Maaco Bowl Las Vegas

Viva Las Vegas for the Broncos and ASU

The 2011 MAACO Bowl is a game that may be passed off by the casual observer as one not worth watching. The game is before Christmas and has no BCS value. The Boise State Broncos are ranked seventh in the country with an 11-1 record and blew a chance at BCS Championship consideration by losing to TCU with four weeks left in the season. The Arizona State Sun Devils are unranked and floundered to a 6-6 record, losing the last four games of the season. Boise State obliterated opponents throughout the season. Arizona State started strong at 5-1 winning by an average of almost 14 points. There are striking similarities and differences that say this game may actually be one of this bowl season's best sources for highlights on evening sports news broadcasts.

The Broncos are recognized across the country for both for their blue turf and an offense that can rack up numbers in bunches. The moniker of belonging to the Mountain West Conference hangs over them, though. Boise State has been in the post season for the last decade including attending the MAACO Bowl for the second straight year. In 2011, the PAC-12 Sun Devils earned their first post season berth since 2007. Boise State's Chris Petersen is a combined 9-2 commanding season starts and bowl games. Dennis Erickson will be coaching Arizona State for the last time due to the collapse at the end of the season.

The Broncos have been able to march up and down the field using 172.3 rushing yards and just over 43 points a game to keep opponents at bay and in the losing column. Arizona States has flown under the radar in terms of offense, largely due to their .500 record and the season ending losing streak. The Sun Devils rank 11th passing in the country, however, going aerial for 310.2 yards a game - a mere tenth of a yard behind the 10th ranked Broncos - and notching a respectable 33.9 points per game.

There are a number of players for the Broncos who have started the last four years. QB Kellen Moore is one of those and is aiming to earn his 50th career win as a starter for Boise State. Setting a school record with 41 TD passes this year, he brings experience and results as the leader of a potent offense. Arizona State's QB, Brock Osweiler, is completing his first full year as a starter and has been solid during the 2011 campaign finding receivers for 3,641 yards and 24 touchdowns. Noted for his arm strength, he may be more recognized for mobility that is uncommon for a man who stands 6'8" tall.

These are two teams that appear to be heading in different directions, but key injuries for both leave questions and options wide open. With the potential for more than 80 points to go up on the board, this game could come down to a field goal - a noted weakness for the Broncos. Vegas is notorious for making and breaking dreams. Not only does this promise to be a high scoring affair, but where will you place your bet? The team aiming to make history or the team that may be just desperate enough to cash in on Las Vegas magic?

Maaco Bowl Las Vegas Overview

The Maaco Bowl Las Vegas is one of the officially sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl games, and this year marks the 19th year for the game, although it should be noted that the game used to be played as the Las Vegas Bowl.

The Maaco Bowl Las Vegas is played in Sam Boyd Stadium, and as the namesake would imply, in the city of Las Vegas, Nevada. Like most college football games, there are a lot of events that occur around the game itself that aren't part of the actual action on the field, including VIP luncheons and welcome receptions for the teams invited to play.

The original incarnation of the bowl wasn't even played in Las Vegas, however. Back in the 80's, the California Raisins, a marketing force created to raise awareness for the tasty dried fruit, were so popular that they even had a college football bowl game named after them. Dubbed the 'California Raisin Bowl', it was appropriately played in Fresno, California starting in 1981. The game lived as a California based post season game until 1991, when the advertising power of the California Raisins had run its' course and the bowl needed to secure new sponsorship and a new home to stay afloat.

After working through a reorganization, the game emerged in Nevada and was played as the Las Vegas Bowl in Sam Boyd Stadium in 1992, matching up Bowling Green and home state Nevada. Unfortunately for Nevada, being from the state wasn't enough to secure a victory, as Bowling Green quarterback Erik White led his team to a win by only a single point.

The Las Vegas Bowl became a mainstay of the college football bowl season from that first game in 1992 until 1999, when EA Sports took over sponsorship and the name of the bowl game was officially changed to the EA Sports Las Vegas Bowl. This sponsorship only lasted until 2001, when competing game manufacturer Sega came in and took over the corporate sponsorship.

Pioneer decided to sponsor the bowl in 2003, changing the name around more than once, but retaining their sponsorship of the bowl game until 2008, when the bowl game moved into its' most recent incarnation, the Maaco Bowl Las Vegas. The current conference tie-ins for the bowl are with the Mountain West Conference and the Pac-10, which is an excellent pool of relevant regional football talent to draw from.

Usually just a few days before Christmas the game is played. At one time, bowl games that were played before New Year's Day were considered lesser bowls. The closer the game was played to the actual New Year's Day bowl bonanza, the higher in prestige the bowl was considered to be. However, with more and more games moving past New Year's and into the month of January, this is less of a standard today. It still should be mentioned that at one time, while not the 'BCS' bowl game caliber, the Maaco Bowl Las Vegas was still considered a significant bowl game even though not part of the BCS.

It should also be noted that even though car repair service Maaco is the primary sponsor whose name is on the bowl, there are other sponsors, including Planet Hollywood and the Venetian Hotel.

If you're itching for a little football action don't forget we also have a wide variety of NFL odds to hold you through the holiday season. Our NFL game previews are available for all your favorite matchups like the Panthers vs Buccaneers, the Titans vs Texans or what ever you favorite teams are. The Maaco Bowl Preview & Lines, all Maaco Bowl odds will be released at the end of the regular season. We'll have many Maaco Bowl betting options that cover every aspect of the game if you you'd like to bet on the coin toss or half time lines. You can even place sports wagers during the bowl games.