Bowl notebook: San Jose State, South Florida to meet in Hawaii Bowl

San Jose State will face South Florida in the Hawaii Bowl, officials announced Tuesday.

The contest will be held Dec. 24 on the Hawaii campus in Honolulu.

The Spartans (7-5) of the Mountain West completed the regular season by beating neighbor Stanford 34-31 on Friday. San Jose State features star receiver Nick Nash, who leads the nation with 104 receptions, 1,382 receiving yards and 16 receiving touchdowns.

The Spartans also played in the Hawaii Bowl last season, falling 24-14 to Coastal Carolina.

South Florida (6-6) won four of its last six games, but lost 35-28 to fellow American Athletic Conference foe Rice on Saturday.

"We are excited for the opportunity to compete in the Hawaii Bowl against a very good San Jose State team," Bulls coach Alex Golesh said in a news release. "Hawaii is a unique and beautiful destination that our players are excited to experience, and we look forward to productive bowl practices and a great game as we continue to build our program."

--Western Michigan and South Alabama will meet in the Salute to Veterans Bowl at Montgomery, Ala., on Dec. 14. It will be the first contest of the bowl season.

Western Michigan (6-6) gained bowl eligibility with a 26-18 victory over Eastern Michigan in Mid-American Conference play on Saturday.

"This is a great opportunity for our football program and our university," Broncos coach Lance Taylor said in a news release. "South Alabama is a well-coached, physical team that will be a great test for our team."

South Alabama (6-6) lost to Texas State 45-38 in Sun Belt play on Friday. The Jaguars have won four of their past six games.

--Field Level Media