Similar teams set to square off

In the season of giving, the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl features two teams that thrive on thievery.

The game’s ad campaign promotes high-scoring offenses, and Fresno State and SMU have proven they can light up the scoreboard this season. But their places in the 11th annual Christmas Eve game at Aloha Stadium were based heavily on the impact of their defenses.

Both teams enter today’s matchup with 33 takeaways, tied with Boise State for third in the FBS, and SMU’s nine defensive touchdowns lead the country, with Fresno State just one behind.

"Ultimately that’s going to be the story of the ballgame, who takes care of the football and who creates the most takeaways," first-year Fresno State head coach Tim DeRuyter said. "They’ve won games because of taking the ball away and we have too."

Offensive-minded SMU head coach June Jones also praised the role of the Mustangs defense in securing a school-record fourth consecutive bowl berth and a second appearance in the Hawaii Bowl in the last four years.

The similarities between the Bulldogs and Mustangs include but certainly aren’t limited to their defenses’ penchant for creating turnovers and their red-and-blue color schemes as they look forward to playing in the national spotlight given the game’s Monday night time slot on ESPN.

Their shared traits also extend to:

» Familiarity with Aloha Stadium: Fresno State visited last season when the Bulldogs earned a conference win over Hawaii, while SMU returns 15 players who made the trip for the 2009 Hawaii Bowl victory over Nevada.

"In ’09 it was a lot different because it was our first bowl game in 25 years so there was tons of attention on us, tons of buzz," SMU running back Zach Line said. "Last time it was fun; this is more like a business trip."

Jones brings the Mustangs back to the stadium he called home for nine seasons with the Warriors and the site of several memorable meetings with Fresno State, including a double-overtime win in 1999 to clinch the WAC title and the 2001 game capped by Ashley Lelie’s leaping touchdown catch in the final seconds.

» Impact running backs: Both offenses spread the field, which has opened lanes for Line and Fresno State’s Robbie Rouse. Line ran for 1,207 yards and 12 touchdowns and was named Conference USA’s Offensive Player of the Year. Rouse accounted for 1,468 yards and 12 scores in the Bulldogs’ up-tempo attack, a shift from the pro-style power running game they’d featured in the past.

"They play a different type of football than I’m used to seeing Fresno State play," Jones said. "They spread the field a whole lot more."

» Heralded prep standouts at QB: Derek Carr narrowed his choices to Fresno State and SMU as a highly decorated passer coming out of Bakersfield (Calif.) High. After visiting with Jones, Carr opted to stay closer to home.

Garrett Gilbert was the national player of the year at Lake Travis (Texas) High before signing with Texas. He transferred to SMU this season and persevered through an often rough transition to the run-and-shoot offense.

Carr has thrown just five interceptions this season with 36 touchdowns. Gilbert owns a streak of 126 attempts without being picked off, a run that will be tested by a Fresno State secondary headlined by Phillip Thomas, the nation’s leader in interceptions with eight.

"Everything starts with (Thomas), he’s a great player. But it doesn’t stop there," Gilbert said. "They’re very good up front, they fly around to the ball, they give you a lot of different looks, they’ve got a lot of different ways to attack you."

» Defensive structures: Both defenses operate out of a 3-4 base alignment and have similar philosophies shaped by DeRuyter, a former Texas A&M defensive coordinator, and SMU’s Tom Mason, the DC at Fresno State for seven years before joining Jones at SMU in 2008.

"Before I took this job we visited a bunch just talking defense," DeRuyter said of Mason. "They do a lot of very similar things to what we do. It’s fun to see a little different style to it, but a lot of similarity."

» An appreciation of the opportunity: SMU’s bowl streak was in jeopardy after a 2-4 start, before the Mustangs turned the season around and earned a postseason berth with a win over Tulsa to close the regular season.

Fresno State avoided such drama by capturing a share of the Mountain West Conference title and a return to the postseason after going 4-9 last season.

"We’re so blessed to even get to play in this bowl game, because last year we were watching them all. We were on our couch once the last game was over," Carr said. "So just to be able to be at a bowl game, I think that energy and how excited we are … that’s what’s going to really fire us up."