Gameday: Baylor and Boise State square off in Cactus Bowl

The Baylor Bears (6-6) will conclude the 2016 football season on Tuesday evening when they face the Boise State Broncos in the Motel 6 Cactus Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 27 at 9:15 p.m. CT at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. The game will be broadcast on ESPN

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Season Leaders

Passing
Baylor - Seth Russell (152/278, 2126 yards, 20 TDs, 8 INT)
Boise State - Brett Rypien (212/343, 3341, 23 TDs, 6 INT)

Rushing
Baylor - Terence Williams (160, 945, 11 TDs)
Boise State - Jeremy Nichols (295, 1663, 23 TDs)

Receiving
Baylor - KD Cannon (72, 989, 11 TDs
Boise State - Thomas Sperbeck (72, 1193, 9 TDs)

Tackles
Baylor - Aiavion Edwards (87)
Boise State - Ben Weaver (99)

Sacks
Baylor - K.J. Smith (6.0)
Boise State - David Moa (7.5)

Interceptions
Baylor - Orion Stewart (5)
Boise State - C. Jams (2)

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• Baylor is appearing in its 7th-straight bowl game for the first time in school history. BU is 11-11 in 22 previous bowl trips, including 3-3 in the last 6.
• BU looks to win back-to-back bowl games for the 4th-time in program history and first since 2011-12.
• Baylor is 1 of only 10 FBS programs to win at least 3 games in 5 bowl appearances since 2011. 
• Baylor had opened the year 6-0 and risen to as high as No. 8 in the AP Top 25, but finished the year 6-6 and tied for 6th in the Big 12 Conference with a 3-6 league record.
• The Bears are looking to snap a 6-game losing streak - its first since 2007 when the Bears suffered 8-straight losses to end the year.
• Baylor and Boise State will meet for the first time, but the Bears are 16-4 all-time against current Mountain West Conference members.
• BU is 7-2 in the month of December since 2011.
• The Bears are just 2-4 away from Waco in 2016 and 0-1 in neutral contests.
• BU has won 7 of its last 10 neutral site contests and 19 of its last 28 played outside of Waco.
• Baylor earned its 2nd-ever Cactus Bowl berth (1st was in 1991 Copper Bowl - a 24-0 loss to Indiana).
• True freshman QB Zach Smith will being make his 4th-career start for injured senior QB Seth Russell. Smith has thrown for thrown for at least 200 yards and 2 TDs in each of his first three starts.