Armed Forces Bowl 2015: Preview, Predictions for California vs. Air Force

The California Golden Bears will face the Air Force Falcons in the Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 29 at 2 p.m. ET. 

After starting the season 5-0, Cal finished the regular season with losses in five of its last seven games. Now at 7-5, the Golden Bears are set to face Air Force for the bowl game. The Falcons are coming off a loss to San Diego State in the Mountain West Championship Game, but a win in the bowl game would improve their record to 9-5 on the season. 

Air Force's triple-option offense has been successful this season, as it ranks third in the nation in rushing yards per game at 321.8. It will go up against a Cal defense that has played poorly on that side of the ball. 

It's likely that this game sees a lot of points scored, and there's not many quarterbacks better to have on your team than Cal's Jared Goff. The junior quarterback has thrown for 4,252 yards and 37 touchdowns this season.

Give Jared Goff Time to Throw

Air Force is a team that gets good pressure on the quarterback. It is important for Cal to win the battle up front and give Goff time to get the ball to his playmakers. The Falcons have 36 sacks on the season, so they are capable of disrupting Cal's offensive rhythm. 

Find a Way to Stop the Run 

The Cal defense has been terrible against the run, and that's something that could hurt it in this game. Air Force runs the triple-option as good as almost anyone, so Cal will need to improve in this area. The Bears are 102nd in the country in run defense, giving up 203.5 yards per game. 

Air Force is explosive with its run game, so Cal has to keep it from breaking off long runs. The Falcons are tied for ninth in the nation in plays of 30 yards or more with 41, so it's an area Cal needs to put its focus toward.

Extend Drives on Third Down

It's going to be important for Air Force to be able to extend drives. One game that stands out for the Falcons is the Michigan State loss early in the year. Air Force outgained the Spartans 428 to 324 in total yards and had two more first downs, but it was not able to extend drives.

The Falcons were just 3-of-9 on third down, and that helped allow Michigan State to control the ball for almost six minutes more. Air Force will need to move the chains and keep the ball away from Cal's explosive offensive attack. 

Get Pressure on the Quarterback 

The Falcons defense will need to generate pressure on Cal to keep Goff from beating Air Force down the field. When given time, Goff is one of the best in the country, but the Falcons can force him into mistakes by pressuring him. 

Air Force is tied for 11th in the nation in sacks with 36, and Cal is tied for 68th in sacks allowed. The Golden Bears have given up 26 sacks this year, and Utah was able to force Goff into five interceptions.

Jared Goff, QB

Goff is one of the best in the business, and the numbers do not lie. He has thrown for 4,252 yards and 37 touchdowns this season, and he is coming off one of his best games of the season in which he threw five touchdowns and no interceptions versus Arizona State. 

This game will likely be high-scoring, so Cal will need its star quarterback to have another big game. 

Bryce Treggs, WR

The Cal offense needs to score a lot of points in this game, and wide receiver Bryce Treggs could be a huge factor for Cal's offense. Treggs leads the Golden Bears with 41 catches for 813 yards and six touchdowns. Kenny Lawler is arguably the most reliable option for Goff, but Treggs is the explosive option whom Goff will look to in this high-scoring affair.

Karson Roberts, QB 

Karson Roberts is the senior leader of this triple-option attack, and he will be a player to watch in the bowl game. He has struggled a bit throwing the ball, but he is dangerous on the ground. Roberts has run for 674 yards and nine touchdowns, and he averages 4.4 yards per carry. 

His ability to lead this offense and keep Cal's high-scoring offense off the field will have a huge impact on the outcome. 

Alex Hansen, DL

While Roberts is the guy on offense, Alex Hansen is the senior leader on the defense. The defensive lineman has 7.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss on the season, and Air Force will need him to help supply the pressure on Goff.

Cal

Cal head coach Sonny Dykes commented on the guts of his team despite a tough season, per Avinash Kunnath of SB Nation:

It was a fitting end to the season for the seniors. As I was walking up after the game I was thinking about what these guys have been through and I thought that this was a very fitting end to the season because what these guys had to do is that they had to have guts though all the things that they've been through and they had guts today and I think that showed.

Air Force

Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun commented on possibly interviewing for other jobs, per Paul Klee of the Gazette: "There will be another game."

Cal has momentum after last week's thrilling 48-46 win over Arizona State, but it may meet its match in the Armed Forces Bowl. Air Force limps in after the loss to San Diego State in the Mountain West Championship Game, but Calhoun will have his guys ready to play. 

The Falcons will be able to score points because of their ability to run the ball against a struggling California defense. It's important that Air Force keeps the chains moving, but it will have enough explosive plays to make this game a shootout. 

That leaves the question of whether or not Cal's offense can keep up. Led by Goff, this group is dangerous every time it has the ball, but Air Force will create a couple of turnovers that will be the difference.

Cal has not done a great job of protecting Goff, and Air Force's underrated pass rush will force some matchup problems there. 

Air Force 42, Cal 37

All stats courtesy of CFBStats.com.