Minnesota will take on Washington State in this year’s Holiday Bowl and for a minute, we weren’t even sure if this game would happen. On Thursday, Dec. 15, the Minnesota football team announced a football boycott. The decision was in protest of the suspensions of 10 players following a sexual assault investigation by the school. The players even said they would boycott the game if “need be.”
Minnesota vs. Washington State, 2016 Holiday Bowl: Time, live stream, TV schedule, and 3 things to know
For a little while, this game looked to be in jeopardy.
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
On Saturday morning however, the players announced that they would be ending the boycott, and practice resumed on Sunday afternoon per usual. The 10 players remain suspended from the team.
Washington, however had a relatively uneventful preparation period ahead of the Holiday Bowl. The Cougs finished the season 8-4. They even had a shot to get into this year’s Rose Bowl, but getting trounced by Washington 45-17 ended those hopes.
How to watch, stream, and listen
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN. The announcers are Bob Wischusen and Brock Huard, with Allison Williams on the sideline.
Radio: Washington State | Minnesota
Online streaming: This game can be live streamed at WatchESPN,
Spread: Minnesota is a 5-point favorite.
Make friends: SB Nation’s CougNation covers Wazzu, while The Daily Gopher covers Minnesota.
Three big things to know
1. Some of the suspended Gophers are important players: Antoine Winfield Jr. is a starting safety on Minnesota’s defense. KiAnte Hardin, Antonio Shenault, and Ray Buford are cornerbacks in the Gophers’ rotation. Washington State’s passing offense finished 15th in the country per S&P, so Minnesota’s defense has a tough task ahead of it.
2. Washington State’s offense has been balanced this year: Now, this is rare because of how Mike Leach’s teams typically tend to air it out. Running backs James Williams, Jamal Morrow, and Gerard Wicks have combined for 1,584 yards this season.
3. Minnesota head coach Tracy Claeys is in an interesting spot: Leading the Gophers to an 8-4 record in his first full season as head coach is solid, but it’ll be interesting to see if any fallout happens from the football boycott. Claeys was open in supporting his players’ protest, and he even admitted after the boycott that he was risking his job by doing so.
See More:
