The game featured theCincinnati Bearcats, with a record of 7–5, againstSan Diego State, with a record of 10-3 and on a 9-game winning streak going into the game. The Aztecs defeated the Bearcats by a score of 42-7.
This was the Bearcats' 17th bowl game (they were 8–8 all-time in bowl games), their fifth consecutive bowl appearance, and their first bowl game in Hawaii.
San Diego State, playing its sixth straight bowl game, had won all of its eight regular conference games this year. They then defeatedAir Force, 27-24 in the title game for the school's 20th football conference championship. Head coachRocky Long is among 13 active coaches to have guided his current team to a bowl game during his first five seasons as the head man. This was also the Aztecs' first bowl game in Hawaii since 1952.
^"San Diego State clobbers Cincinnati 42-7 in Hawaii Bowl".usatoday.com.Associated Press. December 25, 2015. RetrievedDecember 26, 2015.San Diego State fullback Dakota Gordon does a lot more than just block for the Aztecs. He showed it in the Hawaii Bowl and ended up with the most valuable player award.
