SATURDAY’S OTHER CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES Mountain West
UTAH STATE (9-3) AT NO. 19 SAN DIEGO ST. (11-1)
When/where: 11 a.m. at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif.
TV: Fox.
Update: The Mountain Division champion Aggies and the West Division champion Aztecs are playing for the conference championship and a berth in the inaugural Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl at $5 billion Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Dec. 18. The Aztecs have won 11 of the past 12 meetings, including 38-7 at Utah State in 2020. SDSU is trying for its first MWC championship since winning consecutive titles in 2015 and 2016. Utah State lost to Fresno State in its only championship game appearance in 2013.
Players to watch: Utah State junior QB Logan Bonner tied the school record with five touchdown
passes in a 35-10 win over New Mexico last week. He threw for 306 yards in that game, giving him 3,236 yards and 32 TDS this season, against 10 interceptions. San Diego State senior QB Jordon Brookshire is expected to start after coming off the bench late in the first half to help rally the Aztecs to 24 straight points in a 27-16 win over Boise State last Friday. Brookshire passed for 192 yards and a TD after Lucas Johnson went out with a knee injury.
Sun Belt APPALACHIAN ST. (10-2) AT NO. 24 LA.-LAFAYETTE (11-1)
When/where: 2:30 p.m. at Cajun Field, Lafayette, La.
TV: ESPN.
Update: Both teams are already assured bowl bids, but Louisianalafayette never has won a Sun Belt Conference championship game and wants nothing more than to do so in what could be coach Billy Napier’s last game with the Ragin’ Cajuns before he heads to his next job at Florida.
Appalachian State is looking for its third victory in a Sun Belt title game to go with those it won in 2018 and 2019. These teams met during the regular season at Cajun Field, with Louisiana-lafayette rolling to a 41-13 victory that wound up being the Mountaineers’ lone conference loss. Players to watch: Appalachian State linebacker D’marco Jackson’s 103 total tackles include 15 tackles for loss and five sacks. He also has an interception and has been credited with eight quarterback hurries. Cajuns tight end Neal Johnson caught three passes for 80 yards in a victory over Louisiana-monroe last weekend and has been their top receiving tight end with 22 catches.
ACC
NO. 15 PITT (10-2) VS. NO. 16 WAKE FOREST (10-2)
When/where: 7 p.m. at Bank of
America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
ABC.
The Panthers and Demon Deacons have the honor of officially ending Clemson’s dominant six-year run as ACC champs. The Tigers represented the conference in the College Football Playoffs for six straight years, but this year’s ACC champion won’t be headed to the playoffs. But the winner of this game will be going to a New Year’s Six bowl. Players to watch: Pitt WR Jordan Addison is producing at an All-america level. A Biletnikoff Award finalist, Addison leads the country with 17 touchdown catches. That’s the most by a Pitt player since Larry Fitzgerald had a school-record 22 in 2003. Wake Forest QB Sam Hartman has thrown for 3,711 yards with 34 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this season.
TV: Update: