College football Bowl fans at Aloha Stadium will be treated to a game between the 24th-ranked Boise State Broncos and the East Carolina Pirates when they take their seats on December 23 for the Hawaii Bowl.

Boise State (10-2) earned a berth in the BCS last season and completed a 13-0 season with a thrilling 43-42 overtime win over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. The Broncos tied the game with 7 seconds left on a 50-yard hook-and-ladder play in which receiver Drisan James, after catching a pass, pitched the ball to Jerard Rabb, who ran in for the score.

Then, after a fourth-down touchdown pass in overtime, the Broncos converted a two-point conversion on a version of the old Statue of Liberty play, as quarterback Jared Zabransky faked to the right before slipping the ball behind his back to tailback Ian Johnson.

That dramatic win silenced critics who questioned whether a team from the Western Athletic Conference even belonged in the BCS. And this season, another WAC team will be playing in a BCS game - but it won't be the Broncos.

Boise State's slim BCS hopes were dashed when it lost 39-27 in its regular-season finale on Nov. 23 to undefeated Hawaii, which will face Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. The loss ended a nine-game winning streak and a run of five consecutive conference titles for the Broncos. Boise State gave up 573 yards, falling as 3-point road underdogs. The 66 points scored were UNDER the posted total of 75.

Taylor Tharp went 22-for-36 for 231 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and Jeremy Childs had eight receptions for 102 yards for the Broncos.

"You've got to earn that," second-year coach Chris Petersen said of playing in a higher-profile bowl game. "Those are special bowl games and you've got to be a special team to get that done. We're obviously just not there quite yet. We're still a bit young and inexperienced in some places to be in that position."

Still, the Broncos will be making their sixth straight bowl appearance and second in a row outside of Boise. The Broncos, 4-2 in bowls since moving to Division 1-AA (now the Football Bowl Subdivision), voted overwhelmingly to accept the bid to play in Hawaii rather than playing in the Humanitarian Bowl on their home field.

The Pirates (7-5) will be playing in their second straight bowl game after missing the postseason for four consecutive seasons. East Carolina lost to South Florida 24-7 last season in the PapaJohns.com Bowl in Birmingham, Ala.

The Pirates finished this season tied for second in the East Division of Conference USA with six conference wins - the most in a league for the program since winning six in the Southern Conference in 1973.

"This obviously will be a trip of a lifetime for many of us and a reward, especially for our seniors who have provided the program with leadership and stability during their career," coach Skip Holtz said. "I'm looking forward to seeing all of us experience a different culture, one which I'm confident will provide many wonderful memories.

It will be the 14th bowl appearance for East Carolina, which is 7-6 in postseason games, splitting the past eight.

Running back Chris Johnson ran for two touchdowns and caught another as the Pirates ran over the Tulane Green Wave 35-12 last time out. East Carolina easily covered the 12.5-point spread at home, but the combined score fell UNDER the posted total of 62.5.Johnson finished with 157 yards rushing off 27 carries and caught four passes for 85 yards in the win. Chris Johnson rushed for 1,244 yards and 16 touchdowns on 208 carries this season. Johnson also caught 34 passes for 496 yards and five scores. He moved into second place on the school's all-time scoring list with 252 points, 35 behind Jeff Heath's mark of 287.

However, Johnson will be up against a Boise State rushing defense that ranked first in the WAC with 114.9 yards allowed per game. The Broncos also led the conference in total defense (326.5) and scoring defense (20.0).

Boise State's offense was just as good, ranking fifth in the nation - and second in the WAC behind Hawaii - with 42.8 points per game.

Petersen's remarkable success in his two seasons at Boise State means that rumors linking him to a number of coaching vacancies across the country could follow the coach into this game.

But while he has left open the possibility that he would consider an offer, he has reaffirmed his commitment to Boise State since the end of the regular season. Petersen specifically denied having had any discussions with athletic officials from UCLA over the Bruins' coaching vacancy.

Hawaii Bowl Oddsmakers currently have the Broncos listed as 11-point favorites versus the Pirates, while the game's total has not yet been posted.

Team records:
Boise State: 10-2 SU, 6-5 ATS
East Carolina: 7-5 SU, 7-5 ATS

Boise State most recently:
When playing in December are 5-2
When playing on turf are 8-2
After being outgained are 9-1
When playing outside the conference are 8-2

East Carolina most recently:
When playing in December are 2-4
When playing on turf are 4-6
After outgaining opponent are 4-6
When playing outside the conference are 3-7

A few trends to consider:
Boise State is 23-2 SU in its last 25 games
Boise State is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boise State's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boise State's last 5 games
East Carolina is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
East Carolina is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
East Carolina is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
East Carolina is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 games at home

CLICK HERE TO BET ON HAWAII BOWL AT SPORTSBOOK.COM THAT LETS YOU DEPOSIT WITH YOUR CHECKING ACCOUNT INSTANTLY! GET A 10% SUBSCRIBING BONUS TOO!