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No. 23 South Florida meets Texas Tech in Birmingham Bowl

Rashaad Penny led the nation with 2,248 rushing yards and scored 23 touchdowns as a senior at San Diego State. (Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP)
Associated Press
Rashaad Penny led the nation with 2,248 rushing yards and scored 23 touchdowns as a senior at San Diego State. (Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP)

Armed Forces

San Diego State (10-2) vs. Army (9-3), at Fort Worth, Texas, 9 a.m. TV: ESPN Line: Aztecs by 6.

Key matchups: Two of college football’s most dominant rushing attacks clash, even though the offenses are dramatically different. The pro-style offense used by San Diego State (10-2) is led by the top rusher in the Bowl Subdivision, senior Rashaad Penny. The consensus All-American ran for 2,027 yards and needs 107 more to break the school’s single-season mark set last year by Donnel Pumphrey.

Army (9-3) leads the nation at 368.1 yards rushing per game and is last with 29.6 yards passing using an option formation that chugs methodically downfield.

Birmingham

No. 23 South Florida (9-2) vs. Texas Tech (6-6), at Birmingham, Alabama, 9 a.m. TV: ESPN Line: South Florida by 2 1/2. Series: First meeting.

Key matchups: South Florida’s offense against Texas Tech that ranks 99th in total defense and 123rd in passing yards allowed. The Red Raiders face an offense that ranks ninth in total and rushing yards per game and 16th in scoring average. South Florida QB Quinton Flowers has passed for 2,600 yards and 21 touchdowns but also leads the team with 972 rushing yards.Texas Tech WR Keke Coutee’s 1,242 receiving yards ranks fourth among receivers from Power 5 conferences.

Dollar General

Appalachian State (8-4) vs. Toledo (11-2), at Mobile, Alabama, 4 p.m. PST TV: ESPN Line: Toledo by 7. Series: Appalachian State leads 1-0.

Key matchups: Toledo QB Logan Woodside vs. Appalachian State’s defense: Woodside has thrown for 3,758 yards, 28 touchdowns and five interceptions this season. His top target WR Diontae Johnson has 1,257 yards receiving and 13 TDs. The Rockets will match up with a Mountaineers defense that gave up just 10 points per game during its three-game winning streak to end the season.