Overview

• The Hawaii Bowl will take place on December 24 at the University of Hawaii's Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu, with kickoff scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
• San Jose State (7-5) enters the game after a strong season under first-year head coach Ken Niumatalolo, capped by a win over Stanford.
• The Spartans are led by star wide receiver Nick Nash, who leads the nation in receptions (104), receiving yards (1,382), and receiving touchdowns (16), and is a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award.
• South Florida (6-6) secured bowl eligibility with four wins in its last six games and aims to win consecutive bowl games after last year's Boca Raton Bowl victory over Syracuse.
• This will be San Jose State's third straight bowl appearance and South Florida's first trip to Hawaii in the program's 28-year history.