The 2018 Hawaii Bowl was a College Football Bowl Game being played on December 22, 2018, in Honolulu, Hawai’i. It was the 17th edition of the Hawaii Bowl, and one of the 2018-19 bowl Games concluding the 2018 Football Season. This was the first time since 2007 that the bowl was not played on Christmas Eva.^[Sponsored by the SoFi personal finance company, the game was officially called the SoFi Hawaii Bowl.

Teams:  Hawaii (MWC) 9-4 / BYU (IND) 7-5

Bowl Location: Honolulu, HI

Day, Date & Time: Tuesday, December, 24, 2019, 8:00 EST

Network: ESPN

Best Win(s): BYU: beat USC (8-4) 30-27 (OT), Tennessee (7-5), 29-26 (OT), Boise State (12-1) 28-25; Hawaii: beat to P-12 Teams; Arizona (4-8), 42-35 & Oregon State (5-7) 31-28!

Worst Loss(es): BYU lost to South Florida (4-8), 27-23; Hawaii lost to Fresno State (4-8), 41-38! 

Common Opponents: San Diego State & Boise State: BYU beat Boise State, 28-25 & lost to San Diego State, 13-3; Hawaii beat San Diego State, 14-11 & Lost to BSU (2), 59-37 & 31-10 (MWC Championship)!

Vegas Hot$heets Favorite: BYU -2 (All lines are opening lines & all recommend picks are based on opening lines)

Sully’s CFP Game Simulator is a statistical analysis / predictor of how these teams will preform, based solely on their numbers, when they face off on the gridiron! Keep in mind, these stats were established against different teams and conferences and these differences must be taken into account to get a complete picture when attempting to predetermine a winner. If you are interested in how the Simulator works … read this part … if not … skip it! The process used is, say Notre Dame is playing Wisconsin … we take ND’s total yards on offense, add it to the number the Badgers give up on defense, we get a total and then divide the total by 2 to get an average. We then invert the process, we now take Wisconsin’s total offense, add it to what the Irish give up on defense, get a 2nd total, and then divide that number by 2, to get the second average! The greater number (with the exception of Turnovers, lower # wins) is then determined to have the advantage ( please note …. statistical advantage). We repeat this process in each of the eight statistical categories assessed: 1) Total Yards, 2) Rushing, 3) Passing, 4) Scoring, 5) 3rd Down (Conversions /Stops), 6) Turnovers, 7) Red Zone Scores (TD’s & FG), & 8) Red Zone TD’s (only TD’s)!  That said… here are the results of the Head to Head Analysis:

These Programs have met 4 times (since 2011) and BYU has one every meeting & done so by double digits in each game (2011, 41-20, 2012, 47-0; 2017, 30-20; & 2018, 49-23)!

This game is the most evenly balanced of any game we have broken down in the Bowl season thus far! Two common opponents, San Diego State & Boise State, BYU beat Boise, who Hawaii lost to, while the Rainbow Warriors beat SDSU, who the Cougars lost to in San Diego. They split the critical categories in the Simulator, BYU out performs Hawaii in the run & TO categories, while Hawaii prevails on 3rd Down & in the RZ.

Sully Says: Go with recent history and BYU beating better teams than Hawaii this season. Take BYU and give the Rainbow Warriors the 2 points!