The Game

Cincinnati Bearcats (7-5) vs. San Diego State Aztecs (10-3)

December 24, 2025 at 8:00 PM EST

ESPN/ESPN3

Aloha Stadium - Honolulu, Hawaii

San Diego State vs. Cincinnati in Hawaii Bowl

— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) December 6, 2025

So, it's official. The 7-5 Cincinnati Bearcats will be making the long trip west to play in the Hawaii Bowl against the 10-3 San Diego Aztecs. San Diego is fresh off a close 27-24 win over Air Force in the Mountain West Conference Championship Game.

The Aztecs are hot right now, entering the Bowl game on a nine-game winning streak after starting the year 1-3. Those three losses came three weeks in a row to Cal, South Alabama and Penn State. As those losses piled up, San Diego State faded from the national discussion amongst Group of Five teams, despite having some preseason hype surrounding the team.

San Diego State averaged just over 35 points per game and only allowed 12.7 points per game over the nine-game winning streak. The 24 points allowed to the 8-5 Air Force Falcons was the most allowed during that stretch with the previous high being 17 allowed to the 7-5 Colorado State Rams. The offense is led by a run game that has racked up 3,059 rushing yards on the season with Donnel Pumphrey pacing the Aztecs with 1,554 yards and 16 touchdowns.

You hope for good, entertaining games when you get into Bowl Season and this figures to be one of those intriguing matchups. Cincinnati's offense is certainly explosive and the Aztecs run game presents a very real threat for the Bearcats defense. It is rather unfortunate that the game isn't a little more accessible though.

Flights from CVG to Honolulu over Christmas weekend are $1,100+. So have fun in Hawaii George Smith Society members. https://t.co/ff8V6QAb1Z

— Chris Bains (@cinbinbains) December 6, 2025