San Jose State will play South Florida in the Hawaii Bowl

HONOLULU — San Jose State is headed back to the Hawaii Bowl for a second straight season to face South Florida.

Bowl officials on Tuesday announced the matchup for the game set to be played on Dec. 24 on the campus of the University of Hawaii.

The Spartans went 7-5 in coach Ken Niumatalolo’s first season, capping the regular season with a win over Stanford. San Jose State is led by receiver Nick Nash, who leads the FBS in receptions (104), yards receiving (1,382) and receiving touchdowns (16). Nash is a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award that goes to the best receiver in the country.

San Jose State lost to Coastal Carolina in last year’s Hawaii Bowl. The Spartans lost the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in the 2022 season and will be playing in three straight bowl games for the first time in school history.

South Florida went 6-6 this season and is seeking to win back-to-back bowl games after beating Syracuse last season in the Boca Raton Bowl.

The game will be broadcast on ESPN and will be the only bowl game played on Christmas Eve.