Fiesta Bowl 2018, LSU vs. UCF: Where, when, and team info
The New Year’s Six game in Glendale now has its matchup.
Who’s playing in the 2018 Fiesta Bowl?
UCF (12-0, 8-0 in AAC)
The Knights have won 25 games in a row, and the most recent might have been the most impressive of them all. They fell into a huge early hole against Memphis in the AAC Championship, where they were playing without McKenzie Milton, the lifeblood of their team and the QB who’d suffered a gruesome knee injury the week prior. But backup QB Darriel Mack Jr. led a huge comeback, and UCF won the AAC for the second year running. There’s no question left that this is an elite team. And if the Knights can win one more, be ready for them to claim another national championship.
LSU (9-3, 5-3 in SEC)
The Tigers did better than a lot of people thought they’d do against a brutal schedule. That didn’t include beating or even scaring Alabama, which is why they’re here instead of in the Playoff. Their offense isn’t great, but quarterback Joe Burrow and running back Nick Brossette both have had their moments. The team’s great strength is its defense, and probably its secondary in particular. Grant Delpit has a fair case for being the best safety in the country. Cornerbacks Greedy Williams and Kary Vincent Jr. are great, too, and the Tigers have depth all over the field on that side of the ball.
Where is the Fiesta Bowl?
It’s at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., the home of the NFL’s Cardinals and numerous BCS, New Year’s Six, and national title games over the years. The Fiesta Bowl has been played at this venue every year since the 2006 season, after moving over from Arizona State’s Sun Devil Stadium. It’s one of the sport’s most common big stages.
When is the Fiesta Bowl, and how can I watch it?
1 p.m. ET on New Year’s Day on ESPN, with streaming here. That’s right: They’re gonna play this bowl game at 11 a.m. local time, because TV runs everything about bowl games.
