Bowl games are often viewed as glorified exhibition games. The proverbial cherry atop the ice cream sundae, if you will, particularly as it relates to the games that fall outside the New Year’s Six.

For diehard fans of a particular team, a non-New Year’s Six bowl game is typically not enough to satiate a ravenous football appetite, though they do provide an opportunity for a satisfying finish to the season before giving way to a lengthy offseason filled with unwavering hope and optimism.

For the Ducks in 2018, these sentiments all ring true. Yet, it’s hard to deny the feeling that there’s a little extra “umph” for Oregon heading into their New Year’s Eve matchup with Michigan State in the Redbox Bowl.

The Ducks are not only coming off a historic finish to the early signing period, where they currently boast the nation’s sixth-ranked recruiting class per 247Sports’ Composite Team Rankings, but they also received perhaps the best holiday gift imaginable when Justin Herbert officially announced he would be forgoing the NFL Draft in order to stay in Eugene for his fourth and final year as the Oregon signal caller.

With the program’s immediate future more or less solidified heading into what figures to be a highly anticipated 2019 season, one would expect the Ducks to enter Monday’s game with an advantageous jolt of energy and excitement, a far cry from the feelings Oregon experienced in the build up to last year’s Las Vegas Bowl loss to Boise State.

To break it all down, WFOD offers up its Redbox Bowl primer as the Ducks prepare to face Michigan State.

Michigan State Spartans

2018 record: 7-5 overall, 5-4 in the Big Ten Conference
Last game: 14-10 win vs. Rutgers
Ranking: Unranked
All-time record vs. Oregon: 3-3
When and where to watch: Monday, Dec. 31 at 12:00 p.m. (Pacific), Fox

Items of note:

• An Oregon win would mark the first time since 2011 that the Ducks have finished the season on a three-game winning streak
• The Ducks hold a 13-18 all-time record in bowl games and will look to
  snap a three-game losing streak in bowl contests
• The Spartans are 6-1 all-time in bowl games in the state of California. However, Michigan State is just 5-5 under head coach Mark Dantonio in bowl appearances.
• Michigan State ranks first in the FBS in rushing defense (81.3 yards per game). The Spartans have held their opponents to under 100 yards rushing seven times this season. MSU also has only given up 29 rushes of 10-plus yards, which is tied for fewest in the FBS.
• Though the MSU-Oregon all-time series is tied 3-3, Monday’s game will mark the first time the schools have faced off in a neutral-site matchup

Five Michigan State names you should know:

5. Felton Davis (WR)

The Spartan offense has lived a Spartan lifestyle in 2018, as Michigan State ranks among the nation’s worst teams in terms of total offense (117th, 343.0 yards per game) and scoring offense (tied for 122nd, 19.8 points per game). However, one of the few bright spots for the Spartans this season has been the play of senior wide receiver Felton Davis. Coming off a 2017 campaign that saw Davis earn second-team All-Big Ten honors, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound wideout was the victim of dysfunction at the quarterback position this season, finishing the year with 31 receptions for 474 yards and a team-leading four touchdowns through the air. If the Spartans find themselves in an unexpected offensive rhythm versus the Ducks on Monday, expect Davis to be the reason why.

4. Khari Willis (DB)

With second-team All-Big Ten cornerback Justin Layne electing to skip the Redbox Bowl in order to prepare for next year’s NFL Draft, the Spartan secondary will be led by one of the team’s best leaders in senior safety Khari Willis. At 6-foot and 215 pounds, Willis does a little bit of everything for Michigan State in the back end of their vaunted defense, aside from bringing outstanding leadership skills to the table. Not only is he the team’s third leading tackler (81), but Willis is tied for the team lead in interceptions (2) and is tied for second in passes broken up (8).

3. Raequan Williams (DT)

Defense has long been a strong suit in East Lansing, as Michigan State has seemingly been led by all-conference and All-American caliber players at each level of their defense since Mark Dantonio’s arrival as head coach prior to the 2007 season. In junior defensive tackle Raequan Williams, the Spartans have yet another player who has had played a major role in keeping Michigan State’s tradition of stellar defense alive. Named a third-team All-Big Ten performer alongside the aforementioned Khari Willis, Williams has emerged in 2018 as one of the team’s most invaluable players. Standing 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds, Williams is a handful for interior linemen thanks to his ability to tie up blockers and make plays behind the line of scrimmage. His 9.5 tackles for loss ranks second on the Michigan State defense.

2. Joe Bachie (LB)

At 6-foot-2 and 238 pounds, Michigan State’s Joe Bachie may not possess the sexy measurables that has NFL GMs and scouts flocking to East Lansing, but he’s quite possibly the most important player on the Spartan defense. After earning team MVP honors as a sophomore last season, Bachie has not disappointed as a junior, leading the team in tackles (94) for a second straight season. A second-team All-Big Ten performer this season, Bachie also has a penchant for making momentum shifting plays, ranking first on the team in fumbles forced (3) and third in tackles for loss (8.5). Alongside fellow linebacker Andrew Dowell, the two comprise perhaps most underrated linebacker duo in the entire country. 

1. Kenny Willekes (DE)

From humble beginnings as former walk-on to star-studded acclaim as one of the nation’s top defensive players, Michigan State’s Kenny Willekes is the true definition of self-made. Following a relatively non-descript redshirt freshman season, Willekes exploded onto the scene as a sophomore, earning third-team All-Big Ten honors after leading the Spartans in sacks (7.0) and tackles for loss (14.5). That, however, provided but a taste of what Willekes was capable of. This season, Willekes has officially taken the Big Ten by storm, ranking tied for fourth in the conference in sacks (8.5) while ranking seventh nationally in tackles for loss (20.5) en route to first-team All-Big Ten honors. On a defense full of disruptive players, Willekes is second to none. His one-on-one battles with Oregon tackles Penei Sewell and Calvin Throckmorton should offer quality entertainment for those who relish hellacious battles in the trenches.