Pop-Tarts Bowl Preview: #13 Miami Faces #18 Iowa State for Delicious Glory
For just the second year in history, the best-named bowl game will see two CFP rejects battle for a giant pastry. The Pop-Tarts Bowl, formerly known as the Cheez-It Bowl, among many other past monikers, features #13 Miami and #18 Iowa State, two teams that at one point during the regular season, looked like surefire CFP locks until they both fell apart down the stretch. At least the Cyclones made their title game, unlike the Hurricanes.
Miami stands at 10-2, 3rd in the overall ACC standings, and their initial playoff chances were dashed by losing 2 of their last 3 games to teams they should’ve easily beaten. The Canes couldn’t put away a pesky Georgia Tech team down in Atlanta, while on the road against Syracuse, their three-touchdown halftime advantage was subsequently squeezed down the drain. Both losses were also by five points each, oddly enough. Meanwhile, Iowa State stands at 10-3, and while they technically remain 1st in the Big 12, since they made it to Arlington, a thrashing from a similar record Arizona State sent them to the next best rewarding table. Pop-Tarts are definitely rewarding in some regard, though.
Now these two teams face each other in the most gimmicky of bowl games, with the winner getting to eat the world’s largest Pop-Tart, much like Kansas State did in the first edition after defeating NC State 28-19. The game will be played in Orlando at Camping World Stadium, a place that also hosts the Citrus Bowl, where this year, #15 South Carolina and #20 Illinois play. It will also host the Cure Bowl for the first time since the 2020 season, with MAC champions Ohio and Conference USA champions Jacksonville State as the participants. The Pop-Tarts Bowl is scheduled for December 28 at 3:30 pm.
Comparing these two Pop-Tarts battling teams is a bit of a challenge- they have near identical records and that explains why the favorite is Iowa State by a mere three points. However, expect the Canes to potentially run away with this one, given that their QB is a Heisman finalist, despite not participating in this year’s Playoff. Cam Ward has racked up over 4000 total passing yards with 36 touchdowns to just seven interceptions, a dominant and ideal TD-INT ratio. Ward also has almost 200 rushing yards on 58 carries and has run the ball in for six a total of four times.
As for the rest of the Canes offense, they rank 1st in the nation in points per game (43), yards/game (537) and yards per play (7.5), while they are third in the country in points per play (0.593). Compare that to Iowa State, which is 37th (31), 32nd (421.6), 51st (5.7), and 49th (0.419) in those same statistics. This is not gonna be the easiest matchup or game to watch if you root for ISU. Funny enough, neither team is that great on rushing statistics like rushing yards/game and rushing attempts/game.
Miami has the edge in the passing game at least, ranking 10th in completion percentage, third in yards/pass, 15th in passes/game, and tops in passing yards/game. They do have the 19th-highest interception ratio, which may seem a little worrying, but given Ward’s earlier mentioned TD-INT ratio, that isn’t a major problem. Now, where does Iowa State rank in those stats? 101st, 54th, 37th, and 58th. That last one is basically the only bright spot for the Cyclones’ pass attack.
On the defensive side of the ball, Miami also fares strongly, ranking 64th in opponent points per game (25) and 27th in opponent yards/game (331.6) for passing, while their run defense is 11th for opponent rush attempts/game and 20th for opponent rushing yards/game. That could be something to watch for in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, even with Iowa State’s 46th-ranked opponent rushes/game (34) and their 99th-ranked opponent rushing yards/game (179.6). Remember, for defensive statistics, a lower ranking is better! The higher the rank, the more yards are given up. Both teams may be able to put lots of points on the board, but they’re just as vulnerable in doing so off of turnovers.
There is also a chance that Cam Ward might sit the Pop-Tarts Bowl out, to prepare for next year’s NFL Draft, like so many other key players this season. Ward is a 5th year senior, having started his career at Incarnate Word in 2020 and 2021 before transferring to Washington State for 2022 and 2023. Now he plays out his final year of eligibility in Coral Gables and gets a bowl game up in tourist trap Orlando, a much warmer locale than Pullman, WA. At least San Antonio was also nice and balmy, which is where Incarnate Word is located for those unaware.
There’s also another chance that Iowa State could easily win this game if Ward happens to skip. The Cyclones are a little less banged up than the Hurricanes, because remember, they made their conference title game while Miami didn’t. The Canes had to deal with two embarrassing Playoff chance-killing losses in their final three games, something that ISU managed to avoid. That notion alone could give Iowa State exactly what it needs to grab itself a red and gold icing-ed treat in the Pop-Tarts Bowl!
