won just nine games in three seasons to begin Jonathan Smith’s tenure at his alma mater, and after an opening-weekend loss to Purdue in which Oregon State started Sam Noyer at quarterback and finished with Chance Nolan, most Pac-12 fans assumed it was going to be more of the same.

Then, the Beavers went to Nolan as their starter and proceeded to win their next four games — the longest win streak for the team since 2013 — including a surprising 45-27 win over USC for their first win in the Coliseum since 1960.

But the Beavers fell into a skid, losing three of their next four games. The one win, however, was undoubtedly their best of the season as they were the only Pac-12 team to knock off the eventual champion Utah Utes — something to brag about over their in-state rivals the Oregon Ducks, although the Ducks would handle the Beavers to close out the regular season.

And while that last sentence may sound like something that happens every year, that game had much more on the line for the Beavers than in most rivalry games. The Beavers defeated Arizona State the same week that Oregon lost to Utah in blowout fashion (the first time), and so they entered rivalry weekend needing a Washington win over Washington State as well as a win over the Ducks to punch their ticket to the Pac-12 Championship Game in Las Vegas.

Neither event went the Beavs’ way, but they still earned their first bowl bid since 2013 and look to win their eighth game for the first time since 2012 with a win in SoFi.

Players to Watch:

Utah State:

QB Logan Bonner – The Aggies’ record holder for single-season touchdown passes, Logan Bonner has been one of the most productive signal-callers in the Mountain West, with 3,560 yards, 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his first year at Utah State after a four-year career at Arkansas State. With a win, Bonner would earn his first bowl win as a starting quarterback in his career.

WR Deven Thompkins – Deven Thompkins defined the word “breakout” in 2021, finishing second in the FBS with a school-record 1,589 receiving yards on 96 catches along with nine touchdowns. Thompkins had just 815 receiving yards in three years prior to this season. He recorded five games of at least 170 receiving yards and caught at least five passes in all but one game this year.

LB Justin Rice – Justin Rice is a tackling machine, recording 115 total tackles to lead his team by far. He also was tied for the team-lead with three interceptions. He’s a nimble linebacker, moving like a gazelle, but he’s physical and can thump ball-carriers when necessary.

Oregon State:

RB BJ Baylor – BJ Baylor had a lot of pressure on his shoulders after Jermar Jefferson’s great career came to an end last year and Baylor was expected to be the next RB1. Baylor delivered, leading the Pac-12 with 1,259 rushing yards — the most by an Oregon State back since Jefferson put up 1,380 in 2018. Baylor is difficult to bring down and has breakaway speed.

C Nathan Eldridge – Every strong offense needs a strong offensive line, and Oregon State was lucky enough to have arguably the best in the country, anchored by center Nathan Eldridge. The Beavers are a finalist for the Joe Moore Award, and Eldridge is a big reason why. They don’t give up many sacks and create huge gaps for the run game. Eldridge is not afraid to drive defensive linemen into the ground.

LB Avery Roberts – Few linebackers are as productive in the Pac-12 as Avery Roberts. The Nebraska transfer led the Pac-12 with 123 tackles and led the Beavs with 9.5 tackles for loss. He’s a sure tackler and will be key in stopping Calvin Tyler Jr. and the Aggies’ rushing offense. The Beavers have had a relatively solid season defensively statistically, despite firing their defensive coordinator midseason, and Roberts is their emotional leader on the field.

Score Prediction:

Utah State 41, Oregon State 31

This game is going to be a lot of fun. Offensive playmakers will be on full display, and I think the first team to hit 40 points will ultimately win this game. While I think Oregon State’s rushing offense poses a big threat, I don’t think the Beavers’ defense can slow down the Utah State offense that produces more than 450 yards per game.