Utah-Tulsa matchups

Breaking down today's Armed Forces Bowl between Utah and Tulsa:

• UTAH RUNNING OFFENSE vs. TULSA RUNNING DEFENSE

Flip a coin. Statistically, there's not much difference — 3.1 yards to be exact. Tulsa holds opponents to 138.4 yards per game, while Utah averages 135.3 yards on the ground. The Golden Hurricane may have the nod, however, because of linebacker Nick Bunting, the C-USA defensive player of the year.

EDGE: Tulsa

• UTAH PASSING OFFENSE vs. TULSA PASSING DEFENSE

On paper, Tulsa appears to have an advantage. The Golden Hurricane rank sixth in the nation defending the pass (152.5 ypg). They tend to drop eight defenders back, though, and that skews the numbers. Utah quarterback Brett Ratliff is averaging 278.4 yards passing over his past five games.

EDGE: Even

• TULSA RUNNING OFFENSE vs. UTAH RUNNING DEFENSE

Pretty much a draw. Tulsa's ground game ranks 30th in the nation, and Utah's rushing defense is 26th overall. Running back Courtney Tennial leads the Golden Hurricane with 792 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Utes have a strong line with Kelly Talavou and Paul Soliai in the middle.

EDGE: Even

• TULSA PASSING OFFENSE vs. UTAH PASSING DEFENSE

The Utes intercepted 16 passes this season to offset dismal national rankings in pass efficiency defense (85th) and pass defense (86th). All-America defensive back Eric Weddle may be too much, however, for Tulsa and quarterback Paul Smith to overcome.

EDGE: Utah

• SPECIAL TEAMS

Utah tops the nation in net punting with 41.4 yards per kick. Sophomore Louie Sakoda led the way by earning Mountain West Conference co-special teams player of the year honors as the Utes' punter and placekicker. Tulsa's kick teams rank no higher than 69th in the country.

EDGE: Utah