2015 Cure Bowl, San Jose State vs. Georgia State: Date, time, location and more

The inaugural AutoNation Cure Bowl is one of two new bowls in 2015 and one of three bowls played at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla.

The Citrus Bowl also serves as the home of the Russell Athletic Bowl and the ... wait for it ... Citrus Bowl, in addition to the newly added Cure Bowl. Opened in 1936, the stadium has served as the home for many different events, including soccer matches for the 1996 Summer Olympics and the 1994 FIFA World Cup, and recently underwent renovations to the lower bowl.

Here is everything you need to know to get ready for this year’s Cure Bowl:

Date and time: Sat., Dec. 19, 7 p.m. ET

TV channel: CBS Sports Network

Location: Orlando, Fla.

Stadium: Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium, 65,000

Last year’s score: N/A

Last year’s attendance: N/A

Last year’s TV rating: N/A

Last year’s payout for each school: N/A

Team with the most all-time appearances: N/A

Team with the most all-time wins: N/A

This Thanksgiving, San Jose State football had plenty of things to be thankful for. Namely, their high graduation rate and the glut of bowl games that has left the NCAA searching for sub-.500 teams to fill out their postseason slate.

The Spartans’ season didn’t end with a late-November loss to Boise State that dropped them to 5-7. With an APR score of 975 -- the NCAA’s measurement of a program’s graduation rate that tops out at 1,000 -- they shot to the top of the list of five-win teams hoping for a bowl bid. That helps make up for Ron Caragher’s first year as head coach in 2013, when a six-win San Jose State squad sat at home without a postseason invitation.

For all intents and purposes, the Spartans were a mediocre team in 2015. Their best win came against a 7-5 New Mexico team, but their other three FBS victories were over programs with a combined 9-28 record. They ranked 68th nationally in scoring offense and 78th in scoring defense. Aside from shifty senior tailback Tyler Ervin (1,469 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns), there aren’t many standout playmakers in the Spartan offense. If opponents can keep him out of the end zone then they’ve got a path to victory -- he had zero touchdowns in the team’s final four losses.

Last bowl game: 2012 Military Bowl (29-20 win over Bowling Green)

All-time bowl record: 4-3

Head coach’s bowl record: This is Ron Caragher’s first bowl appearance as a head coach.

It’s one thing to make your first bowl game in school history. It’s another to get the win to reach bowl eligibility by dominating your rival on the road. The Georgia State program just started in 2010, and Georgia Southern doesn’t like acknowledging its new rival upstate, but the Panthers are earning respect after dominating the Eagles, 34-7.

That game was the exclamation point on an impressive season to help legitimize the program. The beginning of the season had some rough spots for the Panthers, who lost to FCS Liberty and got blown out by Appalachian State. However, they ended the season on a four-game winning streak and are playing their best football of the season.

The offense is particularly impressive, ranking 33rd nationally in yards per play. GSU hasn’t scored less than 24 points in its four-game winning streak, and it’s led by the eighth-ranked passing game in the country, behind underrated senior quarterback Nick Arbuckle.

Last bowl game: This is Georgia State’s first bowl game

All-time bowl record: 0-0

Head coach’s bowl record: This is Trent Miles’ first bowl game.