BYU vs. San Diego State: Kyle Van Noy, Cougars D crushes Aztecs

I tried to tell you, man, I tried to tell you.

In all, Van Noy made 7.5 disruptive plays in the box score: 3.5 tackles for loss (1.5 sacks), a forced fumble (which he recovered for a touchdown), an interception he returned for a touchdown and a blocked punt.

Both offenses struggled mightily throughout the game. San Diego State held a 6-3 halftime lead after 30 minutes of football that featured seven punts, three three-and-out series, two interceptions, and no touchdowns. Only one offensive touchdown was scored in the game’s entirety, and the 29 combined points is the lowest total in Poinsettia Bowl history.

The Kyle Van Noy Show began in the third quarter. After San Diego State’s first series of the half ended in another three-and-out, the junior BYU linebacker blocked the punt, giving the Cougars the ball at the Aztec 35 yard line. The Cougars were unable to convert on the excellent field position, and the teams again traded scoreless possessions through the third quarter.

BYU boasts one of the country’s best defenses, and the question coming in was whether San Diego State was going to be able to do much of anything on offense. We pretty much already know the Cougars won’t be able to do much of anything on offense, because what is offense? Now that I’ve said this, this game will end with a 38-35 score.

San Diego State leads, 3-0.

BYU senior quarterback James Lark will start for the Cougars in tonight’s Poinsettia Bowl against San Diego State.

The Poinsettia Bowl will be Lark’s second career start. He started BYU’s regular season finale, throwing for 384 yards and six touchdowns against New Mexico State. Lark is lacking experience, having attempted just 83 passes during his BYU career. He will face a difficult challenge on Thursday, going up against San Diego State’s unconventional 3-3-5 defense.

1. It feels right. One thing about conference realignment: It can give us some exciting bowl matchups between former conference mates. Obviously this season’s Cotton Bowl (Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma) is the best example of that, but the Poinsettia Bowl also allows us an opportunity to see former rivals face off. SDSU and BYU faced off almost every year for 35 years before BYU went independent. They know each other pretty well.

2. Muema vs. BYU. Adam Muema is one of the nation’s most underrated backs, but he is going to find pretty small running lanes against this front seven, if he finds them at all. Only Notre Dame has run the ball effectively on BYU all season. Can SDSU do something Georgia Tech, Oregon State and Boise State couldn’t?

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, 8 p.m. (ET) Dec. 20, ESPN

One of the exciting things about bowl games is that they usually feature two teams that rarely play one another. Things couldn’t be anymore opposite in the Poinsettia Bowl. Brigham Young and San Diego State have played each other 35 times, most recently in 2010 (a 24-21 win by BYU). This is a matchup we all know, but remains a good one largely because of the NFL Draft prospects playing in the game. Here’s a look at the NFL Draft storylines to follow: